Margaret Hunter – Page 16 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on January 11, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Jews Struggle For Liberty 167 to 130 BC

Starting in the 7th century B.C. the Jewish people had been placed under various foreign powers. Their subservient state would last for nearly 500 years up until the time of the Maccabee Revolt. This revolt started around 167 B.C. when a Greek Seleucid king named Antiochus III decided to disregard the Jews way of life and try to Hellenize its culture and religion.

It appears on the Bible Timeline during the second century BC. Antiochus IV was a Seleucid ruler who gained the throne in 175 BC. Shortly after he became the new king of the Seleucid Empire, he began to pass a series of anti-Jewish laws through a Jewish high priest and the governor named Jason, who bribed the king to gain this position.

Jason had a brother named Onias III who was going to remain the high priest of Judah. Jewish people believe that the high priest was selected directly from God and not from any Earthly powers. So when Jason became the high priest, this naturally caused the people of Judah to become outraged with the Seleucid Dynasty.

After Jason took over his duties as high priest and governor he had his brother Osias III murdered. Now that Jason was the high priest and governor, Antiochus III decided to use him in his quest to convert Judah into a Hellenized territory. He wanted to make the city of Jerusalem the capital of this newly formed Greek state.

He then began to initiate a series of changes that attacked the Jews way of life and their religion. Jason had Hellenized Solomon’s Temple so the people would now have to worship Greek gods, and they would have to adhere to Greek culture. There was a priest who worked at Solomon’s Temple during these events, and his named was Matthias. The Jewish priests were being replaced by Hellenistic Jewish priest and the new clergy was leading the people of Judah into idolatry.

They were trying to get the people to worship the Greek gods by offering sacrifices to them. One day a Greek official told Matthias to make a sacrifice to one of the Greek gods in the temple, but Matthias had enough of this desecration, and he killed him. Once this happened it set off a chain of events that would start a Jewish revolt. Matthias had 5 sons and they all helped their father to start a revolt against the King Antiochus III. Matthias had to flee to the wilderness (open desert) to avoid arrest and when he did he called upon the people to follow him.

The people responded, and he had a small army. The Jewish rebels realized that they couldn’t take on the Greek army in open battle so they decided to use a small force that would fight with guerilla tactics. The Maccabeus army defeated various Seleucid forces that included Assyrians, Parthian, and the Samarians. Judas Maccabeus had won a huge victory against the Seleucid army and forced them to retreat from Judah at the Battle of Emmaus. The Seleucid army tried once again to defeat Judah, but they were routed each time that they came back to the area.

The Jews finally forced the Seleucids to leave permanently Judah alone in 164 B.C. Now that Judah had gained its independence from foreign rulers they cleansed their temple of the idols, and they made Judas their leader. Originally the Maccabees were known as the Hasmoneans, and they earned the name Maccabees because of their style of fighting. They attacked their enemies with powerful battle tactics that beat their enemies with lightning fast maneuvers and powerful force.

The Maccabees also stopped helped a lot of the Jewish persecution that was happening at the time in foreign lands. Judas was a high leader in Judah until 160 B.C. when he died in battle against the Assyrians. By 130 B.C., the Jews had regained their independence, and they established the Hasmonean Dynasty that was the first group of Jewish kings to rule their own land since the exile had taken place. The Hasmonean rulers controlled Judea with Simon Maccabeus being the first king. These Jewish people held their independence for about 103 before they were brought under Roman power. The Jewish holiday known as Hannukah is celebrated by the people in memory of this event.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmonean_dynasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattathias http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_Maccabee#Renewed_fighting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Jewish_history#1st_century_CE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_III_the_Great#mediaviewer/File:Antiochos_III_coin.jpg

Posted on January 10, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Judas Maccabaeus Frees Judah

Judas Maccabeus liberated Judah in 165 BC, which is where it appears on the Biblical Timeline Poster with World history. The story begins with the Seleucid and Ptolemy Dynasties. Both fought for control of the Middle East. These rival Greek empires wanted to take each other territories and one of the major battlefronts for this ongoing war occurred in Syria. This particular province was situated north of Judah and it was the capitol territory of the Seleucid Empire. Initially, Judah belonged to the Ptolemy Dynasty but in time it became a part of the Seleucid Empire.

