Kat Cendana – Page 41 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on April 28, 2016April 28, 2016 by Kat Cendana — 1 Comment

Shishak (Shoshenq I) Against Jerusalem

Shishak (Shoshenq I) of Egypt was one of the few foreign kings named in the Bible and was known for his raid in Jerusalem during the time of Rehoboam. He can be found on the Bible Timeline around 979 BC. 2 Chronicles 12 offers a detailed account of Shishak’s raid on Jerusalem, which happened in the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign. Shishak took with him thousands of chariots, horses, and soldiers to strike the fortified towns of Judah. These towns fell under the onslaught of Shishak’s troops, and they continued to Jerusalem for another wave of attacks. Shishak then invaded Jerusalem and looted the treasures of the Lord’s Temple. He also stole the treasures of Solomon’s royal palace including the gold shields, which were replaced by Rehoboam with bronze shields.

Libyan Origin and Rise to Power

The Libyans who lived on the coast of Marmarica and Cyrenaica first appeared during the rule of the 18^th Dynasty Pharaoh Akhenaten. They were included as military escorts of the king. High ranking Libyans also accompanied Egyptian nobility to temple ceremonies. Evidence of this can be seen on various stone reliefs in the Tomb of Ahmose and Meryra at Amarna.

The Meshwesh and Libu tribes raided Egyptians territories and clashes with the Egyptian troops were common at the time of the 19th and 20th Dynasties. Libyan immigrants also settled in the nome of Bubastis in the Nile Delta during periods of famine, but some of them were children of early Libyan garrison troops who grew up in Egypt. As centuries passed, the population of the immigrants increased and they successfully integrated into the Egyptian society. Their chieftains also gained enough wealth and power to marry into Egyptian noble families.

Shoshenq I was one of the first Meshwesh chieftains who rose to power, and he became the second Pharaoh of Libyan origin after his uncle Osorkon, the Elder. Marriage with some of the members of the royal family also played an important role in easing Shoshenq’s rise to power. He arranged the marriage between his son Osorkon I and Maatkare, the daughter of Psusennes II who was the last Egyptian pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty.

Rule of Egypt

The 21st Dynasty was marked by a division of power between the pharaohs ruling from Tanis in Lower Egypt and the High Priests of Amun based in Thebes in Upper Egypt. Shoshenq unified political authority under his rule and ensured that the high priests would not hold as much power as the pharaoh held. Priests were consulted for oracles, but they did not influence political decisions and foreign policies.

He appointed his own son, Prince Iuput, as a High Priest of Thebes to strengthen his own rule and reduce the power of other priests. Iuput was also the commander-in-chief of the army and governor of Upper Egypt. The loyalty of family members and supporters was rewarded with their appointment to administrative posts, as well as marriages to royal daughters.

Shoshenq had planned on building a great court in the temple of Amun at Karnak, but this remained unfinished at the time of his death. Shoshenq’s military victories were inscribed at the Bubastite Portal, which is the entrance to the Precinct of Amun-Re temple complex.

Invasion of Palestine and Death

Egypt’s influence over Palestine decreased during the division of political power of the 21st Dynasty. Shoshenq reestablished Egypt’s power over Palestine by launching a series of raids into a number of towns, including Shunem, Gibeon, Megiddo, Beth Horon, and Ajalon among others.

Shoshenq reestablished trade with Phoenicia during the time of King Abibaal of Byblos. A statue of Shoshenq I that had an inscription of Abibaal, was found in a temple in Byblos. It symbolized the goodwill between two kingdoms during their reign.

Shoshenq died shortly after his invasion of Palestine, and he was succeeded by his son Osorkon I as pharaoh.

References:
http://penn.museum/documents/publications/expedition/PDFs/29-3/Egyptians.pdf
Shaw, Ian, and John Taylor. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000
Ash, Paul S. David, Solomon and Egypt: A Reassessment. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1999. Accessed March 18, 2016
CC BY-SA 1.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58987

Posted on April 27, 2016April 27, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Egypt’s 22nd to 30th Dynasties

The Dynasties through this time period had many foreign leaders over Egypt and is recorded on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History from 905 – 305 BC.

