Amy – Page 13 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on September 7, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — 5 Comments

Bilhah and Zilpah, women in the Bible

Zilpah, whose name is believed to mean “drooping”, was given to Leah as a handmaiden by Laban, Leah’s father, when Leah was given to Jacob as a bride. Zilpah is first introduced in the Bible in Genesis 29:24. She is on the Biblical Timeline Poster between 1754-1704 BC.

Bilhah, whose name is believed to mean “bashful or faltering”, was given to Rachel as her handmaiden by Laban, Rachel’s father, when Rachel was given to Jacob as a bride. Bilhah was first introduced in the Bible in Genesis 29:29.

Bilhah_and_Ziplah — Jacob had four wives

Who is Zilpah?

After Leah had already bore Jacob four sons and then stopped having babies, she presented Zilpah to Jacob to act as a type of surrogate mother and have more children for Jacob. This was done as part of an ongoing rivalry between Leah and her sister Rachel, Jacob’s second and favorite wife. Zilpah bore two sons to Jacob, which would have been Gad and Asher. These were Jacob’s sons number seven and eight respectively. The account of Zilpah’s role as Leah’s surrogate mother can be found in Genesis 30:9-13.

While Zilpah is a considered a minor Bible character, she was a vessel used to usher in two of the tribes of Israel. You can read about Jacob, also known as Israel, blessing Gad and Asher as tribes of Israel in Genesis 49:19-20.

Who is Bilhah?
When Rachel was barren for many years and became overwhelmed with jealousy of her sister Leah, Jacob’s first wife that had already bore four sons, she gave her servant Bilhah to Jacob to become her surrogate mother. As such, Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali as detailed in Genesis 30:1-8.

Bilhah was later briefly mentioned in Genesis 35:22 when Jacob’s firstborn son Rueben reportedly slept with her after Rachel had died. This act caused Reuben to lose his birthright inheritance as pointed out in Genesis 49:3-4.

Bilhah is also considered a minor Bible character but was also used to bring two of the twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel onto the earth. The blessings of Dan and Naphtali as tribes of Israel can be found in Genesis 49:16-17, and 21.

Some Bible scholars believe that Zilpah was younger than Bilhah and was given as the maidservant of Leah to contribute to the deception that surrounded the two brides. Jacob had worked for seven years as part of an agreement to earn Rachel’s hand in marriage from her father, Laban. However, Laban gave Leah as the veiled bride to Jacob instead. Jacob did not become aware of the substitution until after the marriage acts had been committed. Laban excused his actions as part of his people’s tradition to always marry the oldest daughter first. This caused Jacob to commit to another seven years of labor to pay for Rachel’s hand in marriage though he took her as his wife only a week after he took Leah.

Elsewhere in the World
During this time on the Bible Timeline with World History, the following events at various locations around the world are recorded:

The Middle Kingdom of Egypt reestablished prosperity and stability. This brought about art, literature, and building projects reappearing on the Egyptian scene. Military and political security, agricultural and mineral wealth, and religion all flourished during this period.
Hittites take over the area now covered by Turkey. The Hittites were considered members of the Bronze Age, but forerunners of the Iron Age.
Bronze to Iron Age – During this period making items of bronze seemed to be migrating into the Iron Age. The manufacture of artifacts from iron was noted. Iron became a very valuable commodity and was used to produce goods.
In Greece – In Greece, the Middle Helladic Period was in full swing. During this time, settlements drew closer together and gravitated toward hilltops. During this period, rectilinear pottery was being influenced into curvilinear by the Minoans.
China – The first Chinese dynasty known as the Xia migrated into the Shang Dynasty around the 18^th century.

References:
http://www.ancient.eu/Bronze_Age/
http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/bilhah-bible
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilpah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Age
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helladic_period
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georgian_brides_in_church.jpg

Posted on September 5, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — 1 Comment

Leah, Biblical Figure

Leah was the oldest daughter of Laban, Rebekah’s brother. She was also the sister of Rachel and the wife of Jacob. The name Leah means weary. Leah was not noted for her beauty as her sister Rachel was, but for her weak, or delicate, eyes. She can be found in the Bible Timeline between 1754-1704 BC.