Around 192 B.C. a Seleucid king named Antiochus III was fighting a war against a new emerging empire known as the Romans. The Romans were becoming more aggressive in their expansion policies and taking over the world. Eventually, Antiochus III was defeated by the Romans in Greece. Unfortunately for the Seleucid’s he kept losing to the Romans during his rule. During his reign, he was friendly toward the Jewish people but he eventually changed his policies toward this group of people.

Sources claimed that he deported thousands of Jewish people all over his empire and that King Antiochus III started to treat the Jewish people in a profane manner primarily because of their religion. He noticed that great unrest was developing in Judea, and he changed his policies. He eventually died in 187 B.C. His son Antiochus IV took over the throne after his death. A short time had passed since these events, but the Jewish people didn’t forget what he had done and neither did his son.

Matthias Maccabaeus was a temple priest who was working the temple during the reign of Antiochus III. He had five sons, and one of them was named Judas. When Antiochus IV became king, he was bribed by a Jewish man named Jason. Now Jason wanted to become the high priest of Judah. The current high priest was his brother Onias III and this Jewish man also acted as a governor of Judea for the Seleucid Empire. After Antiochus III had accepted his bribe, he decided to allow Jason to become the next high priest and governor. The problem with this issue is that the people of Judah believed that the high priest position was authorized by God and not man. Antiochus III didn’t care because he just looked at the Jewish priest’s position as if he was just a common official.

After Jason had taken over as the high priest, Antiochus told him to eliminate the Jews way of life and make Jerusalem into a Greek city-state. During these events, statues of Greek gods were placed in the temple, and many of the Jewish priests were being replaced by Hellenistic Jewish clergy. One day one of these priests decided to perform a sacrifice to the Greek gods inside of the temple. This priest was to replace Matthias Maccabaeus. Matthias refused to allow him to perform these actions and killed the man. This act is what started the Jewish people to revolt against the Seleucid Empire, and it led to the Maccabaeus War. Matthias died one year after this incident and his son Judas Maccabaeus took over the revolt against the Seleucids that was started by his father.

Judas was also a priest like his father, and he was a fighter as well. His military feats and battle skills during the war earned him the reputation as a fearless and heroic Jewish warrior. The Maccabees were originally known as the Hasmoneans but earned the title of Maccabees during their revolt. The name means “hammer” and it was given to them because they were known to beat the Seleucid forces in a powerful striking manner. Judas Maccabeus used his troops to fight a guerilla war against the Seleucids. He repeatedly defeated the Seleucids in a string of battles and caused the Seleucids to remove themselves from Judah. Judas Maccabeus had led the Jewish people to freedom from Seleucid power. After he gained victory for his people, he cleansed the temple of pagan idols and founded a new dynasty of Jewish kings. He eventually had to send Jewish forces all throughout the Middle Eastern and Mesopotamian world to help Jewish people that were being harassed by various enemies. The Jewish holiday known as Hannukah was established to honor Judas Maccabeus and the liberation of Judah in 165 B.C. He died in battle in 160 B.C.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_III_the_Great http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Maccabees.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_IV_Epiphanes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maccabees http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_Maccabee

Posted on January 9, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Syria Governs Judah

Syria is an ancient Middle Eastern land that has been possessed by many foreign rulers all throughout its long history. Originally the territory of Syria was known as Elba, which was a city-state that was built up into a powerful kingdom. Various nomadic peoples such as the Canaanites, Phoenicians and Arameans all migrated into Syria until 2000 B.C. In time empires and kingdoms such as the Sumerians, Egyptians, Assyrians, Hittites and Babylonians all occupied Syria. Eventually, the Persians had taken over this territory and after Alexander the Great had passed away one of his former generals named Seleucus eventually dominated Syria. He established his capital in the ancient city of Antioch which was also a part of the Syrian territory. Syria was just one of a few provinces that were controlled by the Seleucid Empire. The Seleucid rule of Syria lasted a little over 200 years starting in 305 B.C. that is where it appears on the Bible Timeline Poster with world history. The rule ended when the Romans made it a part of their empire in 64 B.C.

