Bible Timeline Poster – Page 7 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on May 30, 2016May 30, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Persia: Media Conquered

The nomadic Indo-European people known as Persians migrated into what is now modern Iran around 1000 BC. They settled in Persis in the southwestern portion of the area. Their tribe was called Parsua, and the only surviving evidence of their existence in Pre-Achaemenid Iran is in an inscription during the reign of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser II. As their population grew, their political power also increased. They reached the zenith of their power around 550 BC during the reign of Cyrus II (the Great). Which is where it is recorded on the Bible Timeline Poster with World History.

Media, on the other hand, was an established kingdom in northwest Iran. The kingdom was subjugated by the Neo-Assyrian Empire, but in 612 BC the Medians, along with the Babylonians, successfully rebelled against Assyrian rule. The fall of Nineveh marked the end of the Neo-Assyrian Empire and the Babylonians, as well as the Medes, became the leading powers in the region. Babylon was led by Nabopolassar and Media was ruled by Cyaxares. This, according to Herodotus, cemented an alliance through the union of their children. Cyaxares’ daughter Amytis married Nabopolassar’s son Nebuchadnezzar. Media and Persia would seal an alliance later on with the marriage between Mandane, the daughter of Astyages, and vassal prince Cambyses I of Anshan, who was the father of Cyrus the Great.

“Painting of King Astyages sending Harpagus to kill young Cyrus.”

The birth of Cyrus was shrouded in mystery and seemed more like a fantastic legend than a reliable account. According to Herodotus, Astyages had a dream and had his magicians interpret the dream. The interpretation given was that his daughter’s child would overthrow him from his throne. Fearing this, he decided to have the child killed. Astyages supposedly sent his court retainer Harpagus to kill his grandson, but Harpagus entrusted the killing of the child to a cowherd.

The cowherd, however, withdrew after he was convinced by his wife to trick the king. This was done by presenting their stillborn son to Harpagus and raising Cyrus instead. The infant was saved, and when Cyrus grew up, he met and charmed Astyages in his court in Media. Astyages punished Harpagus by killing his son and served the flesh to the father to eat without him knowing. When Harpagus discovered that he ate his own son’s flesh, he secretly plotted revenge against the Median king.

Cyrus eventually returned to Cambyses in Anshan. Harpagus quietly allied himself with Cyrus to exact his revenge for the murder of his son. He sent word to Cyrus and encouraged him to rebel against his own grandfather, reminding him of what Astyages did to him when he was an infant. When Astyages heard of the rebellion, he assembled the Median army and summoned Harpagus to lead them. The Persians won when Harpagus and many of his own men defected to the Persian side. Upon learning of their defection, Astyages armed the remaining men of Media and led them into battle where he was defeated by his own grandson. The kingdom of Media then submitted to Cyrus II and became part of the Persian empire.

References:
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Cyrus-II
Herodotus, and J. H. Sleeman. Herodotus. Bristol: Bristol Classical, 2002
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/mandane
Picture By Jean-Charles Nicaise Perrin – Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15865487

Posted on May 17, 2016May 17, 2016 by Kat Cendana — 54 Comments

Assyrian Soldiers Killed by an Angel, 185,000

Miracles and Faith go hand in hand. God smote many in defense of the righteous. This article is about how one of His angels saved Jerusalem under the reign of Hezekiah. The event is recorded on the Bible Timeline Poster around 700 BC.

Hezekiah’s reign (726-697 BC) overlapped the reigns of Assyrian kings Shalmaneser V, Sargon II, and Sennacherib. He also served as coregent with his father king Ahaz who placed Judah under the rule of Assyria during his reign.

In 722 BC, Shalmaneser besieged Samaria and three years later the city fell to his brother Sargon II. He had the citizens of Samaria deported to other Assyrian territories (2 Kings 18:10-11). Judah, meanwhile, experienced religious and political reformation during Hezekiah’s reign. In 713-711 BC, Hezekiah joined in planning a rebellion along with the rulers of Ashdod, Edom, and Moab against Sargon. This rebellion may have been stirred up by king Merodach-Baladan of Babylon who was removed from his throne years ago by Sargon. The allied kings decided not to pay tribute to Assyria, but Hezekiah later withdrew from the plan and Azuri, the ruler of Ashdod, was removed from his throne (Isaiah 20).