Third Intermediate Period

Egypt’s Third Intermediate Period saw the rise of the 21st Dynasty first ruled by Smendes and the transfer of the capital to Tanis in the Nile Delta. The High Priests of Amun were equal in power with the Tanis-based pharaohs, but these priests ruled Thebes in Upper Egypt. The Lower and Upper Egypt rulers respected each other and shared the power while governing their respective parts of Egypt. This period also saw the rise of Israel as a unified nation and the reign of its three first kings. Israel and Egypt strengthened their alliance when Pharaoh Siamun sent his daughter to Israel for King Solomon to marry.

Dynasties 22 to 24: Libyan Rulers

The 22nd Dynasty is marked by the gradual rise to power of the Libyan rulers because of the division of power between Upper and Lower Egypt. Some of the Libyans were immigrants who originally settled in the Nile Delta, but others were also war captives and garrison troops. As their numbers increased and they assimilated in the Egyptian society, the power they had also increased and they soon made good alliances through marriage with the rulers of Thebes. For example, Shoshenq I (the Biblical Shishak) had his son Osorkon I marry Maatkare, the daughter of Psusennes II who was the last pharaoh and priest of the 21st Dynasty. He was also the chief adviser for the last pharaoh, and this made his rise as king of Egypt easier.

Egypt_22_ — “Statue inscribed with the praenomen of Osorkon I discovered at Byblos; the statue itself is probably from the 19th Dynasty”

“Statue inscribed with the praenomen of Osorkon I discovered at Byblos; the statue itself is probably from the 19th Dynasty”

Shoshenq I reformed the government during his time as pharaoh. He lessened the power of the priests in Thebes and appointed his son Prince Iuput as High Priest to solidify his hold over Egypt. He tried to expand Egypt’s territory into Palestine (1 Kings 14:25) and attacked Judah with an army of Libyans and Cushites.

Egypt slipped into decline after the death of Shoshenq, and royal control weakened once again. The 23rd and 24th Dynasties are possibly of similar Libyan Meshwesh origins. The 23rd Dynasty is said to have ruled in Herakleopolis, Hermopolis or Thebes while the 24th Dynasty ruled in Sais. The conquest of Egypt by Piye, a Kushite king, ended the Libyan rule in Egypt and started the 25th Dynasty under Nubian rule.

Late Period

Dynasty 25: Nubian Rulers

Piye ruled in Nubia and Upper Egypt, then invaded Lower Egypt by taking advantage of the weakening of the Libyan rule. Piye removed a local prince named Tefnakht from his power base in the Nile Delta during his campaign to unite Egypt and Nubia. His accomplishments were inscribed in the Victory Stela of Piye, and he created an empire that spanned from modern-day Sudan to the Mediterranean. After the surrender of the local warlords, Piye returned to Nubia and never set foot in Egypt again.

Piye’s heir, Shabaqo, came back and reestablished rule in Lower Egypt. He was succeeded by other Nubian kings Shebitqo, Taharqo (the Biblical Tirhakah), and Tanutamani. Nubian control of Egypt was broken by the invasion of the Neo-Assyrians and by the time of Taharqo, the Nubians had lost control of Lower Egypt. The loss of Upper Egypt followed during the reign of Tanutamani. The Assyrian rule was established, and local Egyptian rulers became vassals of the foreign conquerors.

Dynasty 26: Saite Kings

As the Assyrian power declined in the Near East in 612 BC, its hold over Egypt also loosened. For the first time in many centuries, the power was held by a native Egyptian family of the 26th Dynasty. The Saite Dynasty ruled from 650 BC, and the country was unified by the dynasty’s third pharaoh, Psamtek I. They adopted the culture of the Old Kingdom and trade was established with the Greeks and Phoenicians. For much of the rule of the 26th Dynasty, Greek, Carian, Jewish, Phoenicians, and Bedouins were employed to protect Egypt from the invasion of the Babylonians and Persians.

Dynasty 27: Persian Rule

The Babylonians succeeded in conquering Egypt in 568 BC which later turned into an alliance. They were soon followed by the Persians who conquered Egypt under the Achaemenid Emperor Cambyses. He besieged Memphis in 525 BC and after a 10-day siege, the Egyptian capital fell to the Persians who established the country’s 27th Dynasty. Egypt became one of Persia’s satrapies (provinces) supervised by Persian satraps or governors. Cambyses and his successor Darius allowed the Egyptians the freedom to worship their own gods and even rebuilt some important temples. The Achaemenid hold on Egypt did not last long when Alexander III of Macedonia conquered the Persian empire.

