Bible Timeline Chart – Page 11 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on September 20, 2014March 28, 2024 by Amy — 3 Comments

Moses

Known as the great prince of Egypt who eventually became a prophet, Moses has made a significant part in the Hebrew Bible. Pharaoh’s daughter named him Moses (Hebrew Mosheh), as she drew him out (Hebrew meshitihu) of the water. The name Moses in Egyptian means “son”, as derived from the Egyptian word “mes”. In Hebrew, he was referred to as Moshe Rabbenu, which means “Moses our Rabbi”. He was also noted as one of the most important prophets in Judaism, Islam, Christianity and other religions. He can be found on the Bible Timeline Chart around 1571 BC.

The Time of Moses

The birth of Moses occurred at the time when the Israelites, particularly the children, were viewed as a threat to the Pharaoh’s power. The Israelite population continued to increase, and the Pharoah was afraid they might all become allies to the opponents of Egypt. Thus, an order was made, which would kill all the newborn Hebrew boys in the nation. When this news reached Jochebed, the Hebrew mother of Moses, she decided to spare the child’s life by hiding him in a basket. Then, she let the basket travel through the lengths of the Nile River.

Moses_saved — Moses is adopted by the Queen

Queen Bithia, the sister of the Pharaoh, decided to adopt the child upon seeing it nestled in a basket that was floating along the river. Hence, Moses was raised in the royal family of Egypt where he basked in a life of luxury.

Leaving Egypt

One incident occurred in the life of Moses when he deliberately killed an Egyptian overseer of an Israelite slave. Filled with fear and guilt, Moses left immediately until he reached Midian. It was here that he came across the voice of God who spoke to him while appearing as a burning bush.

Instead of letting Moses settle in the new land, God commanded him to return to Egypt to set free his people, the Israelites. At first, Moses was reluctant to do so as he had no superior ability to speak with command and eloquence. As a solution, God said that Aaron would become the voice behind Moses.

With the help of God, ten plagues were sent to Egypt, which led to the victorious release of the Israelites from the Pharaoh. After crossing the Red Sea, these people headed off to Mount Sinai, the place where they were given the Ten Commandments by Moses.

Moses_Bible — Moses and the Ten Commandments

From Mount Sinai, the Israelites were led to Canaan‘s border. It was here were Moses sent 12 spies who would determine the condition of the land, and if it was worth living. However, it was discovered that Giants settled in the place, and this caused the Israelites to keep on complaining and they even wanted to go back to Egypt. They even made acts of rebellion to God and Moses. Soon, the Israelites were punished, and they were left wandering for 40 years in the wilderness.

Moses was considered to be Israel’s great lawgiver, and he was able to put all these laws in four books. The books included the Covenant Code where the Decalogue were found, the Book of Leviticus, Book of Numbers and Book of Deuteronomy. Lastly, Moses was also regarded as the author behind these four books including Genesis that made up the Torah of the Jewish Bible.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/history/moses_1.shtml
http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/exodus/who-was-moses-was-he-more-than-an-exodus-hero/
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/73398/jewish/Moses.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses#mediaviewer/File:San_Pietro_in_Vincoli_Rome_2011_14.jpg

Posted on June 10, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — 1 Comment

Visigoths

Known as the western part of the Germanic tribe called the Goths, the Visigoths remained mainly on the west part of the Black Sea during the 3rd century AD. It is located on the Bible Timeline Chart between 400 and 500 AD. Because they frequently settled in the west, these people were referred to as the Western Goths while the Ostrogoths were the Eastern Goths. This distinction was made by Cassiodorus, a Roman writer who provided further information about these two Gothic tribes.

‘Capital from the Visigothic church of San Pedro de la Nave.’

Historical Background

Upon the invasions of the Huns, the Visigoths sought for help to Emperor Valens, who was then the ruler of Rome. These people needed a place where they could settle and remain safe from the Hunnic invasions. Fortunately, Valens permitted them to stay in an area situated near the Danube much to the contentment of the Visigoths.

