Margaret Hunter – Page 31 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on June 7, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

What is the significance of the oil and blood in the Thanksgiving sacrifice

Bible Question:
In the Thanksgiving offering in Leviticus 7:11-15—the unleavened cakes are to be mingled with oil. The wafers to be anointed with oil and in verses 13-14-the heave offering of bread is to be sprinkled with blood by the priest. What is the significance of the oil on the unleavened offering and the blood on the leaven offering? (This sacrifice is part of the law of Moses given to the Israelites and found on the Biblical Timeline Poster around 1500 BC.)

Answer: We have to assume the blood represents the blood of Christ and the oil the anointing oil referred to by David in his Psalms as well.

Here’s an interesting response to that question posted on our site:
Through the years, we have been celebrating the American holiday for Thanksgiving. However, I have paused to reflect towards the significance of Thanksgiving as a Christian myself. As I usually do when I study a word or thought, I have looked up Thanksgiving within the contents of the Bible. According to Leviticus 7:11, the cakes that are unleavened are to be mingled up with oil and that the priest will sprinkle the blood upon the offering of the bread. I have always been wondering what the significance of the oil for the unleavened offering. Basically, this is the main law for the sacrificial phase of peace offerings. Since then, I have decided to figure exactly what this certain passage (verses 11-15) had been trying to tell us about Thanksgiving in Leviticus.
To start off, I have noticed that the “Thanksgiving Sacrifice” was not at all a separate type of offering, but rather a certain type of offering for peace. This peace offering portrays how Christ had satisfied the rage of God towards sins and have made been able to make true peace with God and each sinner who would be trusting only in Jesus. It also portrays that the peace we have through Jesus Christ who is described to passeth each and every single understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Secondly, the Thanksgiving offering is a multiple type of offering. It has to be made up of unleavened wafers, unleavened cakes and cakes from fine flour (verse 12). All of these various forms of such sacrifice are not given as choices but are demanded to be all offered together. Not one less was supposed to be left out. To say it, in other words, it is right to give God thanks and praise for everything (Ephesians 5:20). Choosing what our favorites are and ignoring the items that we find unpleasant is not something that can be possible. Aside from the cake, he will offer as a part of his offering the leavened bread that comes with the Thanksgiving sacrifice (verse 13). Leaven, which is yeast in the scripture, portrays that it is impure, sinful and false. Now, how can leaven even become a part of the said offering? Remember the part when it is quoted that everything must be given thanks for? Obviously, there is no exception to that. The good things in life are not the only ones that must be given appreciation, but the bad ones too. We do not have the right to judge what the purpose of God is for everything in this world. Because he will eventually work things out if we remain loving and faithful to him (Romans 8:28).
This leads us to why the mingling of the oil and sprinkling of the blood are both significant. This act shows that each Thanksgiving celebration is with accordance to the shedding of blood by Jesus Christ to clear our sins. That is how he was able to give successfully salvation towards humanity.

Posted on June 5, 2012August 17, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Cecrops and Founding of Athens

Cecrops was the ruler of an ancient kingdom known as Attika and he is credited as the founder of Athens. This particular ruler was half man and half fish or serpent. Cecrops was supposedly born out of the Earth and this great king of Athens was a cultural hero who didn’t fight great battles or conquer vast lands. Cecrops taught the Athenians about marriage, literature and how to properly bury their dead. The actual founding of Athens is lost in the mist of times. It does not show up in recorded history until the 7th century BC when it had already existed for a long time. The legend of Cecrops places it’s founding as early as the 11th century BC which is where it is placed on the Biblical Timeline Chart.

Cecrops has an unusual beginning even for a mythological creature. Cecrops was born from an apparent rape attempt on the goddess Athena. One day Athena visited a smith shop to obtain some weapons. The owner of this shop was Hephaestus the god of smiths. When Hephaestus saw Athena he was overcome by lust to the point that he wanted her immediately.

