Margaret Hunter – Page 30 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on June 26, 2012August 19, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

China, Chou or Zhou Dynasty of

The Chow Dynasty in China is officially known as the Zhou and it is China’s oldest ruling line in the history of this nation. The Zhou Dynasty ruled from 1046 to 256 B.C. It appears on the Biblical Timeline with World History in the Chinese section during this time. This ruling class helped to shape and influence Chinese culture for thousands of years.

The Zhou Dynasty began to rule China after they defeated the Shang Dynasty which preceded them. Once they established their authority they backed it up by claiming that their right to be in control came from heaven. They came up with a document that gave them the authority to rule it also helped to transform their religious practices. Ancestor worship was a strong component and part of life for the Shang Dynasty and the Zhou wanted to separate from this old regime. So they decided that ancestor worship would become a more universalized process as opposed to worshipping individual family ancestors.

A somewhat mythical emperor named Ku is credited with starting the Zhou Dynasty. He settled his people near the Wei River valley in west-central China. Ku had led a large army across the Yellow River in China to defeat Shang King Di Xin and Zhou rule was established. When the Zhou had originally established their power they formed a centralized government. This type of government didn’t last long when the various princes began to fight and war among themselves for control. Internal strife caused the empire to split into two parts. The Eastern and Western Zhou Empire was the result of the split.

The Eastern Zhou Empire continued to divide and separate until there were many independent states that formed the empire. The Western Zhou remained unified after the split had occurred.

Zhou society was agrarian based and it was similar to Europe’s feudal system. There were the Chinese versions of lords, nobles, warriors, serfs and peasants. Each of these rulers was subject to the emperor. A class of scholars emerged during the 4th century B.C. and Confucius was the most prominent member during this era. He tried to establish a system of government that was based on the virtue between the rulers and servants. Many of the contemporary rulers didn’t want this style of leadership and preferred the old order which allowed those in charge to dominate by authority and force. Confucius works were so prominent that they still influence China in modern times. The rulers and nobles lived in wall cities instead of palaces and many villages were protected inside of these city walls as well. Iron was introduced into China during the reign of the Zhou. This allowed their agrarian society to increase food production and to focus on developing the arts, sciences, and the various philosophies.

Zhou society went into decline in the 2nd century B.C. when the royal line was broken due to problems with the leadership. Many of the noble and lords within the Zhou empire separated themselves into independent states and didn’t try to unify into one government. Qin Shi Huang of the Qin Empire unified China under his rule in 221 B.C. and the Zhou never again rose to power.

References:
http://library.thinkquest.org/12255/library/dynasty/zhou.html
http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ECC_HISTORY_ZHOU%20DYNASTY.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_Dynasty
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/zhou/
http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t3w10zhoudynasty.htm
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Warring_States_350_BC.png

Posted on June 25, 2012August 8, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

China, Eunuchs in

Eunuchs were castrated males who guarded an emperor’s harem and some were used in positions of leadership and government. China has a long history with the use of Eunuchs and many emperors routinely made them a part of their court. Eunuchs were used as a sign of status and affluence and the wealthy members of ancient Chinese society also utilized the services of eunuchs within their homes. They are placed on the Bible Timeline with World History in the Chinese section beginning in 1200 BC

Most eunuchs came from the poorer classes of society and many males either volunteered for this position or they were forced into this role. Prisoners, slaves, and indebted people were also made eunuchs as well. A lot of Chinese peasants who were poor and who had little hope of changing their circumstances would have their male sons castrated in hopes that they could make a fortune as a eunuch. This was a very risky practice because there wasn’t a guarantee that a male would survive the castration process.

The castration process was brutal during ancient times. When a male was made into a eunuch his genitals and penis was removed from his body. Ancient Chinese people used various methods to carry out this practice. A male’s private parts would be completely removed by a sword, ax or some other sharp instrument. When a male’s parts were removed he had a 50% chance of survival. There was a small opening that was created in the process that allowed the male to urinate. If a castrated male was able to get rid of urine then the process was usually a success. Castrated men also had to worry about contracting an infection. Males that were able to relieve themselves and to avoid infection were now able to be employed as eunuchs.

ChinaEunuchs_In — From Paludan’s source: “A group of eunuchs. Mural from the tomb of the prince Zhanghuai, 706, Qianling, Shaanxi.”

