Biblical Events – Page 9 – Amazing Bible Timeline with World History

Posted on April 4, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — 16 Comments

Infant Baptism and Sprinkling, History of

Purification and consecration are two important concepts in Christianity that reveals the type of relationship and expectations that God has toward his followers. Baptisms began with John the Baptist in the Bible. John the Baptist was the first evangelist in the history of Christianity, who preached the coming of Christ. He was gifted with the ability to preach, and he had drawn thousands of people from around the countryside of Judah with his message of repentance and salvation in Jesus. John baptized many people as they accepted faith in Christ and even Jesus himself was baptized by him as well.

The concept of a child being baptized isn’t a far-fetched idea since many early Christians also converted their whole entire households into the faith of Christ (see Christian verses). In the book of Proverbs, a passage of scripture reads “even a child is known by his deeds whether his way is evil or good”. Upon careful inspection, the Bible reveals many references to children being saved by God and showing faith in Jesus as well. Even Christ himself was seen acknowledging God at the temple when he was but a 12-year-old boy. Hebrew people were more than aware of the fact that their children could be evil and that not all children will automatically go to heaven when they die. Also noted, the Hebrews performed the practice of circumcision that was used to identify a person as a Jew. Since the first Christians were former Jewish believers, the idea of baptizing Christian youth definitely meant the same outward expression of their newfound faith in Christ.

As the early church began to grow and expand, the first believers began to develop doctrinal truths to stop heresy and false doctrine from infiltrating the church. One of the doctrines that they started was related to infant baptism. This particular ritual wasn’t documented until the 2nd century A.D. It is located on the Bible Timeline Chart between 50 A.D. and 250 A.D. Then early believers started to keep written records for children who were baptized.

The practice of infant baptism evolved over time before it became a standard practice within the Catholic Church. Some of the most notable members of the early Catholic Church were Polycarp and Justin Martyr. Both these famous Christian leaders were baptized when they were young children. A noted Church Father was named Irenaeus, and he stated that “Jesus came to save all men… including infants, children and youth”(see Against the Heresies II 22:4; the quote is paraphrased). His views were taken into consideration when the church began to develop doctrine on the matter. Origen another popular figure during the era of the early church also claimed that infants were to be baptized for the remission of sins. Ultimately, the concept of baptizing children was a natural part of a believer’s faith that began to take on some prominence when Christianity was first being developed. In the time, it has become a modern practice within many Catholic Churches.

Bible References:

Proverbs 20: 11 Even a child is known by his deeds

Colossians 2: 11 – 12 The New Circumcision

Acts 2: 39 Peter makes a reference to baptizing children

Acts 16: 15 Lydia converted with her household

Colossians 2: 11 – 12 The New Circumcision of the heart. Paul contrasts this with the former Jewish circumcision rituals.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.mtio.com/articles/aissar40.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_baptism
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/infant-baptism
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/early-teachings-on-infant-baptism
http://www.gotquestions.org/infant-baptism.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_Baptism
http://pixabay.com

Posted on April 4, 2014October 4, 2017 by Amy — 4 Comments

Martyr Worship Introduced in Rome Christian Church

Christianity began in the city of Jerusalem around 35 A.D. After the first church was established by the early believers it was attacked by the Jews who wanted to rid themselves of the followers of Jesus Christ. They had previously crucified Jesus because they viewed him as a threat to their power and as a danger to all of Jerusalem. They honestly believed that when Jesus was crucified that his influence would die with him. They were wrong. The Jews didn’t anticipate that his followers would continue to spread his message to the world. So they slowly started a campaign to persecute the early church. Ultimately, they were able to force many Christians to flee Jerusalem to other parts of the world.

Persecuted Christians Settle all over the Empire of Rome

The Romans had dominated Jerusalem and the surrounding territories within the ancient Middle East and Mesopotamian area. They also controlled most of the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. When Christians left Jerusalem, they spread out to nearby regions within the Roman Empire. As they settled into these areas they started to form new churches. Most of the pagan people that lived in the areas where the Christians settled into thought they were as an odd and strange cult. People were pagans, and the concept of one god was just too foreign for them to understand.

Polytheism is the belief in more than one deity, and ancient people had many polytheistic religions. The Romans were known to worship a pantheon of gods and when they encountered a group of people who worshiped and honored one god they thought this was rather different than the norm. Many Roman people didn’t take to the Jews concept of monotheism, and they didn’t accept the Christian version as well.