Since Athena was a virgin she did not succumb to his desires. She then fled away from Hephaestus who was chasing after her.

Hephaestus was a god who had a deformity that didn’t allow him to move well, but he eventually caught up with Athena. He was so worked up from his desire for her that when he caught her some of his semen fell onto her leg. Athena managed to get away from Hephaestus and when she realized that his semen was on her she wiped it off of her body in disgust. When Hephaestus’ semen had hit the ground Cecrops sprang up from the Earth.

No one knew about Cecrops, but Athena and she raised Cecrops in secrecy. She placed him inside of a box. After she placed the boy in a box she then gave it to the daughters of King Cecropia. Eventually, two of the princesses were overcome with curiosity and opened the box. Once the box was opened and its contents revealed the girls were shocked by what they saw. They happened to see a little baby boy that was half man and half reptile or fish. The princesses then went insane and committed suicide or they were killed by the baby snake. Either way, they died after seeing Cecrops in his infant form.

After this incident, Athena took Cecrops and had him live on a rocky hill called Acropolis. According to some versions of the myth, Athena made this hill for Cecrops by constructing it from rocks she found in the Pallini Sea. Cecrops eventually grew into adulthood and by this time he was ready to rule Cecropia.

Cecropia was the name of the king of Attica and the city he ruled (Cecropia)would eventually become Athens. One day Athena and Poseidon were arguing about who was going to name the city. They decided to settle the heated debate by giving divine presents to the people of Cecropia and they told Cecrops that he had to choose one of their gifts that he thought was best. The city would then be named after Athena or Poseidon.

Poseidon struck then struck the ground and water came out of the Earth. This was his gift to the people of Cecropia. Athena then hit the ground with a staff and an olive tree sprung up from the Earth. The tree represented food, wisdom and peace. That was Athena’s gift to the people of Cecropia.

Cecrops had to think about whose gift was the best and it took him a long time to decide. He eventually drank some of the water that Poseidon created, but it was bitter. After tasting the water, he decided that Athena’s gift was the best. He also claimed that the area of Cecropia had plenty of springs but not that many olive trees. So Athena won the contest and Cecropia was named Athena. Athena placed Cecrops on the throne as king and gave him wisdom on matters of life, society, and civil administration. She also taught him how to perform religious ceremonies to the gods and she was the chief deity in the city. He then taught the Athenians how to be civilized and cultured. Poseidon was angry that he lost the contest and cursed the city by giving it constant water shortages throughout its history.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecrops_I
http://www.steliart.com/theseus_cecrops_and_athena.html
http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Kekrops.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens

Posted on June 4, 2012August 12, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Aeneas Town of Latium

Aeneas was a character in the Iliad of Homer. He was a general of his people in Dardania who sided with the Trojan army against the Greeks. Aeneas wasn’t just a regular man he was also demi-god who born from the union of a Greek goddess named Aphrodite and a Dardanian prince. Why put a legend on the Bible Timeline Chart? Because the legends are mixed up with the history of the Greeks and Romans. It’s interesting to see where they fit into the true facts of world history. Dardania was a nearby kingdom that was situated next to Troy. One day the goddess Aphrodite was disguised as a Phrygian princess and she went to a prince of Dardania named Anchises. She engaged had a fling with him that lasted for about two weeks. After the session had ended, she reappeared to him nine months later with his child. Aphrodite cared for Aeneas, but she didn’t want to raise her son. So she turned his care over to a group of nymphs and then she sent him to live with his father Anchises. This is why she showed up at his palace once Aeneas was a boy. Many years later when the boy was a man he was a general in the army of Dardania.

During the Trojan War, Aeneas fought bravely on the battlefield against the Greeks. Even though he fought well he had the added advantage of divine protection. Appolo and Aphrodite went out their way to keep Aeneas from dying in this war. They protected him from death on a number of occasions. In one instance, he was about to be killed by Diomedes of Argos but Aphrodite and Apollo intervenes and carries him away to Pergamos. After receiving healing in Pergamos, he heads back to the battle. During a confrontation with Achilles, Aeneas is almost killed again but the god Poseidon rescues him from this fate.