From Paludan’s source: “A group of eunuchs. Mural from the tomb of the prince Zhanghuai, 706, Qianling, Shaanxi.”

Eunuchs were then used to protect concubines and harems within an emperor’s court. They were trusted by the emperor’s and other wealthy men because they were not viewed as a threat. Many rulers and men with power feared rivals who could place their children in a position of power. Emperor’s also trusted eunuchs because they couldn’t defile their wives, concubines or harems. Since eunuchs were considered less than human and “less of a man” they were also entrusted with vital and important information. Eunuchs were also used as companions for princes and the children of wealthy people. In time, eunuchs had become very trusted and powerful members of many Chinese courts.

Eunuchs were used by the women in the court or harem in order to gain favor with an emperor or ruler. Some had learned how to manipulate rulers and used their newfound power to dictate the affairs of a kingdom. Some rulers didn’t want to deal with the daily politics and governance of their empires and they indirectly gave control of these matters over to their eunuchs.
Eunuchs were also mentioned in the Bible (see Isaiah 56:4) and Jesus spoke about the importance of sexual purity by becoming a spiritual eunuch (Matthew 19:12). Many other cultures such as the Egyptians, Babylonians and the Persians all employed the use of eunuchs. The Chinese people used the practice of eunuchs all the way up to the 20th century before the practice fell out of favor. The practice was outlawed in 1912 and the last Imperial Eunuch in China was Sun Yaoting who died in 1996.

References:
http://bible.cc/matthew/19-12.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuch
http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=china_eununchs_and_official_harem
http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/eunuchs1.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prince_Zhanghuai%27s_tomb,_eunuchs.JPG

Posted on June 21, 2012September 23, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — 4 Comments

Sanskrit

Some scholars believed that Sanskrit was a pre-cursor to European languages while others disagree quite heatedly. Sanskrit appears on the Bible World History Timeline around 1000 BC with a note that it is possibly related to European languages.

The Indian people believe that Sanskrit was a spiritual language that has been passed down to man through their people. This language was supposed to have originated with the Vedas or large body of text that has been given to the Hindu people well over 5000 years ago. The texts were supposed to be given to the Indians in the form of “what is heard” and not “what is remembered”. According to Hindu legend, mankind was able to retain knowledge when something was spoken to them one time. As time progressed, people became more evil and corrupted and, as a result, they lost their ability to comprehend information without the use of written language. Since then this language has been known to have a spiritual and religious connection associated with it since its origins are supposedly supernatural. Sanskrit appears on the Bible World History Timeline around 1000 BC.

Three major religions in Asia use Sanskrit as a part of their religious services. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism have made this language their official dialect. The Indian state of Uttarakhand uses Sanskrit as their official language. Sanskrit is also a highly regarded language in Indo-European studies, culture, and history.

Sanskrit was about to die out at one point in the history of India since the institutions that supported it had become irrelevant. This had occurred around the 18th century before the British had dominated India. Once the British took over the language was preserved, and it was used for scholarly purposes and the educated classes. The average person in India during that time did not speak Sanskrit. In modern times, Sanskrit has become a common language in some parts of India. As much as half of the words used in modern India are supposed to be influenced by Sanskrit.

Sanskrit doesn’t have an original unified script because the early scripts were influenced by the region of the scribe. This means that all of the writing systems in southern Asia have been used to produce Sanskrit manuscripts. The Brahmi scripts were the earliest known for his language, and it was created in the 1st century B.C. The Brahmic scripts were also important since they had evolved into a variety of different Sanskrit scripts. The Northwest part of the subcontinent of India used the Kharosthi script. Gupta evolved from the Brahmi scripts.

Initially, many British scholars and linguists thought that Sanskrit was an inferior language since they thought that the Indian people were underneath them. However, their attitudes changed with time and English-speaking linguists and scholars have taken steps to preserve this language. They have transliterated Sanskrit with Latin and other Romanized languages.

