Biblical Timeline – Page 12 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on November 5, 2012September 30, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Tullus Hostilius of Rome

Tullus Hostilius was a Sabine, who became ruler of Rome. His grandfather Hostus Hostilius, who fought against the Sabine’s for Rome’s first king, Romulus. The Roman’s had taken the Sabine women from their husbands and fathers, and this caused a war between the two tribes. The war ended when the women told the men that they preferred the Roman’s over the Sabines.

Tulius-Hostilius_of_Rome — Tulius-Hostilius

Rome then tried to live in peace with the men of Sabine by allowing them to participate in Roman society. Tillus Hostilius spent most of his time in warfare. He appears on the Biblical Timeline beginning around 673 BC. King Tullus began his reign in 673 B.C.

While he was in power, he attacked the ancient Roman city of Alba Longa which was home to the first Etruscan king before Rome was founded. Tullus defeated this city and welcomed the people of Alba Longa into Rome. After he had tried to treat the Albans with peace, their leader betrayed him, and he had him killed. He continued to make war against many other Italian tribes such as the Fidenae, Veientines, and the Sabines.

Tullus Hostilius didn’t pay too much attention to his civic or religious responsibilities. War was his primary focus. He mainly fought against other tribes and began to establish Rome as a powerful force to be reckoned with. Through his efforts, he absorbed many tribes around Rome and forced some of them to pay tribute. He used the defeated nobles and people of Alba Longa to increase and strengthen his military forces. His cavalry units were made up of Alban horsemen, and Alban soldiers filled the ranks of his army.

Tullus Hostilius might have been a great warrior-king, but he wasn’t a good administrator. Even though this was the case, he still placed some of the defeated nobles from Alba Longa as members of the Senate. He also built them their own council hall called Curia Hostilia. Also, it was King Tullus’ duty to lead the empire in religious service but he didn’t care for the ceremony. Eventually, he had to give in to this particular requirement when pestilence had struck Rome and affected his royal house. He then decided to honor the gods by performing his priestly duty, but he didn’t perform the ceremony in the right way. As a result, he was struck by lightening and killed.

Most of what is known about Tullus Hostilius comes from a Roman historian named Titus Livius Patavinus. He was also known as Livy. Most of the events that he ascribes to Tullus’ reign were considered true by many historians. But they also state that some parts of Livy’s explanation of King Tullus’ reign were fictional or more of a myth. Scholars do not doubt that King Hostilius expanded the boundaries of Rome, but they are not quite sure he died from lightning strikes from some angry god. Once again fact and fiction might have been mixed over the years when Livy wrote about King Tullus. Livy was born 600 years after Tullus Hostilius so some of his work could have been interwoven with fictional accounts of this ancient Roman king.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Tullus_Hostilius http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/people/p/tullushostilius.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livy http://dante.udallas.edu/hutchison/Seven_kings/king_hostilius.htm http://www.mythindex.com/roman-mythology/T/Tullus-Hostilius.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tulius-Hostilius.jpg

Posted on November 1, 2012May 10, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Egypt Subject to Persia

Egypt was a very powerful kingdom for thousands of years, and they ruled many lands and people all throughout the Middle East and Mesopotamia. Even though the Egyptians were a powerful and strong empire they were also a very pagan kingdom that constantly refuted God and his people. God finally had enough of Egypt and decided to judge the nation. He first used the Assyrians and then the Babylonians and finally the Persians to carry out his plans against Egypt.

Various prophets such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah all spoke out prophecies against this empire until it no longer remained relevant. The Persian conquest is on the Biblical Timeline at the end of the sixth century BC God declared in the Bible that he was going to make Cyrus the Great a powerful ruler of the Persian Empire.

He was also going to use this empire to judge the nations that have rebelled against him. He judged the Babylonians, the Israelites, the Judeans and the Egyptians. After Cyrus had passed his son, Cambyses had carried out the conquest and dominance Egypt. Persia dominated Egypt starting in 525 B.C. they controlled the land and forced the Egyptians to pay them tribute until the Egyptians revolted in 490 BC. This revolt proved to be futile, but four years later the Egyptians managed to gain their independence. Even though they were able to be freed from direct Persian rule, they were constantly harassed by these people.