Rebekah’s son Jacob was sent to Laban to escape the wrath of his brother Esau whom he had deceived. While staying with and working for Laban, Jacob fell in love with Rachel, who was the younger sister of Leah. When Laban asked what payment Jacob would like for the work he was performing for Laban, Jacob requested to take Rachel as his wife in exchange for seven years of labor. Laban agreed. The majority of the details are recorded about Leah’s life events can be found in the 29^th and 30^thchapters of the Book of Genesis.

Leah Married Jacob through Deception

However, when the seven years of labor were finished, and Jacob claimed his payment, there was an unexpected twist of events. After he had spent his wedding night with his new bride, he awoke in the morning to discover that his bride was Leah and not Rachel. Having been deceived, Jacob was upset and questioned Laban about the identity of his bride. Jacob was informed that the custom of Laban’s people is to marry off the oldest daughter first. Therefore, Laban graciously agreed to give Jacob Rachel’s hand in marriage after his marriage week with Leah in exchange for another seven years of labor. Jacob agreed.

While Leah’s was Jacob’s first wife, she was not loved by her husband as her sister Rachel was. Because the Lord God seen that Leah was not loved, he graciously opened Leah’s womb. Leah bore Jacob his first four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Later she bore Jacob two more sons Issachar and Zebulun. Leah also later gave birth to a daughter named Dinah. With each child, Leah hoped to win the affections of her husband.

Because Leah was able to bear children and her sister Rachel was not, Rachel became very jealous of Leah because a childless woman was looked upon with despite in those days. The Lord did, however, eventually allow Rachel to bare two sons to Jacob.

The End of Leah’s Life

Leah, along with Jacob, Rachel, their maidservants and their livestock, left her native land of Haran and went to settle in Canaan. Leah lived there until she died and was buried in the cave in the field of Machpelah as mentioned in Genesis 49:29 – 31.

Though Leah was not a highly visible character in the Bible, she gave birth to six sons who would later become half of the tribes of Israel. This included the line of Judah, from which was born Jesus Christ. Therefore, this seemingly insignificant Bible character was used to begin ushering in the ultimate salvation of the world.

Though the beginning of her family relationships appeared to entail deception, jealousy, rejection and family strife. The Lord God used these obviously imperfect beginnings as the catalyst to foster what most consider the single most important event in Biblical history. Through the descendants of Leah, the Lord Jesus Christ was born into this world many generations later.

What Was Happening in the Rest of the World?

During the period that Leah was alive, the rest of the world had continued to function. In China, Emperor YU ruled. The Intermediate Kingdoms existed in Egypt. Ramman lead in Assyria and the Hittites took over the area now covered by Turkey. This was also the time of Hammurabi, who was considered to be responsible for establishing the greatness of Babylon. Babylon was considered the world’s first metropolis.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammurabi
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Leah#mediaviewer/File:Dante%27s_Vision_of_Rachel_and_Leah.jpg

Posted on September 4, 2014October 16, 2018 by Amy — 6 Comments

Levi son of Jacob

The name Levi means ‘attached’ or ‘joined’. The Bible records him as the third son of Jacob coming after Reuben and Simeon. According to Jewish tradition, he was given this name because Leah wanted Jacob to be attached to her. Levi was born while his father was still working for Laban, his father-in-law as part of their 20-year agreement. According to the Biblical Timeline Poster, his dates are 1749 BC to 1612 BC.

The family was living at the time in Paddan Aram, but later Levi left with his family and with the blessing of his grandfather Laban, father of Rachel. He was one of 13 children, 12 boys and one daughter. Levi was one of those who plotted against Joseph and sold him into slavery and in Genesis 46 there is recorded how Levi and his family moved to Goshen in Egypt at the time of famine. His first born brother Reuben lost his rights as the eldest, and so the duty of priesthood passed on to Levi and his descendants. The family travelled as nomads through Mahanaim, Peniel, Succoth, and finally arrived in Shechem where, together with his older brother Simeon, deceived the local people. One of them had raped Levi’s sister Dinah, but still wanted to marry her.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Figures_Simeon_Levi_Slay_Sichemites.jpg — Levi takes revenge for his sister

The brothers claimed that they would become people with the Shecamites if they allowed themselves to be circumcised. Three days after the circumcision ceremonies, when the men concerned would have been at their most vulnerable, Simeon and Levi murdered them all. Genesis 34 v 31,32 records how, when Jacob was angry with this, Levi replied that they had treated his sister like a prostitute, and this could not be allowed.