General Animosity Toward Early Christians

Christianity was seen as a pagan religion to the Romans. After churches began to form in various parts of the empire the Romans started to become more aware of Christian practices. Many of them formed the idea that Christians were cannibals and that they indulged in incest. They also couldn’t understand the concepts of holiness, salvation, and sin. These were foreign ideas to pagan men. Even though the Romans did stress ideas such as purity, strength, vigor, justice and righteousness; they were rooted in man’s ability to produce these results and not dependence on God (Jesus) through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Most people do not like it when they encounter other groups of people who are different from themselves. Many early Romans felt this way about Christian worshippers. Roman rulers held the same opinion as their subjects. Since they were charged with keeping order within the empire, they sometimes lashed out against the Christians.

The early Christians were martyred all over the empire by different rulers at different times. Some of the most noted rulers who persecuted Christians were Emperor Nero, Emperor Domitian, and Julian the Apostate. After the early Christians were martyred many of the first believers thought to keep them in remembrance.

Martyr_Worship_Introduced_in_Rome_Christian_Church — The Roman Church began a process of recognizing martyred saints around the 2nd century A.D.

The Roman Church began a process of recognizing martyred saints around the 2nd century A.D.

Catholic Church Establishes Canonization Practice in Honor of Martyred Believers

The Catholic Church was the first established Christian denomination that was started outside of Jerusalem. The word Catholic means “universal” and the universal church was the first Christian organization that started the worship of martyrs or the worship of Christian saints. The Roman Church began a process of recognizing martyred saints around the 2nd century AD. It is listed on the Bible Timeline between 150-250 A.D. This process eventually became known as canonization and many Christian martyrs who showed exemplary service for the cause of Christianity could be added to the list. The practice still continues, and it is not uncommon for some Catholic believers to pray to these saints so that they could petition God on their behalf. When Christians died after living an outstanding life in Christ, they could be venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Famous martyrs over the years have been canonized, and they include Stephen (Acts 6 – 7) who was the first persecuted Christian and Origen and Polycarp, who were early church, fathers.

Bible References:

Acts 6 -7 Martyr of Stephen

Acts 8: 1 The first is persecuted and scattered.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians_in_the_Roman_Empire
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/history/persecution.htm
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/earlychurch/f/10persecutions.htm
http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4226225/k.3AE5/Persecution_in_the_Early_Church.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonization
http://www.catholicdoors.com/faq/qu221.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Westminster_Abbey_C20th_martyrs.jpg

Posted on May 4, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Phoenicia: biblical place, ‘Land of Palms’

Phoenicia and it’s Historical – Biblical Significance

Where is Phoenicia?

Phoenicia, from the Greek word phoinix, “a palm”, the land of palm-trees, was an ancient civilization centered in the north of ancient Canaan. With its heartland along the coastal regions of modern day Lebanon, coastal Syria, and northern Israel. Date-palm abundantly grew in the region opposite Cyprus, from Gabala (city of Gebal) to Aradus and Marathus. And so the name Phoenicia was first applied to these areas that later expanded to further South as date-palm was also found growing there. It was from 1200 BC (where is can be found on the Biblical Timeline with world history)that Phoenician cities emerged as sovereign bodies with apparent identity – Aradus, Byblos, Berytus, Sidon, Sarepta and Tyre, were situated along the coastal strip between sea and mountains of Lebanon. Moreover, there were two great cities of Phoenicia: Tyre, the center of the purple dye industry and Sidon, the center of the glass industry.

Phoenecia — The commercial network of Phoenicia

Biblical References to Phoenicia

* Acts 11:19; 15:3; 21:2 – the land being generally designated as the “coast” * Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:24, 31, Luke 6:17 – “borders of Tyre and Sidon” *Genesis 10:19; 49:13; Josh 11:8; 1 Kings 17:9 – the land belonging to the Canaanites or to Sidon

What was the role of Phoenicians in the Bible?

Alphabet (Psalm 119). Perhaps the most significant contribution of the Phoenicians was a syllabic writing, developed in about 1000 BC at Byblos. From this city’s name come the Greek word “biblia” (books) and the English word Bible. Hebrew alphabet known as “Ketav Ivri or Paleo-Hebrew” was nearly identical to the Phoenician alphabet. Biblical Hebrew contains 22 letters (all of which are consonants), as noted in Psalm 119. This form of writing was spread by the Phoenicians in their travels and influenced the Aramaic and Greek alphabets. (from http://history-world.org/phoenicians.htm)

Phoenician trade connected with the Israelites (2 Samuel 5:11, 1 Kings 5:9, 1 Kings 17-18). From the time that David had conquered Edom, an opening for trade was afforded to the Israelites. Solomon continued this trade with its king, obtained timber from its territory and employed its sailors and workmen.

