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Did Ja Know?
Pronunciation: Did - JEN-NEAUX *smiles*
Meaning: Did You Know?
One day, I just had this burning desire to learn more about the Bible and Christianity.
After spending hours and hours burying myself in countless books, I decided to create this page.
Covenant
Noah's covenant with God established him as the new Adam. God promised to Noah was that
He would never destroy the earth again by flood. His physical covenant was the rainbow.
Abraham's covenant with God united the Israelites
as a people, united also with the one true God. His physical covenant is circumcism.
*** Tidbit: Circumcision was frowned upon by the ancient Greeks and the Romans.
Both Greeks and Romans actually passed laws forbidding it. ***
Jacob's covenant with God established Jacob as the personification of Israel.
His physical covenant with God was in his new name, "Israel," and his 12 sons forming
the twelve tribes of Israel. (Genesis 49:28, Kings 18:31, Isaiah 49:6)
Moses' covenant with God made him a lawgiver, and united Israelites as a nation.
His physical covenant were the 10 commandments, Exodus, and Passover.
David's covenant with God united Israel as a holy government and major power in Western Asia. His
physical covenant is Jesus, referred to as the Son of David.
Ancient Historical Tidbits
God flooding the earth is one of the oldest myths around.
Ancient Mesopotamians believed that the gods would one day come and
destroy mankind with a great flood. There will be one man, and he will
build an ark that will carry him, his family, along with the seed of all
living things. How do we know this? From ancient writings called
Cuneiform. Interestingly enough, excavators discovered evidence of a huge flood in three cities in
Mesopotamia (Shuruppak, Ur, and Kish).
Life began in Mesopotamia.
Israel’s beginning ancestors were semi-nomadic,
originating from Mesopotamia.
The word, "Mesopotamia" means, "land between rivers." (Tigris and Euphrates.)
The word testament, as in Old Testament in the Bible
comes from the Latin word testamentum meaning covenant with God.
Some scholars claim that aside from providing mankind with a divine reason for
existence, providing the world with moral laws, having the world on its knees praying to the one true God, and providing
the gift of salvation, the Jews really did not have that much of a historical purpose.
What's the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament?
The Old Testament is the Covenant that God established with Israel.
The New Testament is the Covenant established by Jesus Christ with all of mankind. (Hebrews 8:6-7)
The Bronze Age occurred around 3500-1150 B.C. The Iron Age occurred around
1150-500 B.C.
The country known as Persia is now known as Iran today.
The month of July was named after Julius Caesar; the month of August was named after Augustus Caesar.
The Tower of Babel was not just a legend. It stood approximately 300 feet tall.
The Tigres and Euphrates rivers (the birthplace of our civilization) run down from the mountains in Armenia.
The popular black cat superstitions (such as having a black cat cross your path) can be traced back as far as Mesopotamia.
Titus, Emporer of Rome from 39-81, (full name
Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus, Roman emperor).
The Sphinx which is approximately 4500 years old, is actually a portrait of the Pharoah Khafre.
The pyramids were not only tombs, they were considered stairways for the mummified gods inside to
climb up to heaven to be with their father, the sun.
Who is the one true author of the Bible? Who else, the Holy Spirit!
We all know that the Bible talks of prophets, but what about the women who
were prophets (known as prophetess)? They were Miriam (Exodus 15:20),
Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (Kings 22:14), Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14),
an unnamed profetess who conceived a son, which God commanded Isaiah to name
Mahershalalhashbaz, Anna (Luke 2:36).
To this day, the Jews regard all their wars as holy wars.
The kingdom of Judah was known in Greek as Ioudaios, Hebrew as Yehudi,
and Latin as Judaeus (thus comes the English word, "Jew"). The term
Jewish is American.
Egyptians believe that God sneezed and the world was born. Then a goddess in
heaven wept, and her tears fell to the earth forming the Nile River.
Ancient records show that Egyptians were extremely clean people. They bathed twice a day.
Both rich and poor families had bathrooms in their houses, along with toilets that
flushed.
There is really a place in Israel known as Megiddo,
which is known by many as Armageddon.
Palestina (Palestine), actually comes from the word,
Philistia (or land of the Philistines).