However, things took a turn for the worst for this tribe as provincial Roman governors began to mistreat their people. This resulted to open rebellion led by the Visigoths to defend themselves from the cruel treatment of these officials. The Visigoths sacked and looted various Roman towns, and they became more and more powerful after successfully getting what they wanted.

Valens took action by setting out for a battle against the Visigoths. The Gothic Wars, which took place in 376 to 382 AD, resulted in many wins by the Roman Empire. However, the Battle of Adrianople held in 378 AD served as the decisive victory for the Visigoths. It also signaled the Roman Empire’s slow decline and even the emperor was killed in this tough battle.

The Glory of the Visigoths

Theodosius I assumed the throne to take the place of Valens, and he ruled the Western Roman Empire. His main purpose was to prevent the Visigoths from further causing trouble and chaos to the Romans’ territories. In 382 AD, a peace treaty was created to end the battle between the Romans and Visigoths. The treaty was signed by the leaders of both parties – Athanaric and Theodosius.

Meanwhile, Theodosius decided to strengthen this peace treaty by establishing regional Visigoth governors. He also tried to unite the Romans and the Visigoths through the Christian religion. At that time, the Visigoths believed in Arianism while the Roman Empire followed the Nicene Creed that was instituted by the Emperor Constantine the Great. Although he did not attain this goal of encouraging more Visigoths to practice the Nicene Creed, the peaceful relations between the two lasted until Theodosius died in 395 AD.

With the death of Theodosius, the Visigoths who were assigned to various political roles started to reject the Roman rule. They chose Alaric I as their new king. Alaric I wanted to establish unity between the Romans and Visigoths, which he partly accomplished. However, he was much more competent as a warrior than as an administrator. So, he failed to promote long-term peace between the Visigoths and the Romans until it led to the conquest of Rome in 410 AD. Slowly, Rome lost its control over the Visigoths, and with greater challenges from its powerful opponents, the empire soon reached its decline.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visigoths
http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/westeurope/Visigoths.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wisi_San_Pedro_de_la_Nave_e_chapiteau_a.jpg

Posted on June 7, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — Leave a comment

Suevi

The Suevi or Suebi are a Germanic tribe that Julius Caesar mentioned during the campaign of Ariovistus in Gaul. While Caesar considered the Suevi as merely a single Germanic tribe, other authors such as Pliny and Tacitus did not refer to them as a single nation unlike the Tencteri and Chatti. In fact, the Suevi settled in a large part Germany, and they were divided into various tribes with their own unique names.

‘Roman bronze statuette representing a Germanic man kneeling, his arms outstretched and his hair in a “Suebian knot”‘

Origin of the Tribe

According to scholars, the Suevi were mobile people that barely relied on agriculture. They also moved to other places following the direction of the Elbe River and Baltic Sea. This made them a threat to the Danube and Rhine. During the latter part of their empire, the Suevi initially remained in the Agri Decumates before settling Alsace. A small area in this region still bears the name Swabia, which was derived from the Suevi. Other members of the tribe traveled to Gallaecia, and they formed a Gallacian kingdom that remained strong for 170 years before it was integrated by the Visigoths.

Caesar decided to position the Suevi to the eastern part of Ubii, and he distinguished this tribe from the Marcomanni, which were their allies. Some people believe that the Suevi referred by Caesar formed the Hermunduri or the Chatti. However, Strabo and Tacitus regarded these two were entirely different because the Suevi were not quite settled in one place, unlike the Chatti.

The terms given to large ethnic groups in Germania were hardly consistent with writers and scholars, such as in the case of the Suevi. For instance, Tacitus noted the presence of three primary types of Germanic people including the Ingvaeones, Istvaeones and Hermiones, another author prefers to add two other kinds such as the Vandals and Bastarnae.

The Vandals were Germanic tribes that originated in the eastern part of the Elbe River just like other groups such as the Goths, Burgundians, and Silingi. Moreover, Elbe Germanic, or a modern term that pertains to a large group of Germanic people tends to overlap with the classic terms Hermiones and Suevi.