The language has also been revived in the country of India since the latter half of the 20th century. Many different social and educational institutions have been trying to make Sanskrit an accepted part of the culture. Some political organizations have also tried to promote Hinduism in commercialized slogans to help spread the use of the language. Their efforts have been well received but competing with Hindi and English (India’s two primary languages) is proving difficult for supporters of Sanskrit.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit
http://www.floridavediccollege.edu/sanskrit/sanskrit_history.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedas
http://mutiny.wordpress.com/2007/02/09/sanskrit-mother-of-european-languages-says-prof-dean-brown/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_word_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_(Sanskrit)_in_Sanskrit.svg

Posted on June 20, 2012July 15, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Ionian and Dorian Colonies

The Ionian and Dorian Colonies were settled by two different ethnic groups from Greece. These two ethnic groups were divided up by their language and specific cultural characteristics, but they were both considered Greek. Some Ionian and Dorian colonies had similar languages even though they shared different cultures. There are many historical accounts of these particular Greek colonies. They appear on the Bible Timeline with World History starting in 1000 BC.
The Dorian was mentioned in Homer‘s Odyssey, and they lived on the island of Crete. The Ionians also inhabited parts of Greece as well, and their history is recorded in the Mycenaean Greek records that were also found on the Isle of Crete. Historical records claim that many Dorian Greeks primarily settled into the southern part of Europe primarily in Italy and in some instances as far as Iberia or modern day Spain. Ionians largely settled areas that are now located in modern-day Turkey, and they supposedly had made contact with people as far as India. The Dorian also set up colonies and city-states in the Middle East and southern Asia.

The location of ancient Ionia on the coast of modern-day Turkey.

A well known Greek historian named Herodotus was a Dorian Greek, who claimed that the original home of his people was located in north-central Greece. Herodotus named Macedon, Phthia and Histiaea as Dorian states. Some Egyptologists claim that the Dorian also made up a large portion of the Sea Peoples who invaded the Mesopotamian area and Egypt.
Many of the Dorian and Ionian people were supposed to have settled these colonies from migrations that occurred during the 6th century BC. Many of the Dorian people were also said to have been seafarers and established city states all throughout the Mediterranean area. Not all Dorian and Ionian colonies were the same, and many of them had developed individual and unique ways of life which reflected their environment and individual culture. Some of the Dorian and Ionian colonies were warlike, expansionists and aggressive while others were more settled and focused on learning, trade and the worship.
Many of the colonies founded by the Ionian and Dorian had helped to transport Greek culture around the world. They didn’t influence the world with Greek thought and language until the time of Alexander the Great or the Hellenistic era. By this time the Dorian and Ionian were not significant as individual tribes or city-states. Greek culture as a whole had emerged during this time. Biblical and secular scholars have linked the Ionian with one of Noah’s sons Japheth. Since Noah and his three sons and their wives were the only humans to have survived the flood. Javan was a son of Japheth also called Ion and is supposed to have been the father of the Ionians. The Dorian was supposed to have their origins in mythology.
The Ionian alphabet was used as a part of the standard Greek language during the New Testament era, and the writings were scripted with this language. Some modern day people from Greece still distinguish between Dorian and Ionian language and culture even though the whole country speaks the Greek language.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorians
http://tjbuggey.ancients.info/colonies.html
http://books.google.com/books?id=DDxIwQEomhkC&pg=PA113&lpg=PA113&dq=Ionian+and+Dorian+colonies&source=bl&ots=2HyyaF_I8j&sig=Z_MWq2VWKtpZFO-ZdrP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionians

Posted on June 19, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 5 Comments

David Becomes King

King David is probably one of Israel’s greatest heroes and ruler. According to the Bible, David was a man after God’s own heart and God greatly loved him. As a matter of fact, David’s name means beloved by God, perfect, kind and grateful.

His life was full of adventure, suspense, pain, suffering, joy, gratitude and victory. In his youth, David might not have fully understood the fact that one day God was going to make him king of Israel and that he would permanently establish his throne forever (2 Samuel 7:16).

David becomes King of Israel appears as an event on the Biblical Timeline Poster 1055 BC. David’s story begins with the prophet Samuel. This particular prophet was Israel‘s last judge and ruler before the people decided that they wanted a king. God was reluctant to allow them to have a king, but he gave the people what they requested.