Definition of Pastor - father of the church, spiritual overseer; a shepherd, a
herdsman. Hmmmm.... Isn't it interesting that many of our prophets
were shepherds? Abraham, Amos, David, Jacob,
Joseph, Lot, and Moses.
King Hezekiah of Judah, built a tunnel to bring water into the city.
Modern excavators discovered
the tunnel still exists and is still operating. (Kings 20:20)
Canaan, the promised land that is west of the Jordan River, (now Palestine), is a Semitic word that means "land of purple."
The Canaanites, or what the Greeks later called
Phoenicians (same meaning), got the name because they created the very first dye industry in the world. They
knew the secret of how to make purple dye from a gland in mollusks
that excreted a purple fluid. Some historians believe that this gland was the
only part of the shellfish that these people would use.
The town would smell because the unused portion of the
fish would get tossed into the streets to spoil in the hot sun.
Ancient Israel
Israel is situated
between the Mediterranean, the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea.
Israelites were never known for seafaring (the Philistines were);
they viewed the rivers and seas
as boundaries that isolated them from other people. The Mediterranean
bordered Ancient Israel on the west, and on the east was the
Jordan River.
The Jordan River
The Jordan River flows south from the freshwater Sea of Galilee (which is actually
a lake, Lake Tiberius). It flows directly into the Dead Sea without an outlet to the ocean. It's considered
so hot there that the heat of the sun would evaporate this water before the
sea level changed. The ancient Jews who lived along the
Jordan River depended heavily on it as a water source.
Dead Sea
Did you know that the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth? It is almost 1340 feet
below sea level (as of 1996).
Though it has not been proven, many
biblical scholars claim that the Dead Sea was once Sodom and Gomorrah.
Bethlehem
The birthplace of David and Jesus. Foretold as Christ's birthplace. (Micah 5)
Rachel's (Jacob's wife) burying place.
The home of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. Historians claim that the original
greeting during the time of Boaz is still used today. "The Lord be with you."
Genesis - The Beginning
There is tremendous bloodshed in the Bible. You would probably guess that the very
first occurrence of bloodshed in the Bible is when Cain kills Abel,
but the very first instance occurs (after the forbidden fruit incident)
when God killed an innocent animal
in order to make tunics to cloth Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:21)
In the Bible, Noah planted a grape vine after he came off the Ark.
Actually, the grape vine can be traced back to East Anatolia at Mt. Ararat. (Where
Noah's Ark landed about 5600 B.C.) (Genesis 9:21)
Historians believe that one semi-nomadic group,
called the Amorites, migrated from Mesopotamia to Palestine.
The Bible says that Terah, Abraham's Father, led his family (Lot, Sarai, Abram) out of Ur
(a city-state in Mesopotamia now known as Iraq). Abram (or Abraham) divinely
led them to settle in Canaan.
Abraham
Abraham's ancestors worshiped the moon.
What makes this more interesting
is that Abraham's father's name,
Terah, actually means "moon."
Abraham is the first
person in the Bible who prays to God. (Genesis 20:17)
Abraham, migrated to Egypt to avoid a famine.
Some historians believe that some of his descendants remained
there as slaves until the Exodus
(approximately 1447B.C.). Joseph's (son of Jacob) ancestors also
remained in Egypt until Moses.
Abraham, known as the father of many nations. He is declared a prophet,
and this is the first time we see the word prophet in the Bible. (Genesis 20:7)
One source Abraham he lived approximately 1900,
another 2000B.C. He is known to many biblical scholars as the very first jew.
God stopped Abraham from killing his son. Abraham then named that
place "Jehovah-Jireh," meaning "the Lord will provide." (Genesis 22-14)
Isaac
Son of Abraham and Sarah. His name is Hebrew for "laughter." He is the son
that God prevented Abraham from killing.