The land of Judea had become a part of the Seleucid Empire after it was divided up by Alexander the Great generals. The city of Jerusalem was the capital of ancient Judah. Once Judah had been taken over the Seleucids, it too remained a part of their territory up until they gained their independence in the Maccabee revolt.

The King, who ruled Syria or the Seleucid Empire during this era, was Antioch II Theos. His rule lasted between 261 B.C. and 246 B.C. Around 254 B.C. Antiochus II Theos was intermittently fighting an ongoing war against a rival Greek dynasty known as the Ptolemy. During this period he ruled Judah in a relatively peaceful manner.

One of the customary things to do when an empire or kingdom conquered a territory was to allow it to continue in its way of life. The Greeks used this practice and as long as a conquered territory paid its prescribed tribute and didn’t rebel the territory was left alone. There were governors or officials placed into these conquered territories, but many of them were put there just to remind the people that they were being dominated by a foreign ruler.

Antiochus II Theos was not that concerned with the Jews during his reign. He allowed them to worship as they pleased and to live in the manner that they were accosted. He didn’t try to change their ways or to force them to accept foreign gods. The Greek historian Josephus claimed that he had given citizenship rights to the Jews who lived foreign Greek cities. The people who lived in Jerusalem didn’t have any objection to King Antiochus II Theos rule. Though they did not want to be ruled by any foreign power, they didn’t necessarily believe that Antiochus II Theos was a terrible monarch. Once Antiochus II Theos had passed away in 246 B.C., another Seleucid ruler became king. His name was Antiochus III though he treated the Jews respectably he also set the stage for Antiochus IV, who would come to wreak havoc on Judeans.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Syria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_II_Theos
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0002_0_01155.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ebla_clay_tablet.jpg

Posted on January 2, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Himyarite Dynasty of Yemen

Yemen is a modern day country that is located in the Middle East just south of the nation of Saudi Arabia. This nation has been in existence for over 2,000 years and in ancient times it was dominated by the Minean, Sabaean, and the Himyarite tribal confederations. It was around 100 B.C. when the Himyarite Confederacy established its foothold all throughout desert lands of the Middle East which is where it appears on the Biblical Timeline chart with world history.

Ancient Yemen was located in the southern part of Arabia, and while it was under the Sabaean rule, it had become a powerful state that controlled a lucrative spice trade. The Sabaeans were a tribal people who developed the spice trade for thousands of years. They had taken the spice routes from the Minean tribes, and once they had control over the region of ancient Saudi Arabia, they tried to create a centralized state. Since ancient Yemen and the spice routes were located through a vast desert, it was impossible for them to set effectively up a stabilized society. Without a viable water source for use, it would have been too hard for them to create a settled society with a powerful government. The Sabaeans had to create a series of independent fortresses that were connected to towns or villages. These fortresses were primarily located all along the spice routes in the desert where oasis were found. Eventually, the Sabaeans were overrun by a tribe of people known as the Himyarites. Yatha Amar Bayin I was the first ruler of Himyarite Dynasty in Yemen and the last Himyarite ruler was Zamir Ali Yunuf.

After the Himyarites managed to take over most of the different fortifications they established a centralized state in Yemen that would dominate the spice trade in Arabia. They established their capital in the ancient city of Zafar, which was located in the southern part of Yemen. This particular area was located near the Red Sea.

Each Himyarite tribe played a role in controlling the territory of Yemen. They managed to govern most of the land that is now known as modern day Arabia. When the Himyarite Kingdom came to power, they took over the trade routes that specialized in providing spices to many empires and kingdoms within the ancient world. Spices such as salt, myrrh, cumin, frankincense, and pepper were traded to empire and kingdoms such as Greece, Rome and the Middle East. They also traded with the Jews, Tyre, and Egypt. The Himyarite’s focused most of their energy on developing efficient trade routes that crossed the vast Arabian Desert. They even had contact with Asian empires such as India and China. They were an economically successful people because of the spice trade, and they spent their wealth on luxury and splendor.