Angel_Smote_Thousands — “Defeat of Sennacherib”

Sennacherib came to power after the death of his father Sargon II during the battle of Tabal in 705 BC. He wasted no time in defeating his father’s old enemy, king Merodach-Baladan of Babylon. Sennacherib also invaded the kingdom of Judah and captured the town of Lachish. Upon hearing this, Hezekiah offered to pay tribute to Sennacherib if only he would withdraw his armies from Judah (2 Kings 18:13-). The king of Assyria received Hezekiah’s tribute but continued to Jerusalem to besiege it.

The king of Judah sent his ambassadors after Sennacherib summoned him but Sennacherib’s chief of staff insulted the king of Judah and belittled his army. His ambassadors asked the Assyrian chief of staff to speak to them in Aramaic instead of Hebrew because they did not want to frighten the people. But Sennacherib’s chief of staff refused because he wanted the people to hear about what the Assyrian army will do to them if they will not surrender and made an example out of the people of Samaria.

Hezekiah relayed the Assyrian chief of staff’s message to the prophet Isaiah. But the prophet told the king not to worry about Sennacherib’s threats and foretold the Assyrian king’s death by the sword. Sennacherib besieged the town of Libnah and left to meet the attack of Taharqa, king of Egypt. Sennacherib sent a message to Hezekiah demanding for his surrender before leaving. Hezekiah despaired and Isaiah, once again, sent him a prophecy reassuring him of Judah’s safety and Assyria’s defeat.

2 Kings 19:35 tells that 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were killed by an angel that night and Sennacherib returned to Nineveh. He was later killed by his own sons. His youngest son, Esarhaddon, succeeded him as king of Assyria.

References:
Miller, J. Maxwell, and John H. Hayes. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1986
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gillis_van_Valckenborch_-_Battle_scene_(Defeat_of_Sennacherib_%3F).jpg

Posted on May 4, 2016May 4, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Jerusalem, Destruction of

The destruction of Jerusalem that was done by King Nebuchadnezzar is recorded on the Bible Timeline Poster with World History around 600 BC. This started with King Jehoiakim of Judah who decided to rebel after three years of paying tribute to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar assembled his army and raided Judah as punishment for Jehoiakim’s rebellion. Egypt was also subdued at this point and this expansion of territory made Babylon the greatest empire during this period (2 Kings 24:1-7).

Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin succeeded his father as king of Judah and was taken as a prisoner by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon during the first stage of exile. Nebuchadnezzar also deported Jehoiachin’s wives, mother, officials, troops, craftsmen, artisans, and other members of Jerusalem’s nobles. He stripped the temple of Jerusalem of its treasures and carried them away to Babylon.

Jerusalem_Destroyed — “Nabuchodonosor Has Zedekiah’s Children Killed before his Eyes”

“Nabuchodonosor Has Zedekiah’s Children Killed before his Eyes”

The second phase of exile was during the reign of Zedekiah whom Nebuchadnezzar himself appointed to rule the province of Judah. Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar and because of this the Babylonian king led a siege of Jerusalem for two years. The siege was followed by severe famine, and soon the defenses of the city failed. The king’s soldiers fled, and Zedekiah made an attempt to escape the city. But the Babylonians caught up with him on the plains of Jericho. He was brought to Nebuchadnezzar, who then killed his sons, blinded him, and carried him off to Babylon as punishment for his rebellion.

Nebuchadnezzar commanded his captain of the guards to spare nothing and set all of Jerusalem on fire in the nineteenth year of his reign. The royal palace and temple of the Lord were destroyed. The walls of Jerusalem were also torn down under his supervision and the rest of the people (except those who tended the fields) were exiled to Babylon (2 Kings 25:8-12).

Before the complete destruction of the temple of Jerusalem, Nebuzaradan broke up the bronze pillars of the temple and took away the bronze, gold, as well as silver articles. The remaining people including the high priest, an officer of the Judean army, the king’s personal advisers, and others were put to death at Riblah before Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah as governor of Judah, but he was killed in Mizpah along with other Babylonians and Judeans by a member of the royal family called Ishmael. The people of Judah remained captives in Babylon for seventy years until the rise of King Cyrus of Persia (Jeremiah 25:1-14 and 29:10).