In keeping up with tradition, when Isaac was old enough to take a wife,
Abraham sent his oldest and
most trusted servant to
find a wife for him. (Genesis 24:2)
Isaac's wife Rebekah was the first woman in the Bible to give birth to twins. The
second account of twins may be Judah, son of Jacob (or Israel). (Genesis 38:27)
Rebekah is also the first woman whose prayers were answered directly by God
(when she was giving childbirth). (Genesis 25:23) God did
speak to Eve, but He did not refer to her as Eve (He called her woman), and the
Bible does not mention prayer at this time. (Genesis 3:13) Abraham is the first
person in the Bible who prays to God. (Genesis 20:17)
Jacob
The Bible is often refers to Jacob (Abraham's grandson) as personifying Israel.
Why? Well, first of all Jacob was renamed Israel, which means, "wrestled with God." (Genesis 32:28)
Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel.
Rachel died immediately after giving
birth to him. (Genesis 35:18)
Just before she died she named him, "Ben Oni," (meaning son of my sorrow), but
Jacob named him Benjamin.
It is from Jacob's 12 sons that the 12 tribes of Israel descended.
(Genesis 49:28, Kings 18:31, Isaiah 49:6)
His twin brother Esau, established Edom. (Genesis 36)
Some scholars say that Jacob died in Goshen at approximately 1680 B.C.
Jacob is also known for having the dream known as "Jacob's Ladder." (Genesis 28:14)
As a result of that dream, Jacob renamed the city of Luz, Bethel, and set down a stone
that he said would one day be the pillar to God's house.
In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. (Judges 17)
Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah; he was also head of the tribe with the same name.
Both King Saul (Son of Kish, Samuel 9) and St. Paul belong to the tribe of Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob.
Joseph
Joseph had prophetic dreams. His father said he did not believe the dreams (Genesis
37:10), "he kept them (the dreams) in mind." (Genesis 37:11)
Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob (Israel).
So much so, that his father made him a
"richly ornamented" robe. (Genesis 37:3)
As a result, Joseph's brothers were consumed with hate and jealousy and
decided to place Joseph in a pit. (Judah and Reuben were the only
brothers who did not want Joseph killed.) Afterwards,
Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites (who were on their way to Egypt)
for 20 shekels of silver. (Genesis 37:28)
While in Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, one of Pharoah's officials.
(Genesis 37:36) Pontiphar trusted Joseph and placed him in charge
of everything he had. (Genesis 39:4) Potiphar's wife noticed
Joseph was handsome and tried to seduce him daily, but was unsuccessful.
(Genesis 39:8) One day, Pontiphar's wife made false accusations to her husband
about Joseph having his way with her. Pontiphar, believing his wife,
became consumed with anger threw Joseph in prison where he accompanied a king's
cupbearer and baker. (The Lord was with Joseph.) While in prison, Joseph
interpreted their dreams. When the cupbearer and baker were let out of prison,
the baker told the Pharoah about Joseph's gift of interpreting dreams (the cupbearer
forgot him Genesis 40:23).
When Pharoah had dreams, he got Joseph out of the dungeon to interpret
them. Joseph correctly predicting Pharoah's dream by saying that there will
be a famine in Egypt. Pharoah knew that Joseph was a man of God,
so he placed Joseph in charge of Egypt. And that's how the
friendship between Joseph and Pharoah got started.
When a famine ended up bringing Joseph's brothers to Egypt,
Joseph revealed himself to them with absolutely no hard feelings (Genesis 45:15), and
they were reunited as a family. The brothers brought went back and brought the rest of Joseph's family to Egypt. Because Joseph
had power and won favor in the pharoah's eyes, the pharoah gave Joseph and his family the
"best land of Egypt" (Genesis 45:18) Goshen. (Genesis 45:28) Keep in mind
that there was a famine in Egypt also, but Joseph had collected and stored grain for
7 years. There was so much grain, it was beyond measure. (Genesis 41 48-49)
Joseph's death had a dramatic change for the Jews in Egypt. Some historians claim that
not only did the Egyptians dislike foreigners, but they looked down on being a shepherd
as an occupation. They thought that a shepherd was an occupation
for a slave. So eventually, the Jews in Egypt became slaves (until Moses delivered them).
Moses
The name Moses was taken from the Egyptian word,
"mo" (meaning water), and "use" (meaning saved).
It looks like the very first person who fasted was Moses. (Deuteronomy 9:9). Then Elijah,
(Kings 19:5) Esther (Esther 4:16)
Early Semitic language had no vowels. So Moses learned to know
the Lord (from Jethro, the Midianite) as YHWH. We can only assume
that the correct pronunciation is Yahweh.