The Himyarites were not a powerful people that had world domination in mind and as long as they were able to control the spice trade they were content with their position. They dealt with outside empires and kingdoms on the basis of their spices. Many foreign powers needed or desired the spices that the Himyarites were able to manufacture and sell. The spices they produced were used for nutritional, medical and religious purposes. The Himyarite kingdom resembled a modern corporation that had a monopoly on the spice trade.

The Himyarite kingdom ruled Yemen in relative peace and was not conquered by anyone during its 600-year span from 100 B.C. to A.D. 500. Even though the Himyarites were never conquered by another group of people, their kingdom did go into decline. The Empire of Rome slowly eroded the power of the Himyarite kingdom. Around 200 A.D., the Romans were probably the most powerful force in the world, and they dominated many trade routes by sea. Once the Romans figured out how to access the spices that they needed through the use of sea routes they no longer needed to rely on the Himyarites. Over the next 300 years, the Himyarites economic activity started to decline, and they found fewer buyers for their product. Around 500 A.D., the Himyarites became insignificant, and their kingdom disintegrated. The people went back into a nomadic way of life. The Himyarite kingdom in Yemen was the last major kingdom in Arabia before the rise of Islam.

References:
http://www.cs.nmsu.edu/~fmohamed/ancient-ye.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himyarite_Kingdom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zafar,_Yemen
http://empires.findthedata.org/compare/96-135/Suri-Dynasty-vs-Himyarite-Kingdom

Posted on January 1, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Dynasty of TSIN founded by Shi Huang Ti

Shi Huang Ti is also known as Shi Huangdi or Qin Shi Huang and is considered the founder the Tsin or Qin dynasty. Shi Huang Ti birth name was Zhao Zheng or Chao Cheng. He changed his name after he became an emperor to Shi Huang Ti. The name means “first sovereign emperor of China.” The Tsin or Qin dynasty was established around 246 B.C. that is where it appears on the Bible Timeline Chart with world history. Shi Huang Ti became the first ruler of China.

TSIN_Dynasty — First emperor of China Qin Shi Huang

Historians and scholars regard the Tsin as the first Imperial Dynasty in Chinese history. Shi Huang Ti was the son of Chuang Hsiang. His mother who was a concubine of a rich merchant. The merchant’s name was Lu Pu-wei, and he used his financial skills to get Chuang Hsiang placed on the throne of Ch’in. Apparently Chuang Hsiang had a relationship with Lu Pu-wei’s concubine. Lu Pu-wei used this situation to gain access to the throne of Ch’in.

After Chuang Hsiang time had passed Shi Huang Ti took his place as ruler. Once he took over the kingdom everything was set up for him to take over the rest of China. He established the Qin Dynasty, which is known as the first Imperial Dynasty in Chinese history. When Shi Huang Ti was 13, he became emperor and one of the first things that he did while he ruled China was to eliminate all of his rivals to his throne. Once the competition had been eliminated, he strengthened his political and military power. The state of Ch’in was located in the central region of China. This position allowed Emperor Shi Huang Ti to develop a strong bureaucracy and an effective administration backed by a strong army.

Huang Ti then used his armies to enforce a totalitarian empire. Lu Pu-Wei controlled the emperor when he first took office, but he was eventually expelled from the state when the emperor came of age. He then began to send his armies out on missions of conquest and dominance. Shi Huang Ti also made it impossible for new states to arise by setting up an extensive administration that controlled every province within his kingdom. He also had a vast network of spies, informants and loyal subjects who were capable of revealing most plots that were created his empire.

However, even with such an extensive network of secret agents and informants Emperor Shi Huang Ti came very close to being assassinated at least three times during his rule. Wealthy people who lived in Chi’in were forced to live in the capital, and the emperor divided the country into 36 military districts. He did away with territorial and feudal systems that were in the land. Through his efforts, it was almost impossible for any person to challenge his power for many years. He also standardized the language, writing, and economic systems within his empire. Huang Ti’s efforts helped to organize China into a powerful empire that would rival those in the West.