Commerce

(Ezekiel 27:3 – 4). Trade routes from all Asia converged on the Phoenician coast, entry point to the sea, where Phoenicians were the greatest merchants of the entire Mediterranean world. Preparations for Building the Temple (1 Kings 5:6) and Temple’s Furnishings (1 Kings 7:21-23). King Hiram rendered important service to Solomon in connection with the planning and building of the temple. Massive Masonry (1 Kings 5:17 – 18). Huge carved stones, forming the sanctuary wall’s foundation, with Phoenician fragments of pottery. And Phoenician marks painted on the massive blocks found by the Royal Engineers suggest that the stones were prepared in the quarry by the cunning workmen of Hiram, the king of Tyre. (Eastons Bible Dictionary: Phenicia).

Timeline on-line →

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PhoenicianTrade.png

Posted on May 4, 2013August 17, 2018 by Margaret Hunter — 4 Comments

Noah’s Flood: biblical event

Genesis 6:1-7 tells us why God decided to destroy all creation with the flood. The Bible reads “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:6 KJV). Man’s “wickedness” was not profoundly explained in the Bible. However, we can generalize that sin was rampant during those days. One of man’s wickedness described was the unholy union of sons of God and daughters of men. It is believed that the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men” are referring to the descendants of Seth and Cain respectively. We can also assume that man had forgotten to burn offerings unto the Lord since burnt offerings were done during the time of Adam and after the flood. Nevertheless, God repented creating man on the earth.

However, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8 KJV). God warned Noah about the destruction coming and commanded Noah to build an ark giving specific details (Genesis 6:14-16 KJV):

Material :
Gopher wood
Size :
Length – 300 cubits
Width – 50 cubits
Height – 30 cubits
Design :
One window
One door
Three stories
Separate rooms

Noah made the ark just like God described it. God then commanded Noah to gather one pair of every kind of creature and keep them alive. Also, he was to gather seven pairs of clean beasts.

Genesis 7 describes how the flood took place. It was in the six-hundredth years of Noah’s life when the flood finally came. Seven days prior, God commanded Noah to get inside the ark together with his wife, sons, sons’ wives, and all the creatures God commanded Noah to gather. On the seventeenth day of the second month of the six-hundredth year of Noah’s life (2348 BC on the Bible Timeline Chart), the rain poured and the windows of heaven were opened (Genesis 7:11 KJV). The rain continued pouring over the earth for forty days and forty nights. And this killed all creatures, not on the ark.

The flood lasted for one hundred and fifty days (Genesis 7:24 KJV). On the seventeenth day of the seventh month of the six-hundredth year of Noah’s existence, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat. The waters continually subsided until the tenth month (Genesis 8:4-5 KJV).

On the six hundredth and first year of Noah’s existence, on the first day of the first month, the covering of the ark was removed and Noah saw that the face of the ground was dry (Genesis 8:13 KJV). On the twenty-seventh day of the second month of that same year, God spoke to Noah and commanded him, his wife, his sons, his sons’ wives and all other creatures to be fruitful so that the earth would be filled again (Genesis 8:14-19 KJV).

Noah then built an altar unto the Lord and took all the clean beasts and fowls and gave burnt offerings unto the Lord. God smelled the sweet savour and said in His heart that never again would he curse the earth for man’s sake. In Genesis 9:8-11 God said to Noah and his sons, “And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you, and every living creature that is with you… neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.” As a token of that covenant, a rainbow would be present after it rains to remind God of his everlasting covenant (Genesis 9:12-17 KJV).

Timeline on-line →

Did it rain on the earth before the Great Flood?
How long is a cubit?
Can God Forget? Or Why the rainbow “reminds” God
Was Noah’s Flood Universal or Local?

References:
http://ldolphin.org/cisflood.html
http://www.learnthebible.org/sunday-school-outlines/the-building-of-noah-s-ark.html
http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/building-noahs-ark/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NoahsSacrifice.JPG

Posted on May 4, 2013August 18, 2023 by Margaret Hunter — 8 Comments

Cainan: biblical figure, son of Enos

Cainan or Kenan (1Chronicle 1:2 KJV) is the eldest son of Enos. He was born when Enos was ninety years old (Genesis 5:9 KJV). Cainan came from the Hebrew word Kainan which means “their smith”.

