Alphabetical Index to Bible Timeline – Page 62 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on December 10, 2012November 21, 2022 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

Pericles of Greece

Pericles was a famous Greek leader and military commander. He was an exceptional Greek statesmen who instituted democracy in the Greek world. Though he would ultimately become a highly regarded member of Athenian society, his early years would not have been an indication of his future greatness.

Pericles was born to an important Athenian family known as the Alcmeonids, and they were members of the Acamantis tribe. His family was very wealthy, and Pericles was able to spend the early days of life pursuing his love of learning and expanding his knowledge. Once Pericles became a strong and able bodied young man he served in the military. He became a distinguished soldier during the Peloponnesian war, and he also fought in other conflicts against Persia. His service in the war was so outstanding that some of the leading members of Athens society called it the “Age of Pericles.”

Pericles returned from his military service and was soon elected to become the leader of the Athenian people. This event occurred in 460 B.C. (which is where he appears on the Biblical Timeline Poster with World History) after he had gotten rid of some of his political rivalries. Once he was in power, he began to erect many statues and developed the landscape of Athens with many civil buildings and parks. He developed the democratic process. He first worked in the law courts of Athens before he gained power as the ruler of Athens.

Once he was in power, he began to pass laws and perform services that greatly benefitted the Greeks and their society. He helped the poor in their plight by offering them free services and allowing them to attend the theater without charge. He opposed the Spartans during his time in office, and he was the first Greek to propose payment for politicians. Soldiers were also paid salaries for their services. He also established rules for leadership where Athenian parentage played an important role.

Pericles developed art and music during his time in power, and Athens became a cultural center due to his efforts. He enacted many reforms and policies that brought about peace to the land of Athens for many years despite the fact that troubles constantly plagued the city. Outside colonies were established by the Athenians under his rule, and they would be used to help support missions in foreign lands. He also aided Egypt during their conflicts with the Persians in the 4th century B.C. Pericles performed other great civil works and even managed to get all of the warring Greek city-states to agree to a period of peace with the exception being Sparta.

Pericles had two sons who later died when an outbreak of disease occurred in Athens. He also had lost his position as a leader and was deposed by some leading members of Athens society. In time he was reelected to lead once again but he died six months after he was reelected the second time in 429 B.C. Pericles was considered the first true Athenian because of all of the transformations that he made to Athenian society during his time in power. His efforts helped to forge Athens into one of the most powerful city-states in the ancient world, and he helped to change forever the system of democracy.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pericles
http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/People/Pericles/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pericles_Pio-Clementino_Inv269_n2.jpg

Posted on December 8, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Socrates of Greece

Greek philosopher Socrates is considered one of the greatest philosophers in all of history. He lived from 470 BC to 399 BC (which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline Poster with World History.)

Ancient Greece was an important culture to the mindset of modern western societies. In ancient times, the Greeks developed systems of law, government, and philosophy that still influence the world today. Government processes such as democracy were introduced to the world through the ancient Greeks, and so were philosophical thoughts and processes. Greece produced some of the best philosophers the world has ever seen, and Socrates is one of the greatest.

He was born in the city-state of Athens around 470 B.C., and he wasn’t born into wealth or privilege. Historical records aren’t clear about Socrates, but they claim that he was given some form of education since he was literate and an excellent orator. When Socrates was a young adult man he worked as a stone cutter and he also was a military veteran. Socrates apparently fought in the Peloponnesian War and lived through the ordeal. Once his military service was over, he married a woman named Xanthippe. This marriage must have occurred when Socrates was a middle-aged man because records indicate that Xanthippe was much younger than Socrates. She was not only younger than the old philosopher, but she was also a fiery spirited woman who could be shrewd and cunning. She bore him three children and their names were Lamprocles, Sophonicrus, and Menexenus.

Socrates young wife represented an aspect of his life that would bring about his demise. His wit, humor, social skills and ability to speak well had captivated the youth of his day. Though he was a much older man, he managed to gain the acceptance, admiration and respect of the younger generation. When he was being tried for his death, his accusers claimed that he corrupted the youth of society with his speech.

Socrates had become known throughout Athenian society for his productions as well as his oratory skills. He created many satirical plays that were well received in the theater. Socrates was also a senator in Athens and he was very popular with his peers as well as with the public. He had served for many years before he left this position to develop his philosophical ideology.

