Biblical Timeline – Page 14 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on July 11, 2012June 10, 2019 by Margaret Hunter — 4 Comments

Ahaziah, King in Israel

King Ahab and his wife Jezebel were the parents of King Ahaziah ( the name means seized by God) of Israel. King Ahaziah took over the throne after his father was killed in battle. He appears on the Biblical Timeline during the reign of kings of the Divided Kingdom. Once he became king he continued on in the worship of Baal just like his father. God is not happy with Ahaziah’s leadership of Israel and eventually removes him from the throne.

Ahaziah’s Evil Practices

The God of Israel doesn’t want his people to worship anything but himself. When the people of Israel were led into the worship of Baal by Ahaziah this angered the Lord. Ahaziah was continuing a practice that began with Jeroboam who was the first king of Israel when the nation split. Israel had worshipped many false God’s since that time and it was causing major problems for the country. Since Ahaziah’s parents were Ahab and Jezebel he had grown up worshipping the pagan god Baal. His mother Jezebel was still alive during his reign and her practices were continued by him.

Jehu’s Prophecy against Ahaziah

God decided to get rid of Ahaziah and he used Jehu the son of King Jehoshaphat to carry out this task. Elisha was a prophet of God who authorized one of his prophets to anoint Jehu as king. While Jehu was being anointed with oil, the prophet told him that he would be responsible for slaughtering Ahab’s descendants and wiping out his family line. Jehu accepted his anointment and carried out God’s judgment on Ahab’s house.

King Ahaziah

Jehu Slaughters Ahaziah

Shortly after Jehu is anointed king he goes out to slaughter Ahaziah and his brother King Joram. He takes some of his soldiers and rides off to kill the two kings. King Ahaziah and King Joram try to figure out Jehu’s intentions and they realize that he isn’t coming in peace. Jehu shoots King Joram with an arrow between the shoulders that pierces his heart. Joram’s body is thrown down on a plot of land belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. This fulfilled a part of God’s prophecy concerning the elimination of Ahab’s lineage. Jehu persues Ahaziah and wounds him. Though Ahaziah escapes to Megiddo, he subsequently dies in there.

Ahaziah’s Reign

Ahaziah’s reign was short and very brief just like the other Israeli kings before him. God had given this king an opportunity to bring his people back into the true worship of the Lord, but he was too committed to the gods of his parents. Jeroboam’s Golden Calf cult and Ahab’s worship of Baal had caused many of the people who were in power to believe that worshipping pagan deities was the right way to go. They had forgotten about God and the Lord made them pay for not honoring him. Jehu became the next king after the death of Ahaziah because he no longer had any remaining kinsmen to place on the throne.

References:

1 Kings 22:40 Ahaziah becomes king after Ahab passes away.
1 Kings 22: 51-53 Ahaziah continues to lead the people in Baal worship.
2 Kings 9:1-13 Jehu is anointed king and God gives him the task of eliminating the rest of Ahab’s family line including Ahaziah.
2 Kings 9:14-29 Ahaziah is mortally wounded by Jehu and dies in Megiddo.

References:
http://biblegateway.com
http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p117.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahaziah_of_Israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ahaziah_of_Israel.jpg

Posted on June 28, 2012July 31, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 4 Comments

Solomon of the Old Testament, King

King Solomon was the son of King David and God considered him to be the wisest man on Earth. Solomon lived a full and spectacular life like his father before him. He was not only the most knowledgeable man to have ever existed he was also extremely rich, very renown and one of Israel’s greatest rulers. He appears on the Biblical Timeline as king beginning in 1015 BC.

Solomon, King_of_Israel — Judgment of Solomon

Solomon’s Birth

King Solomon’s story begins with his father, David. In 2 Samuel 11, King David didn’t go off to war with his soldiers during a particular campaign against the Ammonites. While at his palace he saw a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. She was the wife of Uriah the Hittite who was one of his most loyal soldiers. King David didn’t care and ultimately had Uriah killed and Bathsheba moved into his palace. God dealt with King David behind his sin because David’s actions displeased him (see 2 Samuel 11:27). The prophet Nathan was sent to King David to tell him about the punishments that God had given to him for his sins. One of God’s punishment’s towards David was to kill the first child that he had with Bathsheba. After losing this child, Bathsheba bore him another son and his name was Solomon.

Solomon Becomes the King

1 Kings tell about King David’s last years as ruler. He had to govern his kingdom from his bedside because his old age. An older son of his named Adonijah claimed the throne. God sent Nathan to Bathsheba so he could tell her what she must do to stay alive and have Solomon to become king. Ultimately, Bathsheba and Nathan convinced the king that Solomon should sit on the throne and David swore that Solomon would be the next ruler. King David had his servants proclaim Solomon the next ruler all throughout the land and Adonijah had fearfully submitted to his authority(1 Kings 1:49-53).

The Wisdom of Solomon

God had appeared to Solomon in a dream during the early days of his reign. The Lord told Solomon he could have whatever he desired because he truly worshiped and honored him as he was instructed by his father. Solomon chose wisdom as a gift from God, and the Lord blessed him with wealth, honor, and a long life because of his choice. 1 Kings 3:16-28 is an example of Solomon’s great wisdom and heart for justice. He had rightfully decided a matter between two prostitutes on a child. When the people heard about his judgment on the matter, his fame spread wide and far. Solomon’s wisdom has also been recorded in the Bible within the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

The End of Solomon’s Reign

In 1 Kings, 9 Solomon builds the temple to God. After he was finished building the temple God warns Solomon that if he doesn’t obey him he will cut off Israel from the land that he gave them. Solomon’s greatest sin was taking too many foreign women as wives. This ultimately resulted in God dividing up the kingdom. 1 Kings 11:1-3 states that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. All of these women eventually turned Solomon’s heart away from God and the Lord judged him. God decided to divide up the kingdom from the line of David but not to completely take it away because of the promise that he made to David. The last part of Solomon’s rule was not good according to God. After ruling the land for 40 years, Solomon died and was buried in the city of David.

Biblical References to King Solomon

1 Kings 1:32-40 David has his servants declare Solomon’s rule throughout the land
1 Kings 13:4-15 God appears to Solomon in a dream and grants him wealth, honor, and a long lasting life because he chooses wisdom as a gift.
1 Kings 13:16-28 Solomon decides a matter between two prostitutes and his fame spreads far and wide because of his judgment.
1 Kings 9 Solomon builds the temple for God.
1 Kings 9:2-6 God’s warns Solomon not to turn away from serving him, or he would have to suffer the consequences.
1 Kings 11:1-3 states that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines and this displeases the Lord.
1 Kings 11:9-13 God decided to divide up the kingdom from the line of David.
1 Kings 11:14-40 Scriptures outline the major problems that Solomon had during the last few years of their reign.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Solomon.html
http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/solomon.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon

Posted on June 26, 2012August 19, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

China, Chou or Zhou Dynasty of

The Chow Dynasty in China is officially known as the Zhou and it is China’s oldest ruling line in the history of this nation. The Zhou Dynasty ruled from 1046 to 256 B.C. It appears on the Biblical Timeline with World History in the Chinese section during this time. This ruling class helped to shape and influence Chinese culture for thousands of years.

The Zhou Dynasty began to rule China after they defeated the Shang Dynasty which preceded them. Once they established their authority they backed it up by claiming that their right to be in control came from heaven. They came up with a document that gave them the authority to rule it also helped to transform their religious practices. Ancestor worship was a strong component and part of life for the Shang Dynasty and the Zhou wanted to separate from this old regime. So they decided that ancestor worship would become a more universalized process as opposed to worshipping individual family ancestors.

A somewhat mythical emperor named Ku is credited with starting the Zhou Dynasty. He settled his people near the Wei River valley in west-central China. Ku had led a large army across the Yellow River in China to defeat Shang King Di Xin and Zhou rule was established. When the Zhou had originally established their power they formed a centralized government. This type of government didn’t last long when the various princes began to fight and war among themselves for control. Internal strife caused the empire to split into two parts. The Eastern and Western Zhou Empire was the result of the split.

The Eastern Zhou Empire continued to divide and separate until there were many independent states that formed the empire. The Western Zhou remained unified after the split had occurred.

Zhou society was agrarian based and it was similar to Europe’s feudal system. There were the Chinese versions of lords, nobles, warriors, serfs and peasants. Each of these rulers was subject to the emperor. A class of scholars emerged during the 4th century B.C. and Confucius was the most prominent member during this era. He tried to establish a system of government that was based on the virtue between the rulers and servants. Many of the contemporary rulers didn’t want this style of leadership and preferred the old order which allowed those in charge to dominate by authority and force. Confucius works were so prominent that they still influence China in modern times. The rulers and nobles lived in wall cities instead of palaces and many villages were protected inside of these city walls as well. Iron was introduced into China during the reign of the Zhou. This allowed their agrarian society to increase food production and to focus on developing the arts, sciences, and the various philosophies.

Zhou society went into decline in the 2nd century B.C. when the royal line was broken due to problems with the leadership. Many of the noble and lords within the Zhou empire separated themselves into independent states and didn’t try to unify into one government. Qin Shi Huang of the Qin Empire unified China under his rule in 221 B.C. and the Zhou never again rose to power.

References:
http://library.thinkquest.org/12255/library/dynasty/zhou.html
http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/yanglu/ECC_HISTORY_ZHOU%20DYNASTY.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_Dynasty
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/history/zhou/
http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t3w10zhoudynasty.htm
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Warring_States_350_BC.png

Posted on June 11, 2012September 13, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Kassites Govern Babylon

Kar-Duniash was the name given to ancient Babylon during the reign of the Kassite kings. The Kassites were a warlike people that invaded Babylon during the 16th century B.C. and ruled the area for 576 years. Historians and scholars claim that their rule was the longest in the history of ancient Babylon. The Kassites entered into Babylon after the Old Babylonian Empire and established their rule around 1531 B.C. This is when they are shown on the Biblical Timeline with world history. During this time, Joseph was born and eventually sold into Egypt.

Around 1800 B.C., the Kassites began to settle in the Zagros Mountains which are located in modern day Iran. They slowly then began to make their way southward toward Babylon. They had encountered many different kingdoms and tribes before they reached their destination. Once they made it to Babylon, they managed to defeat the weakened Babylonian city state and set themselves up as rulers.

When the Kassites took over, they managed to forge political stability within the region, and they began to transform the southern Mesopotamian region into a unified territorial state. Many of the kings were popular rulers who became allies with other city-states within the region. The Kissites used their alliances to help repel enemies and to establish a trade. Through their efforts, Babylon had become a recognized world power. The Kassites had also developed their unique style of poetry, architecture, medicine, sculpture, astrology and fortune telling. They had some distinct words for their language, but they borrowed most of their dialect from the Babylonian people.

The Kassites were not referenced in the Bible but according to some Christian and Hebrew scholars a king named Cushan-Rishathaim was supposed to have been a Kassite ruler. Cushan-Rishathaim is mentioned in Judges 3:8 and God had used this ruler to punish his people for eight years before he releases them from his rule. The name Cushan is considered a translation for Kassite or northwest Mesopotamia.

Kassites_Governs_Babylon — A map of the Babylonian Empire during the time of the Kassites, roughly the 13th century BC. This map shows the probable river courses and coastline at that time.

A map of the Babylonian Empire during the time of the Kassites, roughly the 13th century BC. This map shows the probable river courses and coastline at that time.

The Kassites influenced Babylonian culture after they took over the city-state. Their rule helped to shape many different aspects of the culture and religion was one major area where it was experienced the most. Marduk was already the patron deity of the Babylonians before the Kassites arrived, but this God was elevated to the position of supreme god once Babylon became a powerful Mesopotamian territory. This God held this position for many years after Kassite rule hand ended.

There were nearly thirty rulers who controlled Babylon under the reign of the Kassites, and they started with Agum II and ended with Enlil-nadin-ahi. Most of the Kassite kings ruled on an average of 17 to 20 years. Adad-shuma-usur had the longest reign that lasted for about 30 years.

Another ancient Middle Eastern people known as the Elam finally defeated the last Kassite ruler in 12 B.C. The Babylonian territory had experienced internal strife and rebellion and the people of Elam took advantage of this situation and conquered Babylon. The ruler Shutruk-Nakhkhunte is credited with permanently ending Kassite power. Once Kassite rulers were finally overthrown, they never regained power. Historical records indicate that the remaining Kassiste people eventually migrated back to their homeland in modern day Iran and were conquered ruled by the Greeks under Alexander the Great. After this point, the Kassites had faded into obscurity.

References:
http://history-world.org/kassites.htm
http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/MiddleEast/Kassites.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kassites#Kassite_Dynasty_of_Babylo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kassite_Babylonia_EN.svg

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

Egypt Decays Around 1000 BC

Historians and Egyptologists claim that there were a number of causes which brought about the decline of the ancient Egyptian empire. Egypt was a vast civilization that was the greatest empire on Earth during its time in power. Egyptian influence had spread far and wide around the known world but eventually it came to an end. The beginning of the decline is on the Biblical Timeline with World History beginning in the 11th century BC.

Around 1000 B.C. the Egyptian Empire was already in decline in the New Kingdom era. Problems for Egypt began about 200 years before this point during the reign of Ramses II. This particular pharaoh had been assassinated his wife in order to place her son on the throne. After this assassination attempt had taken place a period of instability had begun.

Shortly before the death of Ramses II the Egyptians had to deal with a horde of sea raiders that were trying to overrun their empire from the Nile Delta region. They also had to fight the Libyans in the east in order to maintain control of those lands. Egypt defeated both of these threats but it depleted their treasury and cost them manpower. They had to let go of their conquered territories in the west because they could no longer afford to keep control over them. After the Egyptians withdrew from many territories they left a vacuum that was filled by other Middle Eastern powers.

When the sea people began to infiltrate Egypt in the north many inhabitants of the region lost their homes. People became upset and no longer trusted in their leaders to guide and protect them as they once did and the priests who came up during this era began to gain power.

Then northern part of Egypt was run by corrupt priests and the southern part of the kingdom was ruled by the Pharaoh. The priests eventually gained control of the southern half of Egypt. Once this occurred many outside nations began to plant their representatives into the priesthood. The many of the Egyptian priests were becoming corrupt and the population was also starting to follow their lead.

Kush was kingdom that lied south of Egypt and during Egypt’s long reign they controlled this land. Around 1000 B.C. the Kushites began to push against Egypt. They eventually were able to take control of Egypt around 700B.C. They took advantage of the corruption that was happening and they were helping it to spread. The Egyptians were holding on to their empire but they were barely able to keep things together.

Both regions of Egypt had vied for control the kingdom during this time period. The upper and lower regions competed hard for dominance of Egypt. Power had shifted back and forth between the regions since no one ruler could effectively gain control of the whole empire once again. About 1000 B.C. they split apart and they were never ever to regain complete unity within the empire again. The eternal strife and lack of leadership and the decline in morality eventually allowed other nations to come in and dominate this once mighty empire. By 30 B.C. Egypt was nothing more than a conquered colony of Rome and it never again regained its former glory.

References

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/egypt_end_01.shtml

http://teachergenius.teachtci.com/the-decline-of-ancient-egypt/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egypt#New_Kingdom_.281549.E2.80.931069_BC.29

http://www.love-egypt.com/conquest-of-egypt.html

http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/The_Story_of_the_Greatest_Nations_and_the_Worlds_Famous_Events_Vol_1/fallanci_bce.html

Posted on May 30, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Merneptah Rules Egypt

Merneptah was Egypt’s fourth ruler and he reigned on the throne during the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Pharaoh Merneptah was the fourth son of Ramses II and he ascended the throne when he was an elderly man. Once he gained power over Egypt he spent most of his time protecting Egypt from foreign invaders and small uprisings. He is placed on the Biblical Timeline with World History during the 12th century BC.

Pharaoh Merneptah grew up as the thirteenth son of Ramses II. As a prince of Egypt he had learned the ways of the empire from his teachers, priests and his father. When he was of age he apparently went into the military and gained valuable knowledge as a soldier. In time he advanced to the rank of commander or general within Egyptian forces.

Since Ramses had thirteen children and Merneptah was the youngest, he had to wait many years before he could inherit the throne. After the death of Ramses II, Merneptah’s thirteen older brothers had taken over the throne. Once they had passed away Merneptah’s chance to rule had finally come. His father Ramses died when Merneptah was about forty. His other brothers were also a lot older than he was and they too were older men before gaining power.

When Pharaoh Merneptah became the leader of Egypt he took his forces to Libya to crush a revolt among the local inhabitants. The Libyans had teamed up with the sea people in order to threaten Egypt. Historians claim that Merneptah fought a six hour battle with both of these groups and defeated them. The Libyans and sea peoples never revolted against Egypt during the rest of his reign.

His next set of enemies was the Hittites who tried to control Egyptian held territories in Syria. Some of the Syrians had joined with the Hittites in order to be freed from Egyptian rule but this territory was brought back under control through a treaty that he made with the Hittite rulers. Eventually the Hittite kingdoms needed Merneptah’s aid because of a famine that had spread into their lands. The pharaoh helped them out as a means for honoring the treaty.

Some Egyptian scholars and historians speculate about Merneptah being the pharaoh of the Exodus. He had made a reference about Israel as a defeated foe of the Egyptians. This is supposedly the oldest non Biblical record of ancient Israel that is in existence today.

Merneptah had also moved the administration center of Egypt from Piramesses back to Memphis. He also had a royal palace constructed next to Ptah temple. Merneptah also built a sanctuary at the Colossi of Memnon.

Eventually old age and time finally caught up with this pharaoh. Merneptah had arthritis and arteriosclerosis and both of these medical conditions had caused his demise. He died after ruling Egypt for about ten years and his body was mummified before being buried in the Valley of the Kings. His body wasn’t placed in a particular burial tomb that was made for him. It was later found with a group of mummies that were located near the tomb of Amonhotep II. He had a son named Seti who took his place on the throne after he had passed away.

References:
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/merenptah.htm
http://www.king-tut.org.uk/egyptian-pharaohs/merneptah.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merneptah
http://www.crystalinks.com/Merneptah.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Merenptah_Louxor-HeadAndShoulders-BackgroundKnockedOut.png

Posted on May 22, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

David Smites the Syrians

During his reign as king of Israel, David had many confrontations with the people of Syria. He fought against various rulers from that land on many different occasions. He fought against the people of Zobah who was from southern Syria and he fought against the Arameans that had also established a kingdom in that region. The Israelites constantly struggled against the Syrians until King David was given the ability by God to defeat and control these people. This final defeat is found on the Biblical Timeline between 1050 BC and 1090 BC.

After King David became the ruling monarch of Israel he had befriended an Ammonite king named Nahash and he had a son named Hanun. King Nahash and David were allies and judging from scripture they had a solid political relationship. King Nahash had finally passed away and when he did King David sent servants to express his sorrow and to help comfort Hanun.

King Hanun’s princes convinced him that David was sending spies into his land. Once the servants arrived at Hanun’s palace, he had their beards shaved and cut off their garments up to their waste, exposing their behinds. The servants were servants were seriously shamed and they headed back to Jericho. King David heard what happened and he was outraged. King Hanun heard about King David’s anger and he gathered his forces to fight against him. He also took the aid of the Arameans who were from Syria.

During the battle, King David’s forces defeated killed 22,000 Arameans (or Syrians) in that battle. After killing this many Aramean soldiers, the Ammonites lost heart and had ran away. Zoboah was a Syrian-based kingdom that was ruled by a monarch named Hadarezer. This particular Syrian king was erecting a monument near the Euphrates River and King David went out to defeat him in battle. King Hadarezer had joined forces with the Arameans in their battle against Israel. He forces went out to fight against King David’s armies and lost. When Hadarezer’s armies had been defeated the other Syrian kings under his rule quickly made peace with Israel.

Garrisons were placed inside of the Syrians kingdom once King David had defeated them. These garrisons were primarily situated in the territory of the Arameans since this particular group of Syrians gave the Israelites so much trouble. After placing troops inside of the Syrians territory, the various kingdom of that land paid King David tribute. They also became the servants of Israel. God had given King David victory wherever he went and this was crucial to his success with defeating the Syrian forces.

King David had recently wanted to make a home for the Ark of the Covenant to show his gratitude toward God. The Lord was well pleased with his request, but he wasn’t going to allow King David to build his temple. Instead, he made a covenant with David that was going to keep his descendants on the throne of Israel forever. Shortly after establishing the covenant, God empowered King David to defeat the various different enemies of Israel. The Syrians were a group of Israel’s enemies that God helped King David to conquer.

Biblical References to David and Syria

2 Samuel 8:5-6 King David defeats the Arameans of Syria and places garrisons inside of their territories. They pay him tribute and serve Israel. God gives David victory over Israel’s enemies.
2 Samuel 10 Syrian kings quickly makes peace with David and Israel after he defeats the most powerful Syrian monarch Hadarezer.
1 Chronicle 19 The Ammonites use Syrian forces to try and defeat King David but they are defeated by Israel.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Samuel%208&version=NIV
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zobah
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Samuel%2010&version=NIV
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%2019&version=NIV
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Syria_(orthographic_projection).svg

Posted on May 14, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Jair a Judge In Israel

Jair the Gileadite was judged over Israel for twenty-two years. He is found on the Biblical Timeline around 1200 BC. His rule over Israel was fairly a long one. The Scripture doesn’t state that Jair did anything wrong while he was in office. The unique quality of the life of Jair was the fact that he had 30 sons that had 30 cities. According to the book of Judges, the cities were named Havothjair. In the Bible Havothjair was a group of villages that consisted of at least 30 different units. They were previously owned by various Israeli rulers in the past starting with Jair, the son of Manasseh. Hezron was the father of Caleb, and he had a son named Segub who had 23 towns in Gilead. He eventually lost some of these territories to Geshur and Aram. These two men were descendants of Machir, the father of Gilead. Jair’s sons had come to control the various towns and settlements of Havothjair. Jair, the judge, was connected to the line of Machir through his father, Segub. His sons held had probably inherited one of the many different cities of Havothjair from him.

Most people in ancient Israel did not ride donkeys or horses as a form of transportation. Owning a donkey or a horse in ancient Israel was the same as a person having a vehicle for personal transportation today. The fact that Jair’s sons had 30 donkeys was also an indication of his wealth and status. Since his sons held thirty cities, they apparently had servants and were men of means and status. Jair being their father must have been a well-respected city member that was chosen by the elders to become a judge. The history of Havothjair is usually ascribed to the various Israelites who ruled the area at the time of Manasseh. The name Jair also appears all throughout the Old Testament, and it was all connected to various events that happened in or near Havothjair during its time of importance. Jair was also used sometimes to describe Havothjair.

Biblical References to Jair

Judges 10:3 Jair the Gileadite becomes the next judge of Israel after Abimelech. He judged Israel for 22 years before he died
Judges 10:4 He had 30 sons who rode on thirty donkeys and held 30 cities.
Judges 10:5 Jair died and was buried in Camon.

References:
http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T2616 http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Judges&c=10&t=YNG http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=jair&t=KJV http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havoth-Jair http://bible.cc/numbers/32-41.htm http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1979_Lake_Turkana_(27115984).jpg

Posted on May 8, 2012September 30, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — 10 Comments

Trojan War Myths and Facts

According to the Greek Myth, the famous Trojan War took place in Troy. So, what sparked the war? It was caused by the Greeks or the Achaeans when Paris who lived in Troy had taken Helen away from Menelaus who was her husband and also Sparta’s King. The Trojan War is probably the most significant event that ever occurred in Greek Myth. Its story has been narrated in various ways in a lot of Greek literary works such as “Iliad and Odyssey” by Homer, which contained fragments of the actual war. It is placed on the Biblical Timeline with World History at 1184 BC

Trojan War Around 1184 BC: Truth or Legend?

1184 BC sparked the beginning of the Trojan War. During this phase, the Greeks departed in various ships and left behind an enormous wooden horse that was a form of victory offering. The truth is that it was actually heaved within Troy’s walls, and the Greek soldiers would then come down from the belly of the horse after dark just to slay each and every guard. That way, they were able to successfully destroy the city.

Throughout the generations, a lot of questions about the war have been commonly asked. Did it really happen? Was it really during the 1184 BC? The answer to the first question would be a yes based on various archaeological evidence. According to studies, it didn’t really happen during the traditional date that’s told, but rather just around the 1200 BC. Where? The answer would be Asia Minor.
So, there is actually a conflict of info between the works of Homer about the Trojan War legends and the various archaeological studies conducted. However, it can’t just be a truly made up story. The said war and the folklores it comes with are firm parts of the Western Culture, especially in language enrichment.

Significant Details about the Trojan War

The war lasted for over 10 consecutive years until such time that the Greeks were able to send the wooden horse loaded with soldiers who were aimed to bring destruction to the city of Troy. Achilles, who was one of the major characters to have fought in the said war, was speared through his heel to death. Due to the invasion of the Greek soldiers, all the major structures within Troy were totally burnt. In the end, Troy lost the battle that seems to be pretty tragic if you really think about it.
Now, why did Paris have to take away Helen from Menelaus, the King of Sparta? As you may know, Paris is actually one of the gods in the said legend. The main reason Helen had been such a big interest to him was the goddess beauty that she had possessed. Aphrodite whom Paris sent along with the soldiers was actually the one who did the abduction for him.

Menelaus’s Broken Vow

Due to Menelaus’s love for Helen, he had made a vow to do whatever it took to rescue Helen. With the help of his brother, Agamemnon, he was able to win the companionship of the Achaean soldiers towards the retrieval of Helen. There are actually different versions about how it ended. There’s one where Menelaus ended it all by killing Helen. On the other hand, there was a version where he dies and reunites with his beloved Helen in a so-called “Island of the Blessed.”

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaeans_(Homer)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achilles

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

Barak

Barak was a minor character in the book of Judges of the Holy Bible. He is found on the Biblical Timeline around 1267 BC. Though his role was limited he played an important part of delivering Israel from the Canaanites. The judges of Israel ruled the land for nearly 350 years and during this time period the Israelites made God angry by worshipping foreign deities. God would punish them by sending them into captivity and then sending a savior to free them from their oppression. The judges not only guided Israel they were usually given the responsibility of delivering the people from tyranny when the time had arisen. Deborah was a female prophetess and judge, who was given the responsibility at one point in time of Israel’s history.

Barak was a general from the land of Kadesh who hailed from a city called Naphtali. He was the leader of thousands of men and he had become a highly regarded soldier in his land. He was a skilled warrior and competent generally who God had wanted to use to free his people. Apparently Barak was reluctant to follow after God’s command. So, the Judge Deborah sent for him and questioned him why he wasn’t obeying the Lord.

Barak still showed reluctance and told Deborah that he would not gather his forces against the Canaanites unless she would march with him. Barak’s reluctance to go to war probably stemmed from the fact that he didn’t have faith in God. It also could have resulted from fearing defeat by the hands of the Canaanites.

Eventually Barak listened to Deborah and went back home to gather his army. Once he had his army of ten thousand men he went to Tabor to confront the Canaanites. Deborah had told Barak that God would deliver the Canaanites into his hand if only he would obey. She also told him that his victory would not be his own and that it would be from God. So he was not to boast about any military accomplishment. Barak was able to defeat the Canaanites and not one of them remained.

Barak,_Judge_in_Isreal — Jael Shows to Barak, Sisera Lying Dead, c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot

Jael Shows to Barak, Sisera Lying Dead, c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot

During the course of the battle, Barak chased after the leader of the Canaanites named Sisera. The Canaanite leader was killed by a woman named Jael who plunged a tent peg into his head. Once Barak found out where Sisera was at Jael showed him where his body was at because she already had killed him.

Deborah was with Barak when he won this victory. God had given Israel the victory through both of them. They ultimately defeated Jabin the Canaan King and the Canaanites were no longer a threat to Israel.

Bible References for Barak

Judges 4: 1-2 God is angry once again with Israel for their idolatry and decides to use the Canaanites to punish them for their sins.
Judges 4:3 the people of Israel cry out to God for deliverance.
Judges 4:6 the prophetess Deborah calls for Barak and tells him about obeying God by sending out his soldiers to fight.
Judges 4:8 Barak tells Deborah he will only fight if she goes into battle with him.
Judges 4: 10-13 Barak gathers his forces and goes to war against the Canaanites at Tabor.
Judges 4: 16 Barak’s forces kill the Canaanites to the last man.
Judges 4: 18 -21 Jael slays Sisera with a tent peg.
Judges 4: 22 Barak confirms Sisera’s death.
Judges 4: 23-24 God gives the Israelites victory over the Canaanite king Jabin and his armies.

References:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jdg&c=4&v=1
http://www.bible-history.com/isbe/B/BARAK/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barak
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tissot_Jael_Shows_to_Barak,_Sisera_Lying_Dead.jpg