Levi became the ancestor of the Jewish tribe of Levi, the Levites, the members of which were concerned with religious duties alongside the priests. Through the descendants of his son Kohath, the various levels of religious service were allocated. In the Jewish Apocryphal text the Levi Document; Levi is ordained to the priesthood by angelic beings. In another apocryphal document, The Book of Jubilees, Jacob, on his deathbed, passes on to Levi special secrets known to the ancients.

When the group reached Canaan, the country was divided among the twelve tribes, but the Levites received cities rather than land according to Joshua 13 v 33 ‘Because the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance.’ The other tribes paid them tithes of their own crops and herds. Included in this tribe are Moses, Aaron and Miriam through Levi’s grandson Amram. In the book of Numbers, (chapter 18) the Levites are given responsibility for serving the priests. All priests are Levites as Aaron was, but not all Levites were priests. Before the Exodus the eldest son of each family would play the priestly role, but after the Exodus priests were only made from the descendants of Aaron. The duties of the Levites included singing during Temple services, carrying out any construction and maintenance needed for the Temple. They also served as guards around the tabernacle and Levites also worked as both teachers and judges. The prophet Ezra reported that the Levites were in charge of building work on the Second Temple. They also would both translate and explain the Torah when it was read in public.

Both Jeremiah and Malachi speak of a special covenant God had with the Levites.

Bible and World History
At the time of Levi Thebes in Egypt was the world’s largest city and the fabulous Lion Gate of Hattushash, in what is now Turkey, was constructed. Nearer to Levi, the Canaanite city of Ugarit was at its greatest size.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddan_Aram
http://www.turkey03.8m.net/catalog.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Levi_LACMA_M.88.91.296b.jpg

Posted on September 4, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — Leave a comment

Reuben and Simeon

Reuben and Simeon were the first two sons of Jacob and Leah, Jacob’s first wife. They can be found on the Biblical Timeline Chart around 1704 B.C. Though Jacob’s favorite wife was Rachel, her sister Leah was the one that bore him half of his sons. The conceptions and births of Reuben and Simeon were detailed in the Book of Genesis, chapter 29, verses 31-33.

Reuben

Reuben, as the firstborn son, was supposed to be the leader of the brothers and carry the most responsibility. After Rachel had died, Reuben went in and slept with Jacob’s concubine Bilhah as noted in Genesis 35:22. Because of Reuben’s sexual sin in this event, he forever lost his firstborn inheritance as pointed out by Jacob’s final blessing on his deathbed in Genesis 49:3-4. Well after this, when the brothers were out tending the sheep, and the group turned on the younger brother Joseph out of jealousy, Reuben tried to rescue him. His attempt was unsuccessful, and Joseph was sold off as a slave. Jacob’s final blessing over Reuben was, “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.” (Genesis 49:3-4)

Simeon

Simeon, the second born of Jacob’s sons, was named by Leah because “the Lord has seen my misery” according to verse 32 of Chapter 29 of the Book of Genesis. When Dinah, Simeon’s sister, was violated by a Hivite, Simeon and his brother Levi took it into their own hands and went against their father’s decision to live at peace with these people and attacked the unsuspecting city. This act resulted in Simeon and Levi losing the leadership of the city. When Jacob prophesied over his sons on his deathbed, this is what he spoke of Simeon, “Simeon and Levi are brothers – their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:5-7)

Reuben and Simeon went with their brothers to Egypt during a severe famine in search of food. There they were reunited with their long lost brother Joseph that the brothers had caused to be separated from the rest of the family. The journey resulted in Jacob and all of the tribes of Israel settling in Egypt as can be seen in detail in chapter 47 of the Book of Genesis.