Cainan, Father of Mahalaleel

Cainan was seventy when he begat Mahalaleel (Genesis 5:10 KJV). After Mahalaleel, Cainan begat other sons and daughters and lived for another eight hundred and forty years (Genesis5:13).

Cainan,Biblical_Figure — Cainan “their smith”

Cainan was nine hundred and ten years old when he finally rested (Genesis 5:14 KJV). Cainan is found on the Biblical Timeline Chart beginning in 3679 BC to 2769 BC.

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

Timeline on-line →

Posted on February 25, 2013June 29, 2013 by Margaret Hunter — 18 Comments

What is the date of the Exodus?

Usshers chronology places the date of Exodus in April of 1491 BC. His dates were published in the King James Authorized Bible as early as 1701 AD and are the ones used on the Bible History Timeline above.

Thiele, a modern Biblical chronologist, calculates it to 1446 BC – a date often used by modern Evangelicals.

Josephus relates it to the expulsion of the Hyskos from Egypt circa 1552 BC

The Septuagint, on which the Catholic Bible is based, makes it 1512 BC

That gives a hundred year range of dates. That’s not bad when you consider how hard it is to date ancient history. For instance Egyptologists suggest a 2300 year range of dates (from 2450 BC to 5004 BC) when trying to date the first Egyptian King, Menes.

The original inspired Bible text does not include dates – these have been added by man- although it does include the number of years between events. However, not all events are linked so that dates have to be calculated using historical events mentioned in the Bible that have secular dates associated with them. How the dates of Bible events are calculated is another question.

Posted on February 20, 2013December 19, 2018 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Christ’s Birth

Prophecies

The Old Testament books of the Bible contain many prophecies that speak of the coming Messiah or savior of the world. Originally the Old Testament books were written for the Hebrew or Jewish people. They claimed that a Messiah would be born who would ultimately come into the world and save the Jewish people from their enemies while establishing a new era of greatness for the Jewish people.

At the time of Jesus’ birth, Judea was under the control of Rome and many people expected the Messiah to return to liberate them from their tyranny. There are some key Old Testament prophecies such Genesis and Isaiah. In Genesis, God says that the serpent will bruise the heel of a child and that the child would crush his head. The prophet Isaiah states “for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” These are primary examples of the many Old Testament prophecies that foreshadowed the coming of Christ.

Importance of Genealogies

At the beginning of the New Testament Books Matthew and Luke, there is a series of genealogies that outline the family line of Jesus. The genealogy lists show that Jesus‘ parents Joseph and Mary were descendants of Abraham and Adam and that he had a legitimate claim to the throne of Israel. The list also shows that he has a spiritual and legal claim as well. Jesus was able to lay claim to the throne of David by the adoption of Joseph as a son.

God had cursed a former Jewish king named Jeconiah and told him that none of his descendants would ever sit on the throne of Israel again but he also told King David that his royal line would forever rule on the throne of Israel. God remedied this problem through Christ. Jesus was not the biological son of Joseph which would mean that he would gain his legal right to the throne by being adopted and when he was adopted he could then legally claim to be king.

Romans states that for by one man sin has entered into the world but all are made righteous through Christ. The genealogies also point out how Christ birth has ushered in a new era of salvation that would break the power of sin. The hereditary lists also point out that Jesus was the expected Messiah.

The Virgin Birth An angel appears to a virgin woman named Mary who was engaged to married to a man named Joseph. The angel tells Mary that she was going to have a son that was to be born from the Holy Spirit. Her son would be the chosen Messiah of the world. Mary has a hard time accepting this message and she eventually finds out that cousin Elizabeth has a son named John who was also born under supernatural circumstances. After her visit with Elizabeth, she is convinced about what the angel is saying and returns home. Joseph was going to cancel his engagement to her, but an angel appeared to him and told him to follow through the wedding. Joseph listened to the angel and Christ became his legal son.

Christ's_Birth_magi — The Magi Journeying

Herod and the Magi

King Herod was in charge of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth. He had close ties to Rome and as long as he paid tribute to the empire they allowed him to govern as he pleased. Rome had also sent a governor to Judea at the time to ensure that the people would constantly be reminded of their presence.

During the reign of King Herod, there were Magi who came from the east after seeing the Star of David appear in the sky over Jerusalem. These men were ancient astronomers who knew of the ancient Jewish prophecies of the coming Messiah. After seeing the star, they gathered gifts and traveled to Jerusalem.

