Alphabetical Index to Bible Timeline – Page 71 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on August 21, 2012April 5, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Eliezer A Minor Prophet

Eliezer is a minor prophet in the Bible who only made an appearance in 2 Chronicles 20:37. His father was named Dodovahu, who is also an unknown biblical figure. His name means “the Lord is my God”. The Bible mentions the name Eliezer quite a few times, but the references are either to Moses son or other men in the Old Testament that has this name. No prophet in the Bible is named Eliezer, but Eliezer is the only person mentioned in the Bible who was a prophet. He appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart with World History during the reign of King Jehoshaphat around 925 BC.

There were many unknown prophets in the land of Judah and Israel during the period of the kings. God used them at various different times to speak his judgments and words of encouragement toward the rulers of both lands.

Jehoshaphat story is Eliezer’s Story

King Jehoshaphat was one of the best rulers that Judah had on the throne during the time of the kings. He was a man who walked with God, and he did his best to lead the nation of Israel in a godly direction. At different time periods throughout his 35 years reign God had sent prophets to inform King Jehoshaphat about the thing that he was doing wrong. Most of these minor prophet’s were not mentioned in the Bible other than their appearance with Jehoshaphat. Eliezer the prophet was chosen by God to inform King Jehoshaphat that God was going to judge him for his alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel.

King Ahaziah of Israel was a bad ruler according to God. His father was King Ahab, and God despised this ruler. Even though King Jehoshaphat was a godly man, he aligned himself with this king. They also had some close relatives marry each other which also strengthened this alliance. God was angry with this union because King Ahab encouraged the people to worship Baal.

One day King Ahab asked for King Jehoshaphat to go to war with him against a foreign power. God sent a prophet proclaiming that King Ahab wasn’t going to win the battle and that he was going to lose his life. King Ahab imprisoned this prophet and went to war with King Jehoshaphat. Ahab of Israel lost his life during that battle, and Jehoshaphat barely escaped back to Judah. Once he did arrive home God sent another minor prophet to tell the king that he was going to be judged for his sins. God sent a large army to annihilate his kingdom. Before the army reached Judah, God sent another minor prophet to tell the people that God would defend them if they obeyed his commands and followed his directions. King Jehoshaphat and the army of Judah obeyed God and claimed victory over the invading forces.

Toward the end of King Ahab’s rule, he made an alliance with King Ahaziah who as the son of King Ahab. Apparently, King Jehoshaphat didn’t learn his lesson from his former alliance with King Ahab. So when he made another alliance with his son, this, of course, angered God. This alliance was established to between Israel and Judah to build up trading power in the Mesopotamian Sea. Powerful trading empires such as Tyre had grown wealthy off of sea route trading and Israel and Judah wanted in on the action. Shortly after this alliance was made, God sent Eliezer to inform the king that he would no longer have these trading vessels at his disposal. The Bible says that the ships were wrecked and were not able to be used for trade.

Bible References

2 Chronicles 20:37 Eliezer tells Jehoshaphat that God will destroy his trading vessels for aligning himself with King Ahaziah of Israel.

References:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ship_wreck.jpg

Posted on August 20, 2012April 5, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 4 Comments

Jehoshaphat Righteous King

Jehoshaphat was a famous Judean king who led his people back to the true worship of God during his reign. He was the son of another godly Judean leader named King Asa. He was thirty-five years old when he ruled the kingdom of Judah, and he reigned for 25 years. He appears on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History 928 BC.

Jehoshaphat,_Righteious_King — Statues of Josaphat and Ezechias on the Monastery of El Escorial.

Statues of Josaphat and Ezechias on the Monastery of El Escorial.