Further Details about the Suevi

While there were insufficient records behind the Suevi’s migration in 406 AD, there is a theory that the situation was caused by the westward movement of the Huns in the latter part of the 4th century. The reason behind this was the threats given by the Huns, which caused the people to vacate and transfer to another location.

In 405 AD, the Suevi joined the Alans and Vandals in crossing the Rhine; where they located on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History. With the help of usurpers, the barbarians were able to enter Gaul without much difficulty. They took advantage of the city by causing many damages to Northern provinces of Belgica Prima and Belgica Secunda. Including Germania Inferior even before the Roman Empire viewed them as a threat. By 409 AD, the Suevi, Vandals and Alans already in the south, particularly towards Hispania. There they attempted to establish their position by overpowering any opponents that came their way and applied their military tactics to attain their goals of invading the area.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suebi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_the_Suebi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bronze_figure_of_a_German_Biblioth%C3%A8que_Nationale.jpg

Posted on June 1, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — Leave a comment

Franks

The Franks were a group of Germanic people that were situated in the lower and middle portions of the Rhine during the 3rd century. However, some of them successfully raided Roman territories while there were other Franks that became a part of the Roman troops in Gaul.

Origin of the Franks

The Salian Franks were known for establishing a kingdom in an area that was a part of the Roman Empire. When the Western Roman Empire collapsed, the Franks joined forces under the leadership of Merovingians. This is another group that was able to invade a large part of Gaul during the 6th century.

‘A 19th-century depiction of different Franks (AD 400-600)’

With the Merovingian dynasty, one of the largest Germanic monarchies was established. Eventually, this took the place of Rome situated in the west. Afterwards, the Frankish state strengthened its hold on various parts of Western Europe. Thus, by the latter part of the 8th century, the Carolingian Empire was formed. The said empire further evolved into the Holy Roman Empire, as well as the state of France.

During the Middle Ages, the word “Frank” served as a synonym for the Europeans in the west because most of the rulers in western Europe were Franks. Moreover, the Franks that were situated in Gaul joined the Gallo-Roman people; they passed down their name to modern-day France.

On the other hand, the Franks that remained in the eastern part of Europe maintained their Germanic language. They also became a part of the Dutch, Flemings and Germans. Also, the Frankish or Franconian language was rooted to the Franks’ old language.

Historical Background

Based on scholars, it was not until the 3rd century that the Franks emerged from a much smaller group of Germanic people. These tribes included the Bructeri, Chattuarii, Chamavi, Tencteri, Ubii, Ampsivarii, and Chatti. They remained in the Rhine Valley, particularly from the Yssel, Mainz and between Lacus Flevo. They are located on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History from 400 AD – 500 AD.

The Franks gained interest in reclaiming the left portion of the Rhine river bank, which was currently under the control of the Romans. They succeeded in driving the Romans back to the south by implementing tactics such as surprise attacks and use of different weapons.

By the 3rd century, this tribe aimed to settle in Batavia, particularly in the southern part of Lacus Flevo. By this time, they remained in Toxandria, as permitted by the Romans. Here, they became an independent and powerful maritime force called the Salians.

As for the other Franks that came from Mainz to Duisburg, they raided across the river Rhine. They were also given the name Ripuarians, which may be translated as “river people”.

Both of these groups, however, maintained a distinct political quality until the unification of Francia. This move was made possible by Clovis, who was a Salian from the Merovingian dynasty.

When it comes to military tactics, the Merovingians adopted some of the techniques that were used by the Romans. In fact, their methods were quite flexible and capable of adapting to various situations at most battles. They were even successful in raising naval forces such as in the naval campaign that included river craft and ships used in Rhine, Rhone and Loire in the battle of 515 AD.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franks
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06238a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A.D._400-600,_Franks_-_025_-_Costumes_of_All_Nations_(1882).JPG

Posted on May 23, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — Leave a comment

Vulgate (The Latin Bible)

The Bible was first translated into Latin during the fourth century, and it was referred to as the Vulgate. It served as the masterpiece of St. Jerome, as per the recommendations of the Pope, Damasus the First, during the year 382 AD where it is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart. He was assigned to revise the Vetus Latina or the Old Latin translations.

