Alphabetical Index to Bible Timeline – Page 63 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on November 28, 2012August 19, 2019 by Margaret Hunter — 63 Comments

Artaxerxes of Persia

Artaxerxes I of Persia was the fifth king of the Achaemenid Dynasty. His father was the former King Xerxes and he ruled the Persian Empire from 465 B.C. to 425 B.C. which is where he appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart. King Xerxes was murdered shortly before King Artaxerxes ascended the throne. The assassin who killed the former king claimed that King Artaxerxes oldest brother Darius told him to eliminate the king. King Artaxerxes then killed his brother and took over the throne.

Most of King Artaxerxes rule was problem free and he didn’t make any major changes to the empire. The current system that was established by the former King Darius proved to be effective for governing the land. The people enjoyed prosperity and peace during his reign because he was able to keep control of the lands of Persia. Since he kept the system of government in place that was started by King Darius I, he was able to keep a vast network of trade and tribute flowing throughout the empire. He used the Phoenicians to control overseas trade routes to foreign lands, all of the provinces inside of the Persian Empire had to pay him an annual tribute and he established vast markets that covered the empire.

The religion of Zoroastrianism was popular in Persia and it still remained a viable worship system during the reign of King Artaxerxes. Other Persian gods were worshipped as well. One thing that all Persian kings did when they conquered a kingdom or empire is allowed the people to continue to worship their gods and King Artaxerxes continued this practice. He was also influenced by the gods of other nations including the god of the Jewish people. King Artaxerxes acknowledged God in the Bible though he might not have fully worshiped him.

King Artaxerxes also had another name known as Longimanus because his right hand was longer than his left one. He had a wife named Damaspia who was popular among the people. King Artaxerxes was considered an extremely kind and good hearted ruler. He always appeared to be fair and just. The king could also deal effectively with his enemies such as Artabanus who conspired to take his throne. King Artaxerxes defeated this military commander in a personal duel in front of everybody.

One way his kindness was shown was through the decree that he made for the people of Jerusalem. He allowed them to go back to their kingdom and assisted them with their journey and the rebuilding of the temple. King Artaxerxes personally knew of Ezra and Nehemiah. He also returned the treasures that taken from the temple under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.

Some historians trace the demise of the Persian Empire beginning with his reign. A few provinces within his empire tried to rebel, but they did not succeed. They state that the uprisings that he experienced during his time in power had planted seeds for future revolts and rebellions and it didn’t matter if he put an end to them. Greece was a kingdom that revolted against Persia during his reign and they would come back to defeat the Persians at a future date. The Greeks also encouraged the Egyptians to revolt as well. On the outer fringes of the Persian Empire, the people were conspiring to rid themselves of Persian domination. Once again King Artaxerxes kept control of the rebellious regions but he didn’t completely or wasn’t able to stop the people from conspiring against Persia. King Artaxerxes died in 425 B.C.

Biblical References:
Ezra 7 King Artaxerxes gives the decree for the Jewish people to return home and he also informs the rest of his empire to accommodate Jews with their return journey and the rebuilding of the temple.

References:
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/artaxerxes-i.ht
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1827-artaxerxes-i
http://www.answers.com/topic/artaxerxes-i-of-persia
http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/people/artaxerxes-i.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Artaxerxes_I_of_Persia.JPG

Posted on November 27, 2012October 12, 2018 by Margaret Hunter — 41 Comments

Ezra, Bible Prophet

Ezra was an ancient Jewish priest and scribe who was one of the primary leaders of Israel when they returned from exile to rebuild Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple. His story begins around 480 BC, which is where he appears on the Amazing Bible Timeline with World History study companion.

Ezra was a knowledgeable leader of Jewish law, and he was also a descendant of the high priest Aaron, who was the brother of Moses. God had blessed Ezra and was with him, so the king of Persia (King Artaxerxes) gave Ezra whatever he needed to make the journey and to rebuild the temple. Ezra was a devout servant of the Lord who made it a point to study and do all that the Lord has commanded him.

When Ezra traveled back to Jerusalem, he was accompanied by many Jewish people. They came from many different professions and backgrounds. Starting in Ezra 1 the Bible lists various different clans and Jewish tribal members that made the journey back to Jerusalem. The Jewish traveled back to Jerusalem at different times. Later in Ezra 8 a list of families that traveled back to Jerusalem was written down so that people could see who they were.