Dynasty 28 to 30: Last of the Native Egyptian Pharaohs

The Egyptians rebelled from Persian rule and Amyrtaios, a descendant of the Saite kings, became one of the rulers of the 28th Dynasty. The 29th Dynasty kings ruled in the Nile Delta city of Mendes while the 30th Dynasty ruled from the city of Sebennytos. The advancing army of Alexander the Great put an end to Egyptian self-rule, and Nectanebo II became the last native Egyptian pharaoh. Alexander the Great led a short-lived Macedonian rule in the history of Egypt.

References:
Taylor, John, and Ian Shaw. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000
Myśliwiec, Karol. The Twilight of Ancient Egypt: First Millennium B.C.E. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2000
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lapd/hd_lapd.htm
Picture By Rama – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=538598

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016 by Kat Cendana — 1 Comment

Pul, King (Tiglath-Pileser III) of Assyria

King Pul (Tiglath-Pileser III) was a well-known king of Assyria who was mentioned in the book of Kings and the book of Chronicles. Pul or Pulu was a general and a governor of Calha (Kalhu, modern day Nimrud) who seized the throne from the previous King Ashur-nirari V in a rebellion. He can be found on the Bible Timeline Poster with World History around 779 BC. He took the name Tiglath-Pileser III to honor two of the previous kings of Assyria. It is not clear whether he was Ashur-nirari’s son or brother, or whether he belonged to the royal family at all.

One of the first things he did as king was to divide the larger provinces of his kingdom. He appointed Assyrian administrators loyal to him in these areas, and they worked directly over the local provincial governors who now had limited powers. This was done so everything the conquered people did was reported to Tiglath-Pileser and this system prevented rebellions even before they started.

“Tiglath-pileser III, an alabaster bas-relief from the king’s central palace at Nimrud, Mesopotamia.”

He was one of the brilliant military leaders of his time, and his army was one of the most professional and effective in the region. He first conquered the kingdoms near Assyria including Urartu (Armenia), Phoenicia, Arpad, and Hamath. The rulers of Damascus, Arabia (Kedar), and Israel paid tributes to this powerful king. Tiglath-Pileser turned east and conquered the territories of the Medes and Persians. Finally, he got rid of Nabu-Mukin-Zeri, the ruler of Babylon and made himself king there.

Although the passages were brief, these few verses show the height of his and the empire’s power over the region. In 2 Kings 15:19, King Menahem of Israel paid Tiglath-Pileser tons of silver as a bribe to gain his support for Menahem’s kingship. King Ahaz of Judah offered his loyalty to Tiglath-Pileser after the king of Aram, and the king of Israel laid siege to Judah (2 Kings 16:5-9). The Assyrian king also forced the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile, and resettled them in the Assyrian territories of Halah, Habor, and Gozan river (1 Chronicles 5:26).

References:
http://www.ancient.eu/Tiglath_Pileser_III/
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Tiglath-pileser-III
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sargon/essentials/kings/tiglatpileseriii/
Picture By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42136792

Posted on April 25, 2016May 16, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Arab Nations

According to the Bible, the father of the Arabs was Ishmael, Abraham’s son by his wife’s Egyptian maidservant Hagar. The Arab Nation is recorded on the Bible Timeline with World History starting around 1004 BC. Ishmael and his mother were sent away at the request of Sarah after she caught the young Ishmael mocking his brother Isaac. Ishmael’s sons included Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedema . Ishmael and his family settled in the area of “Havilah to Shur”. Havilah’s possible location is the Hijaz Mountains on the coast of the Red Sea, and Shur is on the northeastern border of Egypt.

The 12 sons of Ishmael multiplied and formed their own tribes. Kedar, one of his sons, is said to be an ancestor of the prophet Muhammed. They were the famous Kedarites (Qedarites) mentioned in the stele of the Neo-Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III as one of the Arab nations/tribes that paid him tribute. Queen Zabibe, ruler of the Kedarites, was one of Tiglath-Pileser’s vassals during his reign. Queen Zabibe was succeeded by another queen, Samsi, who rebelled against Tiglath-Pileser. She was defeated by the Assyrian king and forced to pay tribute as a result of her rebellion.

Arab_Nations — “According to the Bible, the father of the Arabs was Ishmael”

The inscription of Tiglath-Pileser mentions the tribes who were descendants of the sons of Ishmael, such as Massa’, Tema’, and Adbeel tribes. The nomadic Sabaeans, as well as the tribe of Ephah (a son of Keturah), were also included. The inscription of Sargon II of Assyria mentions the conquest of Thamud people, who lived in central Arabia.

