The name Shinar occurs 8 times in the Hebrew Bible: Genesis 10:10; 11:2; 14:1,9; Isaiah 11:11; Daniel 1:2; and Zechariah 5:11. In addition, Achan, in Joshua 7:21, sinned in taking a beautiful Shinarish garment from the forbidden loot in the destruction of Ai.
The four Genesis verses all refer to 'Shinar' as the 'place where the Tower of Babel was built. The meaning of the name 'Babel,' is defined right in the Genesis passage as 'confound' (11:9).
Isaiah 11:11 is a reference to the gathering of the children of Israel from far places; and Zechariah 5:11 sees a vision, in which an angel tells him that a House for the 'ephah' will be built in the 'land of Shinar.'
The Daniel reference to Shinar is when Nebuchadnezzar took part of the vessels of the House of God from Jerusalem and carried them into 'Shinar to the house of his god,' the one in whose honor he was named, 'Nabu,' also spelled 'Nebo,'
The Bible describes two different expeditions to Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the first one took place in the 3rd year of Jehoiakim's reign in Judah (Daniel 1:1), and the second took place after Jehoiakim had reigned for 11 years (2 Chronicles 36:5). There was also a third plundering trip to Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, as detailed in 2 Kings 24:13, when Jehoiachin was king. This time Nebuchadnezzar gathered up everything that he had missed previously, from both the temple and the king's palace. In addition to more vessels, this lot included the pillars, sea, and bases that Solomon had made for the temple, that Jeremiah 27:19 tells about.
We hear about all those temple vessels later on when Belshazzar gave a great banquet in the city of Babylon and commanded that they be brought out for his guests to drink from (Daniel 5:2-3).
The ancient name 'Shinar' in a simply Semitic language means 'two rivers,' closely related to the Greek 'Mesopotamia.' The ancient name was given to the great alluvial tract which the Tigris and Euphrates pass before reaching the sea. The tract was known in later times as 'Chaldea' or 'Babylonia.'
In the Book of Genesis 10:10 the beginning of Nimrod's kingdom is said to have been Babel, Akkad, Erech, and Calneh in the 'land of Shinar.'
According to Genesis 11:2, 9 Shinar is parallel to Babel, and states that 'Shinar' enclosed the plain that became the site of the Tower of Babel after the Great Flood.
After the biblical Flood of Genesis 7-8, Noah and his family came out of the Ark in the mountains of Ararat to start new lives in a very strange world. Genesis 11: 1-2 says that the whole earth had only one language and 'few words.' And as men migrated from the East, they found a 'plain' in the 'land of Shinar', opposite to the East, and settled there. All appear to indicate that the Ark and "Shinar' were East-West of each other.
In Shinar they rebelled against God and set out to build a city and tower to make a 'name' for themselves and keep from scattering. There, two of the greatest of ancient empires, Assyria and Babylon, were centered.
In Zechariah 5:11 Shinar is Babel, where Nimrod first built his great empire based upon idolatrous covetousness, thence to become the earth's 'mother of harlots.'
Saturday, 24 September 2016
Monday, 12 September 2016
THE "1st" ANCIENT HISTORICAL RECORD OF ISRAEL.
William Mathew Flinders Petrie (3 June 1853-28 July 1942) was an English Egyptologist who excavated many archaeological sites in Egypt in conjunction with his wife, Hilda Petrie.
One of his most famous discovery is the 'Mer'Neptah Stele' also known as the 'Israel Stele,' discovered in 1896 at the ancient Egyptian capital ofThebes, and now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The stele was found in Mer'Neptah's funerary chapel, on the West bank of the Nile. On the opposite bank is the Temple of Karnak, where the fragmentary copy was found.
The stele is a black granite slab, over 3m/10ft high, and the inscription says it was carved in the 5th year of Mer'Neptah (reign: 1213-1203 BC) of the 19th dynasty.
Most of the text glorifies the victories of the king over the enemies from Libya and their Sea People allies, but the last 3 of the 28 lines deal with an apparently separate campaign in the East, where it seems that some of the Canaanite cities had revolted, Canaan, then, part of Egypt's imperial possessions, where Mer'Neptah says he defeated and destroyed Ash'Kalon, Gezer, Yanoam, and Israel:
"The princes are prostrate, saying, 'Peace!'. Not one is raising his head among the 'Nine Bows.'
Now that Te'Henu (Libya) has come to ruin, Hatti is pacified; the Canaan has been plundered into every sort of 'Woe': Ash'Kelon has been overcome; Gezer has been captured; Yano'Am is made non-existent. Israel is laid waste and his seed is not; Hurru is become a widow because of Egypt."
Traditionally the Egyptians had concerned themselves only with cities, so the problem presented by Israel must have been something new. Mer'Neptah and Ramesses III fought off their enemies, but it was the beginning of the end of Egypt's control over the people of Canaan. The last evidence of an Egyptian presence in the area is the name of Ram'Esses VI (1141-33 CE) inscribed on a statue base from Meg'Iddo.
The use of the determinative for a people rather than land implies that Israel had neither a king nor a kingdom at this time. The other Canaanite groups fought by Egypt :Ash'Kelon, Gezer, and Yano'Am, are in contrast described in the stele as nascent states.
William Petrie called upon Wilhelm Spiegel'Berg, a German Egyptologist in his team, to translate the inscription. He was specialized in analyses of Demotic (writing used for more than a 1000 years by the Egyptians) and hieratic (priestly) text. Spiegel'Berg was puzzled by one symbol towards the end, that of a people or tribe whom Mer'Neptah had victoriously smitten. Petrie quickly suggested that it read"Israel!" Spiegel'Berg agreed that the translation was correct. Petrie remarked: "Won't the reverends be pleased?" At dinner that evening, Petrie who realized the importance of the find said: "This stele will be better known in the world than anything else I have found." The news of its discovery made headlines when it reached the English papers.