A Life Committed to God

When Jehoshaphat took over the throne, he quickly established himself as a righteous ruler who feared the Lord. He was devoted to God in his heart and his actions. His love for God greatly benefited the kingdom of Judah. The people’s hearts were turned from the false worship of Baal that was present in the land during his time in power. Because of his actions God strengthened the nation of Judah so that no one would dare to attack them for many years. Judah’s foreign enemies also sent them gifts and paid tribute to avoid going to war with Jehoshaphat. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord was on the nations that surrounded Judah, and this caused them to treat Judah with love and respect. Since God had made the other nations fear Judah, Jehoshaphat was able to build up forts and strengthen his military forces.

King Jehoshaphat and King Ahab

King Jehoshaphat and King Ahab of Israel were good friends, and they became allied through a marriage between some of their close relatives. Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat’s help against Ramoth Gilead a foreign group of people that had been harassing Israel. King Jehoshaphat agreed, but he desired God’s opinion about his decision to fight with Ahab. So, King Ahab summoned a bunch of prophets who told them that they were going to win the war. King Jehoshaphat didn’t believe these prophets. Somehow he knew they were lying. He then asked Ahab to summon a true prophet from God that would tell them the truth. A prophet named Micaiah came forth and told King Ahab that he would fail and die during this conflict. King Ahab had him imprisoned and went to battle with Jehoshaphat. King Ahab disguised himself on the battlefield while Jehoshaphat wore his royal robes. When the enemy realized that, King Jehoshaphat wasn’t King Ahab they didn’t kill him. A Bowman shot a random arrow, and it hit King Ahab who died later on that night. Jehoshaphat made it home safely.

Jehu Son of Hanani Prophesizes against King Jehoshaphat Once the king returned home, he was soon greeted by a prophet named Jehu, who was the son of Hanani. Jehu told the king that the wrath of God was upon him. God didn’t carry out this judgment right away because of the good things that the king had done for him and the people of Judah.

Moab and Ammon Attacks Judah

Eventually, God’s judgment finally came, and the Ammonites with the help of the Moabites attacked Judah. This particular foreign army was huge and vast, and they were so big that they could have annihilated King Jehoshaphat’s forces if they went to war. All of Judah was afraid, so the king summoned the people and gave a speech and a prayer to God to overcome this great enemy. Then a priest named Jahaziel prophesied that God would give Judah victory against this united army. God revealed to the army of Judah that they had to praise him with music and songs and when they did he defeated the invading army by having them to turn on each other until they destroyed themselves. King Jehoshaphat and his forces carried away the plunder of the enemy, and the fear of God came upon all of the surrounding nations. Once again, no one messed with Judah because of God’s protection.

The Last Days of Jehoshaphat

Jehoshaphat’s last days were peaceful, but the people still didn’t fully have their hearts set on the Lord and some pagan temples and altars remained in the land. God was also disappointed with Jehoshaphat for making an alliance with King Ahab’s successor King Ahaziah and he destroyed Judah’s trading vessels as a result. Ultimately, God claimed that King Jehoshaphat’s rule was successful.

Bible References

2 Chronicles 17 Jehoshaphat governs the kingdom of Judah in a godly manner.
2 Chronicles 18 King Jehoshaphat Allies with King Ahab
2 Chronicles 19: 1 – 3 Jehu warns Jehoshaphat about his sins.
2 Chronicles: 20 Moab and Ammon unite against Judah
2 Chronicles 20: 31 – 38 Jehoshaphat’s final days.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehoshaphat

Posted on August 19, 2012March 28, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

Asa King of Judah

The last years of King Abijah’s brief reign were peaceful. It was during this time period of peace that he had passed away and his son Asa came to the throne. King Abijah didn’t do everything right when he ruled Judah, but there were some things that he did do well. He continued to lead Judah in the worship of God even though pagan altars and shrines were still spread out across the land. Asa must have been influenced by the true worship of God because most of his reign was categorized by honoring Yahweh. He appears on the Biblical Timeline with World History starting in 970 BC

Life under King Asa

King Asa was given a peaceful rule by the Lord. This peace allowed him to build up many of the fortresses along Judah’s and Israel’s border. All of the shrine prostitutes were removed from the land and most of the pagan altars were destroyed as well. The people were encouraged to continue on in the worship of God. He also took away his grandmother’s position as Queen Mother of a pagan cult.
King Asa honored God by placing gold and silver in the temple. Asa’s name means “doctor” or “healer” and his name is a reflection of the effort that he made to help heal Judah of their sins.