Moses, known as the great lawgiver, born of the Levi tribe, son of Amran and Joahabed. Tradition says that
Moses authored the first 5 books of the Old Testatment (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy). (Others believe that the first five books were orally past down and first
written by Solomon.) Moses leading the people out of Egypt and taking to the Prommised Land
is often referred to as the "Exodus."
This event took place approximately 1300 B.C.
Interestingly enough, the Israelites never adopted any
aspect of Egyptian culture into their way of life.
The first five books of the Bible are known as the Torah (which means law),
also called the Pentateuch (In Greek, penta means “five”; teuch means “book”).
Do you know what the Ark of the Covenant contains? (Hebrews 9:4)
1. The two stone tablets of Moses' covenant.
2. Aaron's rod that budded
3. A pot of manna (Exodus 16:33).
Manna means, "What is it?"
When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.
(Exodus 16:15)
God appointed Moses' brother Aaron to be His priest (Exodus 28), and
this is the first time in the Bible that priests were given the power by God to make atonement for sinners. (Numbers 15:28)
God said to Moses that Aaron would become his prophet. (Exodus 7:1)
God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle. (Exodus 25) The tabernacle was the very first place of worship
(also called, house of prayer, house of God) that actually spirtually connected God with His people on earth.
Have you ever studied Greek Mythology? Well common knowledge tell us
that the gods in Greek Mythology lived on Mt.
Olympus. Israelites also believed that God lived on a mountain...Horeb, "Mountain of God," (Exodus 3:1) and Sinai. (Exodus 24:16)
Moses died and unfortunately never led the Israelites to the Promised Land.
Joshua, Moses' successor was the one who led them there; but not without hardships.
After Moses died, Joshua led them across the Jordan into Jericho
(which they divinely captured).
Balaam
Balaam was a prophet that the king of Moab (Balak) wanted to curse Israel. Instead,
Balaam blessed Israel. (Numbers 22:12)
How many people know that the prophet Balaam talked to his donkey? How many of you
know that the donkey responded? It proves that with God, anything is possible. Check it out.
(Numbers 22:30)
Joshua
Joshua was divinely named as Moses successor.
Unfortunately, Moses died before the Israelites reached the Promised Land.
It was Joshua, Moses' successor, who led them to Canaan;
but not without many struggles. The Bible even describes Joshua's
followers as "people of war." (Joshua 11:7)
Joshua first took the Israelites across the Jordan into Jericho
(which they divinely captured). (Joshua 6:5) Then Joshua, and the Israelites also
fought numerous battles, including the Canaanites (and won). (Joshua 12:7)
Joshua then spent time dividing up the Promised Land.
Joshua, who is known as a great military leader, brought the Israelites to Canaan. It was at this point
that the Hebrew people started to settle and build homes and do away from living as
semi-nomadic shepherds who primarily lived in tents.
The walls of Jericho miraculously fell. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the
people will go up, every man straight in." (Joshua 6:5) Some archeologists believe that
Jericho is a volcanic area. Archeologists have discovered a blackened level
around the area of the ancient wall indicating Jericho was definitely
destroyed by an earthquake, and that it could have happened during Joshua's time.
Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: "Cursed before the LORD is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho." (Joshua 6:26)
Archeologists found that Jericho remained deserted for approximately 500 years after the walls of Jericho fell.
Whether or not it was after Joshua's curse is argued.
People during Joshua's time were basically farmers, fisherman, and hunters. Their houses were made of hand made mud bricks.
Many scholars believe that it was the Canaanites during Joshua's time who developed
the Hebrew language used today.
Deborah
Deborah, was the wife of Lapidoth, a fearless prophetess, and one of the judges of Israel. (Judges 4:4)
She was also a true heroine who freed the oppressed Israelites from the Canaanites.