Saul was chosen by God to be the first king over Israel and for his first few years he was a great ruler. Eventually, Saul didn’t obey God and spared the king of the Amalekites whom he should have killed. God told the prophet Samuel to tell Saul he would no longer be king and to kill the Amalekite leader (1 Samuel 16). Around this time, young David was a shepherd boy tending his flock. During the many days, he spent tending the sheep he learned how to fight by defending them from predators such as a bear and a lion. The Bible tells about the time when David killed a lion and bear probably with his sling (1 Samuel 17:31-37).

Since God had rejected Saul as king he sent Samuel to locate another ruler for the throne. The spirit of God eventually led the prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse and had him to anoint David to become Israel’s next monarch (1 Samuel 16:12). Young David didn’t become king right away he had to wait until Saul’s death before he took over as ruler. In the meantime, God had sent an evil spirit to torment Saul. King Saul found out about David’s ability to play the harp very well and asked Jesse if David could come to his fortress to soothe him whenever he was in torment by the demon (1 Samuel 16:14-23).

David became Saul’s armor bearer and their relationship got off to a good start. Soon afterward David slew a mighty Philistine giant and his fame began to spread. At this point, Saul had made David a permanent member of his court and once he did David began to fight many battles for Israel. God gave David many victories and Saul could see God was with him. The people began to speak about David’s conquests more so than Saul and Saul became jealous. He then started a campaign to torment David (1 Samuel 18).

David spent many years on the run from Saul fearing for his life and during this time period he created a lot of the scriptures that can be found in the book of Psalms. Eventually, Saul’s corruption became so great that the Lord had to kill him. David was saddened by the news of Saul’s death but after the old king had passed David was finally ready to lay claim to the throne. According to 2 Samuel 5:1-5, David became king when he was about 30 years old and he ruled Israel for 40 years.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel+15&version=NIV http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel+16&version=NIV http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel+17&version=NIV

Posted on June 15, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

David and Goliath

Among the most popular characters of the Bible history are David and Goliath. The Bible features the story of David, a shepherd boy, who defeated the powerful Philistine warrior named Goliath. David grew up to be the mighty king of Israel, as well as Jesus Christ‘s human ancestor. David defeats Goliath appears on the Bible Timeline Poster 1063 BC

Interesting Facts about David

The name “David” means strong or beloved. According to the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Old Testament, David was the second king of Israel. The Gospel of Matthew and Luke mentioned David as the ancestor of Jesus. He was an important figure to Christian, Islamic and Jewish culture and doctrine. In Judaism, David was recognized as the king of Israel and the entire Jewish people. In Islam, he was known as Dawud, who was said to be the king of a nation and a great prophet.

David lived from 1040 to 970 BC. His life was full of contrasts, as he was committed to God, yet he also engaged in grave sins that were recorded in the Old Testament. Pieces of information on David may be found in 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, and the books of Samuel. These resources provided some details on how challenging David’s life was. For instance, he suffered from difficulties with his brothers and in dealing with the wrathful King Saul. Even when David became the king of Israel, he experienced constant warfare to defend his kingdom. Although he was an excellent military conqueror, he could not triumph over his own self. In fact, he allowed a lustful night with Bathsheba, which led serious consequences in his reputation and life.

Who Was Goliath

The name “Goliath” came from the Hebrew verb “gala”, which means to uncover or to go into exile. He is a figure found in the Old Testament and is famous for his battle with David. His name appears twice in the Bible, in the narration of his combat with the young David. In 1 Samuel 17:50, Goliath was killed with a slingshot stone, and this resulted to David’s fame as a brave warrior.
The narration of David’s fight with Goliath was intended to present David’s identity as the rightful king of Israel. In Jewish traditions, Goliath’s status represented paganism while David was a visible sign of God’s victory and power.

David ‘s Accomplishments

One of the greatest accomplishments of David was when he defeated Goliath, the mighty Philistine warrior. David was only a young boy that time, and Goliath was a veteran warrior with an intimidating appearance. The young David became a champion in the fight because of his great trust in God’s power. His faith also led him to numerous victories as he killed several enemies of Israel in battles. He also became friends with Jonathan, Saul’s son.