Eventually the Persians brought the Egyptians back under control and forced them to pay tribute. When Persia ruled Egypt, it was known as the Achaemenid period. Achaemenid was the official name of the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great. Whenever Persia ruled over Egypt, they used satraps to govern the land. Many of the satraps carried out Persia’s agenda while they ruled. Life under Persia remained normal for most Egyptian people with the exception that tribute and taxes were paid to this foreign power. The Persians also controlled key aspects of Egyptian society such food production and military affairs. The Persians allowed the Egyptians to still worship their gods.

Even though many of the Persian rulers dominated Egypt, they were also influenced by this great civilization. A great deal of Persian people migrated to Egypt during this era and had grown accustomed to their lives in this kingdom. Many Egyptian people tried to overthrow Persian domination when they ruled, but they were unable to rid completely themselves from the Persians. A lot of the Egyptian temples were destroyed during the Persian conquest. They also had to deal with other nuances from the Persians and the Egyptians made it a habit to throw constantly off the Persian yoke.

All throughout the 4 century B.C. the Persians had to keep constantly Egyptian rebellion to a minimum. The years 485, 463 and 405 B.C. the Persians contained many rebellions except one that occurred in 405 B.C. The Egyptians finally had some success during the reign of Artaxerxes II. Egypt had used many different allies to help them to help shake off Persian rule including the Greeks and the some of the people of Cush. Egyptian independence was short lived. From the time of the Persian conquest up until nearly modern times, Egypt had been ruled by one empire or nation.

References:
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/history/persians.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Persian_Egypt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Achaemenid_Egypt http://www.livius.org/caa-can/cambyses_ii/cambyses_ii.html http://www.worldology.com/Iraq/persian_empire.htm http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Egyptian-Chariot.png

Posted on October 27, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Chaldaic Kingdom, New

Chaldaic refers to Chaldea or more specifically the Chaldean language. This language was used by the people who resided in southern Mesopotamia within Babylon and it was also known as a form of Aramaic. Many people who resided within the Middle Eastern region spoke this language. This dialect had a universal appeal that was similar to how English is used in modern times. Different kingdoms and tribes used it as a primary form of communication even though they might have adjusted parts of the language to fit their particular methods of speech and culture. The Babylon Kingdom that emerged with the rule of Nebopolasser was sometimes referred to as the New Chaldaic Kingdom by some scholars and historians. This is because Neboolasser was the first king of the New Babylon Dynasty which began in the 6th century B.C. which is where this appears on the Biblical Timeline.

The Hebrews, Canaanites and the Phoenicians spoke Chaldaic and it was used in the Bible in the time of Daniel the prophet, Ezra the scribe and when Jesus was alive. Chaldaic is a Semitic language and it became the foundation of the Arabic and Hebrew dialects. The ancient Assyrians also spoke a version of this language that similar to Babylon’s and the Hebrews used it to write some of their text within the Talmud. Chaldaic was the official language of Babylon that was spoken by the Chaldean dynasty of Babylon rulers. This language was the official tongue of Babylon when they took Judah in captivity. The kingdom Babylon introduced the Chaldaic into the Mesopotamian and Middle Eastern regions once Babylon conquered many kingdoms and tribes that resided in these areas of the world. Chaldaic became the new official languages of these conquered regions and conquered peoples had to become familiar with this speech since the Babylonians governed their lives. Chaldaic had been in use for hundreds of years and it wasn’t until the time that the Persians conquered Babylon that it began to lose its preeminence. Shortly before the Kingdom of Judah fell the Assyrians had taunted the Judeans in Hebrew but the Judean officials who were present when this situation was taking place asked the Assyrian messengers to speak in their native language so the people wouldn’t hear what they had to say. This situation reinforces the fact that the Hebrew people were probably familiar with Chaldaic as much as they were with the Assyrian tongue. Before Chaldaic became a common language throughout the Middle East it was primarily used just by the Babylonians and probably by other tribes such as the Medes. The Chaldeans were also known as a race of sorcerers, astrologers and soothsayers. They had written many of their incantations, spells and prayers in Chaldaic. Since Babylon ruled the Middle East and the Mesopotamian region they used this language to influence people to worship their gods and to spread their power. Babylonian religious services were carried out in Chaldaic and the people also used this language for commerce.