Emperor Shi Huang Ti probably could have been a world conqueror if he had the desire to expand his armies outside of Asia. Like so many other powerful Asian rulers throughout history, Shi Huang Ti focused on conquering kingdoms and territories that were located near his empire. The emperor finally died in 210 B.C. while he was on an inspection tour of his country. He had established the Qin or Tsin Dynasty into one of the most important in all of the nation’s history. Shi Huang Ti will forever be remembered by the Chinese people for this contribution.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/people_n2/ppersons2_n2/shihuangti.html http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/notes/shihhuang.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Dynasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Qinshihuang.jpg

Posted on December 29, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Early Japan culture largely Chinese

The nation of Japan is currently home to over 125 million people, and it’s one of the leading nations in the modern world. Japan’s official name is called “Nippon” or “Nihon.” Japan is an old nation that has been around for thousands of years but it’s official history begins around 660 B.C. that is where it appears on the Biblical timeline chart with world history. This is the era of the emperor Jimmu. The history of Japan is broken down into various historical periods, and the first epoch was called “Jomon” or “Jimmon.” The name was derived from the type of pottery that was common to this particular era in Japan’s history.

Most historians agree that Japan was settled by people who migrated across the Sea of Japan to the mainland. These migrations continued until 1,500 B.C. During this period the people survived off of the rich ecosystem of Japan. Over the next thousand years the migrations slowed, and the people within Japan organized themselves into clans. The ancient Chinese called Japan “Wa”, and as people from mainland Asia started to settle in Japan, they brought with them the practice of rice farming. Once rice cultivation became the main part of ancient Japanese society settled cultures began to emerge, and one clan was able to dominate the territory of Japan. The history of Japan is very similar to the history of China in this regard because a centralized clan had emerged to dominate the other independent clans in the region. Also, Japan’s writing system is derived from the Chinese, and they have similar creation myths and divine connection to their emperors.

Japan_Culture_Largely_Chinese — ‘Detail of Emperor Jinmu – Stories from “Nihonki” (Chronicles of Japan), by Ginko Adachi. Woodblock print depicting legendary first emperor Jimmu, who saw a sacred bird flying away while he was in the expedition of the eastern section of Japan.’

‘Detail of Emperor Jinmu – Stories from “Nihonki” (Chronicles of Japan), by Ginko Adachi. Woodblock print depicting legendary first emperor Jimmu, who saw a sacred bird flying away while he was in the expedition of the eastern section of Japan.’

Emperor Jimmu is considered the first emperor of Japan and Japan’s current emperor is supposedly a direct descendant of this historical figure. According to historical records, Emperor Jimmu and his clan migrated from the land of Takachiho and settled into Japan around 665 B.C. They chose the best location on the mainland of Japan to settle their family and clansmen. Jimmu and his brothers had selected a centralized area that would allow them to rule easily over the rest of the island.

As they moved eastward across the land they encountered other clans and were defeated in a battle against them and one of Jimmu’s brothers named Itsuse was killed in the fray. Jimmu realized that his clan lost the battle because they were fighting eastward against the sun, and they repositioned themselves to fight westward. Once they changed their direction and fought with the path of the sun, they defeated their enemies. After this battle had taken place, Jimmu was able to become the first emperor. Many Japanese people believe that the emperor descended from a Japanese sun god named Amaterasu. Emperor Jimmu’s clan became known as the Yamato or Kojiki.

Whether or not this particular story is true is very important because it reveals the connection that the Japanese people have with their ruling emperors. The emperor and the people are supposed to have descended from deities, and this is one of the main reasons why the Japanese people have such a strong bond with their emperor.

Rice farming and fishing were the primary means of economic activity in ancient Japan. They also conducted trade between the clans and with the other kingdoms that resided on the western side of the Sea of Japan. The Emperor set up the first administrative system that was used to govern the land for many years. Shinto was practiced as the primary religious belief system, and so was Buddhism. By 600 B.C. Japan was a powerful Asian state. Emperor Jimmu’s foundation story to Japanese history is considered an important part of the nation’s heritage and cultural development that remains a strong part of modern Japanese society.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Jimmu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Dmon_period
http://japanesemyth.firespiritdesigns.com/html/jimmu.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2135.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Jimmu#mediaviewer/File:Tenn%C5%8D_Jimmu_detail_01.jpg

Posted on December 28, 2012July 20, 2024 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Maurya Dynasty of India

The Maurya Empire was founded in 322 B.C. by Chandragupta Maurya, who was an Indian conqueror and Prince. This particular Indian Empire is considered one of the greatest in all of the nation’s history and remains a great source of fascination until this day.