Socrates never tried to create a new way of thinking or a new set of ideology or principles about life. Instead, he had developed the ability to break everything down to its basic core to expose it for what it really was. Socrates questioned things to their core and his ability to reduce ideas, traditions and patterns of thoughts to their core forced many people to rethink their beliefs, morality and how they view the world. Socrates claimed that knowledge is true to all but the belief is only limited to an individual.

This particular view was dangerous to the mindset of the ruling class of ancient Athens. What Socrates proposed through his philosophy method was that the systems and traditions that were in place in ancient Athens was not valid or that they could be easily dismissed with some given thought. Most people accept their government, laws and way of life without question. Socrates was actually causing many people to reconsider their view of ancient Athenian society or at the very least they seriously began to question these systems.

Eventually, the ruling members were fed up with Socrates and the philosophical method that he used to discredit the gods and myths on which Greek society was established. They decided to execute him and eventually he was tried and put to death. Socrates developed his philosophical style in the marketplace among the everyday people that passed him by throughout the course of a day. Though he was pretty stable for at least half of his life, he died a broken man. He spent so much time philosophizing in the marketplace that he didn’t work. He also had some very important students who also played an important part in developing modern western thought. Plato was one of his best-known students, and most of what is known about Socrates is derived from Plato and a few of pupils. He died in 399 B.C.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates
http://www.coedu.usf.edu/culture/Story/Story_Greece_Socrates.htm
http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/People/Socrates/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Socrates_Louvre.jpg

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

Camillus and Plebians, Rome Dictators

The Republic of Rome had a governmental system that allowed them to install dictators whenever a problem proved to be unsolvable through normal procedures and processes. Difficult situations such as deep internal corruption or conquering armies that posed a threat to Rome were times that dictators were enacted. Normally, Rome was ruled by two consuls during the era of the republic. Once the dictator was in charge, he had absolute authority over all of Rome and its resources.

Around 400 B.C., there was a Roman dictator named Marcus Fuurius Camillus. (See the Biblical Timeline Chart with World History for additional events during this time frame. ) He was called upon by Rome to defeat two warring tribes that refused to stay beneath Roman power. The Falerii and the Capna were minor tribes in the southern Italian peninsula, and they created a situation that left the southern part of Rome’s territories in an uneasy position. The consuls who were ruling at the time could not stop the uprisings that had their roots with these two Roman tribes. So, they had no choice but to call upon Camillus to save Rome from losing the southern lands and to stop the rebels.

Camillus was a retired leader and distinguished soldier. He was a patrician who was born to the Furii, which was one of the most important families in the land of Rome. Once he took control of Rome as a dictator, he quickly went to work quelling the rebellion that was threatening Rome’s stability. The Gauls were another tribe that wanted to break free from Rome, and they even managed to gain control of some strategic positions that would give them direct access to the city of Rome. Many of the Roman leaders knew that if these two tribes made it into the city they could overrun Rome and destroy its power.

Camillus was called upon one more time in 387 B.C., and when he came to power, he didn’t allow the Gauls to gain control. He fought against the Gauls and forced them to stop their advances. He made them sign a peace treaty and accept Roman rule. After he had saved Rome from the Gauls, the people referred to him as the second founder of Rome.

Plebian_Dictators,Rome — Triumph of Furius Camillus

After Camillus had gained this victory, he didn’t stop being a dictator. As a rule of thumb, a dictator would typically step down from their position of power once a crisis had been resolved. Camillus didn’t follow through with this expectation, and he tried to continue to rule Rome on his own. The Roman consuls and senate could not touch Camillus because he had the power and the army behind him, so they had to wait to remove him from office. Their chance came when he was found guilty of embezzling state funds. Camillus chose to be exiled from Rome as opposed to paying a fine and after his departure the consuls regained their position. Even though Camillus was a shady dictator, the people did call upon him many times between 385 B.C. and 367 B.C. to save them from various crises.

Even though that was the case, Camillus never again tried to stay in office longer than his expected time. He finally died in 365 B.C. when a disease broke out in the region killing many people.
When a dictator was chosen, they usually were picked from the patrician (wealthy) class of Rome. The plebeians (poor) and slaves were not eligible for high-level leadership positions. To remedy this problem, the plebeians elected their own dictators to resolve matters that could otherwise be managed. Plebeian dictators usually dealt with domestic problems but not problems that arose from foreign sources.