Jerome was quite fluent in the Greek language, and he was also versed in Hebrew at that time that he began the translation of the Holy Scripture. He worked on making corrections to the New Testament’s existing version in Latin.

Since then, the manuscript became widely adopted. During the 13th century, the Latin revision or the “Versio Vulgata”, this means a commonly-used translation. By the 16th century, this was recognized as the officially used version of the Roman Catholic Church.

Key Information about the Vulgate

Regarded as the Bible’s Latin translation, it was written by Eusebius Hieronymus (otherwise known as St. Jerome) during the latter part of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century. Jerome was taught by a wise rhetoric teacher named Aelius Donatus, who was also famous for his advocacy for punctuation. Aelius also authored Virgil’s biography.

When Jerome was appointed the Pope to write the four Gospels, the former used widely accepted Latin language version for the Holy Scripture. This resulted in the replacement of the other less-scholarly written works at that time. While he was merely instructed to carry out the translations on the New Testament (focused only on the Gospels), Jerome decided to take it further by translating a huge portion of the “Septuagint”. This referred to the translation from Hebrew into Greek. It also included several apocryphal works, which were not featured in the Hebrew version of the Bible.

Originally, the Gospels were expressed in the Greek language. This was largely because the language was widely spoken in the area ruled by the famed ruler, Alexander. It is also worth noting that there was a pan-Hellenic dialect that was popular during the Hellenistic era, which was Koine. The dialect was Vulgar Latin’s equivalent in Greek.

In fact, most Jews that resided in areas that were primarily made up of Jewish people spoke Koine Greek, as well. Eventually, the Hellenistic era paved the way for the Romans to gain dominance, although Koine Greek remained as the spoken dialect in the East. On the other hand, the western world spoke the Latin language.

Further Details about the Latin Bible

There are insufficient evidence of how much Jerome was able to translate the New Testament. However, the author decided to compare the existing Latin translations of the Holy Scripture with the Greek version. He observed that the Gospels were written in the Greek language, while the Old Testament was in Hebrew.

Jerome decided to complete the Latin translation after referring to the Septuagint. He also checked with the Hebrew version, and this allowed him to create a different version of the texts in the Old Testament. Jerome did not work on any translations for the Apocrypha, as well as beyond Judith and Tobit. These texts were translated from the Aramaic language.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome#Translations_and_commentaries
http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1154
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Domenico_Ghirlandaio_-_St_Jerome_in_his_study.jpg

Posted on May 19, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — Leave a comment

Tartars and Turks

Turkics are a group of people that live in different cultures around northern, eastern, central and western Asia, northwestern China, and patches of Eastern Europe. They are listed on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History starting around 50-150 AD.

Turkic people have in common for the most part culture and ancient histories. The word ‘Turkic’ stands for a large range of ‘ethno-linguistic’ societies: Turkish people, Azerbaijanis, Chuvashes, Kazakhs, Tatars, Kyrgz, Turkmens, Uyghurs, Uzbeks, Bashkirs, Qashgai, Gagauz, Yakuts, Crimean, Karaites, Krymchaks, Karakalpaks, Karachays, Balkars, Nogais and ancient peoples like: Gokturks, Kumans, Kipchaks, AVars, Bulgars, Turgeshes, Khazars, Seljuk Turks, Ottoman Turks, Mamluks, Timurids, Khiljis, and maybe even Karasuks, Huns or the Xiongnu.

It is said that when they were first recorded there was only the Huns or the Tartars. If they had stayed this way, there is a high possibility that they would not be a very big part of the world’s past today. They began on Mount Altai, which was a tall city of Tartary and enclosed by hills full of valuable metals; bits of gold and an abundance of iron.