Once the war is over, Aeneas takes a band of followers from Troy and his homeland Dardania and leads them toward Italy. He was supposed to have carried his father on his shoulders during the journey. He was also aided by his son. Aeneas carried two statues in his hand that represented the gods of Troy. They eventually traveled in ships once they reached the waters of the Mesopotamian Sea.

They wandered around the Mesopotamian Sea for six years before reaching the ancient Phoenician city of Carthage. The goddess Juno apparently caused a lot of confusion from storms she sent against them. Once they arrived at Carthage, Aeneas somehow managed to start a year long love affair with the queen Dido. The queen encouraged Aeneas and his people to live in Carthage, but Aphrodite sent Mercury to urge Aeneas to keep traveling to Italy since that was his ultimate purpose. He then secretly left queen Dido’s land with his people and headed north to Italy. Dido was heart broken and committed suicide.

Aeneas_and — ‘The goddess Venus, the mother of Aeneas, appeared him twice, first in the midst of burning Troy to bid him be on his way. Later, when the Trojans were washed ashore near Carthage after the storm at sea, Aeneas and his friend Achates set out to explore. Venus appeared once more, this time with bow and quiver disguised as a huntress, to direct them to Dido’s palace. The artist depicted in this picture the second appearance’

‘The goddess Venus, the mother of Aeneas, appeared him twice, first in the midst of burning Troy to bid him be on his way. Later, when the Trojans were washed ashore near Carthage after the storm at sea, Aeneas and his friend Achates set out to explore. Venus appeared once more, this time with bow and quiver disguised as a huntress, to direct them to Dido’s palace. The artist depicted in this picture the second appearance’

Aeneas next stop was on the island of Sicily and he eventually arrived at the kingdom of the Latins. Once there he was welcomed by Latinus but soon learned that his daughter Lavinia would marry another man from a different land. Latinus realized that Aeneas was this man and he called on the goddess Juno to help him get rid of him. A war broke out between the Latins and the Trojans. Aeneas forces prevailed. After winning this victory, he set up a city called Lavinium. Aeneas soon learned about Dido’s fate and when Lavinia found out she became extremely jealous. Aeneas eventually killed himself because he could not deal with her jealous rage. Before Aeneas died he had a son named Silvius with Lavinia. Silvius is credited with Romulus as the founding fathers of Rome.

Alba Longa was an ancient city of the people of Latium.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneas
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/aeneid.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliad

Posted on June 1, 2012May 10, 2012 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Egypt Decays Around 1000 BC

Historians and Egyptologists claim that there were a number of causes which brought about the decline of the ancient Egyptian empire. Egypt was a vast civilization that was the greatest empire on Earth during its time in power. Egyptian influence had spread far and wide around the known world but eventually it came to an end. The beginning of the decline is on the Biblical Timeline with World History beginning in the 11th century BC.

Around 1000 B.C. the Egyptian Empire was already in decline in the New Kingdom era. Problems for Egypt began about 200 years before this point during the reign of Ramses II. This particular pharaoh had been assassinated his wife in order to place her son on the throne. After this assassination attempt had taken place a period of instability had begun.

Shortly before the death of Ramses II the Egyptians had to deal with a horde of sea raiders that were trying to overrun their empire from the Nile Delta region. They also had to fight the Libyans in the east in order to maintain control of those lands. Egypt defeated both of these threats but it depleted their treasury and cost them manpower. They had to let go of their conquered territories in the west because they could no longer afford to keep control over them. After the Egyptians withdrew from many territories they left a vacuum that was filled by other Middle Eastern powers.

When the sea people began to infiltrate Egypt in the north many inhabitants of the region lost their homes. People became upset and no longer trusted in their leaders to guide and protect them as they once did and the priests who came up during this era began to gain power.