Elsewhere in the World

During this time, the following events at various locations around the world are recorded:

Middle Kingdom of Egypt reestablished prosperity and stability. This brought about art, literature and building projects reappearing on the Egyptian scene. Military and political security, agricultural and mineral wealth, and religion all flourished during this period.
Hittites take over the area now covered by Turkey. The Hittites were considered members of the Bronze Age, but forerunners of the Iron Age.
Bronze to Iron Age – During this period making items of bronze seemed to be migrating into the Iron Age. The manufacture of artifacts from iron was noted. Iron became a very valuable commodity and was used to produce goods.
In Greece – In Greece, the Middle Helladic Period was in full swing. During this time, settlements drew closer together and gravitated toward hilltops. During this period, rectilinear pottery was being influenced into curvilinear by the Minoans.
China – The first Chinese dynasty known as the Xia migrated into the Shang Dynasty around the 18^th century.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_(Bible)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Kingdom_of_Egypt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helladic_period
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Joseph_sold_by_his_brothers#mediaviewer/File:Konstantin_Flavitsky_001.jpg

Posted on September 3, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — 2 Comments

Lot of the Bible

The name Lot in Hebrew means Hidden or Covered. The word was used to refer to a veil. Perhaps Lot was born in a caul i.e. his face was hidden at birth?

Lot and his family Leaving Sodom and Gomorrah

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is believed to have taken place in about 1890 B.C. according to the Biblical Timeline at which time Lot was already a married man with grown daughters. Bishop Ussher in the 17th century dated Abraham’s call as taking place in 1921 BC. Lot was the son of Abraham’s brother Haran who had died while the family still lived in Ur according to Genesis 11 v 27,28. It was a family of close and complicated relationships as Abraham was married to his own half-sister. And his brother Nahor became Lot’s father –in –law when he married Milcah who may also have been the sister of Sarah. If she is identified with Iscah as in Jewish Talmudic stories (Genesis 11 v 29).Lot’s story is related in Genesis 11-14 and in chapter 19 he is also mentioned. Abraham was close to Lot, and he would have been his heir had Abraham not eventually had children. However, it cannot have been easy still not being in charge in middle life, because he was still under the patriarchy of Abraham.

Lot_of_the_bible_and_Abraham — Lot and Abraham departing

They split up finally when the two reached Canaan as both had very large herds. Lot chose to travel on to the well-watered plains to the southwest – also where there were to be found the two notorious cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Jewish Midrash records rather more about Lot than is set down in the scriptures, claiming that Abraham had rescued him from a fire for instance.

In Genesis 19:8 there is rather a negative story about Lot when he offer’s his daughter’s to the mob rather than break the law of hospitality. 2^nd Peter v 4-10 describes Lot as a righteous man disturbed by all the evil among which he lived.

Famously of course Lot and his family fled from the destruction that God poured out upon the cities of the plain and his wife stopped to look back and was turned into a pillar of salt. There is a rock formation on the shores of the Dead Sea known as ‘Lot’s wife’.

Lot_of_the_Bible_and_his_daughters — Lot and his Daughters

Genesis 19 tells the strange story of how Lot’s daughter’s, supposedly believing that they were the only people to escape the destruction. Deliberately got their father drunk so that they could have sex with him without his knowledge and so carry on the human race. The older girl’s daughter became the ancestor of the Moabite, and that of the younger one the Ammonites, both peoples who lived in proximity to the Israelites.

Bible and World History Together

In Egypt at this time the pyramids were being built. Was Lot a witness? China was in the stone age and North American hunters chased after large game animals. In Japan, the time covered is referred to as the Jamon period, which refers to the way in which ceramics of the time would have cord markings on them. In Sumaria, the cuneiform writing was being used for trade purposes and weights and measures were becoming fixed.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caul
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lot_(biblical_person)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ussher_chronology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midrash
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lot’s_wife
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacob_Jordaens_-_The_Flight_of_Lot_and_His_Family_from_Sodom_(after_Rubens)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Phillip_Medhurst_Picture_Torah_80._Abraham_and_Lot_separating._Genesis_cap_13_v_17._Borcht.jpg

Posted on August 27, 2014October 16, 2018 by Amy — 6 Comments

How did the Ancient Israelites make bread?

As a woman in ancient Israel, it was her duty to prepare the meals. Bread was such a common part of their diet that it was often referred to as food in general. Thus milling and preparing the wheat or flour was also a major responsibility. Each house made their own, and it took possibly 2-3 hours of hard labor every day to make enough to feed a family with five. The first recorded milling was done with a pestle and mortar (stone quern). This usually left tiny bits of grit inside the flour. On occasion, the dough was made with the flour from legumes (Ezekiel 4:9). In The Mishna (Hallah 2:2) talks about dough formed with fruit juice in place of water. The sugar from the juice worked with the flour and water to add leavening and made it taste sweeter. The Israelites at times included fennel and cumin in the dough, then dipped it in vinegar, olive or sesame oil for more taste (Ruth 2:14).