In Spiegel'Berg's inscriptions chapter of Petrie's 1897 publication "6 Temples at Thebes," Spiegel'Berg described the 'stele' as 'engraved on the rough back of the 'Stele of Amen'Hotep III,' which was removed from his temple, and placed back outward, against the wall, in the forecourt of the temple of Mer'Neptah. The scene at the top retained its original coloring of yellow, red, and blue. Amen'Hotep is shown giving a sword to the king, who is backed by Mut (ancient Egyptian mother goddess) on one side and by Khonsu (ancient Egyptian god of the moon).
"Mut" was the title of the primordial waters of the cosmos, and she was considered the mother from which the cosmos emerged. The hieroglyph for Mut's name, and for 'mother' itself, was that of a 'vulture', which the Egyptians believed were very maternal creatures. Since Egyptian vultures have no significant differing markings between female and male of the species, being without sexual dimorphism, the Egyptians believed they were all females, who conceived their offspring by the wind herself.
Khonsu, god of the moon, along with Thot, marked the passage of time. Khonsu was instrumental in the creation of new life in all living creatures. At Thebes he formed part of a family triad (the Theban triad) with Mut as his mother and Amun his father. His name reflects the fact that the Moon travels across the night sky, for it means 'traveller', and also had the titles 'Embracer', 'Pathfinder', and 'defender', as he watched overnight travelers. As the god of light in the night, Khonsu was invoked to protect against wild animals, and aid with healing. It was said that when Khonsu (Lah in Egyptian) caused the crescent moon to shine, women conceived, cattle became fertile, and all nostrils and every throat was filled with fresh air.
The majority of scholars translate a set of hieroglyphs on line 27 as "Israel,"representing the 1st documented instance of the name Israel in the historical record, and the only mention in Ancient Egypt. It is also one of the only four known ancient inscriptions interpreted to mention the term "Israel," the others being the 'Mesha Stele,' the 'Tel Dan Stele,' and the 'Kurkh Monolith.'
In the 1970s Frank Yurko announced that some of the reliefs at Karnak which had been thought to depict events in the reign of Ram'Esses II, Mer'Neptah's father, in fact belonged to Mer'Neptah.
The four reliefs show the capture of 3 cities, one of them labelled as Ash'Kelon. Frank Yurco suggested that the other 2 were Gezer and Yano'Am. The fourth relief shows a 'Battle in an open Hill Country' against an enemy shown as Canaanite. Frank Yurco suggested that this scene was to be equated with the Israel of the stele.
While the idea that Mer'Neptah's Israelites are to be seen on the walls of the temple has had an influence on many theories regarding the significance of the inscription, not all Egyptologists accept Frank Yurko's ascription of the reliefs to Mer'Neptah.
One of his most famous discovery is the 'Mer'Neptah Stele' also known as the 'Israel Stele,' discovered in 1896 at the ancient Egyptian capital ofThebes, and now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The stele was found in Mer'Neptah's funerary chapel, on the West bank of the Nile. On the opposite bank is the Temple of Karnak, where the fragmentary copy was found.
The stele is a black granite slab, over 3m/10ft high, and the inscription says it was carved in the 5th year of Mer'Neptah (reign: 1213-1203 BC) of the 19th dynasty.
Most of the text glorifies the victories of the king over the enemies from Libya and their Sea People allies, but the last 3 of the 28 lines deal with an apparently separate campaign in the East, where it seems that some of the Canaanite cities had revolted, Canaan, then, part of Egypt's imperial possessions, where Mer'Neptah says he defeated and destroyed Ash'Kalon, Gezer, Yanoam, and Israel:
"The princes are prostrate, saying, 'Peace!'. Not one is raising his head among the 'Nine Bows.'
Now that Te'Henu (Libya) has come to ruin, Hatti is pacified; the Canaan has been plundered into every sort of 'Woe': Ash'Kelon has been overcome; Gezer has been captured; Yano'Am is made non-existent. Israel is laid waste and his seed is not; Hurru is become a widow because of Egypt."
Traditionally the Egyptians had concerned themselves only with cities, so the problem presented by Israel must have been something new. Mer'Neptah and Ramesses III fought off their enemies, but it was the beginning of the end of Egypt's control over the people of Canaan. The last evidence of an Egyptian presence in the area is the name of Ram'Esses VI (1141-33 CE) inscribed on a statue base from Meg'Iddo.
The use of the determinative for a people rather than land implies that Israel had neither a king nor a kingdom at this time. The other Canaanite groups fought by Egypt :Ash'Kelon, Gezer, and Yano'Am, are in contrast described in the stele as nascent states.
William Petrie called upon Wilhelm Spiegel'Berg, a German Egyptologist in his team, to translate the inscription. He was specialized in analyses of Demotic (writing used for more than a 1000 years by the Egyptians) and hieratic (priestly) text. Spiegel'Berg was puzzled by one symbol towards the end, that of a people or tribe whom Mer'Neptah had victoriously smitten. Petrie quickly suggested that it read"Israel!" Spiegel'Berg agreed that the translation was correct. Petrie remarked: "Won't the reverends be pleased?" At dinner that evening, Petrie who realized the importance of the find said: "This stele will be better known in the world than anything else I have found." The news of its discovery made headlines when it reached the English papers.