When the first wave of Jewish people went back to Jerusalem in Ezra 1, it happened during the reign of Cyrus the Great. Many years later when King Artaxerxes ruled Persia, he also decreed that more Jewish people should go back to their homeland. He gave a decree that supported the Jewish people and their efforts in Jerusalem. King Artaxerxes told nearby countries to provide the Jewish people with supplies for the temple, and he also made the provinces give them food and water when they needed it as well. The king's decree also allowed the Jewish people to take back the treasures that were taken from the Lord's Temple by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The Jewish priests and temple servants did not have to pay taxes because the decree freed them from this responsibility. Ezra and the rest of the Jewish people finally made it back to Jerusalem and when he arrived he was shocked to discover that his people had intermingled with the pagan nations that surrounded Jerusalem.

Ezra prayed for forgiveness for his people, and he then set out to make some reforms. He formed a great assembly comprised of 120 prophets and sages. He influenced this council to oversee and enforce the Biblical laws that God had given to his people in the days of Moses. He no longer permitted any people to marry foreign women and led them to repent of their sins. He then organized leaders for the newly established community. Though Ezra was associated with prophets, he wasn't considered a prophet in the truest since of the word. God didn't send Ezra out with specific messages or revelations to give to the people he used him to remind the people about keeping God's word. Ezra made it a point to keep God's word relevant to the people and to make sure that they were careful to obey all that was written. Ezra probably knew Nehemiah though the Bible doesn't specifically state this as fact. Both men went back to Jerusalem during the reign of Artaxerxes.

Ezra was born in 480 B.C. and he died in 440 B.C.

Biblical References: The book of Ezra in the Bible tells about the Jewish peoples return back to Jerusalem after they were exiled. The story of Ezra's life is revealed in chapter seven of the same book.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05535a.htm

Posted on November 26, 2012October 16, 2018 by Margaret Hunter — 13 Comments

Esther and Mordecai under Xerxes of Persia

King Xerxes of Persia was the world’s most powerful monarch who ruled the Persian Empire around 486 B.C., which is where he appears on the Biblical Timeline with World History. He was the son of the former Persian king Darius I. He is traditionally considered to be the Persian King Ahasuerus referred to in the Biblical story of Esther.

During the third year of Xerxes reign, he held a huge festival so that he could display all of his wealth to the high ranking governors and officials of his empire. King Xerxes also had a wife named Queen Vashti, and she was holding a celebration for the women of the empire. As the ceremonies progressed, King Xerxes summoned Queen Vashti so that he could show off her beauty to the people in attendance. Instead of appearing before the king the queen refused to listen to her husband’s request. Since she was disobedient to her King, Queen Vashti was forever banished from his presence.

Esther,Biblical_Persian_Queen — ‘Queen Esther (1878) by Edwin Long.’

King Xerxes had to send out a decree that women were not to follow her example. He did this to avoid civil unrest that could have resulted from massive domestic abuse and chaos within the empire. This story sets the background for the rise of an extremely beautiful woman named Esther and her godly cousin Mordecai. God had decided to allow the people of Judah to go into captivity to Babylon because of their sins, and Mordecai was a young boy when this incident had taken place. Mordecai had an uncle named Abihail who had a daughter named Hadassah. Now Hadassah was an extremely beautiful young woman, and she was also called Esther. Mordecai had taken her into his home after her father Abihail and her mother had passed away. Esther grew up secure inside of Mordecai’s care, and she also learned about the importance of her Jewish heritage from him as well. The people all over the region of Susa knew about Esther’s beauty. One day King Xerxes decided to find a new queen, and he had appointed agents inside of each province for the purpose of making them responsible for finding beautiful virgin females to bring to the king. Well, this activity took place over a period before they came across Esther. Once Esther was chosen for this task, Mordecai reminded her that she must never tell the king or his servants about her Jewish identity.