Then northern part of Egypt was run by corrupt priests and the southern part of the kingdom was ruled by the Pharaoh. The priests eventually gained control of the southern half of Egypt. Once this occurred many outside nations began to plant their representatives into the priesthood. The many of the Egyptian priests were becoming corrupt and the population was also starting to follow their lead.

Kush was kingdom that lied south of Egypt and during Egypt’s long reign they controlled this land. Around 1000 B.C. the Kushites began to push against Egypt. They eventually were able to take control of Egypt around 700B.C. They took advantage of the corruption that was happening and they were helping it to spread. The Egyptians were holding on to their empire but they were barely able to keep things together.

Both regions of Egypt had vied for control the kingdom during this time period. The upper and lower regions competed hard for dominance of Egypt. Power had shifted back and forth between the regions since no one ruler could effectively gain control of the whole empire once again. About 1000 B.C. they split apart and they were never ever to regain complete unity within the empire again. The eternal strife and lack of leadership and the decline in morality eventually allowed other nations to come in and dominate this once mighty empire. By 30 B.C. Egypt was nothing more than a conquered colony of Rome and it never again regained its former glory.

References

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/egypt_end_01.shtml

http://teachergenius.teachtci.com/the-decline-of-ancient-egypt/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egypt#New_Kingdom_.281549.E2.80.931069_BC.29

http://www.love-egypt.com/conquest-of-egypt.html

http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/The_Story_of_the_Greatest_Nations_and_the_Worlds_Famous_Events_Vol_1/fallanci_bce.html

Posted on May 31, 2012September 22, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Ramses III Wars With Sea People

Many people would probably never associate the Egyptians as a culture that relied on a Navy as a part of their military forces. One reason for this has to do with the fact that Egypt is usually associated with the desert and barren lands. Egyptian sea men were rated as some of the poorest sailors in the Mesopotamian region.

The truth is that Egypt did have a fairly decent naval force that was used for military and economic activities. In fact, the war with the Sea Peoples occurred around 1100 BC which is where it is found on the Bible Timeline with World History. During the reign of Ramses III, the Middle East was in an upheaval and many kingdoms were going through significant changes.

Rameses_III,Egyptian_Pharoah — Relief from the Sanctuary of Khonsu Temple depicting Ramesses III

Relief from the Sanctuary of Khonsu Temple depicting Ramesses III

It was around 1100 B.C., and the Libyans were starting to revolt once again. Added to this problem was the fact that there were a lot of unhappy people near the Delta region of Egypt who was also ready to revolt. Many of them were losing their homes because of invading foreign culture known as the sea peoples. Egypt put down the Libyan revolt, and Ramses turned his attention toward the sea people.

These individuals were marching hard against Egypt to destroy the empire. They had conquered and beaten many armies all over the Middle East and historians claimed that they had managed to wipe out the Hittites. The sea people were now sending a large force over land and by sea to complete the destruction of Egypt. Ramses had placed his navy at the mouth of the Nile within the Delta region. As the sea peoples tried to enter into the Nile from Mesopotamia they met a hail of arrows from archers posted on ships and land. They also had to encounter the Egyptian Navy, who used their ships to pull enemy vessels into their clutches. Once they pulled the boats close to their own, the Egyptian sailors bordered the enemy ships and killed its sailors in hand to hand combat.

Once the sea peoples were defeated, they were made subjects to Ramses III. Ramses battles with the sea peoples weakened the kingdom and to make matters worse one of his wives, known as Tiye, had participated in a plot to kill him so she could place her son on the throne. Ultimately she accomplished her objective even though she was killed for being a part of this scheme. Even though Ramses had used Egypt’s naval forces to hold back the invaders their forces would not have been able to withstand repeated assaults.

Eventually, Ramses had to let go of many Asian territories before he died. He could no longer afford to keep garrisons in those lands, and he didn’t have the manpower to keep effectively control. After Ramses III death, Egypt officially went into decline. The leaders could no longer govern their country, and the land began to be dominated by other empires that were on the rise. Ramses naval battles were not that extensive, but the battles that he did fight were of important. They allowed the Empire of Egypt a few more years of glory before it finally came to an end.