In Spiegel'Berg's inscriptions chapter of Petrie's 1897 publication "6 Temples at Thebes," Spiegel'Berg described the 'stele' as 'engraved on the rough back of the 'Stele of Amen'Hotep III,' which was removed from his temple, and placed back outward, against the wall, in the forecourt of the temple of Mer'Neptah. The scene at the top retained its original coloring of yellow, red, and blue. Amen'Hotep is shown giving a sword to the king, who is backed by Mut (ancient Egyptian mother goddess) on one side and by Khonsu (ancient Egyptian god of the moon).
"Mut" was the title of the primordial waters of the cosmos, and she was considered the mother from which the cosmos emerged. The hieroglyph for Mut's name, and for 'mother' itself, was that of a 'vulture', which the Egyptians believed were very maternal creatures. Since Egyptian vultures have no significant differing markings between female and male of the species, being without sexual dimorphism, the Egyptians believed they were all females, who conceived their offspring by the wind herself.
Khonsu, god of the moon, along with Thot, marked the passage of time. Khonsu was instrumental in the creation of new life in all living creatures. At Thebes he formed part of a family triad (the Theban triad) with Mut as his mother and Amun his father. His name reflects the fact that the Moon travels across the night sky, for it means 'traveller', and also had the titles 'Embracer', 'Pathfinder', and 'defender', as he watched overnight travelers. As the god of light in the night, Khonsu was invoked to protect against wild animals, and aid with healing. It was said that when Khonsu (Lah in Egyptian) caused the crescent moon to shine, women conceived, cattle became fertile, and all nostrils and every throat was filled with fresh air.
The majority of scholars translate a set of hieroglyphs on line 27 as "Israel,"representing the 1st documented instance of the name Israel in the historical record, and the only mention in Ancient Egypt. It is also one of the only four known ancient inscriptions interpreted to mention the term "Israel," the others being the 'Mesha Stele,' the 'Tel Dan Stele,' and the 'Kurkh Monolith.'
In the 1970s Frank Yurko announced that some of the reliefs at Karnak which had been thought to depict events in the reign of Ram'Esses II, Mer'Neptah's father, in fact belonged to Mer'Neptah.
The four reliefs show the capture of 3 cities, one of them labelled as Ash'Kelon. Frank Yurco suggested that the other 2 were Gezer and Yano'Am. The fourth relief shows a 'Battle in an open Hill Country' against an enemy shown as Canaanite. Frank Yurco suggested that this scene was to be equated with the Israel of the stele.
While the idea that Mer'Neptah's Israelites are to be seen on the walls of the temple has had an influence on many theories regarding the significance of the inscription, not all Egyptologists accept Frank Yurko's ascription of the reliefs to Mer'Neptah.
Sunday, 11 September 2016
ANCIENT GERAR, THE 13TH STOP IN ABRAHAM'S JOURNEY.
Gerar was an ancient town, surrounded by a rampant of beaten earth, in the Western Negev, half-way between Beer'Sheba and Gaza, covering 40 acres.
In earliest times, Gerar was within the territory of the Canaanites: "Afterward the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha." (Genesis 10).
The Bible shifts its focus in Genesis 12 from the history of the entire human race to a man named Abram, the first Hebrew. God appeared to Abram and promised him that if he would leave his country and journey to a land that he has never seen, God would make of his descerndants a great nation and through them the Saviour of the world would come, through his 'seed.'
Abraham and Isaac both, who were born in the area, sought to live in Gerar. It was in Gerar that they deceived the king of the land.
In the time of Abraham, it was ruled by a Philistine king named Abi'Melech. Abraham moved there after living Kadesh (Barnea) and Shur in Western Sinai. (Genesis 20). Both made a treaty with the king of Gerar, after separate incidents in which both claimed that their wives were their sisters, in order to keep from being killed. Abraham's wife was eventually returned with 1000 shekels of silver.
Isaac came to Gerar to live inside the city during a famine in the land, instead of going to Egypt like Abraham and Jacob. (Genesis 26). Isaac's troubles over Rebekah happened in the city, since the king observed the display of affection from his window.
Abraham and, later Isaac's troubles with the locals required that they move to the outside edge of Gerar's territory: "Then Isaac departed from Gerar and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there." The productivity of the land around Gerar is described in Genesis 26: "Now Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him."
The Promised Land would be the inheritance of Abraham's descendants but Abraham would only be a pilgrim there. On his journey Abraham visited 17 places :
1) Ur of the Chaldeans was the original home of Abraham. God told Abraham to leave his home and country and go to a land that He would show him. He obeyed and departed from Ur, with his father Terah and his nephew Lot. (Genesis11; Acts 7).
2) Haran was his 1st stop. He dwelt here until his father died. In Haran God called Abraham again.
3) Damascus, located in ancient Aram (Syria). Here Abraham secured his servant Eliezer. (Genesis 15).
4) Shechem was the 1st place in the Promised Land. The Lord appeared to Abraham again and confirmed His Promises. Abraham built the First Altar to the Lord. There is much history in this place. (Joshua 24:1; Judges 9:6; 1Kings 12:1).
5) Bethel is the 2nd place in which Abraham built an Altar to the Lord, in a nearby mountain. (Gen 12).
6) Egypt was the place where Abraham and his family migrated because of a major famine hit the land.
In Egypt Abraham deceived the King in order to save his own life and was expelled from the land. The king of Egypt feared Abraham because of a dream and allowed him to leave with all his possessions.
7) Bethel was the former home of Abraham and Lot. They returned to their former home at Bethel, but on account of strife between their herdsmen they parted each other company as friends. (Genesis 13).