Around the time that the Huns attacked Rome (5^th Century of the Christian period) the Turks were just slaves and workers for ore and blacksmiths. It wasn’t long after the Huns lost control of Europe the Tartars grew surprisingly fast, and Turks arose all over the country as lords in broad lands. They were all linked with treaties for peace with the Chinese, Persian and Romans. The Turks had extended to Kamchatka in the North, Caspian in the West and possibly the beginning of Indus in the South. It was there that history shows a transitional kingdom of Tartars, located in the middle of eras Attila and Zingis.

Tartars_and_Turks — ‘The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is an example of the most common form of a Turkish mosque with a central dome and cascading semi-and quarter-domes and minarets.’

‘The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is an example of the most common form of a Turkish mosque with a central dome and cascading semi-and quarter-domes and minarets.’

When the Seljuk Turks introduced the Turkish language and Islam in Anatolia during the 11^th Century, it began the ‘Turkification’ of many groups of people in the area. The Ottoman beylik joined with Anatolia (in the past it had been segregated into many small groups). With the ending of the 13^th century, it became the Ottoman Empire. Turkish people spread with the growth of patriotism beneath the Ottoman Empire. Along with the movement of around 7-9 million Turkish Muslim refugees out of the taken lands of the Caucasus, Crimea, Balkans, and Mediterranean islands into Anatolia and Eastern Thrace.

Turkish loyalty banded together even more from the Turkish War of Independence and following the declaration of the Republic of Turkey. Turkey had a very broad range of traditions and customs that mold with different factors of the Oghuz Turkic, native Anatolian, Greek, Islamic, Ottoman, and Western ways of life. With the Ottoman history, the Turkish people are the 2^nd biggest cultural collection in Bulgaria and Cyprus. Along with the later resettlement a Turkish Diaspora that began, especially in Western Europe.

Great gatherings were established in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and even North America. In Eastern Europe, Volga Bulgaria turned into an Islamic territory during 922 and had a hand in designating trade routes. In the 13^th Century, the Mongols overran Europe and started the Golden Horde in Eastern Europe, Western and Northern Central Asia, and Western Siberia. The Cuman-Kipchak Confederation and Islamic Volga Bulgaria were taken.

In the 14^th Century, Islam turned into the declared territory beneath Uzbeg Khan, a place that mostly Turks and Mongols started to communicate in the Kipchak speech. They were also largely called the ‘Tatars’ by Russia and Westerners. The area was also called Kipchak Khanate and encompassed the majority of modern day Ukraine, and all of today’s southern and eastern Russia (European segment).

The Golden Horde separated into many ‘khanates’ and ‘hordes’ during the 15^th and 16^th Centuries. This is also involved the Crimean Khanate, Khanate of Kazan, and Kazakh Khanate (along with others), that were taken over one at a time by the Russian Empire from the 16^th to the 19^th Centuries. The Ottoman Empire slowly became less of a force from inadequate governing, constant wars with Russia and Austro-Hungary. Along with the growth of independent actions in the Balkans that finally came apart after WW1 into today’s Republic of Turkey.

Cultural independence growing in the Ottoman Empire during the 19^th Century became part of Pan – Turkism or Turanism. The Turkics of Central Asia was not gathered in ‘nation-states’ for most of the 20^th Century following the fall of the Russian Empire that lived in the Soviet Unions or the Chinese Republic.

In 1991 past the fall of the Soviet Union, five Turkic states acquired their freedom. They were: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Other Turkic areas like Tatarstan, Tuva, and Yakutia stayed in Russian Federation. Chinese Turkestan stayed as the People’s Republic of China. Right after the liberation of the Turkic states, Turkey started looking for non-violent interactions with those groups. As time passed, political gatherings grew and started the Turksoy in 1993 and afterwards the Turkic Council in 2009.