Gideon
A judge who divinely freed the oppressed Israelites from the Midianites. (Judges 6:14)
Samson
Samson (meaning, the sunny one) was one of the judges of Israel who was a Danite from Zorah. Samson's mother was barren until she was
visited by an angel of the Lord. (Judged 13:3) She was told that she would conceive a son, but she could never
shave the hair on his head; (Judged 13:5) and this child shall deliver the Israelites from the
Philistines. (Judged 13:5)
Some interesting tidbits about Samson. After he killed a lion, he ate some of it, and so did his family. (Judges 14:8-9)
Samson had a wife (a Philistine) who betrayed him. (Judges 14:14-16) As a result, he gave her to his
companion. (Judges 14:20) Delilah betrayed Samson also. (Judges 16:18) According to the Bible, after shaving
Samson's head, the Philistines put out his eyes, took him to Gaza, expecting him to perform for them.
Samson did perform for the Philistines in a temple of Dagon, that was filled with approximately 3000 men and women.
It was a lad who situated Samson between the pillars that supported the temple. (Judges 16:26)
Samuel
Samuel, known as the last judge of Israel.
He lived during the 10th and 11th century B.C., and is the first to have two chapters of the Old Testament.
The other two are Kings, and Chronicles.
Saul
Saul, a Levite from the tribe of Benjamin, who was the first annointed king of ancient Israel.
He was the son of Kish who was annointed by Samuel to be king. After Saul was king,
he did not follow God (he did not obey the commandments).
God became disappointed in Saul (1 Samuel 15:10), and told
Samuel that he did not want Saul to be king anymore.
Saul admitted that he sinned to Samuel and asked that his sins be forgiven. (1 Samuel 15:24)
But Samuel told Saul that he was rejected by God and took the edge of
Saul's robe, tore it, and said, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today,
and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you." (1 Samuel 15:26-27)
Saul was the first and maybe only king who was annointed by God, that was relieved of his position as king.
But the Lord told Samuel not to mourn for Saul because "the Lord does not see as man sees; for
man looks at the outward appearance, but Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
As a result of being rejected by God, Saul became ill. He said he was troubled by a
distressing (possibly evil) spirit. (1 Samuel 16:14) It's what we refer to today,
as depression or a disease of the mind. Saul asked his servants to find someone
who is skilled in music to ease his depression and they informed him of David.
So David was immediately brought to Saul. At first, David restored his health and
won Saul's favor. As a result, David was made armorbearer for Saul. (1 Samuel 17:21)
But eventually, Saul began to see that David was filled with the Spirit of the Lord (1 Samuel 15:26)
and became resentful. Saul was consumed with jealousy and hatred because lost favor with the Lord.
He began to fear David's power to become king and made numerous attempts
to kill him (even though David was married to Saul's daughter, Michal).
(1 Samuel 18:11-17) (1 Samuel 19:10)
It may be interesting to note that even though Saul was
filled with jealousy and hate, David still deeply loved him.
(Matthew 5:39) (Luke 6:29) He grieved when Saul
and his son died in battle. (2 Samuel 1:23)
David and Saul's son Jonathan became best friends. The Bible says that their souls were knit.
(1 Samuel 18:1-3) These two were so close that the names "David and Jonathan" are still
used today to describe friends who are extremely close.
How many of of you know that Saul made the "men of Israel" take an oath to fast
because he was planning vengeance on his enemies"...the Philistines (1 Samuel 14:24). It just so
happens that his son, Jonathan was not aware of this oath...so when the people of the
land came to a forest with honey on the ground...Jonathan had a little of the honey. When
Saul found out what Jonathan did, he was a man of his word (just like Abraham), and planned
to kill his son. (1 Samuel 14:44) But the people defended Jonathan and came to his rescue.
(1 Samuel 14:45)
David
Israelite’s capital Jerusalem was captured by David, and became both a holy city
and the center of government. (Jerusalem is also known as the City of David.)
Within less than 50 years, David changed Israel from a collection
of tribes to a world leading, central government, with the people all united by God.
Some archeologists believe that the palaces during King David's time were just houses that were
much larger than other houses. Cities at that time had a foul smell from
garbage and poor drainage.
The Star of David, the symbol of Jewish faith that appears on the flag of Israel is really about 3000 years old.
David was the youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd in Bethlehem. David
is known for writing most of the psalms. Psalms, is a Hebrew word that means
"praise." Solomon wrote some, and Moses is said to
have written one (Psalm 90).