8) Hebron. Lot chose the warm climate and lush plains of the Jordan Valley and pitched his tent toward Sodom, and Abraham left and sojourned at Hebron in Mamre, one of the oldest cities (Numbers 13), where he heard again from the Lord and built an Altar there.
9) Dan. Four kings of the East came to Canaan who were united under Chedorlaomer of Elam (the territory of ancient Ur) and made War against the five kings of Canaan. In their conquest of the Jordan Valley they captured Lot as a prisoner of war, and when Abraham heard of it pursued the 4 kings and overtook them at Dan and defeated them with the help of the Lord (Genesis 14). Abraham already had assembled an army of 318 men. Dan was located in the North between Hazor and Damascus.
10) Hobah. Abraham and his army of servants smote the army of the 4 kings and chased them to Hobah, near Damascus. Lot and all the people with him were rescued with their belongings.
11) Salem. On his return Abraham passed through Salem (Jeru'Salem) and was met by a man named Melchizedek whose name means "King of Righteousness," He was a mysterious man regarded in the Bible as the 'priest' and 'king of Salem.' This was the 1st mention of the word 'Priest' in the Bible, and he gave to Abraham bread and wine. Abraham paid him 1/10th of all his spoils from the War as a 'tithe.' Hebrews 7 gives an interesting description of Melchizedek and therefore his identity remains a mystery. The king of Sodom also came out to meet Abraham at the same place.
12) Hebron. When Abraham finally returned to Hebron God reminded him of His Covenant with him and changed his name from Abram to Abraham. During his stay at this place Ishmael was born and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. (Genesis 16; 18; 19).
13) Gerar. Abraham left Hebron and for a time sojourned among the Philistines in Gerar which was in Southern Canaan West of Beer'Sheba. It was here that Abraham deceived the King of Gerar. (Gen.20).
14) Beer'Sheba. Abraham remained at this place for some time. During this time he made a covenant with king Abi'Melech. Later he gave birth to Isaac (Laughter), a natural son of him and Sarah, in his old age. When Isaac was born Ishmael was expelled and his mother Hagar fled and was met by "the Angel of the Lord" which was the Lord Himself. (Genesis 21).
15) Moriah. It was in Beer'Sheba that Abraham received the command from the Lord to take his only natural son Isaac to Mount Moriah, a mountain of Salem, to offer Isaac as a Burnt Offering. (Gen 22).
16) Beer'Sheba. Abraham returned to this place and dwelt here for some time.
17) Hebron. Abraham bought the Cave of Mach'Pelah as the family sepulcher and buried his wife Sarah there. (Genesis 23). At the age of 175 Abraham died, and was also buried in the Cave at Mach-Pelah.
In earliest times, Gerar was within the territory of the Canaanites: "Afterward the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha." (Genesis 10).
The Bible shifts its focus in Genesis 12 from the history of the entire human race to a man named Abram, the first Hebrew. God appeared to Abram and promised him that if he would leave his country and journey to a land that he has never seen, God would make of his descerndants a great nation and through them the Saviour of the world would come, through his 'seed.'
Abraham and Isaac both, who were born in the area, sought to live in Gerar. It was in Gerar that they deceived the king of the land.
In the time of Abraham, it was ruled by a Philistine king named Abi'Melech. Abraham moved there after living Kadesh (Barnea) and Shur in Western Sinai. (Genesis 20). Both made a treaty with the king of Gerar, after separate incidents in which both claimed that their wives were their sisters, in order to keep from being killed. Abraham's wife was eventually returned with 1000 shekels of silver.
Isaac came to Gerar to live inside the city during a famine in the land, instead of going to Egypt like Abraham and Jacob. (Genesis 26). Isaac's troubles over Rebekah happened in the city, since the king observed the display of affection from his window.
Abraham and, later Isaac's troubles with the locals required that they move to the outside edge of Gerar's territory: "Then Isaac departed from Gerar and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there." The productivity of the land around Gerar is described in Genesis 26: "Now Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him."
The Promised Land would be the inheritance of Abraham's descendants but Abraham would only be a pilgrim there. On his journey Abraham visited 17 places :
1) Ur of the Chaldeans was the original home of Abraham. God told Abraham to leave his home and country and go to a land that He would show him. He obeyed and departed from Ur, with his father Terah and his nephew Lot. (Genesis11; Acts 7).
2) Haran was his 1st stop. He dwelt here until his father died. In Haran God called Abraham again.
3) Damascus, located in ancient Aram (Syria). Here Abraham secured his servant Eliezer. (Genesis 15).
4) Shechem was the 1st place in the Promised Land. The Lord appeared to Abraham again and confirmed His Promises. Abraham built the First Altar to the Lord. There is much history in this place. (Joshua 24:1; Judges 9:6; 1Kings 12:1).
5) Bethel is the 2nd place in which Abraham built an Altar to the Lord, in a nearby mountain. (Gen 12).
6) Egypt was the place where Abraham and his family migrated because of a major famine hit the land.
In Egypt Abraham deceived the King in order to save his own life and was expelled from the land. The king of Egypt feared Abraham because of a dream and allowed him to leave with all his possessions.
7) Bethel was the former home of Abraham and Lot. They returned to their former home at Bethel, but on account of strife between their herdsmen they parted each other company as friends. (Genesis 13).
8) Hebron. Lot chose the warm climate and lush plains of the Jordan Valley and pitched his tent toward Sodom, and Abraham left and sojourned at Hebron in Mamre, one of the oldest cities (Numbers 13), where he heard again from the Lord and built an Altar there.