Plebeian dictators just didn’t have the resources or authority as the regular dictators. Gaius Marcius Rutilus was the first Plebeian dictator. Quintus Hortenius was a plebeian dictator who managed to pass some laws that affected the whole entire community of Rome including the rich patricians. Even though there were some exceptions to the standard rule, Rome’s dictators were usually rich and powerful men chosen from the patrician class.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Furius_Camillus
http://www.livius.org/fo-fz/furius/camillus4.html
http://www.roman-empire.net/republic/earlyrep-index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plebeian_Council
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_dictator
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Firenze.PalVecchio03.JPG

Posted on December 6, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Twelve Tables, Law of the

The law is important to any society because it establishes rules and protocols for governing how a particular kingdom, empire or state should operate. Around 509 B.C., the Roman Republic also needed effective laws to govern its people because it was no longer being governed by a sole ruler.

Twelve_Tablets,Rome_Law_of — Law is important to any society

Tarquin the Proud was the last king to have power in Rome. After he had been banished from Rome around 510 B.C., the leading members of Roman society realized that they could no longer allow kings to rule. After his banishment, the Senate set out to establish a more modern form of government that would be more effective than a monarchy, and they came up with the Republic.

The establishment of the republic led eventually to the Law of Twelve Tables established in 449 BC which is where it appears on the Bible Timeline Chart with World history. Once they established the Republic they realized that they needed more effective laws for keeping order and protection in Roman society. A well respected member of Roman society named Hermodorus had encouraged the Senate to send a group of learned Roman men to Greece to study their legal system.

The Senate ultimately agreed, and they sent a board of 10 men or decemvirate to Athens. Once the men arrived in Athens, they were greeted by the Athenian rulers and given permission to study the Solonian Constitution, which helped to create the legal system for the Greeks. This happened around 451 B.C. After the men had gained knowledge about the Greek legal system, they returned home and adjusted the laws to fit Roman society.

Once they formulated the laws they inscribed them on ten brass tablets. When the laws were created, they were written in a simple and remedial manner. The reason they were written in this way was because illiteracy was a major problem in Rome. Only the educated patrician class was able to read. There were few poor plebeians and slaves who were literate. After the initial ten tablets had been constructed they were put on display for all of the Roman citizens to view. They became such a huge success that Rome sent the same men back to Athens and this time they came back with more information to create two more tablets.

With the addition of the new information, Rome was able to create twelve tablets that revealed the law. The laws that were contained on the tablets were designed to limit the patricians from gaining too much power. They imposed strict and rigid penalties and fines for crimes such as embezzlement, theft or burglary. People could be executed when they were found guilty of murder, and they regulated the private rights for all citizens. They touched off on the agrarian laws that were already in use when the twelve tablets were being composed.

The patricians (wealthy) and the plebeians (poor) classes were constantly opposing each other over legal issues and matters before the twelve tablets were formed. The patrician class typically made the laws and used it to their advantage. The plebeians realized that they didn’t have any type of power to stop them so they decided to rebel by not working the patrician’s lands. This of course would have bankrupted many of the patricians who depended on them for labor. The twelve tables helped to improve the society of ancient Rome and through them Greece had influenced Roman civilization and way of life.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Tables http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/12tables.html http://www.constitution.org/sps/sps01_1.htm

Posted on December 5, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Agrarian Law, Rome

Agrarian laws were passed early on in Rome and they were changed and formed over many centuries. Roman agrarian laws are the basis for most laws regarding land today. It is referred to on the Biblical Timeline with world history beginning around 500 BC.

The land was and still remains one of the most critical factors for wealth and power in any society. Individuals who owned land could produce food and materials that could be sold and traded for economic gain. Landowners in ancient Rome knew that land not only gave them wealth it also provided them with political and social power and position. Wealthy landowners could hire workers or amass slaves to work their fields and orchards for profit. They also could rent property to tenants, tax businesses who used their lands for commercial operations and have the poorer members of society become lifelong employees who worked their lands for a fee.

Owning land was very important to being somebody important in ancient Roman society. Only Roman citizens who owned land could become high ranking politicians, fight in wars or have some type of real social standing. Rome created agrarian laws because they were necessary for establishing protocols for how landowners could use their lands and how to manage property between neighbors. Agrarian laws also helped to establish the social order and privilege in Rome.