Esther_and_Mordecai_under_Xerxes_of_Persia_talking — ‘Esther and Mordecai’

Esther eventually won the heart of the king and his servants, and she was selected to become the new queen of Persia. Mordecai held a position inside of the king’s palace, and he went their every day to perform his duties. One day he overheard a conspiracy between two of the king’s guards who wanted to assassinate Xerxes. Mordecai alerted the king and the guards were found to be treasonous and were eliminated. King Xerxes appreciated Mordecai’s information, but he didn’t reward him. Meanwhile a powerful prince within the Persian Empire named Haman had become the second most powerful ruler in the land. King Xerxes told the people that they should bow down to him whenever they see him. Everybody agreed to this decree except for Mordecai. Whenever Haman came into the palace, every official would bow except for Mordecai and his defiance made Haman extremely angry. Haman decided to devise a plot to not only kill Mordecai for his defiance but the rest of the Jewish people as well. Haman was an Agagite, and his people were old enemies of the Jews. Prime Minister Haman influenced King Xerxes to kill off a group of people within his empire that were different than the rest of the people because they would not obey the laws of the land. Prime Minister Haman had cast lots before he approached the king with this request. Prime Minister Haman cast lots so that he could determine the best day to carry out the king’s decree once it was approved. The king agreed to his plan even though he didn’t know that the people were Jewish. Prime Minister Haman also decided to build a 75-foot tall hanging platform for Mordecai.

Esther_and_Mordecai_triumphant — ‘Paolo Veronese – The Triumph of Mordecai’

‘Paolo Veronese – The Triumph of Mordecai’

While this platform was being constructed King Xerxes had read through his royal records and realized that he never rewarded Mordecai for saving his life from the assassination plot. He summoned Haman and asked him what he should do to honor a man for his service. Prime Minister Haman naturally thought he was talking about himself and told him to dress the man in royal garments and to lead him through the streets on his royal horse. King Xerxes told Prime Minister Haman to do this for Mordecai and Haman was humiliated by the experience. Mordecai found out what Prime Minister Haman had done and began to despair. He knew that he had to appeal to Esther to save the people.

Esther wanted to save the people, but there was one major problem. She just couldn’t go into the presence of the king; she had to be invited otherwise she might lose her life. Mordecai had to convince her that if she didn’t follow through with these actions that God was going to get another savior to take her place and that she would be killed. Esther agreed and fasted and went in to see the king. The king honored her presence, and she requested a two-day banquet with the king and Prime Minister Haman. On the second day of the banquet, Queen Esther revealed to the king what had happened, and Haman was hanged on the pole he designed for Mordecai. The Jewish people managed to avoid being exterminated by Haman’s sympathizers, and Mordecai was elected to his position. God used Queen Esther and her cousin Prime Minister Mordecai to save the Jewish people from being exterminated while under the rule of the Persian Empire. The Festival of Purim was established by Mordecai to remind Jewish people how they were saved by Queen Esther and Mordecai from extermination. Biblical References: The book of Esther in the Bible contains the whole entire story of Esther and Mordecai.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther
http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/christian-ministries/bible-heroes/mordecai.html
http://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/article_cdo/aid/1348/jewish/Mordechai-and-Esther.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Esther_haram.jpg
http://protect.bjumg.org/giftshop/product_info.php?products_id=128

Posted on November 25, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 7 Comments

Darius I of Persia

Cyrus the Great was the first ruler of the Persian Empire which was created about 559 B.C. and he was the first ruler of the Persian Achaemenid Dynasty. Darius, I came to power around 522 B.C. which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline with World History. He was the Achaemenid’s dynasty’s third monarch.

Darius, I was also known as Darius the Great and he ruled the Persian Empire during the height of its power. Cyrus the Great was alive and fighting to extend the Persian Empire when Darius was but a young man who served in his army. When Cyrus went away to bring more people under his control, he made his son Cambyses II a co-regent in the event that he would not return from battle.

Historians claim that while Cyrus was away overseeing the battle he had a strange dream where he saw Darius with wings standing over all of Europe and Asia. Dreams and visions were common for Persian rulers during that era in history and it would seem as if God was sending Cyrus the Great another message.

Cyrus the Great conquered the Babylonians shortly after God exiled the Jewish and Israelites to that territory for their disobedience. Before Cyrus had taken over the throne the Bible does state that God revealed to Cyrus the Great that he was going to become a mighty ruler and conqueror. This revelation probably came in a dream and King Cyrus knew how important these dreams were and that he shouldn’t just ignore them.

Cyrus had ordered one of his commanders to go back to Persia to watch over his son so that Darius wouldn’t usurp his throne. Once Cambyses II became ruler Darius didn’t harm him and, in fact, became a top lancer in his personal guard.