References:
http://www.theapricity.com/snpa/chapter-XII10.htm
http://www.newmanreader.org/works/historical/volume1/turks/lecture3.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_people

Posted on May 15, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — Leave a comment

Shrouds of Mystery Surround the Early History of Japan

Japan’s historical origin was believed to be narrated in the Shinto literature. Most of the records concerning Japan are hard to claim as fact and full of mystery since they were derived from oral traditions and Chinese writings. Based on the story of creation that was found in the Kojiki or Record of Ancient Matters written in 712 AD, the islands of Japan were created by two gods who were sent from heaven. They also created various deities who ruled over the wind, mountains, woods, rivers and seas. Among these deities were Amaterasu Omikami (Sun Goddess) and Susano-o (Storm God) who fought against each other. Eventually, Amaterasu won the battle. Then, Amaterasu assigned Ninigi, her grandson, to rule over the islands.

Ancient Japanese Cultures

According to archaeologists, hominid activities in Japan may have begun by 200,000 BC, during the time when the islands were still connected to mainland Asia. However, there was archaeological evidence that prove the existence of Homo Sapiens in Japan between 35,000 and 30,000 BC. These are believed to have come from the eastern and southeastern part of Asia, and they are notable for their established tool-making, gathering and hunting techniques. Traces of stone tools and human fossils were discovered to have existed in Japan during this period.

During 10,000 BC, stable lifestyles have existed in Japan, and this was referred to as the Neolithic era. Researchers believe that the Ainu people who were members of the Jomon culture left more evidence of residing in the islands. The Jomon people also began making vessels and clay figures by 3,000 BC, and they made use of chipped stone tools, bows and traps for hunting.

The Yayoi was the following cultural period in Japan, and it occurred between 300 BC and 250 AD, which originated from the southern part of Kyushu to northern Honshu. Scientists discovered evidence that the earliest groups of these people were originally from Korea and relocated to northern Kyushu.

While Yayoi pottery was more advanced than Jomon ware, the latter was more appealing because of the intricate designs. The Yayoi also created ceremonial objects made of bronze, as well as weapons and mirrors, and they improved their weaponry and agricultural tools by the 1st century.

Written Records about Japan’s Earliest History

According to scholars who studied the origin of Japan, the earliest records about the country’s history came from Chinese sources. Wa, which was Japan’s early Chinese name, was initially mentioned in texts in 57 AD. This is where the history of Japan and it’s mysteries is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History. Historians in China referred to Wa as the land made up of scattered tribal groups instead of being a unified land that was established in 660 BC, based in the Nihongi. Chinese sources from the 3rd century further reported that the people of Wa lived on fish, rice and vegetable served on wooden trays and bamboo. They also clapped their hands to express their reverence to their gods, and they observed mourning rituals.

Also, Himiko, the head of the Yamatai political federation, was quite active in performing her responsibilities during the 3rd century. As Himiko delivered her tasks as a spiritual leader, her brother was appointed to undertake state affairs such as the diplomatic relations with the Chinese Wei Dynasty in 220 to 265 AD.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Japan
http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Japan.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Japan.svg

Posted on May 14, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — Leave a comment

Buddhism Spreads in China, IndoChina, Japan and Tibet

The teachings of Buddha reached to various locations including the Indian subcontinent and several parts of Asia. It is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart between 1AD and 150AD. Upon spreading to new cultures, the different styles and methods of Buddhism were modified and aligned to the mentality of the locals. However, these modifications did not compromise nor go against the essential teaching of Buddha.

Buddhism in China and Indochina

It was during the Han Dynasty in China when the cultural ties and trade between Central Asia and China increased. It was because of the strong relationship that existed among these cultures that the Chinese learned more about Buddhism. By the middle part of the 1st Century, there was already a small community of Buddhists in China.

However, early translators failed to find the accurate words to explain further significant Buddhist concepts in the Chinese language. Thus, they decided to use Taoist terms as they translated these concepts to the locals. Since then, believers associated Buddhism with the Taoist tradition that was already practiced that time.