References:
http://www.navy.gov.au/Publication:Foundations_of_International_Thinking_on_Sea_Power_No._1 http://www.eyelid.co.uk/k-q7.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramesses_III http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RamessesIII-KhonsuTemple-Karnak.png

Posted on May 30, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Merneptah Rules Egypt

Merneptah was Egypt’s fourth ruler and he reigned on the throne during the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Pharaoh Merneptah was the fourth son of Ramses II and he ascended the throne when he was an elderly man. Once he gained power over Egypt he spent most of his time protecting Egypt from foreign invaders and small uprisings. He is placed on the Biblical Timeline with World History during the 12th century BC.

Pharaoh Merneptah grew up as the thirteenth son of Ramses II. As a prince of Egypt he had learned the ways of the empire from his teachers, priests and his father. When he was of age he apparently went into the military and gained valuable knowledge as a soldier. In time he advanced to the rank of commander or general within Egyptian forces.

Since Ramses had thirteen children and Merneptah was the youngest, he had to wait many years before he could inherit the throne. After the death of Ramses II, Merneptah’s thirteen older brothers had taken over the throne. Once they had passed away Merneptah’s chance to rule had finally come. His father Ramses died when Merneptah was about forty. His other brothers were also a lot older than he was and they too were older men before gaining power.

When Pharaoh Merneptah became the leader of Egypt he took his forces to Libya to crush a revolt among the local inhabitants. The Libyans had teamed up with the sea people in order to threaten Egypt. Historians claim that Merneptah fought a six hour battle with both of these groups and defeated them. The Libyans and sea peoples never revolted against Egypt during the rest of his reign.

His next set of enemies was the Hittites who tried to control Egyptian held territories in Syria. Some of the Syrians had joined with the Hittites in order to be freed from Egyptian rule but this territory was brought back under control through a treaty that he made with the Hittite rulers. Eventually the Hittite kingdoms needed Merneptah’s aid because of a famine that had spread into their lands. The pharaoh helped them out as a means for honoring the treaty.

Some Egyptian scholars and historians speculate about Merneptah being the pharaoh of the Exodus. He had made a reference about Israel as a defeated foe of the Egyptians. This is supposedly the oldest non Biblical record of ancient Israel that is in existence today.

Merneptah had also moved the administration center of Egypt from Piramesses back to Memphis. He also had a royal palace constructed next to Ptah temple. Merneptah also built a sanctuary at the Colossi of Memnon.

Eventually old age and time finally caught up with this pharaoh. Merneptah had arthritis and arteriosclerosis and both of these medical conditions had caused his demise. He died after ruling Egypt for about ten years and his body was mummified before being buried in the Valley of the Kings. His body wasn’t placed in a particular burial tomb that was made for him. It was later found with a group of mummies that were located near the tomb of Amonhotep II. He had a son named Seti who took his place on the throne after he had passed away.

References:
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/merenptah.htm
http://www.king-tut.org.uk/egyptian-pharaohs/merneptah.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merneptah
http://www.crystalinks.com/Merneptah.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Merenptah_Louxor-HeadAndShoulders-BackgroundKnockedOut.png

Posted on May 29, 2012September 29, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Thebes, Temples At

The ancient Egyptians were a polytheistic culture like most ancient cultures and one way that they revered and honored these deities was by worshipping them at their historical temples. During the New Kingdom Era within Egypt, Pharaohs Tuthmosis, Amenhotep and Rameses had expanded the temple complex at Luxor and Karnak. Rameses is supposed to have been the greatest pharaoh of all the Egyptian dynasties and his expansion efforts on the temples were supposed to have been the best. People within ancient Egypt worshiped their gods at both of these complexes. Karnak was located at Thebes, and this ancient city was once a very important part of the Egyptian kingdom. The reference to the temples at Thebes is located on the Bible Timeline during the 12th century BC.