History isn’t clear about how King Darius came to power, but scholars and archeologists have pieced together the story of King Darius’ rise to power. Once Cambyses II took over for his father, he thought to kill off any other heirs and rivals to the throne. He killed his brother Bardiya and kept his murder hidden from the people. Somehow a usurper named Gaumata realized what had happened and thought to use this incident to over Persia. So he came forward and pretended he was Bardiya.

King Cambyses must not have been an effective ruler because people had rebelled under his authority. Gaumata decided to use the rebellion to make himself the new leader of Persia by murdering King Cambyses. The people agreed with his actions and wanted him to rule them instead of the king. Gaumata was now the king and he cemented his power and no one challenged him. Eventually Darius and a few other supporters assassinated Gautama seven days after he took over the throne.

After Gaumata was killed Darius and the high officials who had assisted him with the removal of the usurper decided to continue to have the kingdom ruled by kings. Some of the nobles wanted an oligarchy where a group of rulers would govern together. Darius eventually established himself as the empires new ruler and the people agreed. Cyrus never returned from the battle against the tribes he was trying to control as he died during the conflict.

When Darius was in power he wiped out the last revolts in the empire and he conquered territories inside of Egypt, the Indus Valley, and Scythia. The battles between Persia and Greece are the stuff of legends and these two great armies first met on the battlefield during the reign of Darius I. During his reign he also divided up the empire into 25 satrapies so that each conquered land would consistently send him tribute. He created a standard currency that would be used throughout all of his empire. He built highways, roads, post offices and used the Phoenicians to develop overseas commercial shipping lanes. Darius improved the taxation system in order to streamline revenue for the kingdom and one of the world’s first banking systems was created through this new procedure.

Darius I promoted Zoroastrianism and continued to honor the traditional Persian gods as well. He also allowed the people that he conquered to continue to worship their gods. Darius, I was born to Hystaspes the governor of Persia around 550 B.C. and he was the oldest of five brothers. He lived the early part of his life in luxury before joining the military as a young man. His father Hystaspes was also a military commander in King Cyrus’ army and noble within his court. Darius, I died in 486 B.C. due to health reasons.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_I#Early_reign http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/profiles/d/darius-i.html http://www.nndb.com/people/994/000092718/ http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Darius_I_of_Persia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Darius_In_Parse.JPG

Posted on November 24, 2012October 1, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Rome, Walled 7 Hills of

The city of Rome had originally grown out of seven hills which became known as the Walled Seven Hills of Rome. These hills were situated throughout the first 400 years of Roman history (which is where this appears on the Biblical Timeline with world history) and in time the Roman rulers and people who resided on each hill into one gigantic metropolitan area.

Palentine
King Romulus was the first ruler of Rome and he settled the hill of Palentine during his reign. This hill is considered the premiere historical site of Rome and it is also where some of Rome’s most popular kings and ceasers built their palaces. Palentine was and is also the richest and most popular area of the city of Rome. It is also located between the Roman Forum and the Circus Maximus. Rich and well to do ancient Roman citizens lived here.

Aventine
Aventine is another premiere hill in the city of Rome. This particular hill is located in the south of Rome, and it was home to some of the middle class and rich citizens of the city. Large homes and villas for the aristocracy were built in this area. Temples for Roman deities such as Diana and Minerva were erected here as well. Public baths and a few civic buildings were also added to the area over the years.

Celio
The Celio Hill had been situated in the middle part of Rome. Many public buildings such as temples, civic structures and basilicas were erected in this spot. The ancient Romans also used this area to build military bases. Celio Hill was a part of the city that was occupied by ordinary citizens.

Esquiline
The Esquiline Hill was used a large gravesite for many of the Roman citizens. The poorer members of the society resided here, and it also contained a large population.

Walled_7_Hills_of_Rome — A Plan to illustrate the situation of the Principal Hills of Ancient Rome

A Plan to illustrate the situation of the Principal Hills of Ancient Rome

Vinimale
Vinimale Hill is located in another hill area of Rome called Esquiline. This area contained Roman villas and public buildings such as Roman baths. Other civic buildings and a few temples were constructed here as well.

Quirinale
Many temples were built here during ancient times and it also contained the homes of many commoners.

Campidoglio
The Campidoglio Hill had many temples, and it was used a major religious center.

All of these hills were eventually merged into one city during the Republic era of Rome. The people from each section of the area eventually started to work together, trade and merge their resources together in times of war or when disaster struck. Various rulers and politicians also worked to unify the area into one city which eventually became Rome.