Chandragupta Maurya was supposed to have been a Nanda prince, but historians are unclear about the early years of his life. The Kingdom of Nanda was the most powerful state in India before the Maurya Empire emerged. When Alexander the Great was conquering the world and made his way into India, Chandragupta saw him when he was a young teenage boy. Chandragupta probably heard of Alexander’s great conquests and probably was encouraged to follow in his footsteps. By the time Chandragupta was 20 years old he had managed to bring most of India under his dominion. He eliminated the Nanda Dynasty and took their lands that then became the foundation of his powerful state.

Chandragupta might not have been a Nanda prince, but he was certainly some type of leader with power because he had the power and resources of a vast army to carry out his goals for conquest. By the year 310 B.C., he had driven out the Greeks from his land and secured India for the empire. Though he was a mighty conqueror, he never had a desire to push his forces outside of India to overtake the world. Chandragupta unified the many Indian kingdoms to form the Maurya Empire.

Maurya_Empire_of_Indea — A map of the Maurya Dynasty, showing major cities, early Buddhist sites, Ashokan Edicts, etc.

A map of the Maurya Dynasty, showing major cities, early Buddhist sites, Ashokan Edicts, etc.

Once this state was established, Chandragupta transformed it into one of the most efficient and economically prosperous lands in the ancient world. The arts and literature flourished in the lands of India during the time of the Maurya Empire and modern civic structures were erected in the major cities. There was an administration district, libraries, local temples, theaters and public parks. Chandragupta also reinforced the caste system that was already a part of Indian society, and he made Jainism an important religion within the empire’s society.

Chandragupta died in 208 B.C. after he gave up the empire to his son Emperor Bindusara. Much isn’t known about Bindusara’s rule except that he conducted trade with the Greeks Seleucid rulers. Bindusara reign came to an end in 232 B.C., and his son Ashoka took the throne. Ashoka was a great conqueror who managed to subdue the remaining independent Indian states that were not already a part of the Maurya Empire. People called him Ashoka the Great. He is also known for his religious activity of Buddhism. He sent missionaries into foreign regions of Asia, and he established Buddhist policies and temples for worship.

The Maurya Empire started to go into decline around 190 B.C. when the different provinces of the empire started to go to war with one another. Outside invaders such as the Greeks decided to exploit this situation and though the Greeks never successfully conquered India the problems they created caused the empire to weaken. By 185 B.C., the Maurya Empire had come to an end. The rulers of this empire didn’t believe in a policy of outward expansion, and this is why they never tried to conquer the world. If the Maurya Empire had attempted this feat, they might have been able to become serious rivals to the Greeks, Romans and Muslims as world conquerors.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandragupta_Maurya
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/maur/hd_maur.htm
http://www.livius.org/man-md/mauryas/mauryas.html

Posted on December 27, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Chandragupta of India

Chandragupta Maurya forged a powerful empire in the land of India around 320 BC which is when he appears on the Biblical Timeline with World history. Historians believed that he was a part of the Nanda Dynasty which ruled the middle and lower basin regions near the Ganges River in India. Chandragupta was born around 340 B.C. and no one is sure about the early years of his life because there was little-recorded evidence about his youth. One historical source claims that Chandragupta saw Alexander the Great around 326 B.C. when he was preparing to take India for his empire. By the time, he became an adult he apparently had acquired training in and political and military power since he was able to command an army and rule an empire.

When Chandragupta forged the Maurya Empire he was a young man in his early 20s. He had a mentor named Chanakya who aided the young king as he began to build up the Maurya Empire. India consisted of various different kingdoms that were spread out all across the land. Once again the Nanda Dynasty ruled the middle and lower half of India and the northern and eastern half consisted of various clans who held their own territories. Chandragupta began to attack these independent clans and brought them under his control. Even though Chandragupta was supposed to have come from Nanda he conquered the territory and it became known as the Maurya Empire.