Asa vs. Baasha

Since King Asa followed the Lord he was granted a long reign of peace. During the latter end of his reign, he ran into problems with King Baasha of Israel along the border. King Asa decided to form an alliance with King Ben-Hadad of Aram. After bribing the king of Aram to break a peace treaty with Israel, King Asa used his assistance to push the Israelites off of the border. King Asa didn’t try to reunite the kingdom after defeating King Bashaa.

All Rulers have Problems

Even though King Asa was a godly ruler who governed his people well he was criticized by the Lord for aligning himself with Aram. Hanani the prophet came to King Asa and told him what God had revealed to him. Hanani explained that he should have relied on God instead of Aram to deal with Bashaa. King’s Asa’s actions prompted God to send the people of Judah into a constant state of war. King Asa was enraged with Hanani and had him imprisoned. The Bible then mentions that King Asa started to mistreat many people because of his anger. Eventually, the king had developed a disease in his feet and instead of relying on God he sought out doctors and physicians for a cure.

King Asa became very week and immobile in his old age and he had to share the throne with his son Jehoshaphat. The king died two years after establishing this co-regent form of rule and his son became the sole monarch of Judah.

Biblical References

2 Chronicles 14: 1 Asa becomes king of Judah
2 Chronicles 15 King Asa carries out serious reforms in Judah and God is pleased with his efforts.
2 Chronicles 16 King Asa is judged by God through the prophet Hanani and Asa’s latter years as a ruler is marked by disobedience and unfaithfulness.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_of_Judah
http://bible.org/article/wholehearted-devotion-hard-lessons-king-asa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_of_Judah

Posted on August 18, 2012August 5, 2020 by Margaret Hunter — 5 Comments

Baasha King of Israel

King Baasha reigned in Israel for about 23 years. During his reign, he continued the ongoing conflict with Judah and he encouraged the continuation of the Golden Calf Cult started by King Jeroboam. Baasha’s name means boldness, wicked, usurper among other words and it is a perfect way to describe his time in power. He appears on the Bible Timeline with World history starting in 967 BC

Baasha Becomes King

Baasha was a military commander in the service of King Nadab who was the son of the former King Jeroboam. When King Nabad was attacking a Philistine town named Gibbethon, Bashaa assassinated him. After assassinating the king, he then took over the throne. Apparently, he had some of the key members of the army behind him in order to accomplish this feat.

God uses Baasha to Destroy Jeroboam’s Line

God then used King Bassha to wipe out Jeroboam’s line as prophesized through Ahijah the prophet. He killed all of Jeroboams family members and not one relative was left breathing. King Bashaa was successful at exterminating Jeroboam’s line because God used him to carry out this particular judgment.

Baasha’s Evil Reign

King Baasha didn’t learn from King Jeroboam’s mistakes. Ultimately, Jeroboam lost the kingdom of Israel because of his sins and King Baasha was following in his footsteps. Instead of bringing the people back to the true worship of God he continued with the false practices that they were accustomed to performing. King Bashaa had grown up in an environment of pagan worship and probably didn’t believe that it was all that bad to worship in this manner. Baasha’s name means “Baal hears” and it was probably given to him in honor of the pagan god Baal.

Jehu‘s Prophecy Against King Baasha

God sent a message to a prophet named Jehu and he told him to inform Baasha that he was going to wipe out his dynasty for the same reasons that he destroyed Jeroboam’s. Jehu explained the reasons for God’s judgment and they include arousing God’s anger by causing the people to sin and by disregarding the serious commitment that is needed to govern and lead God’s people. He also said that dogs would eat Baasha’s dead family members in the city and birds would devour their flesh in the country. King Bashaa didn’t turn away from his evil practices even after receiving this prophecy from Jehu.