new_chaldiac — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

The Babylonians deported many groups of the people that they conquered back to Babylon. They also forced the upper-class sons and daughters of defeated nations to become educated in their language and customs. The prophet Daniel and his companions Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were trained to serve in the royal court of Babylon. Daniel and his companions had to learn Chaldaic in order to serve as officials within Nebuchadnezzar’s royal court. They also had to know this language so that they could communicate with other officials within the empire. Daniel and his companions were required to use this language when communicating with the masses especially since Daniel was a high ranking governor for many years.

When the Persians finally conquered Babylon they still continued to use the Chaldaic language as the official dialect of the empire. They mixed it with their own speech to create a unique form of Aramaic that was similar but different to Chaldaic. Eventually, this language went out use as the primary tongue spoken in the Middle East region of the world but certain tribal groups speak a modern version of this Semetic language to this day.

Biblical References:

Daniel 1 Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego were taken from Judah and made to learn the Babylonian (Chaldaic) language and customs.
Genesis 10 and 11 Nimrod establishes the Assyrian and Babylonian empires.
*All throughout the rest of the Bible God uses Babylon and Assyria to carry out his plans and he proclaims judgments against them. Key books include Genesis, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Nahum, Jonah and Revelation.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.spellweb.com/how-do-you-spell/chaldaic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaldea
http://www.crystalinks.com/chaldea.html
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4213-chaldea

Posted on October 22, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Romulus Ruler of Rome

Romulus and Remus founded Rome in 753 B.C. and by 750 B.C., which is where they appear on the Biblical Timeline with World History. King Romulus is the sole ruler of the territory.

The story of Romulus and Remus is considered an ancient myth or legend about the establishment of the Roman Empire. The reason the story is considered a myth or a legend has to do with all of the supernatural elements that are contained within the tale.

Alba Longa was an ancient Italian city that was ruled by a king named Numitor. This particular king would soon become the grandfather of Romulus and Remus. King Numitor had a brother named Amulius who removed him from the throne. Amulius killed the king’s male heirs and took his daughter Rhea Silvia and made her a Vestal virgin. Amulius did not want any of the king’s children to seek revenge on him since he usurped his throne. Rhea Silvia was an extremely beautiful woman and because she was a vestal virgin she had to remain sexually pure in honor of the goddess Vesta. Any Vesta Virgin that was caught in the act of having sex was supposed to be put to death.

Romulus_and_Remus,founders_of_Rome — The Capitoline she-wolf with the boys Romulus and Remus

The Capitoline she-wolf with the boys Romulus and Remus

Rhea Silvia’s beauty eventually attracted the attention of a Roman god by the name of Mars. This particular deity got Rhea Silvia pregnant, and Amulius was about to kill her for this deed. Rhea conceived two boys, but King Amulius took both of them and threw them into the River Tiber since he did not want them to avenge their grandfather who was the rightful ruler of Alba Longa. Once the boys were disposed of in the River Tiber, they were discovered by a she-wolf and a woodpecker that fed and protected the boys. These two animals are representatives of the god Mars and some speculate that he sent them to the boys to take care of them. .

Eventually, the boys would be discovered by a shepherd named Faustulus, who took the boys back home to be raised by his wife. After they had been old and strong enough, the boys disposed of Amulius and restored their grandfather Numitor back to his rightful position as king. After the king had taken power once again, the Twins realized that they needed to start a kingdom of their own, so they searched for a suitable location to set up their kingdom. The boys chose Palatine Hill where they were cared for by the she-wolf and woodpecker. As Romulus began to build walls for the city his brother, Remus mocked him by jumping over the walls. Then in a fit of rage Romulus slew his brother and became the sole ruler of the kingdom.

After the death of his brother, King Romulus continued to build the city, and he named it Rome. The first citizens were outlaws and fugitives. Romulus then decided to steal women from a neighboring kingdom known as Sabine. He invited these people and their families to a big event and when the men of Sabine were preoccupied he had their women carried off for his male citizens.