Chandragupta_of_India — Chandragupta Maurya

Alexander the Great and his forces made their way into India around 326 B.C. and though Alexander never successfully conquered India he managed to take control of some of the territories that he encountered along the way. The Greeks had control of Northwest India during that time period. The area the Greeks ruled was situated in the same region as modern day Afghanistan. Between 317 B.C. and 315 B.C. Chandragupta fought to remove the Greeks from this territory. The Greeks set up colonies in western Indus and held the Indian territory of Punjab. Chandragupta knew that the Greeks would be a threat to his power and wanted to remove them from his land. Seleucus I Nicator was trying to retake the lands that were captured by Alexander the Great and this Greek ruler tried to take India but lost to Chandragupta. Once he defeated the Greeks under Seleucus I Nicator he had all of India under his control. The Greeks never really tried to retake this territory after Seleucus I Soter lost the war with Chandragupta.

Around 315 B.C. Chandragupta had made the Maurya Empire one of the biggest and most powerful in the world and it almost rivaled that of Alexander the Great. The difference between Alexander’s empire and Chandragupta is that Alexander’s consisted of various different and distinct lands where Chandragupta’s primarily held territories and people that were pretty much the same. Another difference between Chandragupta and Alexander is that Chandragupta didn’t have a desire to conquer any territory outside of India. This mighty Indian general didn’t want to take over the world he only wanted to bring the land of India under his control and rid it of foreign rulers. Chandragupta gave up his empire to his son Bindusara in 298 B.C. and died while living a life an ascetic life.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandragupta_Maurya
http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/india/Chandragupta.html
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/india/p/Biography-of-Chandragupta-Maurya.htm
http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/spring98/Ashoka.htm

Posted on December 26, 2012August 20, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Darius III of Persia

King Darius III birth name was Artashata and he was born in 380 B.C. He changed his name to Darius III after he came to power. He took the throne in 336 B.C. which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline with World History. When he came to power he probably didn’t realize that he was going to be the last ruler of the mighty Persian Empire. He came to power thanks to an official name Bagoas.

Bagoas had great power within the Empire around 336 B.C. He had assassinated King Artaxerxes III and put the king’s son Artaxerxes IV Arses on the throne. He did this so that he could govern the empire through the young king. Eventually King Artaxerxes IV Arses didn’t like this arrangement so he plotted to eliminate Bagoas but Bagoas had managed to get the upper hand against him before the plot could be carried out. In 336 B.C. Bagoas was finally able to kill King Artaxerxes IV Arses and he placed his cousin King Darius III on the throne. Once King Darius III was in power Bagoas realized that he could not control King Darius III like he expected and thought to kill him but the king finally managed to eliminate this troublesome official.

Bagoas’ actions helped to quicken the fall of the Persian Empire. This self-centered official wanted to rule the empire through weak kings and while he was trying to orchestrate this feat Persia’s primary enemy was already preparing to wipe them out. The Greeks under Alexander the Great were preparing to invade Persia and the Persian’s weren’t fully prepared to deal with this situation because they were distracted by the events that were taking place inside of the Persian court. Other parts of the Persian Empire had been in a state of unrest from the previous rulers and they were starting to rebel against their Persian rulers as they always have in the past.

Persia’s downfall began when Alexander the Great started to defeat King Darius III armies in various battles. The Persian king didn’t show up to deal with the initial battles because he didn’t think Alexander was that significant but he eventually realized that he must confront this conqueror. King Darius III realized that Alexander was winning too many victories and was going wipe him out. King Darius III fled before Alexander and his troops even though he had superior forces. The last time he fled Alexander the Great captured his family and held them hostage. King Darius III wanted them back but Alexander the Great refused to return them unless the Persian King acknowledged that he was the new ruler of the Persian Empire.