9) Dan. Four kings of the East came to Canaan who were united under Chedorlaomer of Elam (the territory of ancient Ur) and made War against the five kings of Canaan. In their conquest of the Jordan Valley they captured Lot as a prisoner of war, and when Abraham heard of it pursued the 4 kings and overtook them at Dan and defeated them with the help of the Lord (Genesis 14). Abraham already had assembled an army of 318 men. Dan was located in the North between Hazor and Damascus.
10) Hobah. Abraham and his army of servants smote the army of the 4 kings and chased them to Hobah, near Damascus. Lot and all the people with him were rescued with their belongings.
11) Salem. On his return Abraham passed through Salem (Jeru'Salem) and was met by a man named Melchizedek whose name means "King of Righteousness," He was a mysterious man regarded in the Bible as the 'priest' and 'king of Salem.' This was the 1st mention of the word 'Priest' in the Bible, and he gave to Abraham bread and wine. Abraham paid him 1/10th of all his spoils from the War as a 'tithe.' Hebrews 7 gives an interesting description of Melchizedek and therefore his identity remains a mystery. The king of Sodom also came out to meet Abraham at the same place.
12) Hebron. When Abraham finally returned to Hebron God reminded him of His Covenant with him and changed his name from Abram to Abraham. During his stay at this place Ishmael was born and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. (Genesis 16; 18; 19).
13) Gerar. Abraham left Hebron and for a time sojourned among the Philistines in Gerar which was in Southern Canaan West of Beer'Sheba. It was here that Abraham deceived the King of Gerar. (Gen.20).
14) Beer'Sheba. Abraham remained at this place for some time. During this time he made a covenant with king Abi'Melech. Later he gave birth to Isaac (Laughter), a natural son of him and Sarah, in his old age. When Isaac was born Ishmael was expelled and his mother Hagar fled and was met by "the Angel of the Lord" which was the Lord Himself. (Genesis 21).
15) Moriah. It was in Beer'Sheba that Abraham received the command from the Lord to take his only natural son Isaac to Mount Moriah, a mountain of Salem, to offer Isaac as a Burnt Offering. (Gen 22).
16) Beer'Sheba. Abraham returned to this place and dwelt here for some time.
17) Hebron. Abraham bought the Cave of Mach'Pelah as the family sepulcher and buried his wife Sarah there. (Genesis 23). At the age of 175 Abraham died, and was also buried in the Cave at Mach-Pelah.
THE MEANING OF TOWN GER'AR, AND THE PEOPLE IN IT.
-The Biblical name of 'Gerar' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Lodging Place.'
Gerar was a town in Gaza belonging to the Philistines. Abimelech was the king of Gerar, when Abraham and Isaac sojourned there.
Genesis 10:9; 20:1,2; 26:1,6,17,20,26; 2Chronicles14:13,14.
-The Biblical name 'Gaza' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Strong, Fortified.' Gaza was one of the 5 Philistines cities in Canaan.
-The Biblical name 'Abi'Melech' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Father of the King.' Abi'Melech was the title assumed by the Philistine kings of the Old testament.
Abraham introduced his wife Sarah, as his sister to Abi'Melech (Father of the King), the king of Gerar (Lodging Place). Abi'Melech (Father of the King) took Sarah into his harem. God then appeared in a dream to Abi'Melech (Father of the King) and revealed to him his error. Abi'Melech (Father of the King) restored Sarah to Abraham (Father of Multitude) along with many gifts.
Abi'Melech was also the name of a son of Gideon and the name of a High Priest during the time of David.
Genesis 20:1-18; 21:22-34; Judges 9:1; 1Chronicles 18:16.
-The Biblical name 'Abraham' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Father of a Multitude.' Abraham was the son of Terah. His original name was Abram. This was changed by God to Abraham the Father of many nations. The sons of Abraham were Ishmael (by Sarah's maidservant Hagar), Isaac (by his wife Sarah), Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (by his 2nd wife Keturah).
Genesis 11:27; 12:2,3,7; Hebrews 11:17-19.
-The Biblical name 'Isaac' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Laughter' or 'He Laughs.'
Isaac (Laugh) was the son of Abraham (Father of Multitude) and Sarah (Princess). He was born when his parents were very aged. When God told Abraham that he was to be a father at the age of 100 years, he thought He was laughing at him, and so Isaac was named. When Isaac (Laughter) was a young man, his father Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah (Chosen by God), as proof of his obedience. Abraham unhesitatingly prepared to do so, but was stopped by God. In the New Testament, this episode is compared to God's sacrifice of His own son, Jesus. Isaac's older half-brother was Ishmael. Isaac was married to Rebekah and had two sons: Esau and Jacob.
Genesis 17:19,21; 21:3-12; 22:2-9; 24:4,14,62-67; 25:5-28; 26:1,6-35; 27:1-46; 28:1-13; 31:18,42,53; 32:9; 35:12,27-29; 46:1; 48:15,16; 49:31; 50:24.
Exodus 2:24; 3:6,15,16; 4:5; 6:3,8: 32:13; 33:1. Leviticus 26:42. Numbers 32:11.
Deuteronomy 1:8; 6:10; 9:5,27; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4. Joshua 24:4; 1Kings 18:36. 2Kings 13:23.
1Chronicles 1:28; 1:34; 16:16; 29:18. 2Chronicles 30:6. Psalms 105:9. Jeremiah 33:26. Amos 7:9,16.
Matthew 1:2; 8:11; 22:32. Mark 12:26. Luke 3:34; 13:28; 20:37. Acts 3:13; 7:8,32. Romans 9:7,10.