Bible References

The story of King David is found in 1 Samuel 16 to 1 Kings 2. He wrote much of the content in the Book of Psalms, and he was mentioned in Luke 1:32, Matthew 1:1, Romans 1:3, Hebrews 11:32, and Acts 13:22.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Osmar_Schindler_David_und_Goliath.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/David_and_Goliath#mediaviewer/File:Tanzio_da_Varallo,_Davide_e_Golia,_ca._1625_(Museo_civico,_Varallo).jpg

Posted on June 15, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 10 Comments

Saul of the Old Testament, King

King Saul was Israel’s first king and monarch. His rise to power was ordained by God, and his life showed lots of promise during the early years of his rule as king. Saul had good favor with God and the people of Israel when he obeyed the Lord. But after a major incident where Saul chose not to follow God’s instructions he was destined to lose his position and power as king. The second half of Saul’s reign was characterized by torment, anger, disobedience and hatred. Eventually, Saul was replaced as king of Israel by David, the son of Jesse. He appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart circa 1100 BC.

The story of Saul‘s life and reign is outlined in 1 Samuel 9-31, and it begins with the prophet Samuel. In the early days when Israel had become a stable nation, they were ruled by judges. The prophet Samuel was a judge and priest over Israel in (give a date), and the people were governed by a theocratic rule. Samuel had two sons who were destined to take his position as leader once his time was over, but they were not men of faith. The Israelite people did not want to be ruled by them, and they demanded a king. God was against this, but he decided to allow them to have what they wanted but with a price. The people of Israel didn’t care because they were now as the other people in the world because they finally had a king.

Saul was a man from the land of Gibeah, which was a small settlement a few miles outside of ancient Israel. There are three different versions of the Bible about how Saul became the first king of Israel. Saul is appointed to this position by Samuel in 1 Samuel 9:1 – 10:16. The second version is found in 1 Samuel 10: 17-24 and 12: 1-5 and Saul becomes the king by being selected through a lottery process. The last instance of Saul’s appointment happens in 1 Samuel 11: 1 – 11 and 11:15. In this passage of scripture, Saul is appointed king after he defeats a group of Ammonites. Each of these three different passages of scriptures seem like they’re explaining Saul’s appointment to King in three different stories. But these events could have happened in a successive series of events which ultimately designated Saul as king.
Saul’s name means: “lent”, “to lend”, “asked for” or “given” in the Hebrew language. He was considered to be an impressive young man who was taller and probably more handsome than any of his fellow countrymen. Saul apparently had the physical and social characteristics that people look for in rulers (1 Samuel 9:2). Once Saul had become king, he began to win a string of military victories. He defeated the Philistines who were subjecting the Israelites right before his reign (1 Samuel 14:47).

Saul ruled well for many years but ran into problems when he went to war against the Amalekites. God had told Samuel to give Saul specific instructions that he was expected to obey to the letter. Saul didn’t follow through with God’s commands, and God had rejected Saul as king.

Saul,Biblical_King — Saul Throws Spear at David” by George Tinworth

Saul Throws Spear at David” by George Tinworth

Saul then spent the rest of his days being tormented by an evil spirit and tried to kill David, who destined to take his throne. After learning about Samuel’s death, Saul contacted a medium to see if he could get a word from Samuel. God allowed Samuel to return to let Saul know that he was going to die the next day (1 Samuel 31:5), and he did. King David was sad over Saul’s death, and he took over the kingdom after Saul had passed.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel+9&version=KJV
http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p65.htm
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Saul
http://crossfaithministry.org/kingsaul.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Saul_Throws_Spear_at_David_by_George_Tinworth.png

Posted on June 12, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 3 Comments

Philistines Rule In Canaan

The Philistines were an ancient people that existed in the Mesopotamian region nearly 4000 years ago. Their importance to Bible History has a note for them on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History during their rule of Israel when Saul, David and Samson lived.

Phillistines_Rule_In_Canaan_and_Israel — Map of the Philistine Pentapolis

Their land was known as Philistia, and they were supposed to have been one of the groups of Sea People that settled into the region after the Flood. Other historical records indicate that the Philistines were connected to Mycenaean and Greek culture.

