A chariot is a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle, developed for the battlefield rather than as a means of transportation for troops movement behind the lines of war. Basically, it consists of a semicircular platform mounted on a single axle, with sides thigh-high and curved around the front. The open back of the car has a tongue and yoke harnessed to speedy horses and a floor of rope network that provides speed, maneuverability and stability for fast and easy entrance in combat and gives soldiers a mobile firing platform and furnish them with psychological shock power when charging into ranks of foot soldiers.
The Book of Joshua testifies about the power of this type of instruments of war by saying in chapter 17:
The descendants of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one part of the Land to possess as our own? There are very many of us because the Lord has blessed us." 17:14
Joshua answered, "If there are so many of you and the Hill Country of Ephraim is too small for you, then go into The Forests and clear ground for yourselves in the Land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim." 17:15
They replied, "the Hill Country of Ephraim is not big enough for us, but the Canaanites in the Plains have Iron Chariots, both those who live in Beth Shan and its surrounding Towns and those who live in Jezreel Valley." 17:16
Joshua said to the Tribes of Ephraim and West Manasseh, "There are indeed many of you, and you are very powerful. You shall have more than one share. The Hill Country will be yours. Even though it is a Forest, you will clear it and take possession of it from one end to the other. As for the Canaanites, you will drive them out, even though they do have Iron Chariots and are a strong people."
The Book of Judges also testifies about the use of the chariots' power by saying in chapter 1:
The descendants of Moses' father-in-law, the Kenite, went on with the People of Judah from Jericho, the City of Palm Trees, into the barren country South of Arad in Judah. There they settled among the Amalekites. The People of Judah went with the People of Simeon, and together they defeated the Canaanites who lived in the City of Zephath. They put a curse on the City, destroyed it, and named it Hormah. The Lord helped the People of Judah, and they took possession of the Hill Country. But they did not capture Gaza, Ashkelon, or Ekron, with their surrounding territories. These People living along the Coast had Iron Chariots, and so the People of Judah were not able to drive them out. 1: 16-19
As Moses had commanded, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove out of the City the three clans descended from Anak. But the People of the Tribe of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, and the Jebusites have continued to live there with the People of Benjamin ever since. 20-21
Chariots with many variations of design are widely illustrated on ancient monuments, attesting their widespread use in antiquity. Often they were outfitted with auxiliary equipment consisting of quiver and bow cases, shields and spears. And added menace to foot soldiers were the iron scythes that sometimes extended from the hubs of the wheels. When there was only one charioteer, the reins were held around his waist or hips in battle, leaving his hands free to handle the weapons. Larger and heavier chariots with multiple spans of horses had crews of two, three or four, with a driver and one or two fighters and a shield-man. Also by moving the axle toward the rear, greater maneuverability and stability were achieved. Spoked wheels replaced the solid ones, lightening the weight and increasing the speed.
In Israel no sizable national Chariot force developed until the time of Solomon. This was due in large measure to YHWH's warning that the King was not to multiply horses, as if the nation's security depended on them. Horses were used at that time to power such vehicles of war (Deut,17). Samuel warned of the burden that human kings inflict on God's people by saying, "Your sons YHWH will take and put them as His in His Chariots ... and some will have to run before His Chariots" (1 Sam 8).
Both Absalom and Adonijah, in attempting to usurp the kingship, had chariots made for themselves and put 50 men to run before each chariot (2 Sam 15). When David defeated the king of Zobah, he preserved a hundred chariot horses (2 Sam 8-10). King Solomon expanded the number of chariots of Israel's army to 1,400 (1 Ki 10; 2 Chron 1).
1 Kings 7 says: King Solomon sent for a man named Hu'Ram, a craftsman living in the City of Tyre, who was skilled in Bronze work. His father, who was no longer living, was from Tyre, and had also been a skilled Bronze craftsman, his mother was from the Tribe of Naphtali. Hu'Ram was an intelligent and experienced craftsman. He accepted King Solomon's invitation to be in charge of all the Bronze work (13-14). Hu'Ram cast two Bronze columns, each 27 feet tall and 18 feet in circumference, and placed them at the entrance of the Temple (15). Huram placed these two Bronze columns in front of the entrance: the one on the South side was named Jachin and the one on the North was named Boaz (21).
He also made two Bronze capitals, each one 7 1/2 feet tall, to be placed on top of the columns (16). The capitals were shaped like lilies, 6 feet tall (19). The top of each column was decorated with a design of interwoven chains and two rows of pomegranates (17). There were 200 pomegranates in two rows around each capital (20). The lily shaped Bronze capitals were placed on top of the columns on a rounded section which was above the chain design (19).
Hu"Ram made a round tank of Bronze, 7 1/2 deep, 15 feet in diameter, and 45 feet in circumference.
All around the outer edge of the rim of the tank were two rows of Bronze gourds, which had been cast all in one piece with the rest of the tank. The tank rested on the backs of twelve Bronze bulls that faced outward, three facing in each direction. The sides of the tank were 3 inches thick. Its rim was like the rim of a cup, curving outward like the petals of a lily. The tank held about 10,000 gallons (23-26).
Hu'Ram also made 10 Bronze Carts, each was 6 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4 1/2 feet high. They were made of square panels which were set in frames with the figures of lions, bulls, and winged creatures on the panels; and on the frames, above and underneath the lions and bulls, there were spiral figures in relief. Each cart had four Bronze wheels with Bronze axles. At the four corners were Bronze supports for a basin; the supports were decorated with spiral figures in relief. There was a circular frame on top for the basin. It projected upward 18 inches from the top of the Cart and seven inches down into it. The circular frame had carvings around it. The wheels were 25 inches high; they were under the panels, and the axles were of one piece with the carts. The wheels were like Chariot wheels; their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs were all of Bronze. There were four supports at the bottom corners of each cart, which were of one piece with the cart. There was a 9-inch band around the top of each cart; its supports
and the panels were of one piece with the cart. The supports and panels were decorated with figures of winged creatures, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was space for them, with spiral figures all around. This, then, is how the Carts were made; they were all alike, having the same size and shape.