The Arab tribes were under the Assyrian rule until the empire’s decline. Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal were two of the last Assyrian kings who fought against the Arabs during the height of the Neo-Assyrian empire. Other tribes who lived in the Arabian peninsula during that time include the Dedanites (son of Jokshan), Minaeans, Gerrhans, and possibly Hadhramis (Hazarmaveth, son of Joktan; Genesis 10:26).

References:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8251-ishmael
Ephʻal, Israel. The Ancient Arabs: Nomads on the Borders of the Fertile Crescent, 9th-5th Centuries B.C. Jerusalem; Leiden: Magnes Press, The Hebrew University; E.J. Brill, 1982. Accessed March 14, 2016
http://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Arabia

Posted on April 22, 2016August 22, 2016 by Kat Cendana — 1 Comment

James the Greater

Saint James the Greater was one of Jesus’ first disciples and one of the apostles who was killed because of his faith. (The life of Christ and his ministry with the twelve apostles is listed on the Bible Timeline after 1 AD). Jesus had first called Simon and his brother Andrew to follow him. He then found the other brothers, James, and John. They were in a boat with their father, Zebedee. Jesus found the fishermen repairing their nets and told them to follow him. They got up, and they left their father behind. (Matt. 4:21; Mark 1:19; Luke 5:10)

James was the son of Zebedee and Salome (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40, 16:1). He was the elder brother of John the Beloved and probably called “the Greater” because he was older or taller than James the Less. As he was one of the first disciples of Jesus, the description (epithet) “the Greater” would also make sense.

An introduction of all twelve apostles can be found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Matt. 10:2; Mark 3:17-18; Luke 6:14). The list included both James, son of Zebedee and James, son of Alphaeus. He and his brother John were called “sons of thunder” (Boanerges) because they were easily angered. Jesus rebuked them when the Samaritans refused to welcome Jesus as he passed through their village. The brothers had asked him if they should “call down fire from heaven to burn them up” (Luke 9:54).

Jesus was with James and John when he taught in the synagogue of Capernaum and cast out an evil spirit from a man. The brothers were also present when Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law and saw him heal the sick people of the town (Mark 1:21-34). James, along with Peter and John, were among the apostles who were close to Jesus as they witnessed his transfiguration (Matt. 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28) as well as the healing of Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:40, 51-56).

Jesus gave both James, John, their mother Salome, and the other apostles present a lesson in serving others in Matt. 20:20-24 and Mark 10:35-41. Their mother asked Jesus if her two sons could “sit in places of honor next to Jesus” and he rebuked them. Jesus would later bring James, John, and Peter with him in the garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion (Matt. 26:37; Mark 14:33). He was also present during and after Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1:6-13).

According to the Historia Compostelana, which was published in the 12th century, James preached first in Judea and Samaria and sailed later to Spain. He came back to Judea but was sentenced to death by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-3). After his death, his body was transported by boat to the shores of Iberia (Spain) and was buried in Santiago de Compostela, a city which now bears his name. The city’s cathedral houses the relics of Saint James and has become the center of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. The relics were authenticated by Pope Leo XIII on November 1, 1884.

References:
Orr, James. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1939
Maddrell, Avril, Alan Terry, and Tim Gale. Sacred Mobilities: Journeys of Belief and Belonging
Picture By Guido Reni – bgH3Bqotg5nTTw at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21880518

Posted on April 19, 2016September 5, 2016 by Kat Cendana — 5 Comments

Hebrew Calendar Dates

The Hebrew calendar structure was made on a complicated lunisolar way which was focused on the seasonal cycle of the year (the complete revolution of the earth around the sun) and the lunar cycle for the month (the complete revolution of the moon around the earth). It was based on the same calendar used in Babylon and adapted by the Jews after the Babylonian exile which explains why the month names of the Hebrew calendar resemble those of the Babylonians.

This system was used from the time of the Second Temple Period, and it combined religion and astronomical facts. The calendar was under the authority of the priests, and two witnesses were required to report that they had seen the New Moon in order to start a new month. A system of intercalation was used to prevent it from falling behind the seasons, but it was fixed by Patriarch Hillel II in 70 AD, and the calendar system was made known to the public so that the Jews who lived in different parts of Europe and Asia could celebrate holidays and New Moons on the same days.