The men of Sabine went to war with the Romans, but the conflict was stopped when the Sabine women admitted that they liked the men of Rome better than their former countrymen. Rome more than likely grew up over time from small tribal settlements in southern Italy. Historians and scholars believe that the myth of Romulus and Remus is just a story that was told by the early Romans to glorify the history of their kingdom and culture. The story of Romulus and Remus has at least two different versions, and they are still used today to describe how Rome as established.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romulus_and_Remus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_of_Rome
http://www.unrv.com/culture/romulus-and-remus.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:She-wolf_suckles_Romulus_and_Remus.jpg

Posted on October 14, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 4 Comments

Daniel a Major Old Testament Prophet

Daniel is considered a major prophet by Biblical scholars and the reason why he is of such importance is because there is a great deal of information about him in God‘s word. His name means “worshipper of God”. Daniel lived during the time period that Judah went into exile around the 6th century BC which is where he appears on the Biblical Timeline.

When he was a little boy he was taken captive with three of his friends back to Babylon. These three youths would be known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel and his companions came from noble families and they were chosen by some Babylonians to serve in the court of king Nebuchadnezzar.

Once the young Hebrew boys were in the court they were instructed in the ways of Babylonian culture, custom, religious worship and speech. They were to be instructed in the ways of Babylon for the next three years and then serve the king as a part of his court. Throughout this process, God inspired the boys to remain loyal to their faith. Their faith in God is what would help Daniel and his

Daniel_and_Shadrach_Meshach_and_Abednego — ‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego by Simeon Solomon, 1863.’

‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego by Simeon Solomon, 1863.’

companions to survive and prosper while they lived in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar had two disturbing dreams during the time period that Daniel served him. The first dream was about a large rock smashing a strange bronze statue. The second dream was about a large tree with animals feeding underneath its branches. When King Nebuchadnezzar had his first dream he wanted his magicians or wise men to interpret the dream. He didn’t want to tell them what the dream was about. The king told them if they couldn’t figure it out on their own he was going to kill them. Daniel found out what was going on and interceded. Since his companions and he were considered wise men in Nebuchadnezzar’s court, they too would die as well. God then presented Daniel with the answer to the king’s dream. Daniel then told the king the meaning of his dream. Daniel revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar that his empire was going to eventually come to an end by the Persians. He also told him that his God would one day establish a kingdom that would be far greater than any on the Earth. The second dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had occurred at a later date. This dream was given to the king by God so that he could humble him. King Nebuchadnezzar was made to realize that he was only a great ruler because God allowed it. Daniel told the king that God was going to make him think he was a wild beast for seven years and when it was over he was going to acknowledge him as Lord.

Daniel_and_Lions_Den — Daniel worshiped only the one true God no matter the consequences.

Daniel worshiped only the one true God no matter the consequences.

Daniel became a very powerful man after interpreting the first dream of Nebuchadnezzar. He was made a governor and his companions were elevated to high positions within society as well. In time, King Nebuchadnezzar passed away and King Belshazzar came to power. One night while this king was feasting he saw a hand come out of nowhere and write on the wall of his banquet hall. He eventually summoned Daniel to interpret the writing that was engraved on the wall from this vision. Daniel told him that the Persians were going to take his kingdom and it happened later on that night. Before King Belshazzar was assassinated by the Persians he rewarded Daniel with a royal robe and elevated him to the position of the third highest ruler in the land of Babylon.

Daniel_End_of_the_World — Daniel had many visions including the End of the World

Daniel had many visions including the End of the World

Soon the Persians were in power and Daniel still held a high position in the land. While the Persian king ruled the officials who didn’t like Daniel told him to pass a law that all people should worship him as a god. If a person didn’t do this they were to be put to death. Daniel did not follow this decree because he worshiped God alone. So the king had Daniel thrown into the lions den even though he didn’t want to carry out this deed. Daniel was not eaten because an angel from the Lord shut the mouth of the lions. The evil advisors who plotted against Daniel were thrown in the lions den with their families and they were all eaten alive.