Huram also made ten basins, one for each Cart. Each basin was 6 feet in diameter and held 200 gallons.
He placed five of the Carts on the South side of the Temple, and the other five on the North side; the tank he placed at the South East corner (27- 39).
In addition to Jerusalem, other towns known as "Chariot Cities" had special facilities for taking of all this vehicles of war (1 Kin 9; 2 Chron 8-9). After Solomon's death, chariots were very common in both the Northern and Southern kingdoms. The Northern kingdom had a "chief of half the chariots"(1Ki16).
War Chariots were employed in Biblical times by many of the nations who opposed the God of Israel. At the Red Sea, Pharaoh's entire army including his 600 special war chariots, and "all the other chariots of Egypt,"were destroyed by YHWH (Exodus 14-15; Joshua 24).When conquering the Promised Land the Israelites routed the enemy and burned many of their captured chariots (Joshua 11). Jabin the king of Canaan held the Israelites in bondage for 20 years until YHWH pinned down and destroyed his fleet of 900 Chariots equipped with iron scythes and commanded by Sisera, at the Kishon River (Judg 4-5).
During Israel's kings period, at one time or another, the Philistines, Egyptians, Ethiopians, Syrians, Assyrians and Babylonians battled against them with large Chariot forces, as many as 30,000/32,000
chariots on different occasions (1 Sam 13; 2 Sam 1; 1 Chron 19; 2 Chron 12-14-16; Isa 37). Prophets, in their pronouncements of doom era, mentions the chariots in which enemy nations prides themselves
(Micah 5; Jer 50-51).
Though the Chariot was primarily a war instrument, there are also instances where it was used for other peaceful purposes. Joseph as a food administrator of Egypt rode in a Chariot of Honor, second only to that of Pharaoh. In his chariot he rode out to meet his father Jacob when he entered Egypt (Gen 41-46).
Upon Jacob's death many chariots were in the funeral procession that went from Egypt to Mach'Pelah, the burial place that Abraham had purchased (Gen 50). As a means of transportation, chariots were also employed by Kings Rehoboam and Ahab, Naaman the Syrian army chief and the Ethiopian official who invited the evangelist Philip to ride with him on the Road down to Gaza (1Ki12; 18; 2 Ki 5; Act8).
Richly decorated and shaded Chariots carried victorious rulers in processions. Sacred Chariots and the horses that drew them were dedicated to the power of the sun by apostate Judean rulers and were used in ceremonial driving to meet the energy that encompasses the rising of the sun (2 Ki 23).
In a figurative and prophetic sense, chariots are used as symbols of war, just like the bow and sword.
Isaiah 22 says: This is a message about the Valley of Vision. What is happening? Why are all the people of the City of Jerusalem celebrating on the roof of the houses? The whole City is in uproar, filled with noise and excitement. Your people who died in this war did not die fighting. All your leaders run away and were captured before they shot a single arrow (1-3). This is a time of panic, defeat, and confusion in the Valley of vision, and the Sovereign Lord Almighty has sent it on us. The walls of our City have been battered down, and cries for help have echoed among the hills. The soldiers from the Land of Elam came riding on horseback, armed with bows and arrows. Soldiers from the Land of Kir had their shields ready. The fertile Valley of Judah were filled with Chariots; soldiers on horseback stood in front of Jerusalem's Gates. All of Judah's defenses crumbled (4-7). When that happened, you People brought weapons out of the arsenal. You found the places where the Walls Of Jerusalem needed repair (8-10). In order to store water, you built a reservoir inside the City to hold the water flowing down from the Old Pool. But you People paid no Attention to God's Word, who planned all this long ago and who caused it to happen. The Sovereign Lord Almighty was calling you People then to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth. Instead, you People laughed and celebrated. You killed sheep and cattle to eat and you drank wine.You said,"We might as well eat and drink! Tomorrow we will be dead." The Sovereign Lord Almighty Himself spoke and said, "This evil will never be forgiven them as long as they live. I, the Sovereign Lord Almighty, have spoken."(11-14)
Isaiah 27 says: On that Day the lord will use His powerful and deadly sword to punish Levi'Athan, that wriggling, twisting dragon, and to kill the monster that lives in the sea (1). On that Day the Lord will say of His pleasant vineyard, "I watch over it and water it continually. I guard it night and day so that no one will harm it. I am no longer angry with the vineyard. If there were thorns and briers to fight against, I would burn them up completely. But if the enemies of My people want My protection, let them make peace with Me. Yes, let them make peace with Me (2-5). Israel's sins will be forgiven only when the stones of idol altars are ground up like chalk, and no more incense altars or symbols of the goddess Ash'Erah are left" (9). On that Day, from the Euphrates to the Egyptian border, the Lord will gather His people one by one, as threshing separates the wheat from the chaff. When that Day comes, a trumpet will be blown to call back from Assyria and Egypt all the Israelites who are in exile there. They will come and worship the Lord in Jerusalem, on His sacred hill (12-13).
"The War Chariots of YHWH"are said to be "in tens of thousands, thousands over and over again, "denoting YHWH's invincible power to destroy His enemies. (Psalm 68; 2 King 6).
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