The Wars of King Bashaa

King Asa was ruling Judah during the reign of King Baasha. Both rulers tried to keep their people from defecting across their borders into the other king’s territory. King Baasha fortified an area called Ramah and used this city or fortress to control the border region. King Asa then decided to bribe a nearby king named Ben-Hada of Aram from the region of Damascus.

King Ben-Hadad had a treaty with King Baasha and King Asa made it a point to persuade him to end the treaty and side with Judah against Israel. The king of Aram agreed to the bribe and they attacked the border areas that were under Baasha’s control. King Bashaa eventually pulled his forces out the border areas and stopped placing troops in the region.

King Baasha’s Successor

Eventually, Baasha’s reign had come to an end and his son Elah succeeded his rule. God didn’t carry out the promise to wipe out Baasha’s line until his son Elah became ruler. Once again the sins of a father were being revisited upon his son.

Biblical References:

1 Kings 15: 25 – 31 King Baasha assassinates King Nabad and wipes out Jeroboam’s family line.
1 Kings 16: 1 – 8 Jehu prophesizes King Baasha’s destruction.
2 Chronicles 16: King Baasha is defeated by King Asa and the King of Aram

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.bibleview.org/en/Bible/KingsOfIsrael/03_KingBaashaIsrael/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baasha_of_Israel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baasha_of_Israel.jpg

Posted on August 17, 2012January 26, 2021 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

Abijah or Abijam, Grandson of Solomon, King of Judah

Abijah followed in the ways of his father Rehoboam when he became king. Even though the people of Israel had not completely abandoned worshipping God, they continued to worship false gods that were permitted into the land by Rehoboam. He appears on the Biblical Timeline starting in 972 BC. Abijam knew that these practices probably weren’t any good for the nation, but he grew up in a climate where this religion was well entrenched in the minds of his people.

Early Life

Abijah was Rehoboam’s son and his mother’s name was Maacah. He was raised as a child in Israel during the initial years that the kingdom split. These events undoubtedly influenced his perspective on his rule. He also closely watched his father King Rehoboam as he governed the land of Judah. Abijah was more than likely advised to rule the kingdom in the same manner as his father. Abijah is also referred to Abijam and his name means “father of the sea” or “my father is the sea”. He was the fifth ruler of Israel.

Abijah,_or_Abijam,King_of_Judah — A depiction of Abijah

Like Father Like Son

When Abijah became king he continued the war and battles that his father fought with Jeroboam. One battle, in particular, took place between the two kings is found in 2 Chronicles 13. Abijah told Jeroboam that he was going to defeat him in battle because of his sins. Apparently, God was using Abijah to punish Jeroboam. Abijah told him that his rebellion was prompted by worthless scoundrels and he explained to them how wrong it was for them to remove God’s priests and place pagan in their place. He then told Jeroboam that he should walk away from the battle because God was on Judah’s side. Jeroboam didn’t listen and he went to war with Abijah anyway. He ended up losing the battle and lost some important key cities in the process.

Apparently, Abijah army had caused over a half of million of King Jeroboam’s troops to either be killed or injured. Abijah started off with four hundred thousand troops and Jeroboam had eight hundred thousand. Having the Lord on their side made a difference for Abijah’s armies. Once he routed Jeroboam’s forces he then began to chase after King Jeroboam. He chased him into his territory and took back some of the areas that were previously lost when the kingdom split. King Jeroboam was utterly helpless against him. After King Jeroboam lost this battle the Lord never allowed him to regain power and God didn’t let Abijah reunite the kingdom either.

Last Days as King

Abijah ruled Judah for only three years before he died. During the later years of his reign, he had 14 wives, 22 sons and 16 daughters. He also grew in power and strength among his people. The kingdom enjoyed relative peace toward the end of his reign. This helped to set the stage for his successor Asa when he came to the throne.

References:

1 Kings 15: 1-8 Abijah ascends the throne and God claims that he was a wicked man.
2 Chronicles 13 Abijah defeats Jeroboam in battle.