Many people came from all over the kingdom to pay homage to gods such as Ra, Amun, Mut, and Montu. In ancient times, Thebes was also considered the city of Amon. Ipet-isut was the area of Karnak that was first developed for worship and their area was also called the Temple of Amon Ra. In time, the complex was expanded to contain four more sections. The Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Montu and the Temple of Amenhotep. Other temples were also included in the complex that was built for the goddesses and sanctuaries were built around the four walls of the complex.

The temples of Luxor were also located inside of ancient Thebes, and they too had temples that were designed to worship the many gods that were a part of the Egyptian’s lives. The two temple areas at Thebes were an extremely important part of a pharaoh’s rule. People viewed the pharaoh as a living deity who was a connection with the ancient Gods. The Pharaoh had many priests that aided him in performing the ceremonies and giving worship to the gods.

The religious center at ancient Thebes was regarded as the most important center for worship during ancient times. According to historians and Egyptian scholars, this temple complex could be compared to the Catholic Church’s Vatican City. Many people from all over the Middle East and Mesopotamian region came far and wide to worship at and visit the temple complexes.

The temple complexes within Thebes were built over 3000 years. A pharaoh from each generation continued to build and increase the size of the temple areas during the time of their rule. Many of the pharaohs that added onto the temple also engraved images of themselves within the complexes. The temples were also used to record battle victories by Egyptian Pharaohs during their many battles. They also had many different pictures and hieroglyphs about their gods inscribed on the walls and surrounding structures. Massive temples were constructed for each god, and the most famous of these temples was Hypostyle Hall.

Most of the structures in the temple complexes are nothing more than remains. Many of them were destroyed by successive invasions by foreign powers throughout the history of Egypt. Modern day Luxor is now the site where the city once stood, and they are now used as a tourist attraction to generate income for modern day Egypt.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hypostyle_Hall,_Karnak
http://www.culturefocus.com/egypt_thebes.htm
http://www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk/egyptkarnak.htm

Posted on May 28, 2012April 5, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Assyrian Power Increased Under Tiglath-Pileser

Tiglath-Pileser was a powerful monarch who resided on the throne during the Middle Assyrian Period. Tiglath-Pilesar I. was one of the most revered rulers at the time of the Assyrian empire. He conquered many Empires and kingdoms during his reign. He is found on the Biblical Timeline Poster with World History during the 12th century BC. The Assyrian empire was once located near the northern Mesopotamian Sea in the region of modern-day Iraq. This kingdom was originally started by the Akkadians who resided in the city of Asur which eventually became known as the Assyria.

Tiglath-Pilesar_Leader_of_Assyria — Tiglath-Pilesar

When Ashur-rush-Ishi the I. had passed away Tiglath-Pilesar I. had taken over the kingdom. Once he gained power, he began to immediately mobilize his armies for conquest. He reorganized his chariots and infantry to make them more effective in battle. After the army was reorganized, he quickly moved them quickly against the remaining Hittite groups that lived north of the kingdom. Anatolia was his next area of conquest, and many of the people that lived in the northern areas outside of Assyria were defeated by him. Some kingdoms, such as Melid, yielded to his power and paid him tribute without going to war. He eventually turned his attention to the south and defeated the Arameans in Syria and headed further south to fight against many kingdoms that lied in that region. Israel happened to be one of them. When Tiglath-Pilesar I marched his forces against Israel a king named Pekah ruled the nation. Pekah had killed a former monarch named Pekiah to take his position as ruler. Pekah ruled Israel in the south and King Ahaz ruled the northern kingdom of Juday. Pekah had allied himself with Rezin of Aram to attack Judah.