Daniel also had visions about things to come and the end of the world shortly before he died. Daniel 7 records the vision of the four beasts and Daniel 8 is about the vision of the ram and the goat. The rest of the chapters of Daniel reveal other visions such as the 70 weeks in Dan 9 and the vision of the end times in Daniel 10. Daniel’s visions also shed light on what is taking place in the spiritual realm and how these events affect people on Earth. Daniel eventually passed away after living a long and prosperous life in Babylon. The date of his death cannot be determined, but most biblical scholars and historians place it somewhere in the 6th century B.C.

Biblical References:

Daniel 1 Some young boys were taken from Judah‘s royal families and were trained to become advisors to King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel and his three companions were given special favor by God for learning.
Daniel 2 Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream concerning a statue a large rock that smashes the statue. He is rewarded the position of governor.
Daniel 4 Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a large tree with animals grazing underneath. Daniel tells the king that he will go mad until he recognizes God as the one and only true Lord of all.
Daniel 5 Daniel tells King Belshazzar about his vision concerning the handwriting on the wall. Daniel tells the king that the Persians were going to destroy him and his empire. Daniel becomes the third highest ruler for interpreting the dream.
Daniel 6 Daniel is saved by an angel of the Lord after he is thrown in the lions den.
Daniel 7 – 12 God gives Daniel many prophecies about events that have taken place in history and those that will occur in the future. He also says a prayer for his people in chapter 9.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foster_Bible_Pictures_0011-1.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_(biblical_figure)#mediaviewer/File:Daniellion.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadrach,_Meshach,_and_Abednego#mediaviewer/File:Simeon_Solomon_-_Shadrach_Meshach_Abednego.JPG
http://pixabay.com/en/lion-panthera-leo-lioness-343387/
http://pixabay.com/en/apocalypse-mystical-moon-sun-524468/

Posted on October 12, 2012April 5, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 3 Comments

Solomon Temple Rebuilt Under Cyrus

The temple of Solomon had been destroyed when the Judeans were placed under the dominance of Babylon during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. God’s people were ruled by foreign monarchs for 70 years until he decided to return them back to the Promise Land. But it was rebuilt around 519 BC which is where this event occurs on the Biblical Timeline.

King Cyrus of Persia controlled Babylon when the people of Judah were allowed to return home. During the first year of his reign, God came to him and gave him a message. The king held a public announcement about this message. He told the people of Persia and Babylon that the Lord had authorized him to rebuild Solomon’s Temple and that he must release many of the Judeans back to their homeland to complete this task. He also told the people that no one should interfere with this process and that the people surrounding the territories of Judah should lend financial and material support to the Judeans cause. After this proclamation, many of the people of Judah were excited about returning home. God had chosen the people that he wanted to return by letting them know they should be a part of the rebuilding process.

Solomon_Temple,_Rebuilt — Temple of Solomon

The people began to give all that they could to the returning exiles so that they could have money for supplies and food. The heads of Jewish families of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and the Levites also selected who were going to return home. King Cyrus decided to give back the treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar took from Solomon’s Temple after he conquered Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had these supplies loaded up in the temple of his god. There were gold and silver bowls, dishes, pans and other items. Cyrus returned 5,400 items back to the people of Israel so that they could place the items back into the Temple. These items were given to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah who was in charge of taking the Judeans back to their homeland. Ezra was a priest and scribe who were authorized to return to Jerusalem during the reign of another Persian king named Artaxerxes. He wasn’t among the first exiles to return home and joined them at a later date.

Biblical References:

Ezra 1: 1 – 4 God informs Cyrus the Great that he should rebuild the Temple and release the Jewish captives back to their land.
Ezra 1: 5, 6 The people help to support the return to Jerusalem with the use of freewill offerings and donated gifts. Gods stirs up the hearts of priests, Levites, and tribal leaders to go back to Judah to rebuild his Temple.
Ezra 1: 7 – 11 King Cyrus gives back the treasures of Solomon’s Temple that was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. Sheshbazaar carries them back to Judah.
Ezra 7: Ezra, the priest, is stirred up by God to go back to Judah.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jerusalem_Ugglan_1.jpg

Posted on September 28, 2012October 1, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — 5 Comments

Zedekiah King of Judah

Zedekiah reigned in unrighteousness during the sixth century BC, which is where he appears on the Biblical Timeline. God had warned the kingdom of Judah to repent from its sins for many years. He had sent many prophets, priests and righteous kings to have the people worship him in spirit and truth. God had patiently waited for hundreds of years for the people to stop worshipping idols and honoring pagan deities. There were times in the history of the nation of Judah when it seemed as if the people were going to live permanently righteously according to God’s commandments. This condition didn’t last forever, and the people of Israel soon went back into their sin of idolatry. Over the course of time, God could no longer warn or be patient with the people of Judah. They had forced the Lord to exercise judgment against them because it was a justifiable act of God.