When they arrived they visited King Herod before finding Jesus. They told Herod that the Messiah would be born and that he was going to be a king. Herod pretended to like their good news, but he really wanted to know where the child was located so he could kill it. The Wise Men said that they would return, but they were warned by an angel not to go back to the palace of Herod. After they found Christ in Bethlehem they presented Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus with the gifts.

The Slaughtering of the Innocents

Herod was outraged that the Wise Men had left the country without telling him where the child was located. So he decided to kill all of the male children that were 2 years old and younger. Many historians claim that there was not any historical record to validate this act, but no one can prove with clarity that this act did not happen. Joseph was warned by an angel to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt and hide out there until King Herod had passed away.

After the king had died, Joseph and his family returned how to Jerusalem. These facts about Jesus’ birth are very fascinating and the early days of Christ’s life is an epic tale full of drama and adventure. Jesus’ impact on the world is so significant because each generation that is born into the world has to decide if he is the savior of all people or just a madman who made some pretty far-fetched claims during his lifetime.

Biblical References:

Genesis 3:15 God foretells the prophecy about Christ and how he is going to defeat the serpent (the Devil).
Isaiah 9:6 Isaiah prophesies about the birth of Jesus and his ministry in the world.
Matthew 1: 1 – 16 The genealogy of Christ from Mary’s side of the family.
Luke 3: 23 – 38 The genealogy of Christ from Joseph’s side of the family.
Luke 1: 39 – 45 Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth and her supernatural birth of Jesus is confirmed.
Matthew 1: 18 – 25 The Virgin Birth
Matthew 2: 1 – 12 The Magi and Jesus Christ
Matthew 2: 13 – 23 Joseph takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt after being warned by an angel to go there in order to avoid the slaughter of children enacted by King Herod.

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_of_Jesus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gerard_van_Honthorst_001.jpg
http://pixabay.com/en/village-nativity-crib-figures-586794/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(mother_of_Jesus)#mediaviewer/File:L%27_Annonciation_de_1644,_Philippe_de_Champaigne..jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi#mediaviewer/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_The_Magi_Journeying_(Les_rois_mages_en_voyage)_-_James_Tissot_-_overall.jpg
http://pixabay.com/en/infant-baby-face-hand-small-303075/

Posted on January 11, 2013October 4, 2017 by Margaret Hunter — 1 Comment

Jews Struggle For Liberty 167 to 130 BC

Starting in the 7th century B.C. the Jewish people had been placed under various foreign powers. Their subservient state would last for nearly 500 years up until the time of the Maccabee Revolt. This revolt started around 167 B.C. when a Greek Seleucid king named Antiochus III decided to disregard the Jews way of life and try to Hellenize its culture and religion.

It appears on the Bible Timeline during the second century BC. Antiochus IV was a Seleucid ruler who gained the throne in 175 BC. Shortly after he became the new king of the Seleucid Empire, he began to pass a series of anti-Jewish laws through a Jewish high priest and the governor named Jason, who bribed the king to gain this position.

Jason had a brother named Onias III who was going to remain the high priest of Judah. Jewish people believe that the high priest was selected directly from God and not from any Earthly powers. So when Jason became the high priest, this naturally caused the people of Judah to become outraged with the Seleucid Dynasty.

After Jason took over his duties as high priest and governor he had his brother Osias III murdered. Now that Jason was the high priest and governor, Antiochus III decided to use him in his quest to convert Judah into a Hellenized territory. He wanted to make the city of Jerusalem the capital of this newly formed Greek state.

He then began to initiate a series of changes that attacked the Jews way of life and their religion. Jason had Hellenized Solomon’s Temple so the people would now have to worship Greek gods, and they would have to adhere to Greek culture. There was a priest who worked at Solomon’s Temple during these events, and his named was Matthias. The Jewish priests were being replaced by Hellenistic Jewish priest and the new clergy was leading the people of Judah into idolatry.

They were trying to get the people to worship the Greek gods by offering sacrifices to them. One day a Greek official told Matthias to make a sacrifice to one of the Greek gods in the temple, but Matthias had enough of this desecration, and he killed him. Once this happened it set off a chain of events that would start a Jewish revolt. Matthias had 5 sons and they all helped their father to start a revolt against the King Antiochus III. Matthias had to flee to the wilderness (open desert) to avoid arrest and when he did he called upon the people to follow him.