The walls that surrounded these hills were first built by King Romulus, who established Palentine. Walled cities were a common feature of the ancient world since they provided protection from outside enemies, so every settled hill region had a wall for defense. Once Rome was unified into one city the walls were eventually torn down. A few of the hills still have retained their walls and still remain as ruins. Modern day Rome is still configured off of this same hill design that was in use since ancient times.

References:
http://www.welcometorome.net/en/about-rome/history/seven-hills
http://nolli.uoregon.edu/wallsOfRome.html
http://www.musesrealm.net/rome/sevenhills.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plan_of_the_Hills_of_Ancient_Rome.jpg

Posted on November 23, 2012July 25, 2019 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Tarquinius the Proud

King Lucius Tarquinius Superbus murdered his father at the request of his wife, Tullia. His reign began in 535 B.C that is where he appears on the Bible Timeline with World History. King Superbus was a man who possessed an angry disposition and spirit, and he was also filled with insolence and arrogance. This is one of the major reasons why he was dubbed Tarquinius the Proud.

King Superbus was the son of Rome’s sixth King Servius Tullius and he also had a brother named Aruns. King Servius Tullius had two daughters that he named Tullia. The younger of the two daughters was a mean spirited female who despised Aruns her marriage to Aruns. He wasn’t considered strong enough for her, so she was drawn to Superbus, who was a lot more ruthless. Superbus was married to Tullia’s older sister who was also a good hearted woman. Superbus didn’t like her and desired the younger Tullia and both of them schemed to kill their siblings and then to kill their father the king.

Once Tarquinius took the throne, he quickly eliminated any senators who sympathized with his father. After he slaughtered the Senators, he then dismissed the remaining Senate members and made decisions without them. He purposely stripped them of their power so he could do whatever he pleased. He then trumped up false charges so he could kill off a Latin political leader who had enough foresight to see that King Superbus wasn’t going to be a good ruler.

Tarquinius the Proud then married off his daughter to secure foreign power over the Latin tribes. He schemed and began to subdue more of the surrounding tribes outside of Rome including the people of Sabine. He continued Rome’s peace treaty with the Etruscans, and he also established Roman colonies. He erected the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill. Throughout the rest of his reign, he connived and tricked many people while forcing others to do his will.

King Superbus also had a son named Sextus Tarquinius who raped an incredibly beautiful woman named Lucretia from the land of Collatia. King Superbus wanted to take this territory and had sent his son Sextus to lead the expedition. Sextus had snuck into Lucretia’s chambers and forced himself on her. Lucretia committed suicide, and her father was outraged. Other leading members of Roman society and the Collatia also joined her father in rebelling against the king. Tarquinius the Proud and his family were eventually exiled from Rome. After his demise, this led to the forming of the Republic of Rome which was now led by the consuls Brutus and Collantinus.

Tarquinius, the Proud’s reign, was significant because it marked the beginning of a new Roman era. The people of Rome realized that a sole king would not be needed anymore to rule the land. When his reign was over the face of Rome was changing into a forceful, dominant empire that would eventually rise and dominate most of the known world at the time. Tarquinius tried to regain power through military might and negotiations, but it was no use the people never allowed him back on the throne. He eventually died in exile in 496 B.C., and he ruled Rome for 26 years from 535 B.C. to 509 B.C.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Tarquinius_Superbus
http://www.unrv.com/bio/lucius-tarquinius-superbus.php
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/583670/Tarquin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tarquinius-Superbus.jpg

Posted on November 19, 2012September 24, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Servius Tullius

Servius Tullius was Rome’s sixth monarch, and he ruled from 578 B.C. to 535 B.C., which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline with World History. The society of Rome was transformed under King Tullius and in a short time after his reign it would become a Republic. King Tullius rise to power was very uncommon for Roman rulers because his ascendency to the throne seemed more like a mythical account than a factual event.

King Tullius story began with his mother Ocrisia who was a young noblewoman from the land of Comiculum. During the reign of Rome’s fifth king Tarquinius, the land of Comiculum was attacked and subdued by the Romans. Ocrisia was brought back to Rome and made a personal servant to King Tarquinius’ queen named Tanaquil. Ocrisia was already pregnant when she was made a personal slave to the queen, and she had her child while in servitude. The child was named Servius, and when he was around eight years old, he was sleeping and then all of a sudden flames arose around the youth’s head. The king and queen were informed about this matter, and they witnessed the spectacle for themselves. Another servant had thought to retrieve water to extinguish the flames, but Tanaquil didn’t allow him to put them out. Queen Tanaquil took this as a sign that Servius was destined for greatness. The queen actually believed that he would become the next king of Rome after her husband, and she adopted the boy as her own child.