After the flour was ready, it was combined with water and kneaded inside a large trough. With dough made out of wheat flour, starter (seor) was added. The starter was made by setting aside a tiny amount of dough from the last batch to soak up the yeasts in the air and contribute to leavening the current dough. That is where the sourdough flavor comes from. This can be referred to as wild yeast. Here is a link that has more information on how to catch it.

Once the dough was made, it was cooked in different ways: At first it was put right on the hot stones of a cooking fire or in a griddle or pan formed from clay or iron (Leviticus 7:9). During the time of the First Temple, there were 2 ways the oven was used for baking bread: the ‘jar oven’ and the ‘pit oven’. The jar-oven was a huge clay pot that was smaller at the opening in the top; a fire was started on the inside to get it hot, and the dough was put against the outer part to cook. The pit-oven was a pottery lined hole in the ground that was heated with a fire that was put aside, and the dough was baked on top of the hot clay. Others started a ‘convex dome’ that began as earthenware and afterward metal, above the pit-oven and baking the flatbreads on top of the dome instead of on the clay covered in ash; which was most likely the machabat referred to in the Bible. It is usually interpreted to mean “griddle”.

Persians brought about a clay oven known as ‘tanur’ (much like the Native American word ‘tandoor’), that had an opening in the bottom for heat. Then the dough was put there to be cooked in the inside wall of the top section from the fire of the oven and ashes when the fire had gone out. This was used until the Yemenite Jews cooked bread in today’s day. Remnants of the ovens and pieces of cooking trays have been discovered in many places.

The Romans came up with a stove referred to as a ‘furn’ (Talmudic Aramaic – ‘purni’). This was a big wood-burning oven lined with stone and the baking pan was placed on the bottom to cook. This was a key upgrade in baking and made it possible to form thicker loaves of bread.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Israelite_cuisine
http://pixabay.com/en/bread-farmer-s-bread-baked-frisch-74216/ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:O2_1449_Zubereitung_von_Speisen_2013.JPG http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Israelite_cuisine#mediaviewer/File:Meule_et_broyeur_-_Orgnac.JPG http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clay_oven_in_T%C5%99eb%C3%AD%C4%8D_district,_Czech_Republic.JPG
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/wild-yeast-zmaz80sozraw.aspx#axzz3BVqnM0w0

Posted on August 21, 2014July 26, 2015 by Amy — Leave a comment

How did people deal with mice in Biblical times?

Egyptians
The ancient Egyptians had several pests to deal with during their life. It is easy to gather that much from the scriptural account of Moses and the 10 plagues. Just to name a few, there were frogs, lice, flies, and locusts in addition to snakes, mosquitoes and rodents.

The mice and rats were very destructive and always spread diseases. They found ways into the Egyptians essential grain stores and fouled their contents. Partial walls from houses made of unfired mud bricks were chewed through and patches have been discovered where they had tried to block the rat holes with rocks.

The Egyptians hunted the rodents using cats and ferrets. There is also some suggestion that they were captured in traps made out of clay. They even spread around fat from cats in bags or bundles or burned deer feces as a repellant. They were largely superstitious and kept amulets in the shape of a protective God, or in the form of the pest they wanted to ward away. Such as the locust amulets that have been found in tombs.

The most efficient way to keep an area rodent free was to simply keep it clean and have a cat. Although the Egyptians were not fond of the rodents they acknowledged them as part of creation, loved by their heavenly creator:

“Who creates that on which the mosquito lives,

worms and flies likewise,

who looks after the mice in their holes

and keeps alive the beetles in every timber.”

Romans and Greeks

Apparently they were noted as quite clean and dealt with rodents with dogs and cats; which is why there are dogs today that have been specifically bred to chasing rodents or small animals. The ‘barbarians’ in Great Britain mostly just put up with them. Staying alive was a greater priority than such trivial problems. About the 1700s rat poison was developing but didn’t spread for years to come.