Solomon
King Solomon built Israel's very first Temple in Jerusalem.
Some historians believe it was actually an attempt to dominate the faith.
Many people know that King Solomon was extremely wise. But how many
know that his Solomon's Song of Songs are referred to as "Wisdom Literature?"
He also introduced high taxes and forced labor.
When Solomon's son took over (Kings 11:43), people
were so unhappy that after he died, Israel split in two weak states, Israel and
Judah.
Approximately 732B.C. the northern state, Israel, was taken over by the
Assyrians. Judah was taken over by a Babylonian king named Nebuchadnezzar,
who destroyed Jerusalem and its temple (approximately 597 or 586 B.C.), and
exiled the
Jews in Jerusalem (diaspora).
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"I fell facedown, crying out,
"Ah, Sovereign LORD ! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel
in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?" He answered me,
"The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land
is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, 'The LORD has
forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.' So I will not look
on them with pity or spare them, but I will
bring down on their own heads what they have done." (Ezekiel 9:8-9)
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Chronicles
The last two chapters of the Hebrew canon.
Tradition states that Ezra is the author, but it has not been proven. Chronicles 1
first provides a genealogical account of the Israelite tribes beginning
with Adam. It then provides a summary of main events of the reign of
King David and Solomon (already written in Samuel 2 and Kings 1 and 2).
Jereboam and Rehoboam
As previously stated, when Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam
took over, but people were so unhappy that the country split in two.
Israel and Judah. The capital of Israel was Samaria, and was ruled by a rebel
named Jereboam. (Kings 12:20) Since Israel was closer to Phoenicia and Syria,
it played a more important role in history than Judah. Ten of the twelve Hebrew
tribes settled in Israel. "Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself,
for this is what the LORD , the God of Israel, says: 'See, I am going
to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give you ten tribes." (1 Kings 11:31)
Rehoboam ruled in Jerusalem (the capital
of Judah). After the split, two of the twelve tribes of
Israel settled there (Judah and Benjamin). (Kings 14:21) (1 Kings 12:21)
Ezra
Ezra, descendant of Aaron (Moses' brother) who was a priest, a scribe, and a teacher
well versed in the law of Moses.
Many biblical scholars believe Ezra wrote the Book of Ezra as well as Chronicles.
After King Solomon died, his son took over (Kings 11:43). The people
were so unhappy with the laws and taxes that Israel split in two weak states,
Israel was the north state, and Judah was the south. Jereboam, a rebel ruled the
north, and Rehoboam (Solomon's son) ruled over Judah.
Approximately 732B.C. the northern state, Israel, was taken over by the
Assyrians. Judah was taken over by a Babylonian king named Nebuchadnezzar,
who destroyed Jerusalem
and its temple (either in 597 or 586 B.C.), and
exiled the
Jews in Jerusalem. This is often referred to as the diaspora (living outside
your homeland). **Author's Note: Today, diaspora also applies to other people
forced to live outside their homeland. (Ex. Armenians, Indians, Irish, Africans) ***
At approximately 538B.C., Cyrus King of Persia said that he
is issuing a decree (commanded to him by God) to rebuild His
Temple in Jerusalem (capital of Judah), and that any Hebrew who wants to leave Persia to
go to Jerusalem is allowed. Ezra, who was also exiled in Persia,
became the leader in this social and religious revival in
rebuilding Jerusalem after Hebrews were exiled in Babylonia.
There are 10 chapters in this book.
Ezra does not appear until the 7th chapter.
Amos
Amos, a Hebrew prophet, whose name means "Burden Bearer."
He was a herdsman from the tribe of Judah who during the reign of Uzziah,
king of Judah. He lived approximately 800 years before the birth of Christ.
Amos is considered by biblical scholars a lesser prophet, but he is the first prophet
who declared God to be a God of all people. (Amos 4:13) (Amos
(Before Amos, Jehovah was just considered to be the God of the Hebrew nation.)
His message is a declaration of God's judgement on Israel, as well as Israel's neighboring
countries (Philistia, Phoenicia, Syria, Moab, Judah) with a message of repentence.