Buddhism_Spreads_in_China,_IndoChina,_Japan_and_Tibet — Buddha

In the 3rd century, the Han Dynasty came to an end, and this also started a period of political issues in China. Despite this difficult period in China, the Buddhist texts still remained and the religion became more popular with the Chinese people. This also gave rise to a number of Chinese monks, particularly Dao-an, who was responsible for revising and improving the earlier Chinese translations of Buddhist texts. Eventually, Buddhism spread to Indochina including Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, all because of the dedication of Buddhist monks who intended to tell the world about the wise teachings of Buddha.

Buddhism in Japan

During the 6th century, the king of Packche came to Japan to send images of the Buddha and several copies of Buddhist texts, with the hopes of establishing a strong and peaceful relationship with the country. He also recommended the religion as a way of providing further benefits to Japan. Eventually, the people of Japan incorporated Buddhist philosophies with their Shinto beliefs as both of these aimed to cultivate harmony and peace.

Although several rulers in Japan were responsible for the support and protection of Buddhism throughout time, it was Prince Shotoku who had the greatest contribution in the growth and expansion of this religion in the country. It was him who wrote the first Japanese constitution that promoted the social and moral values presented in Buddhism. During his time, several Buddhist temples were built, and he also encouraged more Japanese monks to study and read the scriptures of Buddhism.

Buddhism in Tibet

According to historians, Buddhism in Tibet all started with the Bon religion, which was shamanistic and animistic in nature. While Buddhist texts already existed in Tibet several centuries ago, the history of Buddhism in the region only started in 641. It was during that year when King Songsten Gampo succeeded in unifying Tibet because of his victorious military conquests. He also built the very first Buddhist temples in the region, as well as the Changzhug (Nedong) and Jokhang (Lhasa). Tibetan translators were also assigned to work on the study and incorporation of Buddhism on the Sanskrit scriptures. When King Trisong Detsen ruled Tibet in 755, Buddhism was proclaimed as the official religion of all the people in the region.

References:
http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/study/history_buddhism/general_histories/spread_buddhism_asia.html
http://buddhism.about.com/od/vajrayanabuddhism/a/tiberthist1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_(Dhammajak_Mutra).jpg

Posted on May 9, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — 1 Comment

Romania and Transylvania Subjected to Rome in 101 AD

Romania has become one of the provinces of the Roman Empire, including Transylvania, Oltenia and the Banat. It was in 101 AD where it is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History when the Romans took control of these territories, and they now form the regions of Romania. At the onset, the main purpose of the Romans was to establish Dacia as its imperial province. With much success, the land was transformed as what was intended for throughout the Romans’ invasion.

battle scene between the Roman and Dacian armies, Trajan’s Column, Rome

The Romans’ Campaigns to Invade Dacia

Emperor Trajan began the campaign to conquer the Dacian kingdom, which was then ruled by Decebalus. Unfortunately, the Roman Empire failed to gain total control of the old Dacia, and this kingdom was led by the Free Dacians. It remained as such even after some parts of Dacia was subjected to Rome.

As early as the First Century BC, King Burebista has established Dacia as a strong and powerful state. His main goal for completing this was to protect the kingdom from the Romans’ invasion. When King Decebal of Dacia took over the state in 87 to 106 AD, he failed to stop the Romans from conquering the kingdom in 101 AD.

Roman Empire in Dacia

The Romans’ primary intention for invading Dacia was to obtain a greater means of revenue from the kingdom’s rich and thriving gold mine. The land was also abundant in other minerals such as iron, which is used in creating the finest swords. With Rome’s fear of being attacked by Dacia because of the kingdom’s great resources to make powerful weapons, Emperor Trajan began perceiving the state as a threat to Rome’s safety and progress.

Thus, Trajan decided to plan for an attack to invade Dacia. Indeed, he made was able to succeed in his campaigns as his strong army burnt every village and nearly everything in sight as they conquered the kingdom. In 102 AD, King Decebalus was defeated by the mighty Emperor Trajan, which signaled Dacia’s surrender and the conflict between the two nations.