Most lands in Rome was owned by the rich and powerful patrician class. This particular class of Roman citizens established the laws, conducted political affairs, fought military campaigns and controlled the economy. Whenever Rome defeated an enemy tribe they would confiscate their lands. The seized lands were supposed to be used as public lands for all of Rome, but the patrician class usually exploited these lands for their own personal profit. Since patricians were the ruling class of Roman society, the poorer members couldn’t effectively stop them from using the acquired tracts for their own gain. The Roman Republic was also cheated out of funds because of this practice, but most of the ruling members of society didn’t care.

Agrarian_Law,_Rome — Owning land was very important

Agrarian laws were passed early on in Rome and they were changed and formed over many centuries. At various time throughout Rome’s republic, the laws underwent major transformations. This was done to try to keep the patricians from taking public lands which belonged to all of the people and to keep some type of protocol for land usage between neighbors.

Agrarian laws divided land ownership up into three categories and they included public, private and common. Public lands were for all of the people of Rome, private lands were for private owners and common lands were lands owned by more than one person. Civic structures, graveyards, and parks were usually situated on public lands. Farms were also set up on public lands that were supposed to have been used to feed the Roman people. Military and economic operations were also conducted on public lands. Business owners and farm owners held private lands and used them to make a profit by selling crops and produce. Common lands were owned by more than one person and they also could be used for public or private purposes.

Agrarian laws outlined rules for how land was used between neighbors. For example, a neighbor could claim any produce that had fallen from their tree into another neighbor’s yard. A neighbor could also chop down another resident’s tree if their tree endangered their property in any way. These were but a few of the many laws that Rome used to keep civil peace between neighbors.

The poorer members of Roman society (plebeians) didn’t own much land but for those individuals that did they had rules that would help them to make the best use for their property. Plebeians were also taxed for the land that they owned or they worked on a patrician’s real property and paid a fee in the form of crops. Ultimately, ancient Roman agrarian laws helped to establish rules for land use and civil codes that are still in place in modern times.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrarian_law
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12638/12638-h/12638-h.htm
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/history/agrarian-laws.html

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

Postumius and Cincinnatus, Rome Dictators

Around 510 B.C., a Roman king named Tarquin the Proud had lost his power. (See the Bible Timeline with World History for a full timeline of events) According to the historical records, King Tarquin wasn’t a well liked or respected ruler. He had exploited the throne and the people of Rome. The people no longer wanted to be ruled by a king who wouldn’t regard the Roman Senate or care for the well-being of the people.

The Roman Senate decided to do away with the monarchy system in favor of a republic. Under this system of government two rulers were chosen by the Roman Senate to become consuls. Once the consuls were in power, they would manage the day to day issues and challenges that is a natural part of running a government. When crises arose, or problems became too difficult to solve with ordinary processes then the consuls had the authority to elect a dictator to bring about a solution.

Cincinnatus Roman_Dictator — Cincinnatus leaves the plow for the Roman dictatorship – Juan Antonio Ribera, c. 1806

Cincinnatus leaves the plow for the Roman dictatorship – Juan Antonio Ribera, c. 1806

Roman dictators were outstanding members of their society that usually held some type of political or military position. They were usually leaders who governed or fought battles in the past. Once these leaders were selected to become a dictator, they are usually given unlimited power and resources to resolve whatever problem that was affecting the stability of Rome. The dictators of Rome were usually selected from the patrician or wealthy class of citizens. The patrician class was educated, well known, performed civil or military service, established laws and they controlled how the rest of Roman society functioned.

The first dictator of Rome under the new Republic system was Aulus Postumius Albus Regillenis, and he was called to duty in 498 B.C. to stop the Latin’s from rebelling against Rome. The Latin’s were the allies of the Romans though they were really subjected to Rome. When they rebelled, it created problems that would have threatened the stability of the newfound republic. Once Postumius became the dictator, he managed to put down the rebellion and to have the Latin’s brought under Rome’s control once again.

Another outstanding member of Roman society was named Cincinnatus and he was chosen to become dictator around 458 B.C and once again in 439 B.C. Cincinnatus was a well-known military commander who fought in battles against various tribes that tried to overthrow Rome. After he had been chosen to become the dictator, he managed to put successfully down the rebellions and subdue the various tribes that tried to usurp Rome’s authority.