Galatians 4:28. Hebrews 11:9,17-20. James 2:21.
-The Biblical name 'Moriah' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Chosen by God.' Moriah is one of the hills of Jerusalem where the Temple was built by Solomon. This was also the spot where Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac.
-The Biblical name 'Sarah' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Princes.' Sara was the wife of Abraham (Father of Multitudes) and the mother of Isaac (Laughter). Her grandsons founded the 12 tribes of Israel and through them Sarah became the 'Mother of many Nations.'
-The Biblical name 'Ishmael' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'God will Hear.' Ishmael is the name of 6 men in the Bible. Ishmael was the elder son of Abraham by Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant.
At the time of Ishmael's circumsicion at the age of 13, God promised Abraham to make his eldest son a great nation. Ishmael is considered to be the founder of the Arab nations.
Ishmael 2nd was the son of Nethaniah. He murdered Gedaliah (Jehovah is my greatness). Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam (Rising), an influential officer in the court of King Josiah (Healed by Jehovah) of Judah. Ahikam was one of the 5 delegates sent by the High Priest Hilkiah (God is my portion) to consult the Prophetess Huldah. Gedaliah was also the grandson of Shaphan, secretary of King Josiah. Nabuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah the Governor of Judah, after his violent conquest of Jerusalem. Gedaliah promised to allow the Israelites to live in peace before being murdered.
Ishmael 3rd was the son of Azel and a descendant of Saul. He belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.
Ishmael 4th was the father of Zebadiah. He belonged to the tribe of Judah.
Ishmael 5th was a son of Johanan. He was one of the captains of the army who assisted the High Priest Jehoiada in restoring Joash to the throne of Judah.
Ishmael 6th was a priest of the family of Pashur. He had a foreign wife during the time of Ezra. Ishmael belonged to the tribe of Levi.
Genesis 16:11,15,16; 17:18-26; 25: 9-17; 28:9; 36:3. 2Kings 25:23,25. 1Chronicles 1:28,29,31; 8:38;
9:44. 2Chronicles: 19:11; 23:1. Ezra 10:22. Jeremiah 40:8,14-16; 41:1-18.
Gerar was a town in Gaza belonging to the Philistines. Abimelech was the king of Gerar, when Abraham and Isaac sojourned there.
Genesis 10:9; 20:1,2; 26:1,6,17,20,26; 2Chronicles14:13,14.
-The Biblical name 'Gaza' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Strong, Fortified.' Gaza was one of the 5 Philistines cities in Canaan.
-The Biblical name 'Abi'Melech' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Father of the King.' Abi'Melech was the title assumed by the Philistine kings of the Old testament.
Abraham introduced his wife Sarah, as his sister to Abi'Melech (Father of the King), the king of Gerar (Lodging Place). Abi'Melech (Father of the King) took Sarah into his harem. God then appeared in a dream to Abi'Melech (Father of the King) and revealed to him his error. Abi'Melech (Father of the King) restored Sarah to Abraham (Father of Multitude) along with many gifts.
Abi'Melech was also the name of a son of Gideon and the name of a High Priest during the time of David.
Genesis 20:1-18; 21:22-34; Judges 9:1; 1Chronicles 18:16.
-The Biblical name 'Abraham' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Father of a Multitude.' Abraham was the son of Terah. His original name was Abram. This was changed by God to Abraham the Father of many nations. The sons of Abraham were Ishmael (by Sarah's maidservant Hagar), Isaac (by his wife Sarah), Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (by his 2nd wife Keturah).
Genesis 11:27; 12:2,3,7; Hebrews 11:17-19.
-The Biblical name 'Isaac' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Laughter' or 'He Laughs.'
Isaac (Laugh) was the son of Abraham (Father of Multitude) and Sarah (Princess). He was born when his parents were very aged. When God told Abraham that he was to be a father at the age of 100 years, he thought He was laughing at him, and so Isaac was named. When Isaac (Laughter) was a young man, his father Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah (Chosen by God), as proof of his obedience. Abraham unhesitatingly prepared to do so, but was stopped by God. In the New Testament, this episode is compared to God's sacrifice of His own son, Jesus. Isaac's older half-brother was Ishmael. Isaac was married to Rebekah and had two sons: Esau and Jacob.
Genesis 17:19,21; 21:3-12; 22:2-9; 24:4,14,62-67; 25:5-28; 26:1,6-35; 27:1-46; 28:1-13; 31:18,42,53; 32:9; 35:12,27-29; 46:1; 48:15,16; 49:31; 50:24.
Exodus 2:24; 3:6,15,16; 4:5; 6:3,8: 32:13; 33:1. Leviticus 26:42. Numbers 32:11.
Deuteronomy 1:8; 6:10; 9:5,27; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4. Joshua 24:4; 1Kings 18:36. 2Kings 13:23.
1Chronicles 1:28; 1:34; 16:16; 29:18. 2Chronicles 30:6. Psalms 105:9. Jeremiah 33:26. Amos 7:9,16.
Matthew 1:2; 8:11; 22:32. Mark 12:26. Luke 3:34; 13:28; 20:37. Acts 3:13; 7:8,32. Romans 9:7,10.
Galatians 4:28. Hebrews 11:9,17-20. James 2:21.
-The Biblical name 'Moriah' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Chosen by God.' Moriah is one of the hills of Jerusalem where the Temple was built by Solomon. This was also the spot where Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac.
-The Biblical name 'Sarah' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'Princes.' Sara was the wife of Abraham (Father of Multitudes) and the mother of Isaac (Laughter). Her grandsons founded the 12 tribes of Israel and through them Sarah became the 'Mother of many Nations.'