Improvements in Dacia

The Romans proved to Dacia its superior skills by building the world’s largest bridge. It was this same bridge that projected Rome’s abilities, engineering skills and power not only to Dacia, but also to the world. In addition to this fine architecture that Trajan ordered to be built in Dacia, the Emperor helped the kingdom obtain security from potential invaders such as the nomads and barbarians. Dacia received funds from Trajan, and the money was used to re-establish its military forces.

However, Decebalus yearned for vengeance, and he silently plotted ways to have his chance to defeat Trajan. In 105 AD, another invasion was made by Trajan, although this did not prove to be victorious for him, unlike the first battle. Decebalus got what he wanted, and the Romans suffered from terrible casualties that forced them to succumb to a truce.

Still, the battle did not come to an end, and Decebalus continued his campaigns to regain his power and control of the land. In 106 AD, Trajan won the battle and completely surrounded the Capitol until he gained a victory. Instead of being captured and accepting defeat, Decebalus decided to commit suicide.

Eventually, Dacia thrived with the support of the Roman Empire. The battle between Dacia and Rome finally ended, and it resulted in peace and victory for these two nations.

References:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/romania/history#ixzz2zGMue2EZ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Dacia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:032_Conrad_Cichorius,_Die_Reliefs_der_Traianss%C3%A4ule,_Tafel_XXXII.jpg

Posted on May 8, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — Leave a comment

Scotland Ruled by Rome in 81 AD

It was in 71 AD (where it is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History) when the Roman Army began to arrive in Scotland and established a powerful empire that lasted until the year 213. According to historians, this period in Scotland’s history was complex in nature. Although the Roman Empire had a significant impact on Scotland’s history during the invasion, there were some reports gathered that Rome lacked complete control of the land and its people.

Roman Empire Began Its Invasion of Scotland

Based on historical studies, the Roman Army remained in Scotland for 40 years, yet they lacked total jurisdiction of the land during that time. It was during this complex period that there was an insufficient archeological evidence to prove Rome’s full control and influence in the Scottish culture.

When the Romans arrived at the Britannia province, they named the land that was found on its northern part as Caledonia. They introduced their culture to the Scottish people, yet the original settlers in that part of Scotland did not entirely adopt the Romans’ way of life.

Scotland_Ruled_by_Rome_in_81_AD — Gnaeus Julius Agricola

Gnaeus Julius Agricola

One of the most renowned military leaders in Rome was Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who set foot in Britain in 78 AD, as he was to serve as the land’s new governor. After remaining in Britain for two years, he successfully erected a fort with the help of his army at Trimontium. Archeologists also discovered quite many solid evidence of the Romans’ influence in the land of Roman pottery, coins, armor, and remains from the army were unearthed. Historians have reported that Agricola and his armies have reached River Taus or River Tay, so they could construct forts in the said location.

Battle of Mons Graupius

Under the leadership of Calgacus, Agricola, and the Roman Army headed off to attack the Caledonians, which is known to history as the Battle of Mons Graupius. Along with his fleet, Agricola prepared for the battle with only as much as 20,000 men while the Caledonian Army was made up of 30,000 warriors. Evidently, the Romans were outnumbered, yet they still attempted to advance to their opponents in this battle.

After a long and dreadful battle, the Romans were badly impacted and suffered from a tremendous loss. It was also noted that about two-thirds of the Caledonian warriors managed to escape to the Scottish Highlands and marshes. Their main purpose was to stop Agricola and his men from ruling over the island.

Historians gave an estimate of the casualties of the war. According to research, at least 10,000 Caledonian soldiers died while there were only 360 Roman soldiers that were found to be dead. This historical battle was believed to have taken place in the Grampian Mounth, which faced the North Sea.

Meanwhile, Agricola wasn’t merely contented with his army’s victorious attempts at the battle. He also gained control of several hostages from natives and tribes in Caledonia. There were also studies that pointed out how he erected another fort near Inverness, which was the result of his arrival to Britain’s northern coast.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnaeus_Julius_Agricola#The_invasion_of_Caledonia_.28Scotland.29
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/168802/Domitian