The people responded, and he had a small army. The Jewish rebels realized that they couldn’t take on the Greek army in open battle so they decided to use a small force that would fight with guerilla tactics. The Maccabeus army defeated various Seleucid forces that included Assyrians, Parthian, and the Samarians. Judas Maccabeus had won a huge victory against the Seleucid army and forced them to retreat from Judah at the Battle of Emmaus. The Seleucid army tried once again to defeat Judah, but they were routed each time that they came back to the area.

The Jews finally forced the Seleucids to leave permanently Judah alone in 164 B.C. Now that Judah had gained its independence from foreign rulers they cleansed their temple of the idols, and they made Judas their leader. Originally the Maccabees were known as the Hasmoneans, and they earned the name Maccabees because of their style of fighting. They attacked their enemies with powerful battle tactics that beat their enemies with lightning fast maneuvers and powerful force.

The Maccabees also stopped helped a lot of the Jewish persecution that was happening at the time in foreign lands. Judas was a high leader in Judah until 160 B.C. when he died in battle against the Assyrians. By 130 B.C., the Jews had regained their independence, and they established the Hasmonean Dynasty that was the first group of Jewish kings to rule their own land since the exile had taken place. The Hasmonean rulers controlled Judea with Simon Maccabeus being the first king. These Jewish people held their independence for about 103 before they were brought under Roman power. The Jewish holiday known as Hannukah is celebrated by the people in memory of this event.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmonean_dynasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattathias http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_Maccabee#Renewed_fighting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Jewish_history#1st_century_CE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiochus_III_the_Great#mediaviewer/File:Antiochos_III_coin.jpg

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 August 13, 2012September 15, 2015 by Margaret Hunter — Leave a comment

Lycurgian Constitution and Legislation

The Lycurgian constitution and legislation was considered to be the prime legacy of the Spartan leader, Lycurgus. He is placed on the Bible Timeline Chart with World History during the eighth century BC. His laws had defined the powerful militaristic political state we now envision Sparta to be during those times. What made Lycurgian rule unique to all other Greek states was its insistence on not keeping historical records and issuing any form of written law. Each case that needed resolution was handled on a case to case basis. Lycurgus and his somewhat democratic form of law were instrumental to Sparta’s rise to power.

The Ruler

It is believed that Lycurgus lived and reigned sometime between 800 to 630 BC. What we know of Lycurgus today can largely be attributed to old historians like Plutarch and his peers considering that Lycurgus did away with any form of historical records. Plutarch is the main source for any semblance of historical study on Lycurgus. In a way, what Plutarch discusses is more of an anecdotal collection rather than a biography. Some believe that Lycurgus may not have actually existed and is symbolic for some ancient ruler who brought sweeping change to Sparta.

The Institution

Lycurgus started the change in the political and legislative landscape by distributing the king’s power unto an elder senate. At times, a general assembly of the people would be held wherein the public would decide the fate of a piece of legislation. However, the people could not make new laws but could only approve or reject what the Senate has made. This was one of the earliest forms of democracy. This is the basic backbone of the Lycurgian constitution and legislation. Of course, not every citizen, particularly those in the upper class, favored this new arrangement but Lycurgus, according to Plutarch, succeeded in quelling opposition to his rule.

Many of the approved pieces of legislation were somehow idiosyncratic even by today’s standards. One feature compelled citizens to eat in public mess halls, into small groups called “sysstia”. These groups was generally a mixture of citizens both rich and poor. When one member disliked what was being served, they could bring their own meal, provided that they also feed everyone else in the group. Under the constitution, all manner of trade using gold or silver was banned, and iron was the new currency. Any form of occupation deemed useless was also banned, which included prostitution. Adultery was also allowed if it was done in the pursuit of creating an ideal offspring. Having an ideal baby was such an important concept during the Lycurgian era that those infants deemed defective were reportedly cast out into a cliff. The examination of an infant, if he or she was fit to live, was done by the council.

After Lycurgus

Even after the reported disappearance of Lycurgus, believed to have sought out the Oracle of Delphi and never returned, Sparta continued following the constitutional structure he presented. It is believed that this very adherence to the form of governing was the reason for Sparta becoming a powerful militaristic state in the Greek region. Many surrounding states also favored Spartans to be dispute arbitrators given the structure they followed when it come to conflict resolution. The apparent success in this otherwise crude and primitive form of democracy had led many other states to consider adopting the principles of the Lycurgian constitution and legislation.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lycurgus.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_democracy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycurgus_(Sparta)

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