Isaiah
His name means "Salvation of Yah." He is believed to have lived during the last years of King Uzziah's reign (not long after
the Hebrew prophet, Amos). Isaiah was from the kingdom of Judah is considered one of the greatest, most intelligent,
and most quoted prophet out of all Hebrew prophets. He preached in the temple of Jerusalem, and is
most known for predicting the birth, the life, and crucifixion of Christ (from the line of Jesse, King David's father).
(Isaiah 11:1-2) (Isaiah 7:14) (Isaiah 53:10) Isaiah spoke of salvation through Christ (also known as the Messiah, or Immanuel).
He is also noted for predicting final judgment on earth which
will be the last interceding of God (also known as the apocalypse). (Isaiah Chapter 24).
Josiah
King Josiah, King of Judah who lived approximately 639 or 641 to 609 or 610B.C.
He concentrated on the worship of the one true God, Yahweh.
He got rid of all those who practiced the occult.
He killed their priests,
condemned those who performed magic and called up spirits,
and he got rid of all their shrines.
Prophets
Prophets were called, "nebiiam," spokesperson of God. A person who communicates the will
of God to others.
There are a total of 12 prophets in the Bible (4 prophets are major, while the
others are considered minor prophets): Isaiah (major), Hosea (major), Jeremiah (major),
Ezekiel (major), Joel (minor), Obadiah (minor),
After Solomon died, and Israel divided into two separate kingdoms (Israel and Judah).
The 4 most significant prophets arose from the kingdom of Judah. (Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel,
and Daniel). (Hosea is believed to be the only prophet who lived in the northern kingdom
of Israel.)
Some prophets prophesied. The first and greatest,
and most educated of all the seers was
Isaiah.
Some prophets were moral leaders, such as Nathan. (2 Samuel 12:1)
Malachi
Malachi means my messenger. He is often referred to as the seal,
because he is the last prophet and last book
in the Old Testament (OT). Historians say there are approximately
400 years between the Book of Malachi
and the birth of Christ. (You can also say that there are
400 years between this last book of the Old Testament and the New Testament.
This time is often referred to as the silent years for no prophet
arose after Malachi, before the birth of Christ. This book speaks of the
coming of Christ, and God's judgment for those who offend Him.
But He also says:
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"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,
that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, '
says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the
floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will
not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your
crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,' says
the LORD Almighty. 'Then all the nations will call you blessed,
for yours will be a delightful land,' says the LORD Almighty." (Malachi 3:10-12)
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Jesus
Jesus was born under the reign of Augustus Caesar.
The Jews proved to be the most resistant people
the Romans encountered. And yes, Jesus was a Jew who fit right
in because He did not give in to Roman rule,
but you can also say, that He was the most non-resistant
Jew the world has ever seen.
King Herod expanded and enlarged Jewish Temples in hopes that the
Jews would be more comfortable under Roman rule.
The kingdom of Judea during Jesus' time was basically an agrarian society.
The two disciples (Paul and Peter), who introduced Christianity
to Rome were later executed for spreading Christianity.
Judas Iscariot carried the disciples' money box. He betrayed Jesus
for 30 pieces of silver. With this money, he purchased a field and
shortly fell headlong to his death. The field was then named, "Akeldama," meaning
Field of Blood because his whole body burst open and all his insides
spilled out.
Christianity
King Constantine converted to Christianity after he witnessed a cross the the sky with
the words, "By this sign you shall conquer."
Saint Anthony of Thebes introduced Christian monotheism to Egypt in 270A.D.
After Jesus died, Christianity was illegal.
Early Christians were brutally tortured for at least 300 years after his death.
For fear of persecution, early Christians would either also hide out in
underground chapels, or
catacombs underneath the earth
when they wanted to pray. In order to recognize eachother, Christians would often make
a fish shaped impression in the dirt or sand, then quickly cover it.
A Bedouin youth near Qumran by the Dead Sea,
was looking for a lost goat, but instead found a cave
filled with jars that contained scrolls that date back somewhere between 100BC and 130AD. (Hence, the Dead Sea Scrolls.)
These scrolls were an actual copy of most of the Book of Isaiah.
Dominus Lux Mea!
"The Lord is My Light"
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