References:
http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/pests.htm http://pixabay.com/en/mastomys-mice-nager-rodents-pets-332686/ http://www.granta.demon.co.uk/arsm/jg/pest.html

Posted on June 10, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — 1 Comment

Visigoths

Known as the western part of the Germanic tribe called the Goths, the Visigoths remained mainly on the west part of the Black Sea during the 3rd century AD. It is located on the Bible Timeline Chart between 400 and 500 AD. Because they frequently settled in the west, these people were referred to as the Western Goths while the Ostrogoths were the Eastern Goths. This distinction was made by Cassiodorus, a Roman writer who provided further information about these two Gothic tribes.

‘Capital from the Visigothic church of San Pedro de la Nave.’

Historical Background

Upon the invasions of the Huns, the Visigoths sought for help to Emperor Valens, who was then the ruler of Rome. These people needed a place where they could settle and remain safe from the Hunnic invasions. Fortunately, Valens permitted them to stay in an area situated near the Danube much to the contentment of the Visigoths.

However, things took a turn for the worst for this tribe as provincial Roman governors began to mistreat their people. This resulted to open rebellion led by the Visigoths to defend themselves from the cruel treatment of these officials. The Visigoths sacked and looted various Roman towns, and they became more and more powerful after successfully getting what they wanted.

Valens took action by setting out for a battle against the Visigoths. The Gothic Wars, which took place in 376 to 382 AD, resulted in many wins by the Roman Empire. However, the Battle of Adrianople held in 378 AD served as the decisive victory for the Visigoths. It also signaled the Roman Empire’s slow decline and even the emperor was killed in this tough battle.

The Glory of the Visigoths

Theodosius I assumed the throne to take the place of Valens, and he ruled the Western Roman Empire. His main purpose was to prevent the Visigoths from further causing trouble and chaos to the Romans’ territories. In 382 AD, a peace treaty was created to end the battle between the Romans and Visigoths. The treaty was signed by the leaders of both parties – Athanaric and Theodosius.

Meanwhile, Theodosius decided to strengthen this peace treaty by establishing regional Visigoth governors. He also tried to unite the Romans and the Visigoths through the Christian religion. At that time, the Visigoths believed in Arianism while the Roman Empire followed the Nicene Creed that was instituted by the Emperor Constantine the Great. Although he did not attain this goal of encouraging more Visigoths to practice the Nicene Creed, the peaceful relations between the two lasted until Theodosius died in 395 AD.

With the death of Theodosius, the Visigoths who were assigned to various political roles started to reject the Roman rule. They chose Alaric I as their new king. Alaric I wanted to establish unity between the Romans and Visigoths, which he partly accomplished. However, he was much more competent as a warrior than as an administrator. So, he failed to promote long-term peace between the Visigoths and the Romans until it led to the conquest of Rome in 410 AD. Slowly, Rome lost its control over the Visigoths, and with greater challenges from its powerful opponents, the empire soon reached its decline.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visigoths
http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/westeurope/Visigoths.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wisi_San_Pedro_de_la_Nave_e_chapiteau_a.jpg

Posted on June 9, 2014May 18, 2019 by Amy — 9 Comments

What is does the word ‘blessed’ mean in the Bible?

The phrase ‘happy’ in the English language is often thought of as “Fortunate or lucky…. cheerful…contented…characterized by or indicative of pleasure….” (Random House College Dictionary). The way ‘happy’ is portrayed in the Bible is much more meaningful. As an example, the Bible doesn’t just present happiness to be an event or occurrence that result from ‘luck’ or a brief feeling of elation. The Bible states that happiness can be there despite experiencing a correction from God or enduring hardships while on the path to virtue. (Job 5:17; I Pet. 3:14, 4:14)

What_does_the_word_‘blessed’_mean_in_the_bible

The word ‘blessed’ that was used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount is derived from the Greek word ‘makarios’ which translates into ‘happy’ or ‘blissful’. There are around 5 Hebrew and 2 Greek words that are interpreted as happy in the Bible. One Hebrew phrase is ‘to be at rest, safe’ (Matt 11:28-30). There are scholars that promote the concept of using the word ‘blessed’ in place of ‘happy’. An evaluation would be John 13:17 Inside King James and American Standard versions; King James states ‘If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” American Standard translates ‘makarior’ into: ‘If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them.’