King Tarquinius had taken over the throne of Rome by stealing power away from an old king named Ancus Marcius. King Tarquinius accomplished this feat by sending the king’s two sons away on an extended hunting trip and by persuading the Senate. When King Marcius’ sons returned from their trip and found out what had occurred, they were outraged, and they secretly plotted to avenge this evil deed against their father and themselves. King Marcius’ sons were young teenage boys so they couldn’t do anything about what had occurred but in time they were able to carry out their plot. They hired two wild shepherds to assassinate King Tarquinius, and when the time was right, the shepherds disposed of the king.

Queen Tanaquil knew that her husband was going to die, but she didn’t know when or how it was going to happen. Long before King Tarquinius was killed the queen had already spread her influence over the Senate. A few minutes after the king was slain she told the people that King Tarquinius was recovering from his wounds and that he placed Servius in charge until he recovered. The people believed the queen and about one week later the queen announced that Servius was now the sole ruler of Rome.

King Servius had a strong bodyguard, so no one challenged his authority. King Marcius’ two sons who carried out the assassination plot had gone into exile to save their own lives. Before King Tullius took over the throne his adopted father King Tarquinius had given him special duties to perform such as governing some parts of the kingdom and overseeing some military operations. King Servius had proven that he was skilled at both endeavors. He used this knowledge later on during his reign to help change the Roman’s way of life. He expanded the population and then created the first census to determine voting rights and how people were to vote. He divided the land of Rome into four sections.

He established new military forces and how Roman citizens were to be used within the Army, he founded Diana’s temple on Aventine Hill, he expanded the city of Rome and he built a wall around the city for the purpose of defense.

King Tullus eventually lost his life to one of his daughters who was a mean spirited woman named Tullia. Before his death, he had married those two daughters of his to King Tarquinius’ natural sons. One of King Tarquinius sons was also named Tarquinius, and he was married to Tullia. Tarquinius and Tullia both plotted and killed their siblings before murdering their father the king. King Servius reign came to an end after a 44-year rule. After his death, King Lucius Tarquinius Superbus became Rome’s final king.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Servius_Tullius
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Tarquinius_Priscus
http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Servius_Tullius.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Servius_by_Rouille.jpg

Posted on November 18, 2012September 15, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Magadha, The Kingdom of

The kingdom of Magadha was founded around 500 B.C. (which is where it appears on the Biblical Timeline Poster ) by an aggressive ruler named Bimsiara Magadha. The kingdom started off as a small territory that was a part of a federation of kingdoms known as the Maha Janapadas. King Bimsiara used a variety of tactics to expand the small kingdom of Magadha into the most dominant realm in the region. His tactics included warfare, politics, and arranged marriages. King Bimsiara’s influence was extremely strong while he was alive but once he died around 495 B.C., the kingdom began to fall apart. Before this particular Indian kingdom fell apart, it had played a major role in the development of Buddhism and Jainism.

Prince Siddhartha Gautama was also known historically as the Buddha or “the Enlightened One” of the current age. This former Indian monarch established the religion of Buddhism. While he was forming the core doctrine of this belief system, he traveled to the kingdom of Magadha. But this was during the 6th century B.C. When he visited this land he was influenced by some of the teachings and beliefs that were flourishing in this region. One of the major tenants of Buddhism is that liberation can be achieved through the knowledge of self and people already practiced this particular discipline as a part of their culture. Magadha religious practices also influenced Buddha’s teachings on rebirth and karma. Jainism was also influenced by Magadha religious practices. Both of these religious beliefs systems are described as a “holy” or “blessed” place because of how the people and the area influenced their religious founders in the past.

Once King Bimsiara built the Kingdom of Magadha he had to defend it against the advancing armies of the Persian Empire who harassed them for years. The Persians entered into the region of India around 500 B.C. which was the same period that Magadha was being formed. King Bimsiara knew that if he didn’t hold the Persians back that his kingdom would be in ruins. During his rule, he managed to keep the Persians from gaining control of his lands.