Picture Reference:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:François-Xavier_Fabre_-_Nabuchodonosor_Has_Zedekiah%27s_Children_Killed_before_his_Eyes.jpg

Posted on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016 by Kat Cendana — 1 Comment

Pul, King (Tiglath-Pileser III) of Assyria

King Pul (Tiglath-Pileser III) was a well-known king of Assyria who was mentioned in the book of Kings and the book of Chronicles. Pul or Pulu was a general and a governor of Calha (Kalhu, modern day Nimrud) who seized the throne from the previous King Ashur-nirari V in a rebellion. He can be found on the Bible Timeline Poster with World History around 779 BC. He took the name Tiglath-Pileser III to honor two of the previous kings of Assyria. It is not clear whether he was Ashur-nirari’s son or brother, or whether he belonged to the royal family at all.

One of the first things he did as king was to divide the larger provinces of his kingdom. He appointed Assyrian administrators loyal to him in these areas, and they worked directly over the local provincial governors who now had limited powers. This was done so everything the conquered people did was reported to Tiglath-Pileser and this system prevented rebellions even before they started.

“Tiglath-pileser III, an alabaster bas-relief from the king’s central palace at Nimrud, Mesopotamia.”

He was one of the brilliant military leaders of his time, and his army was one of the most professional and effective in the region. He first conquered the kingdoms near Assyria including Urartu (Armenia), Phoenicia, Arpad, and Hamath. The rulers of Damascus, Arabia (Kedar), and Israel paid tributes to this powerful king. Tiglath-Pileser turned east and conquered the territories of the Medes and Persians. Finally, he got rid of Nabu-Mukin-Zeri, the ruler of Babylon and made himself king there.

Although the passages were brief, these few verses show the height of his and the empire’s power over the region. In 2 Kings 15:19, King Menahem of Israel paid Tiglath-Pileser tons of silver as a bribe to gain his support for Menahem’s kingship. King Ahaz of Judah offered his loyalty to Tiglath-Pileser after the king of Aram, and the king of Israel laid siege to Judah (2 Kings 16:5-9). The Assyrian king also forced the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile, and resettled them in the Assyrian territories of Halah, Habor, and Gozan river (1 Chronicles 5:26).

References:
http://www.ancient.eu/Tiglath_Pileser_III/
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Tiglath-pileser-III
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/sargon/essentials/kings/tiglatpileseriii/
Picture By Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42136792

Posted on March 28, 2016March 29, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Egyptian Dynasties 19-22

Late New Kingdom: Ancient Egypt’s Golden Age (Dynasties 19 and 20)

The Late New Kingdom was a time of great prosperity and peace for Egypt. This is recorded on the Bible Timeline Poster between 1200 BC – 755 BC. It was also a period of expansion, although the Egyptians were not without their rivals in the region. Which included the Hittites and Libyans during this period. It was also a time of ambitious building projects and revival of great artistic styles. Egypt’s religion had been consistently polytheistic, but a brief time during Akhenaten’s reign saw the worship of a single god in the form of Aten. The 18th Dynasty ended long before the death of Horemheb, its last pharaoh. The royal family lineage of the 18th died along with Tutankhamen, who perished when he contracted gangrene after breaking his leg.

Horemheb, the last Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt’s New Kingdom, died without an heir and handed the throne to his vizier Paramessu. Upon ascending the throne, this military man became Ramesses I who began Egypt’s 19th Dynasty. He reigned only one year due to his old age and was succeeded by his son Seti I after his death.

Egypt_Dynasty — “Reliefs from the Abydos chapel of Ramesses I. The chapel was specifically built and dedicated by Seti I in memory of his late father.”

Seti I is credited with restoring traditional temples that were partially destroyed by Akhenaten when he established the monotheistic worship of the god Aten. He also built temples in Memphis, Thebes, Abydos, and Heliopolis, and continued the construction of the ambitious Great Hypostyle Hall. These projects were made possible because of his mining and quarrying in the Sinai. Raids against the Nubians who provided cheap labor also contributed. His reign was marked by skirmishes with the Hittites and the first appearance of nomadic Libyan tribes which will later play a considerable part in the formation of the Third Intermediate Period.