References
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.conservapedia.com/Abijam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abijah_of_Judah

Posted on August 16, 2012October 12, 2018 by Margaret Hunter — 13 Comments

Rehoboam, Son of Solomon

Rehoboam was the son of King Solomon of Israel. He came to power when his father died. Shortly after he became ruler, the Israelites revolted against his authority. He is found on the Amazing Bible Timeline with World History at the end of Solomon’s reign 990 BC.

King Solomon’s Troubles

King Solomon was the son of King David and is considered by God to be the wisest man that has ever lived on the Earth. Most of Solomon’s reign was good and the people generally prospered under his rule. The king’s problems came toward the end of his time in power. King Solomon began to marry hundreds of foreign women, and they turned his heart from God toward pagan deities. The monarch’s tolerance for false gods soon spread among the people of Israel, and many of them started to worship false gods. God became angry with Solomon and decided to split the kingdom of Israel into two parts. God wanted to carry out this judgment after Solomon had died because of the promises that he made to David. God told David that there would always be a member of his royal line sitting on the throne.

Rehoboam becomes King of Judah

When Rehoboam became king, the people wanted him to treat them less harshly than his father. King Solomon was respected and loved, but the people thought his demands were hard. Keep in mind that King Solomon had to use thousands upon thousands of laborers for his great works and his taxes were heavy as well. The people also told Rehoboam that if he made things easier for them they would honor and serve him as king.

Rehoboam went to Solomon’s advisors for advice, and they told him to lighten the load. He then sought advice from his personal group of advisors who were young and experienced. They told him to make things harder on the people, and Rehoboam listened to their wisdom. He then told the people that he would make things miserable under his rule and when the people realized what he had said they turned away from him. They soon made their spokesman and leader, a man named Jeroboam, their king.

The Battle of Kings

King Jeroboam became ruler of the ten tribes of Israel that split from Judah. Rehoboam ruled the southern kingdom of Judah. Throughout the years that both of these rulers were in power, they fought against each other. Sometimes Rehoboam would be victorious and at other times Jeroboam would win.

Rehoboam Final Days

During Rehoboam’s rule, he set up altars and shrines to false gods, and he allowed male prostitutes to run freely through the land. The people engaged in practices that made God extremely unhappy. The people God had forced out of Canaan before the arrival of the Israelites engaged in these practices. In God’s eyes, many of the people in Israel who did these things were no different than the pagan people who lived there before them. The Israelites became subject to Shishak and the Egyptian forces as a part of God’s punishment. This lasted for a short period during Rehoboam’s reign. Rehoboam’s rule ultimately didn’t prove to be successful, and he was in charge for 17 years before his time came to an end.

Biblical References

2 Chronicles 9: 29 King Solomon dies.
2 Chronicles 10 Rehoboam becomes king and Israel rebels against his rule.
1 Kings 14: 21 – 29 Rehoboam leads the people in false worship, and he has to fight against King Shishak of Egypt.
2 Chronicles 12 God isn’t completely unhappy with Rehoboam’s rule.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12647-rehoboam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rehoboam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rehoboam._Fragment_of_Wall_Painting_from_Basel_Town_Hall_Council_Chamber,_by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger..jpg

Posted on August 15, 2012April 5, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 8 Comments

Jeroboam Old Testament King

King Jeroboam’s role in the history of ancient Israel is very important because his rule took place as a result of King Solomon‘s disobedience. Jeroboam made some significant changes to the worship and lifestyle of Israel during his reign. His actions set off a chain of events that had made God angry with the people of Israel for many years. According to Ussher’s chronology of the Old Testament Timeline his reign started circa 990 BC. He is the first king of Divided Israel.
Jeroboam’s Early Days

Jeroboam was born to Nabat, and he grew up to become a respected and well-liked member of his community. His name means “the people contend” or “he pleads the people cause” and his name perfectly defined the course of his life. By the time, he was old enough to work he was recognized by King Solomon as a young man with great leadership and organizational skills.