The Sabine and Aequi were the tribes that he had managed to get under control. After he resolved the matters with the warring tribes he left the office of dictator. Postumius and Cincinnatus stayed in office only long enough to resolve a particular problem. Once a conflict was resolved, they returned power back to the consuls and went back to their own lives. Both of these dictators didn’t abuse their time in power nor did they try to gain more wealth for their own personal gain.

Cincinnatus was considered a patriot by his people, and though he was a patrician, he lived a somewhat frugal lifestyle to show his fellow countrymen that he wasn’t controlled by material desires. These two dictators are important because they both represented the effectiveness of Roman government under a republic system.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulus_Postumius_Tubertus
http://www.livius.org/di-dn/dictator/dictator.html
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/rulersleaderskings/p/Cincinnatus.htm
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cincinato_abandona_el_arado_para_dictar_leyes_a_Roma,_c.1806_de_Juan_Antonio_Ribera.jpg

Posted on December 3, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Ptolemies Rule, Jews Under

Alexander, the Great of Macedonia, conquered most of the known world in 332 B.C. When the young king finally died he didn’t leave any heirs to the throne. His only child and his queen, Roxanne, were slain by one of his generals. King Alexander’s generals then divided up his Empire into four sections that each of them could rule. Ptolemy Lagi and a lower ranking general named Seleucus gained control over Judah. At first Ptolemy ruled his allocated lands with Seleucus serving him but Seleucus wanted land of his own. Eventually, Seleucus and Ptolemy went to war with each other leading to the formation of two empires. Ptolemy finally gained complete control over the Judeans by 320 B.C., which is where this event occurs on the Biblical Timeline with World History.

Ptolemies_Rule_Jerusalem — Ptolemies take Jerusalem

Once Ptolemy had the power he didn’t bother the Jewish people as long as they paid him tribute. There were at least five ruling Ptolemaic rulers of Judah. Ptolemy Soter transported Jewish people to Egypt and his Greek homeland. He wanted to teach them how to speak his native tongue. This wasn’t a problem for the Jewish people who were already used to practice of being forced into other lands and some of them welcomed the ability to travel to other regions.

Ptolemy put a Jewish priest who was loyal to him in charge of Judah. Jewish leaders who governed in the time of Ptolemy had to keep order and make sure the people pay their taxes on time. As long as they fulfilled these requirements Ptolemy lets them do as they pleased. Greek culture had become so dominant in the ancient world around 300 B.C. that almost every person knew some form of the Greek language.

The Greek language in ancient times was a universal language in the same way that English is spoken toady. Because of its influence many Jewish leaders began to learn how to speak it. And then they transformed their Hebrew texts into the Greek language so that the Jews who lived in other lands could have the Law of Moses.

The Septuagint was created, and this is the Greek version of the Tanakh. The Old Testament was also translated into Greek at a later time The New Testament writers of the Christian Scriptures also used Greek to write down their texts around 100 A.D. The Septuagint was written during the era of the Ptolemaic rulers. Even though most Ptolemaic rulers didn’t care for the Jewish people, unfortunately, there were some that did but in the wrong kind of way. Ptolemy IV Philopater (221 – 203 B.C.) and Ptolemy V Epiphanes (203 -180 B.C.) both hated the Jews. They persecuted the Jews for about 40 years during their reigns, and they desecrated their temple. The Jewish people were extremely happy when Ptolemy IV Philpater died.

The Ptolemy’s and the Seleucuns fought against each other over territory, and the Jewish people were caught up in this struggle. They wanted the ongoing conflict to end because many Jewish people were being caught in the crossfire. The Jewish people were finally rid of the Ptolemy’s after the Seleucuns took over, but they didn’t fare much better under their rule.

References:
http://www.zianet.com/maxey/Inter2.htm http://www.fbinstitute.com/carroll/3.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prise_de_J%C3%A9rusalem.jpg

Posted on December 1, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 6 Comments

Alexander the Great and Jerusalem

Alexander the Great was a mighty Macedonian conqueror that visited Jerusalem around 332 BC. which is where this event occurs on the Bible Timeline with World History. When he arrived in the famed city of Jerusalem he was greeted by the Jewish people with respect and awe. The Jewish leaders knew that Alexander of Macedonia had God on his side. King Alexander did not believe in the Lord, but the Jewish people informed him that his kingdom was spoken about in prophecy by Daniel.