The kingdom of Magadha was divided into Republican communities, and many of the villages had their own local forms of government which included assemblies made up of the executive, judicial and military functions. Urban centers developed around 550 B.C., and this corresponds to the period that Buddhism and Jainism were starting to take root in the land. The kingdom was also situated by the Ganges River in India, and this allowed it to control and develop trade beyond its borders.

The Kingdom of Magadha was in existence before it became a prominent territory under the leadership of Bimsiara. The territory was formally established around 700 B.C. with sixteen other kingdoms but it didn’t hold an important position in India until Bimsiara gained control. King Bimsiara had many children, and his oldest child was named Ajatasatru. Prince Ajatasatru was an outstanding young man who was as strong and smart as he was handsome. One day King Bimsiara decided to give his children some gifts, but he didn’t give his oldest son anything on that day. The reason he didn’t give Ajatasatru a gift is because he was going to give him the kingdom of Magadha. Unfortunately, the young prince was offended by his father’s perceived negligence, and he had King Bimsiara imprisoned. Once the king was jailed Prince Ajatasatru took over the throne. He was cursed by his family, but he still continued to rule. The king died either by suicide or murder, and history is not clear as to which one of these two ill-fated forms of death claimed his life. King Ajatastru continued an aggressive campaign of conquest during his time in power. Eventually, he passed away and other rulers such as Udayabhadra, Munda, and Pandhuka.

Alexander the Great eventually made his way near Magadha around 321 B.C. but he did not fight against this empire because his soldiers mutinied and refused to go to war. So the Greek King left and returned home. Shortly after Alexander the Great visited the kingdom, it went into decline. The Maurya Empire eventually rose to power within the region and took over as the dominant state.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magadha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajatashatru
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0120-kingdom-of-magadha.php
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/356381/Magadha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_(Dhammajak_Mutra).jpg

Posted on November 17, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Confucius

Confucius was an ancient Chinese philosopher who forever revolutionized Chinese ideology, culture, and society. His philosophies were so influential to the Chinese mindset that his way of thinking had influenced Chinese generations for thousands of years as well as many other people who exist in other parts of the world.

Confucius was born in 551 B.C. which is where he appears on the Bible Timeline Poster with World History. He lived during the Zhou Dynasty of China. Confucius began his philosophical journey in the early adult years of his life. He was employed as a shepherd, a cow herder, a bookkeeper and as a clerk. Confucius eventually became a teacher and was able to start instructing people with the wisdom that was a natural part of his character.

He eventually became a governor of a town and by 505 B.C. he was selected to be a minister of crime. Confucius was involved in politics and influenced the ruling Chinese leaders of the day to move the country toward a centralized government. He also had followers who helped to spread his philosophical ideas.

Due to problems with the ruling officials of his land Confucius eventually left his post and traveled around to other kingdoms spreading his philosophies but the rulers of the time were not interested in using them to govern their affairs. Confucius eventually returned home when he was an old man and spent the remaining years of his life passing on his wisdom and knowledge to his followers.

Confucius had a wife named Qi Guan and a child that he dearly loved, but he abandoned them at an early age in order to devote himself to his philosophical works. His mother died when he was 23 years old and his father was a well-known military commander who died sometime after her passing. This great philosopher never thought of himself as a religious leader or great teacher; he did his best to teach people about how they should look to the ancient Chinese philosophers, scholars and wise men who were already established in history.

His philosophies touched on almost every major subject that is a part of people’s lives. These include religion, government, economics, morality, and culture. Confucius put people above everything else and many modern scholars consider his teachings to be humanistic. Confucius’ followers considered him a model for humanity that all humans should strive to emulate. This is because Confucius didn’t teach a set of abstract principles or from the position of a deity.

The concept of Li was another Confucian idea and it stressed performing actions that were associated with sacrifice to ancestors and deities, social and political institutions and etiquette of daily behavior. He promoted government that ruled through people’s natural rights and morality. He also believed that if a ruler governed correctly they would never need to issue orders because people would naturally adhere to him because he is directing them from the righteous and truth based position.