-The Biblical name 'Ishmael' is Hebrew in origin and its meaning is 'God will Hear.' Ishmael is the name of 6 men in the Bible. Ishmael was the elder son of Abraham by Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian servant.
At the time of Ishmael's circumsicion at the age of 13, God promised Abraham to make his eldest son a great nation. Ishmael is considered to be the founder of the Arab nations.
Ishmael 2nd was the son of Nethaniah. He murdered Gedaliah (Jehovah is my greatness). Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam (Rising), an influential officer in the court of King Josiah (Healed by Jehovah) of Judah. Ahikam was one of the 5 delegates sent by the High Priest Hilkiah (God is my portion) to consult the Prophetess Huldah. Gedaliah was also the grandson of Shaphan, secretary of King Josiah. Nabuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah the Governor of Judah, after his violent conquest of Jerusalem. Gedaliah promised to allow the Israelites to live in peace before being murdered.
Ishmael 3rd was the son of Azel and a descendant of Saul. He belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.
Ishmael 4th was the father of Zebadiah. He belonged to the tribe of Judah.
Ishmael 5th was a son of Johanan. He was one of the captains of the army who assisted the High Priest Jehoiada in restoring Joash to the throne of Judah.
Ishmael 6th was a priest of the family of Pashur. He had a foreign wife during the time of Ezra. Ishmael belonged to the tribe of Levi.
Genesis 16:11,15,16; 17:18-26; 25: 9-17; 28:9; 36:3. 2Kings 25:23,25. 1Chronicles 1:28,29,31; 8:38;
9:44. 2Chronicles: 19:11; 23:1. Ezra 10:22. Jeremiah 40:8,14-16; 41:1-18.
THE CITY OF BEER ' SHEBA AND THE NEGEV.
Beer'Sheba id the largest city in the Negev desert of Southern Israel, often referred to as the 'Capital of the Negev.' Beer'Sheba is mainly dealt in the Hebrew Bible in connection with Abraham and Isaac, who both dig a 'well' and close 'peace treaties' with king Abi'Melech of Gerar at the site.
There are several studies (etymology) for the origin of the name 'Beer'Sheba'. 'Beer' is the Hebrew word for 'Well'; and 'sheva' for 'seven' or 'oath'. The Arabic form can also be translated as '7 Wells.'
Abi'Melech (Father/Leader of a king) was the name of multiple Philistine kings mentioned in the Bible.
There are 3 wife-sister narratives in the Book of Genesis, all of which are similar. They occur in Genesis 12, 20, and 26. At the core of each is the story of a Biblical Patriarch, who has come to be in the land of a powerful foreign overlord who misidentifies the Patriarch's wife as the Patriarch's sister, and consequently attempts to wed her himself. The overlord later finds out his error. Two of the three stories are similar in many other details, including the ruler's name, Abi'Melech.
- In the 1st, Abram is pressured to move to Egypt in order to evade a famine. Because his wife-sister is very beautiful, Abram asks her to say that she was only his sister lest the Egyptians kill him so that they can take her. On arriving before the Pharaoh, the Egyptians recognize Sarai's beauty, and the Egyptian princes shower Abram with gifts of livestock and servants to gain her hand in marriage. Sarai thus becomes part of the "Pharaoh's House"(harem), but God sends a plague to punish Pharaoh. Pharaoh realizes the truth of the matter, restores Sarai to Abram and orders them to leave Egypt with all the possessions Abram had acquired in Egypt.
-In the 2nd episode the story splits in two parts. The 1st in Genesis 20 and the 2nd in Genesis 21. It begins with Abraham emigrating to the Southern Region of Gerar, whose king is named Abi'Melech.
By this time, God had changed Abram and Sarai's names to 'Abraham and Sarah' respectively (Gen17).
He states that Sarah is only his sister, leading Abi'Melech to try to take Sarah as a wife; God intervened, before Abi'Melech touched Sarah, in a dream and tells him the truth, acknowledging that Abi'Melech made the mistake innocently, but ordering Abi'Melech to restore Sarah to Abraham. He complains to Abraham, who states that he did not exactly lie, since Sarah is his half-sister. Abi'Melech restores Sarah to Abraham, and gives him gifts of livestock and servants by way of apology, and also allows Abraham to reside anywhere in Gerar. He also gives 1000 pieces of silver to Abraham to reprove Sarah by a "covering of the eyes"(sign of vindication). The story then states for the 1st time that Abi'Melech, his wife, and household, had previously been punished for Abi'Melech's mistake concerning Sarah, by being made infertile. After an intermission concerning the birth of a son to Abraham and Sarah, the 2nd have of the story begins with Abi'Melech requesting Abraham swear an 'oath' of non-aggression towards Abi'Melech and his family, to which Abraham agrees. Abi'Melech's servants later 'violently take away' a well, and so Abraham complains to Abi'Melech, who apologizes. Abraham then sets aside 7 ewes (adult female sheeps) as witness to his having dug the well, and Abraham, Abi'Melech, and Phi'chol (Abi'Melech's chief captain), then make a 'covenant', and leave each other.
The place the 'covenant' was made is consequently named 'Beer-Sheba,' which translates either to 'Well of Oaths' or 'Well of Seven' or 'Seven Wells,' and Abraham planted a Tamarisk Tree there in memory.