Ahaz called on Tiglath-Pilesar I to come to his aid, and he did. They both defeated Pekah and Rezin. After defeating the Israelites, he deported many of them back to Assyria. Tiglath-Pilesar eventually expanded his conquest all the way to coastal cities that lived near the Mesopotamian Sea. He never attacked the Phoenician coastal cities such as Tyre or Sidon. Instead, he took a trip within this great sea and this event is recorded in his inscriptions. Many years later when the Babylonians became a powerful threat, Tiglath-Pilesar tried to conquer them as well. Tiglath-Pilesar I. was also a city builder as well as a conqueror.

During his reign, he created many public works and established many temples that were dedicated to his gods that included their chief deities Nanna and Shamash. This Assyrian monarch also helped to developed public works and to maintain order within his territories that he ruled. Inscriptions about Tiglath make him out to be a mighty and exceptional king. He apparently had a magnetic personality and was a well-respected leader. Some ancient texts even claim that he had cultivated a spirit of fear among his people and conquered subjects. Many inscriptions about this king can be found on the walls of the palaces that he constructed during his reign. Tiglath-Pilesar ruled for about 40 years, and he died in 1076 B.C.

Biblical References to Tiglath-Pilesar

2 Kings 16:7 Ahaz requests Tiglath-Pilesar’s help against the Israelites.
2 Kings 16:7-9 Ahaz pays tribute to Tiglath-Pilesar I. The Israelis are deported back to Assyria after they are defeated by Tiglath.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiglath-Pileser_I
http://www.angelfire.com/nt/Gilgamesh/assyrian.html
http://www.jstor.org/stable/592919 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2016&version=NIV
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TiglathPileserI.png

Posted on May 25, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Hiram of Phoenicia Allies with David

King Hiram was the ruler of the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. This particular king ruled Tyre during the reign of King David of Israel which appears on the Bible Timeline Poster with World History during the 12th century BC.

When King David ruled the throne of Israel, King Hiram was ruling the Phoenician city-state of Tyre. This unique city was a mighty economic center for maritime trade and commerce.

Hiram_of_Phoenicia_allies_with_David — Tomb of Hiram, King of Tyre

King Hiram held a monopoly on the Mesopotamian trade routes that stretched across the sea. Tyre was a commercial center for activity, trade and wealth. King David had managed to gain control over many of the territories that surrounded Israel. After he subdued and controlled the foreign nations that were problematic for Israel, he began to focus his attention on building God a temple.

In 2 Samuel 7 God tells King David that he is happy with his desire to build a permanent temple to house the Ark of the Covenant. Though God is happy with King David’s motive for wanting to build the temple he doesn’t allow him to start the project. The Bible states that King David was a man of war and that he shed too much blood to be able to build God’s temple. At this point, God decided to bless King David by allowing his lineage always to sit on the throne of Israel. And he allowed David to gather the supplies that would be needed to complete the building of the temple. King David’s son, Solomon was going to start and complete the building of the temple.

King David apparently had established good diplomatic connections with King Hiram before or after his many successful conquests of the Ammonites, Moabites, Arameans and Edomites (2 Samuel 8). Once King David held control of these lands, he turned his attention toward gathering the materials that his son Solomon would one day use to build the temple.

Tyre was the greatest economic center in the ancient world. This city had a vast amount of wealth from many goods that it traded with other empires and kingdoms. King David knew about the Phoenicians, and he knew that he could rely on them to purchase the materials that he needed to build the temple. King Hiram of Tyre had sent skilled craftsmen to build King David a house or fortress (1 Chronicles 14:1). King Hiram sided with King David out of the treaty that they had signed together (2 Samuel 5:11 and 1 Kings 5:1).

King Hiram probably established this treaty out of fear since he realized that God was with King David. He also was trying to keep good diplomatic relations with the Israeli King since he knew that his nation was going to be a good investment during his time in power. Tyre prospered financially from their business relations with Israel since they purchased wood, gold, purple dye, linen, iron and brass. King Hiram also sent King David many skilled craftsmen and servants to aid him in the construction process of the temple.