Some scholars and historians have even speculated that the Philistines name was derived from the Pelasgen, which were a group of people who once inhabited southeastern Greece in ancient times. Historians are not able to accurately figure out the origins of the Philistines. If they were a part of the Sea People that invaded ancient Canaan, then they could have come from any of the groups of people that existed throughout southeastern Europe and the Middle East. The Philistines were also mentioned in the Bible during the period that the patriarch Abraham existed. The Bible states that Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long period (Genesis 21:34). Genesis 26:1 records Isaac‘s visit with King Abimelech of the Philistines during a famine. These scriptures coincide with Genesis 12:5 and 16:3 where Abraham had lived in Canaan for at least 10 years. God had formed a covenant with Abraham and as a part of this pact God said that he would give the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession to him and the Hebrew people (Genesis 17:8). The land of Canaan was (and is) an important part of the covenant and inheritance that God has established for the people of Israel. God sometimes referred to the land of Canaan as the “land of promise” or the “land that flows with milk and honey.” Even though God was going to give this particular piece of land to the Israelites, there were other people who already lived in this area of the world.

The Jebusites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hittites, Ammonites and the Moabites were some of the inhabitants of Canaan. The Philistines were also included within this group of people that inhabited Canaan. So the Israelites had to fight against them as well as the other inhabitants of Canaan to secure the land. The Philistines occupied the southwestern coastal parts of Canaan. They had established five major cities that probably started off as strongholds or fortresses. The cities of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gath, were five cities that were a part of the Philistine Empire.

The Philistines never completely conquered the whole entire land of Canaan they seemed content to rule in the section that they had occupied. History records the Philistines attacking Egypt, but the Egyptians had apparently subdued and controlled them for a period as a result of this action. Since Israel seemed to be the arch enemies of the Philistines they were in constant strife with God’s chosen people. Scripture also points out that the Philistines sided with other Canaanite nations in their effort to wipe out Israel. The Philistines had defeated the Israelites and a few other cultures but they never completely controlled Canaan. Around 750 B.C., the Philistines were completely defeated by the Assyrians and after this point they never rose again to power or importance.

References:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=canaan&t=KJV
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=philistines&t=KJV&sf=5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philistines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Peoples
http://www.bga.nl/en/discussion/enfilpo.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Philistines_pentapolis.jpg

Posted on June 11, 2012September 13, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Kassites Govern Babylon

Kar-Duniash was the name given to ancient Babylon during the reign of the Kassite kings. The Kassites were a warlike people that invaded Babylon during the 16th century B.C. and ruled the area for 576 years. Historians and scholars claim that their rule was the longest in the history of ancient Babylon. The Kassites entered into Babylon after the Old Babylonian Empire and established their rule around 1531 B.C. This is when they are shown on the Biblical Timeline with world history. During this time, Joseph was born and eventually sold into Egypt.

Around 1800 B.C., the Kassites began to settle in the Zagros Mountains which are located in modern day Iran. They slowly then began to make their way southward toward Babylon. They had encountered many different kingdoms and tribes before they reached their destination. Once they made it to Babylon, they managed to defeat the weakened Babylonian city state and set themselves up as rulers.

When the Kassites took over, they managed to forge political stability within the region, and they began to transform the southern Mesopotamian region into a unified territorial state. Many of the kings were popular rulers who became allies with other city-states within the region. The Kissites used their alliances to help repel enemies and to establish a trade. Through their efforts, Babylon had become a recognized world power. The Kassites had also developed their unique style of poetry, architecture, medicine, sculpture, astrology and fortune telling. They had some distinct words for their language, but they borrowed most of their dialect from the Babylonian people.

The Kassites were not referenced in the Bible but according to some Christian and Hebrew scholars a king named Cushan-Rishathaim was supposed to have been a Kassite ruler. Cushan-Rishathaim is mentioned in Judges 3:8 and God had used this ruler to punish his people for eight years before he releases them from his rule. The name Cushan is considered a translation for Kassite or northwest Mesopotamia.

Kassites_Governs_Babylon — A map of the Babylonian Empire during the time of the Kassites, roughly the 13th century BC. This map shows the probable river courses and coastline at that time.

A map of the Babylonian Empire during the time of the Kassites, roughly the 13th century BC. This map shows the probable river courses and coastline at that time.

The Kassites influenced Babylonian culture after they took over the city-state. Their rule helped to shape many different aspects of the culture and religion was one major area where it was experienced the most. Marduk was already the patron deity of the Babylonians before the Kassites arrived, but this God was elevated to the position of supreme god once Babylon became a powerful Mesopotamian territory. This God held this position for many years after Kassite rule hand ended.