He was followed by Ramesses II, who went to war against the Hittites for territories in the Levant. The Battle of Qadesh with the Hittites led by King Muwatalli II resulted in a truce between the Hittites and the Egyptians. Further treaties produced relative peace between two peoples. Ramesses II was then able to concentrate on dealing with the invading Libyan tribes from the west. He also undertook grand building projects and employed skilled craftsmen from the Hittites as a result of the peace agreement between the two regional powers. After his long reign (c 1279-1213 BC) his son, Merneptah succeeded him as pharaoh.

Several cities of Palestine were under Egypt’s rule during Merneptah’s reign. He was also famous for the stele with which he proclaimed his victory over the rebellious Canaanites. The Merneptah stele may have been the first instance when the word ‘Israel’ was mentioned in an Egyptian inscription. The Libyans who allied themselves with the Sea People were also making headway in their invasion of the Nile Delta. However, they were defeated by Merneptah and the succeeding years of his reign were peaceful. The captured people, however, were settled in the Nile Delta and through assimilation, they became powerful in the Egyptian political sphere.

Merneptah was followed by three more kings and one queen, Twosret or Tausret, who became one of Egypt’s few female rulers. She died without an heir and was succeeded by Sethnakht, who reigned for only two years. He started Egypt’s 20th Dynasty and was succeeded by his son, Ramesses III. He has constant battles with the Libyans, but a greater threat loomed in the Mediterranean with the victories of the Sea Peoples. The Hittite kingdom had been destroyed by the Sea Peoples, and they turned towards Egypt as their next conquest. Ramesses was prepared, and he successfully repelled their invasion. He was followed by eight more pharaohs (all named Ramesses) including Ramesses XI, who was the 20th Dynasty’s last king.

Third Intermediate Period (Dynasties 21 and 22)

By the time of Ramesses XI’s death, the kingdom’s funds had been depleted by numerous military campaigns. Droughts, low Nile floods, and civil unrest also affected the kingdom. Egypt was also a divided country at that time as the 21st Dynasty kings ruled in Tanis in the Nile Delta while the religious center was ruled by the high priests of Amun in Thebes.

The 21st Dynasty was established by Smendes I whose origin was unclear. He may have been related to the High Priests of Amun and married to Tentamun, a daughter of Ramesses XI. His reign, as well as his successor’s, were uneventful. A pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty, Siamun, may have given his daughter in marriage to Solomon. This signified the weakened state of Egypt in the region as royal princesses were never permitted to marry the ruler of neighboring kingdoms (although Pharaoh can and had married foreign princesses).

The Third Intermediate Period was marked by a weakened economy, fragmented society, and the increase of immigration by Libyan tribes. Libyans who were captured in the past wars initiated by the 19th and 20th Dynasties, as well as those who have immigrated in the Nile Delta, increased in number. These immigrants also consolidated power through intermarriage with Egyptian royal families from Lower Egypt and the high priests of Upper Egypt. Shoshenq I, the chieftain of a Libyan tribe called Meshwesh, had his own son Osorkon I marry Maatkara, the daughter of Pharaoh Psusennes II, making the transition from an exclusive Egyptian rule to a Libyan rule easy.

Shoshenq I (the Biblical Egyptian king Shishak) modified the function of the theocracy, reducing the regular consultations in policy-making and reestablishing central authority under the king. For the first time in many years, Egypt was once again unified, and he reasserted Egypt’s rule in the Levant. His inscriptions in Karnak record his expeditions in Israel and Judah. He died shortly afterward, and the succeeding kings of the 22nd Dynasties were not as effective as Shoshenq was.

The independence and growing power of the high priests of Amun threatened the unity of Egypt as the priesthood once again became hereditary. The decentralization of the government continued, and the succeeding pharaohs’ authority weakened. The Neo-Assyrian Empire under Shalmaneser V was a regional threat at that time. This external threat plus the weakening of the pharaohs’ rule ended the Libyan reign in Egypt. Osorkon IV, Egypt’s last Libyan king, may have been king So mentioned in the Bible (1 Kings 17:4).