Zedekiah,Unrighteous_King_of_Judah — Zedekiah

King Jehoiachin ruled Judah after the Babylonians had gained control over the land. Jehoiachin’s father, Jehoiakim was a wicked king and during his reign the Babylonians invaded Judah and this was the beginning of God’s judgment against this nation. After Jehoiakim had passed away, King Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Jehoiachin to power, and he ruled for 11 years and then he was marched off to Babylon as a prisoner. Once this king was removed from the throne, his uncle named Mattaniah was made the next ruler of Judah. King Nebuchadnezzar changed his name to Zedekiah.

When Zedekiah became the King of Judah, he was a wicked ruler. He continued to practice the idolatry that was performed by various kings all throughout the history of Judah. God used the prophet Jeremiah to warn the king, but he didn’t listen to him. King Zedekiah was a stubborn, hard-hearted man, and he wasn’t convinced or convicted by any of God’s warnings to repent. He also didn’t think that his nephew’s captivity in Babylon had anything to do with the nation’s troubles from God for their sins. King Zedekiah just didn’t realize what was happening, or he didn’t care. The people of Judah reflected the king’s attitude and continued to worship false gods and idols.

The Babylonians attacked Jerusalem a third time in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign. This time around they built huge earthen ramps and lay siege to the city for two years. Eventually, the siege had ended, and the people were desperate. The Babylonians eventually broke through Jerusalem’s wall and killed many of the people of Judah. They killed the young and old, and they took all of the wealth of Judah.

During the siege, King Zedekiah realized that all was lost, so his troops broke through a part of the wall surrounding Jerusalem when it was dark. They tried to run away in a nearby valley to escape, but the Babylonians chased after and killed most of them. King Zedekiah tried to do the same thing, but he too was captured. Instead of killing him, the Babylonian’s tied him up and forced him to watch as they killed his sons. Then they put his eyes out of his socket and made him blind. After he was made blind, he was marched back to Babylon where he spent the rest of his days as a prisoner. King Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king, and he ruled Judah for 11 years around 588 B.C. His name means “the justice of God” and the people of Judah experienced God’s justice against their sins during his reign.

Biblical References:

2 Kings 24: 17 Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon makes Zedekiah the next ruler of Judah after he removes his nephew Jehoiachin from the throne.
2 Kings 24: 18 – 20 King Zedekiah was an evil ruler who did evil in the sight of God. He was an idolatrous ruler that led the people astray. God decided to judge Israel through the process of exile with the power of the Babylonians.
2 Kings 25: 1 – 7 Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem for two years and carries away its people.
2 Chronicles 36: 11 – 21 An alternate passage that tells about Zedekiah’s rule of Jerusalem.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zedekiah
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112328/jewish/Zedekiah.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zedekiah.jpg

Posted on September 26, 2012September 10, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — 5 Comments

Jehoiachin King of Judah

Jehoiachin was the son of Jehoiakim and his name means “God will fortify his people”. He ruled Judah during the sixth century BC, which is when he appears on the Biblical Timeline. When Jehoiachin came to power, his father Jehoiakim had passed away after ruling the land for eleven years.

Once he became king he continued in the pagan practices of his father. Instead of leading people back into the true worship of God he chose to continue leading them in the wrong direction. King Jehoiachin had a short reign that lasted for only three months and one week. God had to remove this king from power because he didn’t want to repent of his sins. He was alive when his grandfather Josiah ruled the kingdom.

King Josiah was a righteous ruler who believed in God. Just like his father, Jehoiachin didn’t learn how to trust in the Lord. God had decided to send the people into captivity for their sins at the hands of the Babylonians. The Babylonians made Judah pay them tribute during the reign of Jehoiakim. One day King Nebuchadnezzar decided to attack Judah during the rule of Jehoiachin. Before he marched on Judah, he forced King Jehoiachin to come to Babylon. Once King Jehoiachin arrived in Babylon King Nebuchadnezzar made him a prisoner.