King Hiram’s and King David’s alliance might seem to be an unlikely one since both of these rulers had believed in different deities. The belief in gods was of extreme importance to people who lived in the ancient world. The Phoenicians chief deity was Baal, and the Israelis believed in God. Many of the Canaanite people who believed in Baal were usually the enemies of Israel. On this occasion, these two monarchs had managed to set aside their differences and created a mutually beneficial diplomatic relationship. This relationship was so strong that it continued with King David’s son (Solomon) after he died.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Hiram_I
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=tyre&t=KJV
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=hiram&t=KJV&sf=5
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Posted on May 24, 2012July 15, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Tyre Principal Seaport of Phoenicia

The people of Sidon were one of the many different Semitic cultures that inhabited the land of Canaan. Sidon was established on the coast of modern-day Damascus near the Mesopotamian Sea. In time, these people became known as the Phoenicians, and they developed a unique seafaring culture that specialized in the trade of goods and merchandise. Around 1200 B.C., a group of Phoenician colonists left Sidon and headed north to create a new settlement. This newly founded area was called Tyre, and it eventually became the most powerful city of trade and commerce within the Phoenicians. It is placed on the Biblical Timeline Chart around between 1000 BC and 1100 BC as it reaches the height of its power.

The city of Tyre had a vast seaport. This seaport is what allowed the city to have a monopoly on the coastal trade routes that existed in the Mesopotamian region. Tyre’s routes began in the east near modern day Lebanon and extended all the way to the west near modern day Spain. Many famous ancient cultures such as Egyptians, Romans and Greeks conducted business with the Phoenicians. Tyre also had sent colonists to the tip of North Africa in the west and established a powerful city-state known as Carthage. In the ancient world, many great cities were located next to Mesopotamian sea, and this is why the Phoenicians were able to use their seaports to effectively engage in commerce.

The Phoenicians developed an economy that was founded on the exchange of goods. They bartered just about anything they got their hands on. They traded wood, precious stones, weapons, cloth and slaves. The most important commodity that they exchanged was the purple dye. This particular substance was a powder used to provide color garments worn by the rich people of ancient times. The Phoenicians had managed to monopolize the trade of this purple dye and their name as a people became associated with the color. Phoinois is an ancient Greek word for purple and the word Phoenician had been ascribed to the people who manufactured this royal hue. The Phoenicians established manufacturing centers for the development of purple dye. They also had different manufacturing centers for wood and other goods such as glass and pottery.

Tyre was the center of activity for Phoenician trade and power. This city-state was ruled by kings, and it had a powerful navy that was considered the best in the ancient world. They also had land forces, but they relied heavily on their marine like warriors to carry out assaults against enemies that decided to attack their city or disrupt their trade lines.

Many Phoenicians had to learn how to become skilled craftsmen to earn a living and to produce many of the goods that they sold in their markets. The citizens of Tyre also worked in the manufacturing industries, or they were hired sailors who helped to man vessels along the trade routes. Tyre was famous for having so many merchants and businessmen since finance, and business-related occupations dominated the country.

The inhabitants of Tyre also traded with land lock countries such as Israel. When King Solomon was building a temple for God he received many of his supplies from the King Hiram of Tyre (see 2 Samuel 5:11 and 1 Kings 5:1). King Hiram of Tyre was an ally to King David before he had died. This relationship carried over to Solomon after his death.

Sidon tried to outdo Tyre with economic importance, but it could not overtake the city. Tyre was so economically powerful and well known in antiquity that the city’s fame had spread all over the ancient world. Emperors, kings and commoners knew that Tyre was the city for material goods and that they could buy just about anything that they desired from this place. Tyre’s economic and financial power lasted from 1200 B.C. to around 300 B.C. when the city went into decline. The Greeks and their culture overtook the Phoenicians importance and by 65 B.C. the city of Tyre was considered a second-rate economic power.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenicia#Trade
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenicia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalassocracy
http://phoenicia.org/britmines.html
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=tyre&t=KJV
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyre,_Lebanon