References:
http://www.ancient.eu/Akhenaten/
Van Dijk, Jacobus. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Edited by Ian Shaw. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, 285-296
http://www.ancient.eu/Kadesh/
http://www.allaboutarchaeology.org/merneptah-stele-faq.htm
Taylor, John. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Edited by Ian Shaw. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, 324-345.
Picutre By tutincommon (John Campana) – http://www.flickr.com/photos/10647023@N04/1594113778/in/set-72157602463107321/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4941011

Posted on March 22, 2016March 29, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Judges, Time of the

The Book of Judges chronicles the time between the chaotic period after the death of Joshua up to the appointment of Israel’s first king, Saul. This is listed on the Bible Timeline Poster between 1254 – 1104 BC. Israel, under Joshua’s leadership, had conquered much of Canaan. Except the territories of the Philistines, the Geshurites, and territories of the Canaanites “extending from the stream of Shihor on the border of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron” (Joshua 13:3). A full text of territories yet to be conquered can be read in Joshua 13:1-6 and the division of land among the tribes follows that.

As the time of Joshua’s death approached, he gathered all the tribe leaders and reiterated God’s commandments to them. That they were not to deviate from the laws given through Moses, worship other gods except Yahweh, and intermarry with the remaining people in the land who may lead them astray. These were explicitly and repeatedly stated in Joshua 23:6-16 and 24:14-19. As shown in the Book of Exodus, as well as the succeeding books, the people of Israel were prone to be led astray. There were also several complaints and sporadic bursts of rebellion. Such as the instances when they worshiped the Gold Calf (Exodus 32), their complaints about the manna (Numbers 11:4), and the report of Canaan by the scouts (Numbers 13 and 14).

Confederation of Tribes During the Judges’ Time

The cycle of Israel’s apostasy and deliverance continued to the time of the judges when the tribes of Israel had already settled in most of the conquered lands. These territories, however, were surrounded by hostile peoples and the tribes’ failure to purge them completely was a source of the problem. The condition set out by God through Moses and Joshua was for Israel to follow the Lord and refrain from worshiping other gods, but more often than not this condition was violated, and hostile people soon took over.

List of Judges and Hostile Tribes

Hostile Tribe/Nation	Judge
Aram Naharaim	Othniel (3:7-11)
Moab	Ehud (3:12-30)
Philistia	Shamgar (3:31)
Canaan	Deborah and Barak (4:1—5:31)
Midian	Gideon (6:1—8:35)
Hard times under Abimelech, Tola, and Jair (9:1—10:5)
Ammon	Jephthah (10:6—12:7)
Minor judges Ibzan, Alon, and Abdon (12:8—15)
Philistia	Samson (13—16)
Samuel is last of the major judges including his sons (1 Samuel 8:1-7)

This period of chaos also produced some of Israel’s most courageous leaders and put a spotlight on Deborah, the lone female judge. It also highlights the accomplishments of Gideon, who slew thousands of Midianites and their allies with the help of just 300 Israelite men. One of the most outstanding judges was Samson, who led Israel for 20 years and delivered them from the oppression of the Philistines. He was one of Israel’s last great judges before Samuel.

The succeeding chapters after the heroic sacrifice and victory of Samson in the temple of Dagon (or Dagan, ancient Semitic deity) was of several notable stories about the life of the Israelites. Including the idolatry in the tribe of Dan and Israel’s war with the tribe of Benjamin. The time of the judges ended with the death of Samuel and the appointment of Saul as the first king of Israel.

Posted on March 16, 2016March 28, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

David Subdues All Neighboring Tribes and Leads Israel Into Great Prosperity

Israel was a fledgling country during the reign of King David with enemies that surrounded the country on all sides. This part in history is listed on the Bible Timeline Poster around 1029 BC. Throughout Saul’s reign, incursions by neighboring tribes were constant, and it was no different during David’s reign. King David himself started his military career by slaying Goliath, one of the Philistines’ well-known giant warriors. 2 Samuel 8 offers a glimpse of David’s victories at the height of his reign.