King Nebuchadnezzar arrived in Judah and took the people into slavery. The Babylonian King then carried away all of Judah’s treasures from the palace and the Temple of the Lord. This was a prediction that was given to King Hezekiah of Judah in the past. It finally was fulfilled during the reign of Jehoiachin. King Nebuchadnezzar took all of the important people in the land which included the princes, the skilled craftsmen, soldiers, Smiths and even some of the priests.

After he had taken King Jehoiachin away to Babylon, a king named Mattaniah was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar. This event was the second time that Babylon took the people of Judah away into captivity. God used Nebuchadnezzar to enslave the people of Judah at different time periods during its history. Only the extremely poor people were allowed to remain behind in the land of Judah. God used the Babylonian captivity as a last resort to get the people to turn back from their sins and to believe in him.

This extreme form of judgment was used by God to help them to realize how important it is to have a heart that truly wants to follow his ways and serve him. This was the beginning of many years of sorrow for the people of Judah. All hope was not gone because God was going to bring his people back from captivity and destruction when the time was right. King Jehoiachin ultimately ended his short reign as a prisoner in the Kingdom of Babylon.

Biblical References:

2 Kings 24: 8, 9 Background information on Jehoiachin. He was an evil king.
2 Kings 24: 10 -12 King Nebuchadnezzar and his officials siege Judah and Jehoiachin relinquishes control of Jerusalem
2 Kings 24: 12 – 14 Babylonian King carries away Jehoiachin and the people into captivity, and he plunders the temple of God.
2 Kings 24: 15 -17 Nebuchadnezzar places Mattaniah on the throne. Jehoiachin’s uncle and changes his name to Zedekiah.
2 Chronicles 36: 9 -10 alternate story of Jehoiachin’s reign.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeconiah
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0011_0_10047.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jehoiachin-Jeconiah.jpg

Posted on September 24, 2012April 21, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Jehoahaz Unrighteous King of Judah

After the Kingdom of Judah had divided in half during the reign of Rehoboam, some of the monarchs of Israel and Judah ruled for a short amount of time. Many kings were in power for only a few short years before they were disposed of by God. All of the kings that had short reigns lost their right to rule because they were evil leaders and many of them only ruled the land for only two years.

Jehoahaz,Unrighteious_King_of_Judah — Michelangelo’s Josiah-Jechoniah-Sheatiel. Jechoniah is generally seen as the child on the right with Josiah being the man holding him. The boy being held by the woman is intended as one of Jechoniah’s brothers

Michelangelo’s Josiah-Jechoniah-Sheatiel. Jechoniah is generally seen as the child on the right with Josiah being the man holding him. The boy being held by the woman is intended as one of Jechoniah’s brothers

King Jehoahaz was a king of Judah who had ruled the land for a short time period because he was an idolatrous governor. He appears on the Biblical Timeline with World History immediately after his father King Josiah during the seventh century BC. King Neco of Egypt had killed King Jehoahaz’s father Josiah in battle. After he defeated King Josiah he forced the land of Judah to pay him tribute.

Once King Jehoahaz took over the throne from his father he continued the same pagan practices. God had decided to allow King Neco to capture King Jehoahaz and take him back to Egypt as a prisoner. He didn’t want him to rule from Jerusalem because he had some kingdoms in that part of the world that he controlled. Judah could have aligned with these kingdoms and become a threat to his power in the region.

King Neco came to Judah and took Jehoazah back to an Egyptian jail. He then placed his son Eliakim onto the throne of Judah. King Jehoahaz should have never restarted the pagan practices that his father King Josiah had stopped when he ruled. King Jehoahaz allowed the pagan shrines and altars to become a part of Judah’s landscape once again. It seemed as if he didn’t have any regard for his father’s devotion to the Lord.