Daniel was a high governor in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon around 600 B.C. One night the king had a dream about a statue and only Daniel could tell him the meaning. One part of the statue represented the Greek empire and its mighty conquest under King Alexander. Later in the book of Daniel this prophet had a vision about a leopard with wings and God revealed to him that this was the coming Greek Empire that would descend on the world.

Before Alexander the Great visited Jerusalem, he had already defeated the mighty empire of Persia in battle. At the time that Persia was defeated by the Greeks, Judah was considered a small and unimportant part of the Persian Empire. So when Alexander conquered the Persians he also took the territories that they controlled.

By the time King Alexander made it to Jerusalem, the people already knew that he was not to be fought against because he had to fulfill God’s prophecy. History or legend claims that when he visited the city of Jerusalem that the Jewish teachers revealed to him the prophecies that were written about his kingdom. They explained to him about Daniel’s dreams and visions pertaining to the rise of a third kingdom that would quickly conquer the world. The Greeks were the third mighty kingdom that would dominate the ancient world.

Alexander the Great wasn’t as impressed with the Judeans as they were with him. Though he visited their temple and listened to their prophecies he wasn’t awed by the people or culture. Keep in mind that Alexander had a great deal of respect for the peoples he conquered and he also was enthused about the prophecy that he heard from the Jewish people. Other than that Jerusalem didn’t appeal to Alexander the Great or his Greek forces.

He allowed the laws that were established by the Persians to remain in place and he gave the Jews some special privileges such as not paying tribute every seven years. Most of the story of King Alexander’s visit to Jerusalem has been recorded by the ancient Jewish historian Josephus. Though Josephus was a reliable source of information some consider his claims to be far fetched, especially in the case of Alexander the Great. Alexander didn’t stay long in Jerusalem because he was leading his forces to Egypt and once history shows that he had limited interest in conquering Jerusalem.

References:
Daniel 2 Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and realizes that the Greeks are going to become a major world power.
Daniel 7 Daniel has a vision about four strange beasts and one of them was like a leopard with wings. This particular beast represented Greek Empire.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t35.html
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1120-alexander-the-great
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great

Posted on November 30, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Greco-Macedonian Government, Jerusalem Under

The Macedonian-Greco Empire lasted from around 331 BC to 31 BC, which is where this occurs on the Old Testament Timeline with World History. The Bible prophet Daniel foretold the rise of this empire. Daniel was a high ranking Jewish official in Babylon who served King Nebuchadnezzar. One day Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about a huge statue with a gold head, arms and chest of silver, belly and thighs of brass and legs of iron. God told Daniel how to interpret the dream, and he revealed to Nebuchadnezzar that the statue represented four kingdoms. God eventually revealed to Daniel that the statue’s brass belly and thighs represented the Macedonian-Greco Empire.

Jerusalem_Under_Greco-Macedonian_Government — Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

The Macedonian-Greco Empire was started by King Phillip II and reached its glory during the reign of his son Alexander the Great. Macedonia lies inside of northeastern Greece and when Phillip II ascended the throne he began an expansion campaign. King Phillip II was a military genius, and he created the phalanx regimen. After King Phillip II was assassinated his son Alexander III or Alexander the Great became king. Once King Alexander III took over the throne he continued his father’s plans for conquering the world. King Phillip had successfully subdued most of Greece and few regions outside of this territory. King Alexander III went one step further conquered the world.

King Alexander III defeated many kingdoms and empires such as Persia, Babylon and Egypt. The Jewish people were still under the rule of the Persian Empire around 331 B.C. and when they heard of Alexander the Great they automatically relinquished control of their lands to his power. The Jewish people knew they wouldn’t stand a chance in a battle against Alexander the Great. More importantly the Jewish people realized that Alexander the Great was leading the nation that was spoken about in Daniel’s prophecy. Once Judah was placed under Greco-Macedonian rule, the province was governed by a series of Greek rulers.

King Alexander III was the Macedonian that ruled Jerusalem in 323 B.C. and after he died one of his top generals named Laomedon of Mytilene took control of the province of Judah. This occurred around 323 B.C. A few years later in 320 B.C. Ptolemy I Soter took control of Jerusalem. By 315 B.C., the Antigonid Dynasty manages to gain power in Jerusalem.