Philistia

The Philistines were mentioned in the Bible as early as Genesis 10, in the Table of Nations under Ham (Genesis 10:14). The relationship between earlier patriarchs and the Philistines was civil. It was only when Israel emerged as a nation after the Exodus from Egypt that the relationship between the two turned hostile. The Philistines emerged as their archenemies after the Israelites settled in Canaan.

These ancient people lived on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean in cities that include Gaza, Gath, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron. Raids, as well as full-blown wars with the Philistines, were common from the time of the judge Shamgar (Judges 3:31) to Samson to David. After many years of war with the Philistines, they were finally subdued by David and he took control of Gath and its surrounding villages (1 Chronicles 18:1).

David_Brings_Peace — “Matteo Rosselli, The triumphant David.”

“Matteo Rosselli, The triumphant David.”

Moab, Ammon, and Amalek

The Moabites and Ammonites lived respectively east of the Dead Sea and Jordan River; while the Amalekites settled north of Kadesh Barnea in the Negev Desert. In Deuteronomy 2:9 and 2:19, the Israelites were instructed not to harass or provoke the Moabites and Ammonites owing to their descent from Lot. The Amalekites (who were Esau’s descendants) were Israel’s enemies as early as the days of wandering in the Sinai desert (Exodus 17:8).

These three surrounding tribes, however, were used by God to turn the Israelites around each time they did evil at the time of the judges. They were still raiding Israelite towns during the time of David. After he had been proclaimed king, David subdued the Ammonites. This was following the humiliation his delegates suffered while offering sympathy to the king of Ammon from his father’s death. Hanun, king of Ammon, further provoked David by assembling a coalition of Arameans and Ammonites to attack Israel. David’s commanders of the army, Joab and his brother Abishai defeated this alliance.

The last details about David’s war with the Moabites are in 2 Samuel 8:2 and 1 Chronicles 18:2. Where he dealt with the Moabites violently after their defeat and they became his subjects. The Amalekites, however, continued to be Israel’s enemy. It culminated when the Amalekites raided Negev and Ziklag. They held captive all the women and children and carried them off. Two of David’s wives were among the captives. David and his men later pursued them and recovered the women and children (1 Samuel 30).

The Amalekites gradually disappeared from the Biblical narrative after David’s time, while the Moabites and Ammonites made intermittent incursions and waged war against Israel.

Aram

There were three Aramean kingdoms mentioned during Saul and David’s reign: Damascus, Beth Rehob, and Zobah. Arameans antagonized David in the alliance with each other and once in alliance with the Ammonites (2 Samuel 10:8). All these kingdoms were defeated by David (2 Samuel 8).

Edom

Edomites and Israelites were related through their ancestors Esau and Jacob, but the Edomites refused Israel passage through their territory on the way to the Promised Land. Furthermore, there was enmity between them during the reign of Saul. David defeated the Edomites in the Valley of Salt and made them his subjects (2 Samuel 8:12-13).

Israel’s Golden Age

David’s victories against neighboring tribes are listed in 2 Samuel 8. It could be said that this was the golden age of the fledgling nation. The tribes that were subdued became subjects who paid tribute to David and plundered goods were dedicated to the Lord. David’s influence reached north when the king of Hamath sent his own son Joram to congratulate him and give gifts. Solomon reaped the benefits of his father’s military victories when he consolidated power and ruled from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines after David’s death (2 Chronicles 9:26).

References:
http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsMiddEast/SyriaAramaeans.htm
http://www.ancient.eu/israel/
Picture By Matteo Rosselli – http://pintura.aut.org/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6633706

Posted on March 9, 2016March 10, 2016 by Kat Cendana — 21 Comments

Abraham Gave Tithes to Melchizedek, and Was Blessed By Him

Genesis 14:18 offers a succinct introduction as to who Melchizedek was. He was the “King of Salem… [and] priest of God Most High”. He blessed Abraham (called Abram at this time) after receiving a tenth of all the goods he recovered from the war between allied kings in the area. This event is listed on the Bible Timeline Poster around 2004 BC.