There were nearly thirty rulers who controlled Babylon under the reign of the Kassites, and they started with Agum II and ended with Enlil-nadin-ahi. Most of the Kassite kings ruled on an average of 17 to 20 years. Adad-shuma-usur had the longest reign that lasted for about 30 years.

Another ancient Middle Eastern people known as the Elam finally defeated the last Kassite ruler in 12 B.C. The Babylonian territory had experienced internal strife and rebellion and the people of Elam took advantage of this situation and conquered Babylon. The ruler Shutruk-Nakhkhunte is credited with permanently ending Kassite power. Once Kassite rulers were finally overthrown, they never regained power. Historical records indicate that the remaining Kassiste people eventually migrated back to their homeland in modern day Iran and were conquered ruled by the Greeks under Alexander the Great. After this point, the Kassites had faded into obscurity.

References:
http://history-world.org/kassites.htm
http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/MiddleEast/Kassites.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassites#Kassite_Dynasty_of_Babylo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kassite_Babylonia_EN.svg

Posted on June 10, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 24 Comments

Joseph In Egypt

Joseph was an important biblical figure in the history of the Jewish people. God used his life to preserving the Israelites from a devastating famine that had spread throughout the land of Israel. Joseph was an important Egyptian official who was given the responsibility of storing and distributing food to people who were in need. Joseph was not only an important government official he was also a worshipper of God and his life was dedicated to this end. Joseph’s name means to “add to” or to increase or double. His life was a testimony to this definition. He appears on the Bible Timeline circa 1750 BC.

Joseph’s story began in Genesis 30 when he was born to Jacob and Rachel. In Genesis 30:22 God remembers Rachel’s prayers. She had been praying for a child of her own to give to Jacob because she was not able to conceive. Jacob had children with her sister Leah (see Genesis 29), and Rachel became jealous. She eventually had Joseph and stated that God had removed her disgrace (Genesis 30:23). In verse 24 she says, “May the Lord add to me another son” and this meaning is attributed to Joseph’s name.

Genesis 37 tells the story of Joseph’s early years and how Jacob favored him over his brothers. Joseph also told Jacob whenever his brothers did wrong and when Jacob made Joseph a special coat his brothers would not speak a kind word to him. In Genesis 37:5-7 Joseph tells his brothers about a dream where they would they bow down to him, and this dream infuriated them. Eventually, Joseph brothers took Joseph and threw him into a cistern (or well) and sold him into slavery. The slavers took him to Egypt where he ended up in the service to an Egyptian official named Potiphar.

Joseph eventually learned the Egyptian culture, customs, and language while he served under Potiphar. God was with him during this period of his life and eventually was placed in a leadership position within his home. Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph because he was a handsome man, but he refused her advances. She lied and had him arrested for attempted rape. Joseph spent many years in jail where he was placed in charge of the prison because God was with him once again. Whatever Joseph did in Potiphar’s house and the prison was blessed by God. He “added to” the organization and efficiency of the operations of these places.

Eventually, the pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker ended up in prison, and Joseph interpreted their dreams. The Baker lost his life but the cupbearer was spared and though he forgot Joseph he eventually remembered him when Pharaoh had a troubling dream. Joseph was taken from prison to interpret pharaoh’s dream, and he warned him about an impending famine. He also told the Pharaoh what he must do to avoid disaster. His advice was well received, and Pharaoh made him second in charge over all of Egypt. These events take place in Genesis 41.

Joseph had increased the holdings of Pharaoh’s grains during the prosperous period before the famine. Once the famine had arrived, there was more than enough food stored away to feed many people. Soon, his brothers and fellow countrymen came to Egypt looking for food (Genesis 42).

Joseph hadn’t seen them in many years, and he reconciled with them. He realized over time that God had used them so that he could gain the position that he held for second in command over Egypt. Through Joseph’s efforts, knowledge and faith in God he was able to increase the Egyptian’s food while preserving the Israelites and the Egyptians (Genesis 45:5-7). Once again, Joseph’s life was a living testimony about the meaning of his name.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tissot_Joseph_and_His_Brethren_Welcomed_by_Pharaoh.jpg