During his lifetime, King Josiah made sure the kingdom of Judah was being directed toward the true and proper worship of the Lord. King Jehoahaz was a young lad who experienced the great blessings of his father under God. There was even a huge Passover feast that was given during the reign of Josiah that became one of the best in all the history of Judah. Apparently, none of these events had a positive influence on King Jehoahaz because as soon as he was in power he restarted pagan worship. In his divine wisdom God didn’t want Jehoahaz’s evil to continue to keep spreading all throughout the land. The Lord wanted the people of Judah to experience some more blessings before he sent them into captivity. So the imprisonment of King Jehoahaz brought more time to the people of Judah so that people could turn from their sins and be saved from the judgment that was about to come on Judah.

The people of Judah had been worshipping false gods for too long and the Lord was ready to purify the people from these practices. He wanted the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah to be his chosen people but God already knew that the outside world was going to influence many of his people. God isn’t caught off guard or necessarily discouraged by this predicament but he is grieved by his people’s refusal turn back from their sins. Another important thing that should be remembered is that King Josiah found the Book of the Law during his reign.

King Jehoahaz knew how important this book was to the people of Judah because it contained the knowledge that they needed to serve God in the right way. The King wasn’t moved by this book and instead of using it to continue to get the people right with God he chose to go another way. Eventually Jehoahaz died in his Egyptian prison while his son Jehoiakim ruled the land under Neco’s direction. Jehoahaz name means “Yahweh has held” and he ruled for about three months in 609 B.C.

Biblical References:

2 Kings 34: 31, 32 Provides background information on Jehoahaz the son of Josiah. He only ruled for 3 months. He was an evil ruler like Manasseh.
2 Kings 34: 33, 34 King Neco imprisons King Jehoahaz in Egypt and places his son Eliakim on the throne in his place. Neco changes Eliakim name to Jehoiakim and Jehoahaz remains in Egyptian captivity until he dies. Neco also forces Judah to pay Egypt tribute.
2 Chronicles 36: 1 – 4 Tells an alternate story

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehoahaz_of_Judah
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0011_0_10045.html

Posted on September 17, 2012April 15, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Huldah, Prophetess

During the reign of King Josiah, a high priest by the name of Hilkiah found a book of the law. He then gave the book to the king’s secretary named Shaphan, who then read the book to King Josiah. When King Josiah heard the words that were written in the book he tore his clothes because he realized that the kingdom was sinning and in judgment from God. So King Josiah sent Hilkiah, Shaphan, and some other important men to find the prophetess Huldah so that they could follow the words in detail. For this reason, Huldah appears on the Biblical Timeline during the reign of King Josiah.

Prophetess_to_King_Josiah — Huldah’s tomb

Huldah was the wife of Shallum, the keeper of the wardrobe. Her name means weasels. She is only mentioned in the Bible in 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 34. When the men found her, she told them that God was going to bring disaster on Israel because of their idolatrous behavior. The prophetess told them to tell King Josiah that the Lord was going to spare him from this fate and that he was going to carry it out at a later date.

The officials then brought back Huldah’s words to the king and told him what was about to happen. The King then gathered all of the people in Israel both the great and the small and had the word of the law read to them. The king then made a covenant to walk in the ways of the Lord. King Josiah’s efforts caused the people to follow after and worship the Lord all of the days that he was alive. However, King Josiah died in battle at the hands of the Egyptians because he didn’t obey God’s command not to go to war with this empire.

Historical sources also claim that Huldah was used to speaking God’s word to kings and officials. She was also a woman who spoke prophesies to other women of the time and she was the only female prophetess recorded in the Bible during this era in Israel’s history. God had used female prophets in the past such as Deborah in the book of Judges and Miriam in the book of the Exodus. Huldah like any other prophet of her time had to pass the tests associated with being a prophet.

Huldah had great knowledge of the Torah. The Talmud also states that the women prophetesses were regarded as more compassionate than the males, and that is why the officials sought her out as opposed to Jeremiah. Huldah was considered to be the cousin of Jeremiah. Some historians and scholars also claim that her memory was kept alive through a gate in Israel called the “Gate of Huldah.”

Biblical References:

1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 24 are the only two places where Huldah is mentioned in the Bible.

References:
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112503/jewish/Huldah-The-Prophetess.htm
http://www.netplaces.com/women-of-the-bible/women-who-prophesied/huldah.htm
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Huldah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hulda_tomb.jpg