He was also popular well respected by the people of Israel. He was also a natural born leader. King Solomon noticed the positive way that people responded to Jeroboam, and he noticed how blessed he was in the work that he performed. After Solomon realized that Jeroboam was a good manager he promoted him to the position Chief Laborer.

God uses Jeroboam against King Solomon

Jeroboam_I,First_King_Divided_Isreal — Ahijah’s prophecy to Jeroboam

There was a prophet in Israel during the time of King Solomon and Jeroboam, and his name was Ahijah. One day Jeroboam was on his way to Jerusalem, and Ahijah met up with him during his journey. The Prophet and King were alone. He informed Jeroboam that he was sent from God to let him know that he would become the next king of Israel. God would prosper his royal line as long as he kept the Lord’s commandments and walked in his ways. He went on to explain that he would take the kingdom from Solomon because he handled leading his people to worship false gods. Ahijah also told Jeroboam that these events wouldn’t take place until King Solomon passed away.

Eventually, King Solomon found out about God’s appointment of Jeroboam, and he decided to have him killed. Jeroboam had no choice but to flee to Egypt to save his life. He remained in Egypt up until the time Solomon died.

Jeroboam Returns from Egypt

Jeroboam came back to Israel after King Solomon had passed away. He found out that his son Rehoboam was going to become the next ruler. He led some of the people of Israel to Rehoboam’s palace and asked him to be a kinder ruler than King Solomon. Rehoboam denied their request after he consulted with a group of advisors who were his age. Then ten of the twelve tribes of Israel rebelled against him. The Bible says they did this because God initiated Rehoboam’s negative response (see 1 Kings 12: 15 – 16)

Jeroboam starts the Gold Calf Cult

Jeroboam eventually becomes King of Israel, and King Rehoboam was prepared to fight against him. God intervened and told both armies not to fight because they were brothers. King Jeroboam then decided to start another religion in Israel. He did this to stop his people from going up to Solomon’s Temple to offer sacrifices to the Lord. He believed that if the people performed sacrifices to God they would turn their allegiance back to God and reunite with Rehoboam. To retain his power he created the worship of the Golden Calf Cult.

Jeroboam’s Legacy

Jeroboam consistently fought against Judah as long as he lived. He had continued the practice of the Golden Calf Cult up until the time of his demise. The Golden Calf Cult is the one thing that started the people of Israel and Judah to worship false gods and demons. The worship of the false gods in Israel and Judah lasted for a very long time, and it was almost impossible to get the people to stop completely worshipping in this manner.

Bible References:

1 Kings 11: 26 Jeroboam is born to Nabat.
1 Kings 11: 27, 28 Jeroboam recognized as a leader by the people and promoted by King Solomon.
1 Kings 11: 29 – 39 The prophet Abijah tell Jeroboam that he will be the king of Israel.
1 Kings 11: 40 Jeroboam escapes to Egypt to save his life from King Solomon.
1 Kings 12: 15 – 16 Jeroboam returns to Israel after King Solomon dies.
1 Kings 12: 1-14 Rehoboam denies the people request for mercy and the people revolt.
1 Kings12:20 Jeroboam is made the king of rebellious tribes of Israel.
1 Kings 12: 25 – 33 Jeroboam starts the Golden Calf Cult as a means to control his people.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8599-jeroboam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeroboam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ahijahs_and_Jeroboam.jpg

Posted on August 14, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Li Evil Ruler of China 877 BC

The Zhou’s contributions to the world

The Zhou Dynasty (appears on the Biblical Timeline from 1122 BC to 256 BC) was one of Ancient China’s most progressive ages. Its progress was directly attributed to the various contributions that they have made in history such as the introduction of Confucianism, as popularized by famous Chinese philosopher Confucius. The Zhou Dynasty also contributed many economic and bureaucratic reforms in Ancient China such as the introduction of a feudal system of government with lords under the Zhou Emperor manning the districts under the territory of the ruling king. Aside from the political system, reforms were also introduced in the aspects of agriculture, craftsmanship and literature during those times. But not all is good in China during the reign of the Zhou Emperors.