After Confucius died in 497 B.C. his followers continued to promote his teachings. In time, his ideas became known as Analects. His students used his teachings to develop different types of political and social theories. Some of Confucius’ followers were killed at different times in history because his teachings conflicted with the ruling ideology of the day and other times his books were burned or prohibited. Still many Chinese governments and societies considered Confucius to be one of the best philosophers and wisest men to have ever existed in the history of China and the Earth.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius#Early_life
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/
http://www.iep.utm.edu/confuciu/
http://academics.hamilton.edu/asian_studies/home/culttemp/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Confucius_Tang_Dynasty.jpg

Posted on November 16, 2012July 20, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Chinese History, Taxation and Tithing in Early

Since the time that societies were stable and organized the system taxation has always played a crucial role with providing them with revenue and finances. On the other hand, tithing was also important for providing governing organizations with the income that they needed in order to carry out their work. Tithing and taxes in early China provided many rulers with the money that they needed to benefit their societies with public services and civil institutions. There were 83 dynasties in the history of China and the system of tithing and taxation will be explored through some of the major ruling dynasties within China’s history. The system of tithing appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart with World History during the seventh century BC.

The key dynasties in ancient China were the Xia 2070-1600, Shang 1523-1028, Zhou 1046-221, Qin 221-207 and the Han in 206 B.C. to 220 A.D. Each of these ancient Chinese dynasties had their own systems of taxation and tithing which helped China to prosper at different periods within its history.

China’s history begins with the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors and their rule lasted from 2852 to 2070 B.C. These early Chinese rulers were considered mythical beings by the Chinese people. Chinese society during this time period was based on agriculture and the people gave their rulers a percentage of their crops for the purpose of taxation. Many rice farms were established during this time period and Chinese nobles who controlled these fields were also taxed heavily by the emperors. Trade has always been a feature of China’s economy and this form of economic revenue also brought wealth to China’s government. Merchants and traders were often taxed for importing an exporting their goods within China’s borders. The economy was pretty much the same during the Xia era which was the first official dynasty of China after the era of the gods.

ChinaTaxes_and_Tithing — Chinese Currency

Once the Shang Dynasty arrived around 1500 B.C. China’s society had begun to undergo some revolutionary changes. They developed bronze technology, organized their societies into structured classes, developed writing and used a standard form of currency. All of these developments helped to increase the Emperors ability to tax the people and to receive gifts or tithes from them as well. The Chinese people used a system of taxing plots by a number of fields that a person owned. In other words, if a person owned thirty fields one of them would automatically be used to pay taxes. So a person with thirty fields could grow twenty-nine of them for their own use while growing one of them strictly for the government. Sometimes Chinese officials demanded more than just one field and in some cases they would take almost half or maybe even more of a person’s crops if they felt they were justified with carrying out this action. There were many evil emperors during the Shang period and extreme taxation did happen.

Poorer people might have just one plot or field and they would have to give a certain percentage of the crops that they had grown to the emperor. Chinese society was extremely feudal during the Shang period and there were nobles, lords, serfs and peasants. Each one of these groups was responsible for providing taxes to the Chinese government. China also had slaves throughout its ancient history and these slaves were also given to the government in the form of taxation. They would then be used for public works and other forms of labor for the ruling class.

The next ruling dynasty after the Shang was the Zhou and they developed urban cities and lived in a rigid separation of social classes. Many of the rich and middle-class people lived inside of the main cities while the poorer people lived in the countryside. Agriculture was still the dominate means of income for Chinese rulers during this time period, but a merchant and skilled labor classes had become a standard feature of society as well. They also developed a standard form of money that was based on shells. All of these changes allowed China’s government to tax the people at a greater rate which means that the government had more economic power than it did in previous times. The Qin and then the Han dynasties followed after the Zhou and taxation had become more efficient and streamlined during these two eras. China enjoyed more prosperity than in the past though there were certain periods of time when the Chinese economy went into decline.

Tithing or gift giving in ancient China was done by emperors and other people as a sign of respect or honor. Many Asian kingdoms such as Japan and Korea paid tribute to China in the past and Chinese emperors had given them tithes. The emperors made sure that the tithes were seen as a gift and not as a tribute. The difference being is that a tribute represented the fact that a kingdom was a defeated nation or one that could not contend with a stronger power. The tithe was an act of good will and it showed that a kingdom was self-sufficient and independent of foreign power.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corv%C3%A9e
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_China
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribute
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/xia/
http://www.education.com/study-help/article/ancient-history-china-zhou–
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Han_Dynasty
http://quizlet.com/9979972/7-major-dynasties-of-china-flash-cards/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ancientchinesecoins.jpg