In 301 B.C. Ptolemy, 1 Soter recaptures Jerusalem. The Greco-Macedonian Seleucid Empire comes to rule Jerusalem by 200 B.C. The next ruler was Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and he tried to wipe out the Jewish religion. This happened around 175 B.C. and lasted until 160 B.C. The Seleucid Empire was the last group of Greek rulers who governed the area for many years until 87 B.C. when Rome had begun to conquer the known world.

Life for the people living under the Greeks was not hard or out of the ordinary. The province was forced to pay tribute, but the people lived pretty much the same as they did before the arrival of the Greeks. It wasn’t until the time of Antiochus that the people really began to suffer. The rulers of the Seleucid Empire didn’t care for God, and they wanted to eliminate Jewish religion.

The people of Judah rose up to fight against this tyranny, and they managed to keep their religion from being eliminated, but they were not able to rebel forever. The Seleucid Empire had become weak before they had the ability to eliminate the Jewish people. Once this happened, the Romans stepped in and took over Judah.

Biblical References:
Daniel 2 Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar dream and before he does God tells him the meaning of the dream. Daniel realizes that the statue that Nebuchadnezzar saw in the dream represented four kingdoms, and the Greeks would be one of them.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/6766/Greco-Macedonian-Empire.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_II_of_Macedon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_The_Great
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Jerusalem#Hellenistic_Kingdoms_.28Ptolemaic_.2F_Seleucid.29_period

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

Malachi, Bible Prophet

The life of the Jewish prophet Malachi is shrouded in mystery and silence. Malachi prophesied sometime between 445 BC and 425 B.C to the people of Jerusalem which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline Poster. There isn’t any known reliable source outside Tanakh or the Bible that explains his background or details from the life of the prophet Malachi. To the Christians, he is considered the last prophet before the arrival of John the Baptist and the Messiah Jesus Christ. The Jews consider him the last prophet of the Tanakh. Historians and scholars could not figure out with certainty if Malachi were a priest or just a common man that God had chosen to warn the new Jewish community about their sins.

He spoke to the Jewish community that had returned to the land of Judah to rebuild the temple under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. There are some scholars who believe that he had to have been a part of the prophets, priests or scribes that were led by Ezra. Malachi is considered a minor prophet simply because there wasn’t a lot of information about his life printed in the Tanakh or the Bible.

After the Israelites had been finally able to return home, they managed to rebuild the temple and to resettle Jerusalem. At first there was great joy and enthusiasm when they first arrived home but they soon became discouraged. The people were glad to be back in their homeland once again, but they wanted to be free from Persian rule and to have a great kingdom like they did in the days of kings David and Solomon. When this didn’t happen many of the people began to believe that God no longer cared about them. As a result, they started to sin again.

In the past, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah went into exile because of idolatry. This time around they had fallen into the sin of not honoring and respecting God. Idolatry wasn’t a big issue, but the people of Judah were now intermarrying with foreign women, robbing God of his tithes and not faithfully teaching the law.

Malachi rebukes the people in the opening chapter of the book for not realizing that God loved them even if he doesn’t show it by blessing the nation with independence and great power. Malachi then goes on to reveal to the people of Judah that God will judge his people before he deals with other nations. Malachi also explains to the people of Judah that they rob God when they don’t give him the proper tithes and offerings. Malachi uses a series of questions and answers at the beginning of some the chapters within the book so that they could understand how they were sinning toward God.

Malachi closes out his prophetic messages in chapter 4 of the book by revealing to the people of Judah that God will ultimately deal harshly with the wicked, and the righteous will be spared judgment. He then says that the prophet Elijah will come back and preach before the coming Day of Judgment from the Lord.

In the Torah and the Bible Malachi is considered the last prophet that God used to warn the people about their sins. Christians believe that the period between Malachi and Jesus Christ was used to prepare the world for his arrival. Jewish people believe that God no longer would use any more prophets to warn the people of their sins, and they still wait for the Messiah’s return.

Biblical References:

Malachi 2: 1 – 9 Malachi reveals how the people do not faithfully teach the law.
Malachi 2: 10 – 16 Malachi expresses how God is against their intermarriages to foreign women and how he hates them divorcing their wives.
Malachi 3: 6 – 12 Malachi exposes how some of the Jewish people were trying to rob God by not paying tithing correctly.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1678766/jewish/Who-Was-the-Prophet-Malachi.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Malachi
http://malachi.jesusanswers.com/
http://www.biblestudytools.com/malachi/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Duccio_di_Buoninsegna_066.jpg