Li,Wicked_Ruler_of_China_Zhou_Dynasty — Zhou Dynasty

Tyrant King Li

While the legacy of the Zhou emperors was paved with great achievements and innovations, one emperor dared to be different, in a more negative way. King Li of Zhou (877 BC to 841 BC during the time of the Kings of divided Israel and the founding of Carthage among other world events). The tenth in the line of the Zhou Emperors, darkened the memory of his progressive predecessors due to his pride, conceit and cruelty to his subjects. Li was known throughout history as a tyrant and a corrupt king. He was known to have squandered the wealth of the kingdom by spending lavishly on riches using his subject’s paid taxes. He further aggravated his own reputation when he enacted a new law ordering those who dare to speak against him to be put to death. Fifty one years of harsh rule eventually made its effect on the local citizenry and even with the current emperor’s military forces.

Rebellion

Tired of Li’s despotic rule, citizens and even soldiers of the emperor eventually started a revolt against him. But prior to the impending revolt, Li was earlier warned by one of his ministers that with his law punishing anyone who speaks against him. A lot of the citizens were getting restless despite the forced silence made on them. The minister’s warning eventually came true. When the revolt began, angry citizens immediately rushed to the palace to murder Li. However, the tyrannical (but cowardly) despot fled after hearing reports of the revolution. But while Li successfully fled, his family was murdered by the revolutionaries. Failing to find the tyrant emperor, the angry mob eventually dispersed and the appointed the Dukes of Shao and Zhou to rule over the kingdom. Thus began the period of the Gonghe (“joint harmony”) Regency from 841 BC to 828 BC. It was at this period that China had experienced the same precepts as that of the Republic.

Li’s fate

After fleeing the palace during the revolt, King Li became a wanderer and a fugitive, eventually living in obscurity for years. Unknown to Li, one of his sons, who survived the revolt was in the safe keeping of one of his ministers. Li’s successor, a surviving son, named Xuan, eventually became king after the previous emperor died in exile. Xuan succeeded the popular Gonghe Regency after more than 14 years of rule.

References:
http://chineseaesop.blogspot.com/2012/04/tyrant-king-li-of-zhou-dynasty.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/12255/library/dynasty/zhou.html
http://www.enotes.com/topic/King_Li_of_Zhou
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_Dynasty

Posted on August 13, 2012September 15, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Lycurgian Constitution and Legislation

The Lycurgian constitution and legislation was considered to be the prime legacy of the Spartan leader, Lycurgus. He is placed on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History during the eighth century BC. His laws had defined the powerful militaristic political state we now envision Sparta to be during those times. What made Lycurgian rule unique to all other Greek states was its insistence on not keeping historical records and issuing any form of written law. Each case that needed resolution was handled on a case to case basis. Lycurgus and his somewhat democratic form of law were instrumental to Sparta’s rise to power.

The Ruler

It is believed that Lycurgus lived and reigned sometime between 800 to 630 BC. What we know of Lycurgus today can largely be attributed to old historians like Plutarch and his peers considering that Lycurgus did away with any form of historical records. Plutarch is the main source for any semblance of historical study on Lycurgus. In a way, what Plutarch discusses is more of an anecdotal collection rather than a biography. Some believe that Lycurgus may not have actually existed and is symbolic for some ancient ruler who brought sweeping change to Sparta.

The Institution

Lycurgus started the change in the political and legislative landscape by distributing the king’s power unto an elder senate. At times, a general assembly of the people would be held wherein the public would decide the fate of a piece of legislation. However, the people could not make new laws but could only approve or reject what the Senate has made. This was one of the earliest forms of democracy. This is the basic backbone of the Lycurgian constitution and legislation. Of course, not every citizen, particularly those in the upper class, favored this new arrangement but Lycurgus, according to Plutarch, succeeded in quelling opposition to his rule.