A blessing is considered by the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary as ‘the act or words of one that blesses,’ or ‘a thing conducive to happiness or welfare.’ Inside the scriptures, there are many phrases that are interpreted into ‘blessing’ or ‘bless’. The Hebrew version has commonly portrayed ‘bless’ as ‘barak’, which can also stand for ‘praise, congratulate, or salute’. The word blessing was noted in Genesis 1:22: “And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters and the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.’” Following that in verse 28: “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” After God had sent Abram to the Promised Land (Genesis 12: 1-3), ‘he promised to bless him, make his name great, and through him, to bless all families of the earth’. The word blessing shown in these scriptures are clearly linked with happiness and welfare. Genesis 22: 16-18, God adds another blessing unto Abram saying that it was bestowed upon him by his willingness to follow God’s instruction.

There is another Hebrew word for blessing called isesher that is interpreted to be ‘happiness’. (Job 5:17) “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” This blessing is linked to the fact that God is working to show us the right way.

References:
http://www.jesus.org/life-of-jesus/teaching-and-messages/what-does-blessed-mean.html
http://www.gotquestions.org/blessing-Bible.html
http://www.bibletruths.net/Sermons/BTSO099.htm

Posted on June 9, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — Leave a comment

Vandals

Coming from Jutland, which is modern-day Denmark, the Vandals were one of the strongest Germanic tribes that were a threat to the Roman Empire. After departing their homeland, they set forth to the Valley of Odra River, in the 5th century BC. By the 2nd century AD, the Vandals started settling along the coast of the Danube River. This was also the time when they began their attempts of invading Rome.

‘Vandalic gold foil jewelry from the 3rd or 4th century.’

Conquest of Spain and Other Nations

In 409 AD where it is located on the Bible Timeline Chart, aggressive and powerful Vandals invaded a huge portion of Spain. They also looted various cities to obtain necessary resources for survival. They arrived in Spain after crossing the Rhine River in 406 AD. However, the Vandals faced great pressure from the Romans residing in that area and the Visigoths also caused them to flee eventually from Spain and head off to the African province. While in North Africa, the Vandals elected a leader to rule over them. Gaiseric, who was a crippled man and son of a slave, was noted as their new ruler. Despite his physical condition, he was a brilliant person who was a skilled conspirator. He also possessed an extraordinary ability in politics. For half a century, Gaiseric was able to foil the plans of various Germanic kings and Roman diplomats all because of his ingenious treaties that led to the success of the Vandals.

Under the Leadership of Gaiseric

During the year 429 AD, Gaiseric successfully brought his people to the African coast after crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. Slowly, the Roman cities soon fell into the hands of the aggressive Vandals as numerous places were looted and sacked by this powerful tribe. The locals are residing at Hippo, the city invaded by the Vandals, fled to obtain refuge and support from Augustine, their bishop. However, the bishop soon died in his beloved city during the Vandal’s invasion that lasted for 14 months. It did not take long before Hippo finally surrendered and succumbed to the barbarian conquerors.

While cleaning up of the city was still being undertaken, Gaiseric decided to start another project. He aimed to construct a fleet that would propel him to his great dream of sailing to the Mediterranean Sea and discovering more lands to invade. The Vandals decided to settle in Hippo and live among the locals of the city. Meanwhile, they assigned Roman bureaucrats to handle intricate administrative tasks. The relationship between the Arian Vandals and the Romans were hardly any better. Gaiseric was also unable to check for any animosity, and violence broke out because of his successors’ prejudicial acts. Thus, the Vandals persecuted a majority of the Romans. This resulted in scores of martyrs of the Catholic Church, who died because of their refusal to denounce their faith.

Cruelty and destruction were only one of the reasons for the degeneration of the Vandals after the reign of Gaiseric. The armies became more and more disorganized as they were lured by luxuries produced by their rich land. They have also become more corrupt, and they failed to lead the people in an organized manner. Hence, the Vandals quickly succumbed to the Eastern Roman Empire’s army during the battle in 533. After their defeat, the Vandals no longer became a distinct tribe, and they joined with a diverse local population and lived a common life. They did not leave any significant legacy to the world, and they remained bitter and hungry for justice.

References:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15268b.htm
http://www.roman-empire.net/articles/article-016.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:KHM_Wien_VIIb_105_-_Vandalic_goldfoil_jewelry,_c._300_AD.jpg