Hebrew and Mesopotamian Month Names

Hebrew_Calander

The Hebrew Calendar has 354 days called yom. The daylight hours are equally divided into 12 hours starting at sunrise and ending when the sun sets. This division of the day is important especially on the Sabbath (as one of the ten commandments) and on holidays. What makes the Hebrew day unique is that it starts at sunset and not at midnight.

The Hebrew term for a week is “shavu’a”, and each week begins on Sunday and ends on Sabbath. Knowing when a week starts and ends is important because weekly Torah readings called Parashioth and Haphtaroth (selection of passages from the Prophets) are still read every Sabbath and on festivals.

Months*

The Hebrew month is based on the lunar cycle of 29.5 days, and it is called Chodesh. Each month started with the appearance of the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) and was sanctified and announced by the Sanhedrin in the ancient times. Each month alternates between 30 and 29 days (equals to 354 days/year) and Adar II is added by the Calendar Council every two to three years to correct the lag and synchronize the calendar with the solar cycle. This extra month is added every two to three years, so every nineteen years the Hebrew calendar will have seven leap years.

Hebrew_Calander_Seasons

Years

The Hebrew term for a year is called “shanah” and the calendar council is in charge of balancing the years by calculating the beginning of the seasons. A Sabbatical Year (Shmitah) is celebrated every seven years to let the land rest and a Jubilee Year (Yovel) is celebrated 50 years after seven Sabbatical years.

Holidays

The change of seasons is marked with special festivals or moedim (Appointed Times) and the festival day begins the night before the actual day, so it takes two days in the Gregorian calendar. The Sabbath is considered so important that if a holiday falls on the same day, it will be moved to Thursday. A list of holidays is listed in the Months section.

References:
http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm
Friedländer, David. Sod Háibur: Grundlage Und Festsetzung Der Zeitberechnung … Budapest: M. Burian, 1880
http://www.assyriatimes.com/assyrian/knowledge/the-true-assyrian-calendar/3410
Spier, Arthur. The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar: Twentieth to Twenty-Second Century, 5660-5860, 1900-2100. Jerusalem: Feldheim Publishers, 1986
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12967-sabbatical-year-and-jubilee
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Calendar/

Posted on April 7, 2016April 7, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Possible Dates of the Exodus

Dating an event that happened thousands of years ago can be one of the most difficult tasks any modern historian or Bible scholars can do. First, the Egyptians, Babylonians, Hebrews, and other ancient people used different calendar systems, and most were far from perfect. Although the modern calendars were based and had evolved from the ancient ones, they still do not exactly resemble them.

The integrity of the events in writing or inscriptions can also be affected by the agenda of the scribes and editors. There is also a lack of archeological evidence to support the text. For example, the Egyptians did not record defeats in battles. This practice makes many events in the Near East hard to confirm, especially the year when the Exodus took place and who the pharaoh was at that time. Also, the Egyptians recorded and inscribed only victories in battles. The most popular of this example is the Merneptah stele which is the first inscription that mentions the nation of Israel.

Currently, there are four possible dates offered by Bible scholars with regards to the Exodus, and each one deserves a careful examination.

Ussher’s 1491 BC

In the 17^th century, the Irish archbishop and scholar James Ussher (1581-1656) published the Annales veteris testamenti, also known as the Ussher chronology. The longer title is “Annals of the Old Testament, deduced from the first origins of the world, the chronicle of Asiatic and Egyptian matters together produced from the beginning of historical time up to the beginnings of Maccabees.” Which was pretty much indicative of what he wanted to achieve.

In this book, he used his knowledge of ancient language and history to come up with a chronology based on Biblical text. He then linked ancient and Biblical history and counted backward to establish the important dates in the Bible including the exact year of creation to 23^rd of October 4004 BC. He also placed the date of the Exodus in 1491 BC during the reign of Thutmose II of the 18^th Dynasty, who made several campaigns in Palestine, Israel, and Syria. This was hailed as a breakthrough in the 17^th century, and several editions of his book were published later on until the 18^th century. Ussher’s widely popular chronology was not without its critics, and it was later labeled as overly simplistic.

Thiele’s 1446 BC

Ussher’s year 1491 proposal for the date of the Exodus was moved by a professor, archeologist, writer, and editor Edwin R. Thiele almost half a century later to 1446 BC. According to him, Ussher failed to consider several factors in coming up his 1491 conclusion including the coregency of successive kings of Israel and Judah, the use of a spring and autumn calendars, as well as the accession and non-accession years of dating. He considered these factors in studying the chronology of the kings of Israel and Judah and reached to a conclusion of 1446 BC based on 1 Kings 6:1. He also established that the Jewish chronology matched that of the Assyrian chronology.

This was backed by William H. Shea, an Andrews University professor, who further suggested that Thutmose II was the Pharaoh during Moses’ time, Hatshepsut the princess who rescued Moses from the Nile, and Thutmose III as the Pharaoh, who refused to let the Israelites go. There is a great possibility because Thutmose III was an aggressive king whose foreign policy was war. However, the lack of inscriptions and other archeological records is still a problem to Thiele’s 1446 BC year for the Exodus.

Josephus and Manetho’s 1552 BC

Historians Josephus and Manetho offer an earlier date of 1552 BC during the time of Ahmose I. He reigned during the last remaining years of the occupation of the Hyksos, who both historians associate the Israelites with. Manetho, however, lived many years later than Ahmose and may have mistakenly made the association between the two groups of people. In addition, the Hyksos ruled Egypt, while the Israelites were treated as slaves.

Modern Scholar’s 1250 BC

A later date was suggested by modern scholars during 1250 BC, which falls under the reign of Ramesses II. This is supported by the archeological surveys and excavations of American rabbi and archeologist Nelson Glueck regarding Edom. He found that there was no solid evidence of Edomite settlements in the eastern bank of the Jordan River in the 13^th or 14^th century. The tribe was first mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 15:15, but the first the first mention of Edom in any ancient document was in the Papyrus Anastasi VI.

It was in a report to Pharaoh Merneptah (1213-1203 BC) with regards to Edom and it states: “We have finished letting the Bedouin tribes of Edom pass the Fortress [of] Merne-Ptah Hotep-hir-Maat—life, prosperity, health— which is (in) Tjeku, to the pools of Per-Atum . . . to keep them alive and to keep their cattle alive.” Numbers 20:14 records the first conflict between the Israelites and the Edomites, which makes Merneptah’s father, Ramesses II, most likely the Pharaoh of Exodus in 1250 BC.

References:
Brier, Bob, and A. Hoyt. Hobbs. Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999
http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28034
https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1984/03/how-accurate-is-biblical-chronology
Shaw, Ian, and Betsy M. Bryan. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000
http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/the-expulsion-of-the-hyksos/
http://levlab.ucsd.edu/resources/ELRAP-Publications/Edom-and-Copper.pdf
Picture By Peter Lely – National Portrait Gallery: NPG 574, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6365600

Posted on April 5, 2016April 21, 2016 by Kat Cendana — 4 Comments

Judah (Judah, Benjamin, and Levi), The Kingdom of

After the death of Solomon, the kingdom was split into two. Jeroboam controlled the northern kingdom of Israel which included 10 tribes. The rest was ruled by Solomon’s son Rehoboam. He reigned over the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi (who served in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem). This event is recorded on the Biblical Timeline Char t from 1004 BC to 579 BC.

The kings of Israel and Judah were at war with each other during the first 60 years of the divided kingdoms. This went on until the time of Baasha of Israel and Asa of Judah (1 Kings 15:32). The wars only stopped when Jehoshaphat of Judah entered into an alliance with Ahab of Israel in taking back Ramoth-Gilead from the ruler of Aram.

This was unsuccessful as Ahab was killed in battle and Jehoshaphat returned to Judah. The southern kingdom also experienced prosperity during the time of Jehoshaphat, as well as victories in the war against Moab and Ammon. While the trading ships he built in an alliance with Ahaziah of Israel were destroyed even before the ships could set sail.

Joram of Judah, Jehoshaphat’s son, formed an alliance with Israel by marrying Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab. She succeeded in killing the remaining family members of her own son Ahaziah after he was killed by Jehu in Israel. Athaliah was killed after Joash, son of Ahaziah and her own grandson, was proclaimed as king. He was followed by his son Amaziah and grandson Uzziah who was one of the longest reigning kings of Judah (52 years).

One of the most well-known kings of Judah was Hezekiah who reopened and rededicated the temple of the Lord, and made religious reforms. King Sennacherib of Assyria laid siege to Judah during Hezekiah’s time, but was unsuccessful.

Manasseh, the longest-ruling monarch of Judah, was also known for killing innocent people (2 Kings 21:16). He was also a captive in Babylon at one time (2 Chronicles 33:11).

Josiah, one of the youngest rulers of Judah, became king at the age of eight. He laid out religious reforms and the Passover was celebrated again during his reign (2 Chronicles 35). He tried to block Necho II of Egypt from going to Carchemish to fight against Babylon. He died during the Battle of Megiddo after he was hit by an arrow from the Egyptian side.

The last king of Judah was Zedekiah and he rebelled against the Babylonians who were powerful at that time. The Babylonians put down this rebellion and Zedekiah was taken as captive to Babylon after his eyes were gouged out.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had Jerusalem destroyed after taking King Zedekiah captive and nothing was spared including the temple of the Lord, royal palace, and other important buildings (2 Kings 25:9). The people of Judah, except those who needed to tend the fields and vineyards, were sent to Babylon in exile.

List of the Kings of Judah

Kingdom of Judah	Length of Reign
Rehoboam	17 years
Abijah	3 years
Asa	41 years
Jehoshaphat	25 years
Joram of Judah (Jehoram)	8 years
Ahaziah of Judah	1 year
Athaliah (Queen, daughter of Ahab)	6 years
Joash	40 years
Amaziah	29 years
Azariah (Uzziah)	52 years
Jotham	16 years
Ahaz	16 years
Hezekiah	29 years
Manasseh	55 years
Amon	2 years
Josiah	31 years
Jehoahaz	3 months
Jehoiakim	11 years
Jehoiachin	3 months
Zedekiah	11 years
Exile to Babylon and Gedaliah appointed as governor of Judah

References:
Picture By Oldtidens_Israel_&_Judea.svg: FinnWikiNoderivative work: Richardprins (talk) – Oldtidens_Israel_&_Judea.svg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10872389

Posted on April 4, 2016April 5, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Kings, Time of the

The time of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah spanned 390 years (combined). Outlasting the northern Kingdom of Israel by some 150 years. Israel was first a unified nation during the time of David but split up into two kingdoms after Solomon’s death. The 10 northern tribes formed their own kingdom led by Jeroboam, and the Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin stayed under the leadership of the House of David. The Time of the Kings is recorded on the Bible Timeline between 974 BC – 604 BC.

Kings_of_Israel — “Depiction of Jewish king and soldiers in ancient Judah”

“Depiction of Jewish king and soldiers in ancient Judah”

The longest reigning king of the Kingdom of Israel was Jeroboam II, who ruled for 41 years. The shortest was Zimri, who ruled only 7 days. In the Kingdom of Judah, King Manasseh ruled the longest with 55 years. Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin ruled the shortest with 3 months both. Athaliah was the only woman who reigned the southern kingdom. She got her power by killing all of the members of the royal family, except for Joash, who was hidden by his aunt.

The Kingdom of Israel was not without its problems. Several kings of the North were murdered by their successors and dynasties often passed from one family to another. However, the House of David continued to rule in the southern kingdom until the destruction of Jerusalem.

Prophets Who Lived During The Time of the Kings:

* Ahijah
* Elijah
* Micaiah
* Elisha
* Hosea
* Amos
* Jonah
* Shemaiah
* Micah
* Isaiah
* Zephaniah

Foreign Kings Who Lived at the Same Period and Had Contact With One or Both of the Kingdoms:

* Shishak (Shoshenq I) of Egypt
* Ben-Hadad I of Aram
* Mesha of Moab
* Ben-Hadad II of Aram
* Hazael of Aram
* Ben-Hadad III of Aram
* Sennacherib of Assyria
* Tirhakah (Taharqa I from Kush) of Egypt
* Merodach-Baladan II of Babylon
* Necho II of Egypt
* Tiglath-Pileser III (Pul) of Assyria
* Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
* Osorkon IV (So) of Egypt
* Shalmanesser V of Assyria

Kings of Israel

Kingdom of Israel	Length of Reign	Death
Jeroboam	22 years
Nadab	2 years	Killed by Baasha
Baasha	24 years
Elah	2 years	Killed by Zimri
Zimri	7 days	Suicide
Omri	12 years
Ahab	22 years	Hit by an arrow in a battle with Arameans
Ahaziah of Israel	2 years	Died from injuries after falling from his upper room
Jehoram of Israel (Joram)	12 years	Killed by Jehu
Jehu	28 years
Jehoahaz	17 years
Jehoash	16 years
Jeroboam II	41 years
Zechariah	6 months	Killed by Shallum
Shallum	1 month	Killed by Menahem
Menahem	10 years
Pekahiah	2 years	Killed by Pekah
Pekah	20 years	Killed by Hoshea
Hoshea	9 years
End of the Kingdom of Israel and captivity of Israelites in Assyria.

Kings of Judah

Kingdom of Judah	Length of Reign	Death
Rehoboam	17 years
Abijah	3 years
Asa	41 years
Jehoshaphat	25 years
Jehoram of Judah	8 years	Severe intestinal disease (2 Chronicles 21:18)
Ahaziah of Judah	1 year	Killed by Jehu (2 Chronicles 22:9)
Athaliah (Queen, daughter of Ahab)	6 years	Killed after Joash was proclaimed king
Joash	40 years	Killed by his own officials
Amaziah	29 years	Assassinated
Azariah (Uzziah)	52 years	Suffered from leprosy
Jotham	16 years
Ahaz	16 years
Hezekiah	29 years
Manasseh	55 years
Amon	2 years	Killed by his own officials
Josiah	31 years	Killed during the Battle of Megiddo
Jehoahaz	3 months	Taken captive by Pharaoh Necho II and died in Egypt
Jehoiakim	11 years
Jehoiachin	3 months	Became a captive in Babylon until his death
Zedekiah	11 years	His eyes were put out and he became a captive in Babylon
End of the Kingdom of Judah and the Fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians.

References:
Picture By THE HISTORY OF COSTUME By Braun & Schneider – http://www.siue.edu/COSTUMES/history.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2449755

Posted on April 1, 2016June 10, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Chavin Culture Unites Peru

Chavin refers to an extinct culture that flourished in pre-Inca Peru circa 900 BC where it is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History. It got its name from chavi, the Caribbean term for feline or tiger or the Quechua chawpin which means “in the center.” It may have also been a religious cult or political empire of which the center is Chavin de Huantar in what is today the Ancash region in Peru. At its height, the Chavin culture’s influence radiated from its center in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range to the northern and southern tips of modern day Peru facing the Pacific Ocean.

Shared Common Art Styles

One of the most distinct aspects of Chavin culture is the shared common art style throughout the region, and its influence can be found in sites far from the Chavin De Huantar religious center. These include the Kuntur Wasi in the northern mountain range of Peru, as well as the Kotosh and Huaricoto sites in the southeast.

The Kotosh Period culture rose before the Chavin culture, but ceramics and gold artifacts belonging to the Chavin culture have been found in Kotosh elite burials. Chavinoid artifacts found in the Kotosh sites include stirrup spouts, cloud-shaped designs, rocker stampings, and black-polished incised pottery. Similar designs on reliefs and monoliths were also found in Kuntur Wasi site.

The Huaca de los Reyes building of the Caballo Muerto archeological complex features feline heads mounted on walls that are similar to Chavin art style. The Chavin culture influence is also evident in the Pacopampa culture pottery.

Inter-regional Trade

Its location between the Pacific Coast and the eastern jungle made Chavin de Huantar a center for trade. This is evident in the iconography of jungle plants and animals that can be found in Chavin stone sculptures and ceramics. In addition, the U-shaped layout of the temple and the sunken plazas in circular or rectangular shapes can be found in both Chavin and coastal cultures.

Profile feline heads, which were prominent features of coastal cultures, were integrated into Chavin stoneworks. Spondylus shells from Ecuador, as well as cinnabar and obsidian from south-central highlands of Peru that were recovered at Chavin de Huantar are strong indicators that far-reaching trade occurred at the site.

Warfare and Conquest

The Casma/Sechin culture that came before the Chavin was a particularly violent one and they carved depictions of ax-wielding warriors with mutilated human remains on their city walls. In contrast, depictions of conquest and warfare are absent in Chavin de Huantar. This may be an indication that the Chavins did not spread their influence through invasion, but through trade and religion.

References:
Staller, John E. Pre-Columbian Landscapes of Creation and Origin. New York, NY: Springer, 2008.
http://www.ancient.eu/Chavin_Civilization/
http://www.um.u-tokyo.ac.jp/publish_db/Bulletin/no03/no03003.html
Fagan, Brian M., and Charlotte Beck. The Oxford Companion to Archaeology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cerr_1/hd_cerr_1.htm
Picutre By Dtarazona – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15771563