Alexander the Great managed to undermine his authority with his conquests and many of the provinces that served under Persia were now becoming more unstable. Alexander the Great was hunting all over the Persian Empire for the king but the king kept fleeing from him. Eventually, King Darius III subjects had enough of him and two governors named Bessus and Nabarzanes carried out his assassination. Soldiers from Alexander the Great’s army found King Darius III and he was already dead. Alexander the Great was saddened by his death because he wanted to capture the king alive and he didn’t think this was a noble way for a ruler to die. Alexander gave him a magnificent funeral and buried him with his forefathers. King Darius died in 330 B.C. after he spent most of his reign running from Alexander the Great. The Persian governor Bessus appointed himself the new king of Persia but he was quickly captured, tortured and killed by Alexander the Great. The Persian Empire now belonged to the Greeks and once they gained this empire many of the provinces were glad that they came. Alexander married Darius III oldest daughter, Stateira, and treated his family with great respect. Though the Achaemenid Dynasty ended with the demise of Darius III, his family still remained wealthy and important because of the kindness of Alexander the Great.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_III
http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t14.html
http://www.ancient.eu.com/Darius_III/
http://www.pothos.org/content/index.php?page=darius-iii
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Darius_III_of_Persia.jpg

Posted on December 24, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Philip II of Greece

Philip II Rise to Power

King Amytas III was a Macedonian ruler who controlled Macedon in 393 B.C. and once again between 392 B.C. and 370 B.C. King Amytas III reign was relatively calm and he bore three sons. They were named Alexander II, Perdiccas III and Philip II and when he died of old age in 370 B.C. his sons Alexander II and then Perdiccas III became the next rulers. King Alexander II was murdered and a few years later Perdiccas III avenged his death and then became the next king. King Perdiccas tried to retake lost Macedonian territory and died in the process. King Philip II was finally placed on the throne in 359 B.C. which is where he appears on the Old Testament Timeline with World History.

King Philip II was an intelligent, diplomatic and warrior king who was capable of forcing the independent city states of Greece into one unified society. He learned how to fight and govern in his youth. It was customary for the wealthy and powerful children of Greek society to be held hostage by individuals who controlled the people. While he was a captive in Thebes, he was taught military tactics, government, and diplomacy. He used all of these skills to forge the coming Greek empire that would be completed under Alexander the Great.

King Philip II realized that he had the ability to unify the territory of Greece and after he completed this great feat he then turned his attention toward Persia. King Philip II knew that if he could take down Persia the rest of the world would follow. He was a bold military genius who wanted to take over the world and expand Greek influence as far as he could. He was never able to fulfill his vision because he was assassinated by one of his bodyguards in 336 B.C. Before King Philip II met his demise he had a son named Alexander III.

Even though King Philip loved his son, Alexander had shown more love toward his mother, Olympias. Regardless of the conflict that existed between the king and Alexander III he taught his son about warfare and instructed him in politics. He also shared his vision of expanding the Macedonian empire into the world. King Philip II wanted his boy to carry on his legacy if he wasn’t able to complete it himself. King Philip II and Alexander III, Olympias, mother also had an uneasy relationship and many suspects that she was a part of his assassination. When Alexander the Great became king and prepared his soldiers to march against the world, he had a seasoned and capable army already in place because of King Philip II efforts. He perfected the use of the phalanx in his youth, and this instrument would be his primary advantage on the battlefield. He also had the resources of many Greek cities to aid him in this process due to Philip II as well.

The most important thing that King Philip II set in place for Alexander was a unified Greek state. Alexander didn’t have to lose his time and energy fighting against local enemies and could now concentrate on taking over the world. King Philip II had already started to take over some minor foreign territories such as Scythia and Ardiaioi before Alexander III began his conquest. The League of Corinth was composed of various Greek states, and this group of allies was started by King Philip II right before invading Persia. King Philip II greatest accomplishment was probably giving birth to Alexander the Great. He set the stage for his son to conquer the world and to become one of the greatest military geniuses in all of history. Without Philip II and his vision, Alexander the Great probably would not have been able to accomplish this feat.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_II_of_Macedon
http://www.livius.org/phi-php/philip/philip_ii.htm
http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/PhilipofMacedon.html
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/philip-ii-king-macedon.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Philip_II_of_Macedon.jpg