Melchizedek’s name was not mentioned again till much later. Starting in Psalms 110:4 and several chapters of Hebrews where it is evident that he was known and even revered generations later. In Hebrews 6:20, Jesus was likened to Melchizedek and has become “our eternal High Priest”.

Background

Abraham and his nephew Lot had stayed together since leaving Ur of the Chaldeans. Temporarily settling in Haran, and moving again to Canaan after Abram received a message from God. They settled amidst Bethel and Ai. The flocks owned by both men increased to the point that the land could not support both of them. Disputes broke out between their herdsmen, and they decided to separate. With Lot moving to the fertile Jordan valley to a place near Sodom (Genesis 13:12) while Abraham settled in Hebron.

Abraham_Blessed — “Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek”

Lot’s proximity to Sodom did not work out for his benefit as war broke out between allied kings of the area. The kings of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim went up against the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (Genesis 14). The Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were defeated and fled. Leaving the people and their properties vulnerable to captivity and plunder which King Kedorloamer and his allies did after their victory. Lot was one of the captives; this news reached Abraham, who promptly gathered his men and went in pursuit of the kings with their captives. He defeated Kedorloamer and his allies north of Damascus. Then freed the captives and returned all the possessions they recovered to the king of Sodom.

Melchizedek was introduced in the following passage as he brought out bread and wine, blessed Abraham, and received the tenth of everything they had recovered.

References:
Picture By Dieric Bouts,the older. At The Church of Saint Peter, Leuven, Belgium – http://www.heiligenlexikon.de/Fotos/Abraham-Melchisedek.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=597499

Posted on March 2, 2016March 29, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Habakkuk 629 B.C

Habakkuk was a prophet who existed in the Hebrew Bible. He is listed on the Bible Timeline Poster around 629 BC. Very little is known about his life and very little about his life is mentioned in the Bible. What is noteworthy are his works, particularly the book of Habakkuk. The Book of Habakkuk is a short book of the Bible which is attributed to Habakkuk. The book contains five oracles about the Chaldeans which were a small Semitic nation that emerged during the period of the late tenth and early ninth century BC. It also contains a song of praise to God.

The book has been admired by many scholars for its originality and uniqueness. As the book questions the working of God himself. This was extremely bold considering the times and suggests that the man was of great literary talent.

His final resting place is seen to be in dispute as it is claimed to be in multiple locations. Currently, the prophet’s tombs are located in two places; one in Israel and another in a shrine in Persia. There is a feast to celebrate him on the 2nd of January by the orthodox Christians and on the 15th of January by the Roman Catholics and the Greeks.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habakkuk
http://www.bible-history.com/faussets/H/Habakkuk/
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3379385,00.html
Picture By 18 century icon painter – Iconostasis of Transfiguration church, Kizhi monastery, Karelia, north Russia, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3235522

Posted on February 22, 2016February 22, 2016 by Kat Cendana — Leave a comment

Pharaoh’s Death – Israel Enslaved 1530 BC

The last chapter of Genesis recounts the death of Joseph in the land of Egypt at the age of 110. This can be found on the Bible Timeline Poster around 1530 BC. He had lived a long and successful life as a vizier of Egypt appointed by Pharaoh. The Hebrew people also thrived and multiplied in the land, they settled in (Exodus 1:7.).

“Departure of the Israelites”, by David Roberts, 1829″

The unnamed pharaoh who appointed Joseph as administrator had also died and a new pharaoh who did not know about Joseph and what he had done for Egypt ascended into power. Fearing that the large Hebrew population under his rule might rebel against him, he ordered them to hard labor and appointed slave drivers over them.

There are two pharaohs during the time of the Exodus (both, unfortunately, were unnamed). One was the pharaoh that decreed the Israelites as their (Egyptians’) slaves, and the other one was the pharaoh during the time of the plagues which was also the same one whose army perished during the crossing of the Red Sea.

The tyranny was imposed in two stages. First was slavery in hard labor and the subsequent infanticide of newborn male Hebrew babies. According to several passages in the Bible and Jewish tradition, Jacob’s descendants will stay and be enslaved in the land of Egypt for four hundred years (Genesis 15:13, Exodus 12 40-41, and Acts 7:6-7)

References:
Picture By David Roberts – Usenet, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10293374