Many of the approved pieces of legislation were somehow idiosyncratic even by today’s standards. One feature compelled citizens to eat in public mess halls, into small groups called “sysstia”. These groups was generally a mixture of citizens both rich and poor. When one member disliked what was being served, they could bring their own meal, provided that they also feed everyone else in the group. Under the constitution, all manner of trade using gold or silver was banned, and iron was the new currency. Any form of occupation deemed useless was also banned, which included prostitution. Adultery was also allowed if it was done in the pursuit of creating an ideal offspring. Having an ideal baby was such an important concept during the Lycurgian era that those infants deemed defective were reportedly cast out into a cliff. The examination of an infant, if he or she was fit to live, was done by the council.

After Lycurgus

Even after the reported disappearance of Lycurgus, believed to have sought out the Oracle of Delphi and never returned, Sparta continued following the constitutional structure he presented. It is believed that this very adherence to the form of governing was the reason for Sparta becoming a powerful militaristic state in the Greek region. Many surrounding states also favored Spartans to be dispute arbitrators given the structure they followed when it come to conflict resolution. The apparent success in this otherwise crude and primitive form of democracy had led many other states to consider adopting the principles of the Lycurgian constitution and legislation.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lycurgus.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_democracy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycurgus_(Sparta)

Posted on August 12, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

Homeric Poems and Philosophy

Out of all the Homeric Poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey remain to be the most well-discussed works of literature. He appears on the Bible Timeline with World History during the eighth century BC, which is during the times of the Kings of Israel. These works helped in establishing the epic genre in literature and had also been a topic of interest in the history of philosophy. To some extent, these works from Homer helped in giving shape to the age-old philosophies that sprung from Ancient Greece.

Gods

One of the most influential roles that Homer’s works had on Ancient Greece was its choice in how the gods were depicted an ultimately determined for all Greeks as to how their gods were envisioned. One unique feature that Homer’s gods had that was they possessed human like qualities and were very rational. They were not some overly mystified icons that could only be accessed and appeased through some magical means. These gods possessed powers over the overall human experience for the mortals and were also subjected to some form of hierarchy. Eventually, Homer and his works would become a moral and religious basis for Greek education. Naturally, many opposed the somewhat immoral nature that some gods portrayed in Homeric poems. Plato, in particular, wished to censor material that would be detrimental to the image of the gods.

Man

When compared to other philosophical theories that sprung after the Homeric period, the view of man in these Greek works showed a lot of disparities. In Homer’s view, man did not possess a unified soul. The human psyche, which was an integral part of the Pythagorean era held a minimal role in Homeric literature and had no real influence over the thoughts and actions of man.

While the psyche survived after death in Homeric literature, it was not given the complete personality that later philosophies preached. The different facets of the human personality were instead distributed to various entities. While the psyche was nothing more than a helpless entity, the thoughts and emotions went into the “phrenes” and the intuitive perception and understanding went to the”nuos”.

Action

Perhaps the most crucial aspect to be considered in the study of philosophy is the depiction of human action in Homeric poems. In the Iliad and the Odyssey, the human action was mainly influenced by the gods. The somewhat divine intervention of deities was attributed to otherwise inexplicable feats done by the mortal characters. However, the hand of the gods was not only limited to the extraordinary actions in these poems, almost every form of unremarkable action in these pieces of literature were somehow associated with the Olympian intervention. Everything from a successful hit in a battle, a sudden outburst of rage, an undesirable transaction and many other things could somehow be traced back to the gods.

Because of this feature in Homer’s works, many philosophers even in modern times remark that Homer was a firm believer in the absence of free will. Some even claim that Homer may have had very little grasp of the facets of a human personality. However, the other side of the spectrum claims that Homer was no philosopher. And that any moral responsibility and relations among humans as a whole were only partly affected by divine intervention and part of that action could still be blamed on human volition. Homeric poems provided a strong background for philosophical study during that era and examined the relations between gods and men in a different perspective.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey