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

Posted on September 19, 2012June 12, 2019 by Margaret Hunter — 6 Comments

Ahaz of Judah, King

King Jotham was a godly man that carefully followed the Lord and obeyed his commands. King Jotham tried to lead his people in this manner but they didn’t follow. So when his son Ahaz came to the throne he was more influenced by the people than he was his father. King Ahaz did acknowledge God but he did not follow his ways. Instead, he began to lead the people astray with false pagan practices. He ruled from 741 to 725BC which is where he appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart.

He molded statues of foreign gods and he allowed human sacrifice to occur in the land. King Ahaz even sacrificed his own children to his pagan deities. The Bible also goes on to say that he even imitated the pagan nations that God removed from the land of Canaan. The Bible does say that he burned incense on the pagan shrines and on the hills which often refers to idolatrous sexual activity.

God became fed up with King Ahaz and allowed the kingdom of Aram to defeat him in battle. The Lord even allowed the king of Aram to carry off Israeli captives to Damascus. King Pekah of Israel defeated 120,000 of his troops in battle. King Ahaz’s wickedness was great and God was only just beginning to punish him for his sins. God even took his vengeance out against Ahaz by allowing his son to be murdered by a warrior from Ephraim named Zicri. One of his top military commanders was killed as well. When Israel defeated King Ahaz he took 200,000 captives but God was still upset with him.

God sent the prophet Obed to inform the leaders of Israel that they were going overboard in their punishment of Judah. Obed warned them that if they didn’t allow the prisoner to return back to Israel that God was going to turn his anger against them. This means that they would have been punished a great deal more for the sins that they had committed. Israel released the captives, provided them with clothing and healed their wounds before sending them back home.

King Ahaz still didn’t learn his lesson. Instead of repenting and turning away from his sins he continued to indulge in his transgressions. He sought out the help of the Assyrian king for help. When the king of Assyria arrived in Judah he began to oppress the people. King Ahaz paid him tribute from Solomon’s Temple to get him to stop. This didn’t work and the Assyrian king, Tiglith-pileser continued to harass Judah.

So the king of Judah went and offered sacrifices to the gods of Aram. He reasoned that if their gods helped them to win over Judah they would also help him against his enemies. The king ruined his life and the lives of his people with this act. He made pagan shrines all throughout Judah and had God’s anger burn strongly against him and the people of Judah.

King Ahaz’s name means “Yahweh has held” and he was twenty years old when he became king. Because of his wickedness he led the people of Judah into captivity by the Assyrians and did not heed the warning of the prophets of the time such as Isaiah. His was not obedient to God’s commands and many of his subjects turned from God while he was in power. King Ahaz eventually died and his reign was widely considered a disaster. He was succeeded by his son Hezekiah.

References:

2 Chronicles 28: 1 – 4 Background information on King Ahaz’s life and how he worshipped false gods. He also offered human sacrifices killing his own son. His acts helped to lead the people astray.
2 Chronicles 28: 5 -8 God uses other kingdoms such as Aram to punish Ahaz. One of his sons and top military officials are murdered by his enemies. 200,000 people were captured and being marched back to Israel.
2 Chronicles 28: 9 – 11 God sends the prophet Obed to warn Israel to release the captives or they would receive punishment from God.
2 Chronicles 28: 12 -15 Israel returns the prisoners after clothing and dressing them.
2 Chronicles 28: 16 – 21 God sends more enemies against Israel to punish the nation for its sin. King Ahaz turns to Assyria for help, but the Assyrians cause them problems as well.
2 Chronicles 28: 22 – 25 King Ahaz turns to other false gods to get help from the tyranny of Assyria. He then sets up pagan shrines all over the land of Israel. In the end, his acts ruin the nation.
2 Chronicles 28: 26, 27 King Ahaz dies and is succeeded by his son Hezekiah.
2 kings 16 Provides an alternate account of King Ahaz’s reign.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahaz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ahaz.png

Posted on September 9, 2012October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 8 Comments

Amos a prophet of Israel

Amos is a Hebrew name and it means “to carry” or “carried”. This name was given to Amos who carried the messages from God to the people of Israel. He appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart around 750 B.C. He was shepherd from the town of Tekoah in Judah. God called Amos to prophesy during the reigns of King Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel. There was an earthquake in the land of Judah and two years before this quake had happened God sent Amos to warn the people about their sins and his judgment.

Amos 1 God Punishes Israel’s Neighbors

Amos begins his messages to Israel by explaining to them that God is shouting loudly from his Temple on Mount Zion. He tells them that God says that he is going to punish Israel’s neighbors for their sins against his people and against him. Damascus, Gaza, Tyre and Edom have all done something cruel and wrong to the Israelites and God had punished them in different ways according to the sins they had committed.

Amos 2 God Judges Judah and Israel

Amos says that God will punish his people because they refuse to obey his commandments and follow his instructions. He says that God will destroy the fortresses in Judah and he explains why God is so angry with Israel. Amos also points out that the Israelites run over helpless people, pervert justice, steal and sell honest people into slavery.

Amos,Prophet_of_Isreal_and_Judah — Painting of Amos

Can Two People Walk Together?

In chapter 3 verse 1 in the book of Amos there is a famous verse which asks the question “Can two people walk together, except they be agreed?” God uses Amos to present this question to Israel so that they can take a good look at their relationship with him. The Lord wants Amos to tell the people that he is not going to be with them unless they follow his direction.

Amos 3 Witnesses against Israel

Amos tells the people of Israel that God usually sends a warning for people before he exercises judgment against them. He lets the people know that God has sent prophets to turn the people back to God. He then goes on to say that God will punish Israel by destroying the homes of the wealthy, allowing the Israelites to be taken captive by foreigners and destroying the pagan altars at Bethel.

Amos 4 to 6 More Judgments from God

The prophet Amos explains some more judgments to the people from God and in chapter 5: 1 -17 he calls for the people to repent before going back and pronouncing more punishments from the Lord.

Amos 7 Visions

In chapter 7 of the book of Amos God gives him a series of visions and the first vision was about locusts destroying Israel’s land. God decided not to destroy Israel with this judgment and decided to use fire to burn up the land. Once again the Lord held back this judgment. He then explains to Amos about the vision of the plumb line to test his people faithfulness and declares that he will destroy the pagan temples and altars in Israel.

King Amaziah of Judah told Jeroboam of Israel that Amos was planning to remove him from the throne and send the people into exile. King Amaziah told Amos to leave. Before Amos left he told King Amaziah that his wife would be a prostitute and that his children would die in the city. He also said that the king would die in a foreign land and that his land would be divided up. Amos pronounced these judgments on the king because he refused to listen to God’s word.

Amos 8 and 9

Amos pronounces some more harsh judgments and he relays the vision of ripe fruit that God had given him. The vision of ripe fruit was used to illustrate how the people of Israel were ready for judgment from God. Amos tells them that many people were going to be carried out of the city and that many others would die. The people didn’t want to listen to Amos and turn from their sins. In the last chapter of Amos, God says that one day he was going to restore his people and not wipe them out. This illustrates the point that Israel will always be God’s chosen people.

References:

Amos 1: 1, 2 Explains how Amos became a prophet.
Amos 1 God punishes Israel’s neighbors.
Amos 2 God judges Judah and Israel.
Amos 3: 1 Popular scripture about people believing in the same thing.
Amos 3 God explains that he sends warning before judgment.
Amos 4 – 6 Judgments from God with a brief call of repentance in chapter five.
Amos 7 God gives Amos visions about the terrible ways he planned on destroying Israel
Amos 8 – 9 More judgments from God with the hope for restoration.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://hypertextbible.org/amos/amos/people/amos.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_(prophet)

Posted on August 31, 2012February 13, 2019 by Margaret Hunter — 13 Comments

Ahab, the most wicked King of Israel

God stated that King Ahab did more evil in his eyes than any other king before him. When the Lord of heaven makes this kind of comment about a person’s life this clearly reveals that God was not pleased with Ahab’s rule. God said that Ahab didn’t think much was wrong with the evil things that he did while he ruled. He married a foreign woman named Jezebel who worshiped the god Baal and he built a temple to honor this god in Samaria. He also built altars and idols to another pagan deity named Asherah. He allowed Jezebel to kill godly priests and a godly man named Naboth. He also created problems for the prophet Elijah while he was alive. He appears on the Amazing Bible Timeline with World History starting in 932 BC.

Ahab was the son of King Omri a former military commander who had taken over the throne after laying siege to Tirzah. Self-proclaimed king Zimri set fire to the palace around himself after seeing the city was taken. Omri was a wicked ruler and he taught his son his evil ways. After Omri had passed away Ahab took what he had learned from his father and put it into practice while he ruled Israel. Ahab name means ” father’s brother” or “uncle”.

Ahab, Obadiah, Elijah, and Jezebel

At one point during Ahab’s rule, his wife Jezebel was killing God’s prophets. King Ahab didn’t care about what she was doing because he was worshipping Baal. God sent a prophet named Elijah to resolve this situation. Before Elijah confronted the King Ahab, the king had one of his chief servants, named Obadiah, to find some grass or vegetation for the king’s animals. The land of Israel was experiencing a severe famine at the time. Obadiah did what the king had commanded him.

Ahab,Unrighteous_King_of_Isreal — King Ahab

Obadiah began to search Israel for some green pastures and while he was out performing his duties, he met up with Elijah. Obadiah was a godly man who hid many prophets away from Jezebel. When Obadiah saw Elijah he bowed to him and they started to talk. Elijah told Obadiah to tell Ahab that he was going to pay him a visit. Obadiah was afraid to tell King Ahab because the king and Jezebel had wanted to capture Elijah since he was the leader of the prophets. Ultimately, Obadiah did as Elijah told him to and Ahab met up with him. So Elijah confronted Ahab and told him that him to summon the prophets of Baal. There was a showdown between the prophet of God and the false prophets. Elijah won this confrontation. This was a major blow that was dealt to his kingdom since Elijah proved that God was stronger than Baal.

Naboth Vineyards

Naboth was a Jezreelite who lived in Israel during the reign of Ahab. King Ahab wanted his vineyard because it was beautiful and it was located near his royal palace. King Ahab wanted to pay Naboth for his vineyard or exchange it for another vineyard. Naboth refused to part with it because it was a family plot. King Ahab became upset and was depressed about the situation. His wife Jezebel told him that she would get Naboth’s land. She devised a scheme where two men bore a false witness against Naboth claiming that he cursed God and the king. The people stoned Naboth for these sins. Jezebel then told King Ahab to take his land because he was dead. God once again used Elijah to inform King Ahab that dogs will lick up his blood in the same spot where Naboth died. Elijah also tells Ahab about Jezebel’s fate as well. Ultimately, King Ahab lost his life at the battle of Ramoth-Gilead. His blood that was washed off of his chariot was licked up by dogs in the city of Samaria in the same place where Naboth was unjustly killed.

References:

1 Kings 16: 29 – 33 Ahab becomes king of Israel.
1 Kings 18 King Ahab and the prophets of Baal versus Elijah the Prophet on Mt. Carmel.
1 Kings 21 Jezebel kills Naboth and takes his lands for King Ahab.
1 Kings 22: 29 – 39 King Ahab dies and his blood is licked up by dogs.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Ahab
http://www.biblestudy.org/question/who-was-king-ahab.html

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

Eliezer A Minor Prophet

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

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

Jehoshaphat story is Eliezer’s Story

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

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

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

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

Bible References

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

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

Posted on August 8, 2012March 28, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

Asa King of Judah Defeats Ethiopians

King Abijam of Judah was the father of King Asa who ruled from Jerusalem around 900 B.C which is where this event appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart. King Asa was the fifth ruler that was descended from the line of David. King Asa ruled Judah for 41 years and he made it a point to honor God by obeying his commandments. Asa’s name means “healer” or “doctor” and this name reflects Asa’s character and how he corrected a lot of the wrong things in Judah that offended God. King Asa made it a point to remove the pagan shrines that had become a part of their culture that was introduced from King Jeroboam of Israel.

King Asa constantly fought against King Bashaa of Israel during his reign, but he also fought against other enemies such as King Zerah from Ethiopia. The Ethiopians had been interacting with the kingdom of Judah since the time that King Solomon had reigned. Historians claim that King Zerah was taking a large army north of Israel to battle against the Assyrians. King Zerah had probably been conquering and subjecting lands all around him because of the large army that he had commanded. 2 Chronicles 14:9 states that Zerah had marched his million man army into a Judean town known as Mareshah. King Asa found out about King Zerah’s force in Mareshah and took his forces to the town to do battle.

King Asa only had a 300,000 man army and was seriously outnumbered by the powerful Ethiopian force. Asa realized that the only way that he could defeat Zerah was by relying on God. In 2 Chronicles 14:11 Asa prays to God and the Lord answers his request because the Judean king was faithful to him. The forces of Judah moved out against the Ethiopians and God caused them to win. The Ethiopians were being beaten so bad that they had to retreat and when they did the forces of Judah pursued them a great distance to a foreign territory called Gerar. Once the people of Gerar heard about the defeat of the mighty Ethiopian army they feared God and the people of Judah.

After the Ethiopians were defeated King Asa’s men took their abandoned possessions that they had left behind. His forces raided far into Ethiopian territory and took their livestock, cattle and camels. King Asa’s forces had won a great victory because God allowed them to win.

Biblical References

1 Chronicles 15: 11 King Asa made it a point to obey God.
1 Chronicles 15: 12, 13 he removed most of the pagan shrine and got rid of the pagan priests.
1 Chronicles 15: 16 King Asa always at war with King Bashaa of Israel.
2 Chronicles 14: 1,6 God gives Judah ten years of peace because Asa obeyed him.
2 Chronicles 14:9 King Asa and King Zerah prepare for battle in the town of Mareshah.
2 Chronicles 14: 11 King Asa prays for God’s help against King Zerah.
2 Chronicles 14: 12, 13 God gives King Asa’s forces the victory of the Ethiopians.
2 Chronicles 14: 13-15 King Asa’s forces chase the Ethiopians all the way back to their homelands and take their possessions, livestock and camels.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2014&version=CEV
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles+14&version=CEV
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_of_Judah

Posted on July 6, 2012August 6, 2018 by Margaret Hunter — 2 Comments

Nadab son of Jeroboam, King

Nadab (name may mean free and voluntary gift, generous) was the son of Jeroboam, and his reign was a relatively short one that only lasted for a few years. Nadab’s problems began with his father. Nadab’s fate as a ruler was already sealed from God’s judgment against Jeroboam. He appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart during the time of the Kings after the Division of the Kingdoms.
Jeroboam’s Judgment

In 1 Kings 14:1-11 Jeroboam’s son Abijah became ill, and Jeroboam wanted to know if his son was going to live. So he told his wife to disguise herself and go to the city of Shiloh to an old and blind prophet of God named Ahijah. Jeroboam believed that the old prophet would be the only person who could tell him if his son would live. Jeroboam’s wife agreed and went to the old prophet’s home. Ahijah knew it was Jeroboam’s wife even though he couldn’t see her, and he then prophesized that Jeroboam’s line would be wipe out because of disobedience to God. Ahijah also told Jeroboam’s wife that the boy was going to die and that he would be the only member of their family that would be buried. She went back to Jeroboam and told him what the old prophet had said. Jeroboam eventually died after a 22-year reign.

God’s Specific Reason for Removing Jeroboam’s Line

God was seriously upset with Jeroboam and the choices that he made to do evil. God used the old prophet Ahijah to tell Jeroboam’s wife that he raised Jeroboam to take over the kingdom after he had removed it from the house of David. The Lord also goes on say that Jeroboam wasn’t anything like King David because he didn’t follow all of his commands, and he didn’t follow after him with all of his heart. He also points out that Jeroboam did more evil deeds than all those who lived before him. Ahijah also revealed how Jeroboam made God angry and then turned his back on him. These are the reasons as to why God’s judgment was hard on Jeroboam.

King Nadab

King Nadab was the son of Jeroboam and he ruled the kingdom after his father passed away (1 Kings 14:20). He followed in the ways of his father. He grew up in the ways of the Golden Calf Cult, and he promoted this form of worship among the Israelites. He was on the throne for about two years when a man named Bashaa plotted to kill him. Bashaa was the son of a man named Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar. He decided to assassinate Nabad when the Israeli army was attacking a Philistine town. When the moment was right Bashaa struck him down during the siege. Bashaa then made himself king.

The Extermination of Jeroboam’s Line

The death of Nadab signaled the beginning of the end of the rest of Jeroboam’s family line. Once Bashaa became king, God used him to wipe out all of Jeroboam’s kinsmen and according to the prophecy none of them were properly buried. This story is found in 1 Kings 15: 25-31.

Biblical References

1 Kings 14:1-11 The prophet Ahijah explains God’s judgment on Jeroboam.
1 Kings 14:20 King Nadab becomes ruler of Israel
1 Kings 15:25-31 Nadab is slain by a Baasha from the tribe of Issachar, and the rest of Jeroboam’s family line was completely wiped out right after his death.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeroboam
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nadab_of_Israel.jpg

Posted on June 15, 2012March 29, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — 10 Comments

Saul of the Old Testament, King

King Saul was Israel’s first king and monarch. His rise to power was ordained by God, and his life showed lots of promise during the early years of his rule as king. Saul had good favor with God and the people of Israel when he obeyed the Lord. But after a major incident where Saul chose not to follow God’s instructions he was destined to lose his position and power as king. The second half of Saul’s reign was characterized by torment, anger, disobedience and hatred. Eventually, Saul was replaced as king of Israel by David, the son of Jesse. He appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart circa 1100 BC.

The story of Saul‘s life and reign is outlined in 1 Samuel 9-31, and it begins with the prophet Samuel. In the early days when Israel had become a stable nation, they were ruled by judges. The prophet Samuel was a judge and priest over Israel in (give a date), and the people were governed by a theocratic rule. Samuel had two sons who were destined to take his position as leader once his time was over, but they were not men of faith. The Israelite people did not want to be ruled by them, and they demanded a king. God was against this, but he decided to allow them to have what they wanted but with a price. The people of Israel didn’t care because they were now as the other people in the world because they finally had a king.

Saul was a man from the land of Gibeah, which was a small settlement a few miles outside of ancient Israel. There are three different versions of the Bible about how Saul became the first king of Israel. Saul is appointed to this position by Samuel in 1 Samuel 9:1 – 10:16. The second version is found in 1 Samuel 10: 17-24 and 12: 1-5 and Saul becomes the king by being selected through a lottery process. The last instance of Saul’s appointment happens in 1 Samuel 11: 1 – 11 and 11:15. In this passage of scripture, Saul is appointed king after he defeats a group of Ammonites. Each of these three different passages of scriptures seem like they’re explaining Saul’s appointment to King in three different stories. But these events could have happened in a successive series of events which ultimately designated Saul as king.
Saul’s name means: “lent”, “to lend”, “asked for” or “given” in the Hebrew language. He was considered to be an impressive young man who was taller and probably more handsome than any of his fellow countrymen. Saul apparently had the physical and social characteristics that people look for in rulers (1 Samuel 9:2). Once Saul had become king, he began to win a string of military victories. He defeated the Philistines who were subjecting the Israelites right before his reign (1 Samuel 14:47).

Saul ruled well for many years but ran into problems when he went to war against the Amalekites. God had told Samuel to give Saul specific instructions that he was expected to obey to the letter. Saul didn’t follow through with God’s commands, and God had rejected Saul as king.

Saul,Biblical_King — Saul Throws Spear at David” by George Tinworth

Saul Throws Spear at David” by George Tinworth

Saul then spent the rest of his days being tormented by an evil spirit and tried to kill David, who destined to take his throne. After learning about Samuel’s death, Saul contacted a medium to see if he could get a word from Samuel. God allowed Samuel to return to let Saul know that he was going to die the next day (1 Samuel 31:5), and he did. King David was sad over Saul’s death, and he took over the kingdom after Saul had passed.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel+9&version=KJV
http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p65.htm
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Saul
http://crossfaithministry.org/kingsaul.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Saul_Throws_Spear_at_David_by_George_Tinworth.png

Posted on June 5, 2012August 17, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Cecrops and Founding of Athens

Cecrops was the ruler of an ancient kingdom known as Attika and he is credited as the founder of Athens. This particular ruler was half man and half fish or serpent. Cecrops was supposedly born out of the Earth and this great king of Athens was a cultural hero who didn’t fight great battles or conquer vast lands. Cecrops taught the Athenians about marriage, literature and how to properly bury their dead. The actual founding of Athens is lost in the mist of times. It does not show up in recorded history until the 7th century BC when it had already existed for a long time. The legend of Cecrops places it’s founding as early as the 11th century BC which is where it is placed on the Biblical Timeline Chart.

Cecrops has an unusual beginning even for a mythological creature. Cecrops was born from an apparent rape attempt on the goddess Athena. One day Athena visited a smith shop to obtain some weapons. The owner of this shop was Hephaestus the god of smiths. When Hephaestus saw Athena he was overcome by lust to the point that he wanted her immediately.

Since Athena was a virgin she did not succumb to his desires. She then fled away from Hephaestus who was chasing after her.

Hephaestus was a god who had a deformity that didn’t allow him to move well, but he eventually caught up with Athena. He was so worked up from his desire for her that when he caught her some of his semen fell onto her leg. Athena managed to get away from Hephaestus and when she realized that his semen was on her she wiped it off of her body in disgust. When Hephaestus’ semen had hit the ground Cecrops sprang up from the Earth.

No one knew about Cecrops, but Athena and she raised Cecrops in secrecy. She placed him inside of a box. After she placed the boy in a box she then gave it to the daughters of King Cecropia. Eventually, two of the princesses were overcome with curiosity and opened the box. Once the box was opened and its contents revealed the girls were shocked by what they saw. They happened to see a little baby boy that was half man and half reptile or fish. The princesses then went insane and committed suicide or they were killed by the baby snake. Either way, they died after seeing Cecrops in his infant form.

After this incident, Athena took Cecrops and had him live on a rocky hill called Acropolis. According to some versions of the myth, Athena made this hill for Cecrops by constructing it from rocks she found in the Pallini Sea. Cecrops eventually grew into adulthood and by this time he was ready to rule Cecropia.

Cecropia was the name of the king of Attica and the city he ruled (Cecropia)would eventually become Athens. One day Athena and Poseidon were arguing about who was going to name the city. They decided to settle the heated debate by giving divine presents to the people of Cecropia and they told Cecrops that he had to choose one of their gifts that he thought was best. The city would then be named after Athena or Poseidon.

Poseidon struck then struck the ground and water came out of the Earth. This was his gift to the people of Cecropia. Athena then hit the ground with a staff and an olive tree sprung up from the Earth. The tree represented food, wisdom and peace. That was Athena’s gift to the people of Cecropia.

Cecrops had to think about whose gift was the best and it took him a long time to decide. He eventually drank some of the water that Poseidon created, but it was bitter. After tasting the water, he decided that Athena’s gift was the best. He also claimed that the area of Cecropia had plenty of springs but not that many olive trees. So Athena won the contest and Cecropia was named Athena. Athena placed Cecrops on the throne as king and gave him wisdom on matters of life, society, and civil administration. She also taught him how to perform religious ceremonies to the gods and she was the chief deity in the city. He then taught the Athenians how to be civilized and cultured. Poseidon was angry that he lost the contest and cursed the city by giving it constant water shortages throughout its history.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecrops_I
http://www.steliart.com/theseus_cecrops_and_athena.html
http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Kekrops.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens

Posted on May 24, 2012July 15, 2016 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Tyre Principal Seaport of Phoenicia

The people of Sidon were one of the many different Semitic cultures that inhabited the land of Canaan. Sidon was established on the coast of modern-day Damascus near the Mesopotamian Sea. In time, these people became known as the Phoenicians, and they developed a unique seafaring culture that specialized in the trade of goods and merchandise. Around 1200 B.C., a group of Phoenician colonists left Sidon and headed north to create a new settlement. This newly founded area was called Tyre, and it eventually became the most powerful city of trade and commerce within the Phoenicians. It is placed on the Biblical Timeline Chart around between 1000 BC and 1100 BC as it reaches the height of its power.

The city of Tyre had a vast seaport. This seaport is what allowed the city to have a monopoly on the coastal trade routes that existed in the Mesopotamian region. Tyre’s routes began in the east near modern day Lebanon and extended all the way to the west near modern day Spain. Many famous ancient cultures such as Egyptians, Romans and Greeks conducted business with the Phoenicians. Tyre also had sent colonists to the tip of North Africa in the west and established a powerful city-state known as Carthage. In the ancient world, many great cities were located next to Mesopotamian sea, and this is why the Phoenicians were able to use their seaports to effectively engage in commerce.

The Phoenicians developed an economy that was founded on the exchange of goods. They bartered just about anything they got their hands on. They traded wood, precious stones, weapons, cloth and slaves. The most important commodity that they exchanged was the purple dye. This particular substance was a powder used to provide color garments worn by the rich people of ancient times. The Phoenicians had managed to monopolize the trade of this purple dye and their name as a people became associated with the color. Phoinois is an ancient Greek word for purple and the word Phoenician had been ascribed to the people who manufactured this royal hue. The Phoenicians established manufacturing centers for the development of purple dye. They also had different manufacturing centers for wood and other goods such as glass and pottery.

Tyre was the center of activity for Phoenician trade and power. This city-state was ruled by kings, and it had a powerful navy that was considered the best in the ancient world. They also had land forces, but they relied heavily on their marine like warriors to carry out assaults against enemies that decided to attack their city or disrupt their trade lines.

Many Phoenicians had to learn how to become skilled craftsmen to earn a living and to produce many of the goods that they sold in their markets. The citizens of Tyre also worked in the manufacturing industries, or they were hired sailors who helped to man vessels along the trade routes. Tyre was famous for having so many merchants and businessmen since finance, and business-related occupations dominated the country.

The inhabitants of Tyre also traded with land lock countries such as Israel. When King Solomon was building a temple for God he received many of his supplies from the King Hiram of Tyre (see 2 Samuel 5:11 and 1 Kings 5:1). King Hiram of Tyre was an ally to King David before he had died. This relationship carried over to Solomon after his death.

Sidon tried to outdo Tyre with economic importance, but it could not overtake the city. Tyre was so economically powerful and well known in antiquity that the city’s fame had spread all over the ancient world. Emperors, kings and commoners knew that Tyre was the city for material goods and that they could buy just about anything that they desired from this place. Tyre’s economic and financial power lasted from 1200 B.C. to around 300 B.C. when the city went into decline. The Greeks and their culture overtook the Phoenicians importance and by 65 B.C. the city of Tyre was considered a second-rate economic power.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenicia#Trade
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenicia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalassocracy
http://phoenicia.org/britmines.html
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=tyre&t=KJV
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyre,_Lebanon

Posted on May 16, 2012December 19, 2018 by Margaret Hunter — 5 Comments

David Subdues Edomites

One of the enemies of Israel that David subdued during his wars were the Edomites. This event is found on the Biblical Timeline Chart around 1040 BC King David is considered the greatest king in all of Israel. His life was very dynamic and compelling. He killed a giant as a boy, eluded a mad monarch as a young man and by the time he was 30 he was king of God’s chosen people. David’s life was filled with many blessings and with curses. In 2 Samuel 7 David wanted to build a permanent home for the Ark of the Covenant and God said that he could gather resources for the project, but he wasn’t allowed to build the temple.

Chapter 7 of Samuel also states that God made a covenant with David so that his lineage would forever remain on the throne of Israel. Shortly after the events of chapter 7, David began to go forth and conquer many enemies in chapter 8. Israel was surrounded by hostile nations on all sides and David’s forces defeated them all. The Edomites were descendants of Esau who was the brother of Jacob. Esau was the firstborn son of Isaac and then Jacob. In Genesis 25:23 God revealed to Rebekah that there were two nations in her womb and that the older would serve this younger. This wasn’t just a personal rivalry between the two brothers, but also affected their two lineages.

David_Defeats_Edomites — Edom’s Location

Jacob represents Israel and Esau the Edomites. The promises that God made to Israel was going to come through Jacob and not Esau. When the Israelites had left out of Egypt and headed toward Canaan they wanted to pass through the Edomites land to arrive at their destination. The Edomites refused them entry and many of the Israelis became discouraged and upset. God told them to honor their request and not to make war against them because the Edomites are their brothers. This is in reference to Esau and Jacob.

Even though the Edomites were considered brothers the Edomites were not a godly people. At various different times throughout their history with Israel, they attacked and harassed them. They also sided with the enemies of Israel at different points in time in their history. When King David went out and subdued Isreal’s enemies, God directed his forces toward the Edomites. In the book of 2 Samuel, verses 8:14 King David defeated them and then set up garrisons at strategic points within the land of Edom. He also made the Edomites the servants to Israel.

Once again this coincides with the prophecy that God made about Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25:23. God said that the older brother (Esau) would be the servant of the younger brother Jacob. This is one time that this prophecy was fulfilled. The Israelites held control over the Edomites for many years following their defeat under the dominance of King David. In time, the Edomites eventually regained their freedom but they still were subject to Israel at various other points in history. King David’s defeat of the Edomites was just one way that God was fulfilling his plan for his people to reclaim all of the lands that he promised them.

Biblical References to David and the Edomites

Genesis 25:23 God judges Esau and Jacob before they were born. He declares that they will have descendants that will be rivals and that the older brother would be a servant to the younger brother.
Numbers 20:21 explains how the Edomites refused to allow the Israelites to go through their territory.
2 Samuel 8:6 God was with David as he conquered his enemies including the Edomites.
2 Samuel 8:14 David set up garrisons at strategic points in the land of Edom. The Edomites now have to serve the Israelites.

References:
http://jimbomkamp.com/2Samuel/2Sam8p1.htm
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+8%3A14%2C2+Samuel+8%3A15&version=KJV
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kingdoms_around_Israel_830_map.svg