-In the 3rd episode, it is Isaac who, in order to avoid a famine, emigrates to the Southern Region of Gerar, whose king is named Abi'Melech. Isaac has been told to do so by God, who also orders him to avoid Egypt, and promises to him the fulfillment of the 'oath' made with Abraham. Isaac states that Rebekah, his wife, is really his sister, as he worried that the Philistines will otherwise kill him in order to marry Rebekah. After a while, Abi'Melech spots Isaac doing things that a brother do not do with his sister, and states that she must be Isaac's wife rather than his sister.
Abimelech then orders that Rebekah be left alone by the denizens of Gerar, on pain of death. Isaac goes on to spend a year in the area, and gradually built up a large household of servants, and a strong possession of livestock, leading to the envy of the Philistines of Gerar, so Abi'Melech sends Isaac away. Noting that the 'wells' that Abraham had dug have since been filled in, Isaac re-digs them, giving names for three:
Esek, which means 'argument', gaining its name due to the Gerar herdsmen contesting the 'ownership of the well.'
Sitnah, which means 'opposition', gaining its name due to the Gerar herdsmen also 'contesting this well.'
Rehoboth, which means 'enlarged space', gaining its name because 'God made room for Isaac.'
Isaac then travels to Beer'Sheba, and God appears to him, so Isaac builds an altar there. Abi'Melech then meets Isaac there, with a friend named Ahuzzath, and Phi'Chol (Abi'Melech's chief captain). They then make an 'oath of non-agression, hold a feast, and then depart from one another. Later on the same day, Isaac's servants report to him that they have found 'another well,' so he names the place in such a way that it later becomes known as 'Beer'Sheva.'
Christian interpretation of the narratives has varied considerably. Some have seen them as a symbolic interpretation of God's spiritual power in order to achieve His ultimately Plan of Salvation. The Patriarchal individuals did not lie, they merely concealed part of the Truth.
The Negev, which play a part in the Patriarchs' lives, is a desert and semi-desert Region and the city of Beer'Sheba is located in the North of it. At its South end is the Gulf of Aqaba.
Nomadic life in the Negev dates back as much as 7000 years. The 1st urbanized settlements were established by a combination of Phoenicians (Canaanites), Amalekite, and Edomite groups. Pharaonic Egypt is credited with introducing copper mining and smelting in both the Negev and the Sin'Ai between 1400 and 1300 BC.
In the Bible, the term Negev only relates to the Northern, semi-arid part, located in the general area of the Arad-Beer'Sheba Valley. According to the Book of Genesis, chapter 13, Abraham lived for a while in the Negev after being banished from Egypt. During the Exodus journey to the promised land, Moses sent 12 scouts into the Negev to assess the land and population. Later, Northern part of biblical Negev, was inhabited by the Tribe of Judah and the Southern part by the Tribe of Simeon. The Negev was later part of the Kingdom of Solomon (in its entirety, all the way to the Red Sea), and then, with varied extension to the South, part of the Kingdom of Judah. In the 9th century BC, development and expansion of mining in both the Negev and Edom (modern Jordan) coincided with the rise of the Ass'Yrian Empire.
Beer'Sheba was the region's capital and a center for trade in the 8th century BC.
The 4th CE arrival of Nabateans resulted in the development of irrigation systems that supported new urban centers located along the Negev incense route. They were Arab people who inhabited Northern Arabia and the Southern Levant, and whose settlements, most prominently the capital city of Petra (Raqmu), in 37-100CE, gave the name of Nabatene to the borderland between Arabia and Syria, from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. They controlled the trade on the spice route between Petra and the Gazan seaports. Nabatean currency and the remains of red and orange fragments of stone and glass vessels (pot-sherds), identified as a trademark of their civilization, have been found along the route. Nabatean control ended when the Roman empire annexed their lands in 106 CE. The population, largely made up of Arabian nomads, remained largely tribal and independent of Roman rule, with an animistic belief system.
Byzantine rule introduced Christianity to the population. Agricultural-based cities were established and the population grew exponentially.
The Southern Negev saw a flourishing of economic activity during the 8th to 10th CE. Six Islamic settlements have been found in the vicinity of modern Eilat, a busy port at the Northern tip of the Red Sea, on the Gulf of Aqaba, along with copper and gold mines and stone quarries, and a sophisticated irrigation system and road network. The economic center was the port of Aqaba (Ayla).
Nomadic tribes ruled the Negev largely independently and with a relative lack of interference for the next 1000 years. Bedouins of the Negev historically survive chiefly on sheep and goat husbandry. Scarcity of water and on permanent pastoral land required them to move constantly. What is known of this time is derived from oral histories and folk tales from the areas in present-day Jordan.
In 1900 CE the Otto'Man Empire established an administrative center for Southern Palestine at Beer'Sheba including schools and a railway station. The authority of the tribal chiefs over the region was recognized by the Otto'Mans. A railroad connected it to the port of Rafah.
Rafah has a history stretching back 1000s of years. It was first recorded in an inscription of Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I, from 1303 BC as 'Rph', and the first stop of Pharaoh Shoshenq I's campaign to the Levant in 925 BC. In 720BC it was the site of the Assyrian king Sargon II's victory over the Egyptians and in 217BC the 'Battle of Raphia' was fought between Ptolemy IV and Antiochus III, one of the largest battles ever fought in the Levant, with over a 100,000 soldiers and 100s of elephants.
In the 19th CE, the extension of the Freanch language by its adoption as a first language of the Jews in the French colonial North Africa, resulted in a separation of the community from the local Muslims.
The French began the conquest of Algeria in 1830CE. The following century had a profound influence on the status of the Algerian Jews. The situation in colonial Libya was similar; as for the French in the other North African countries, the italian influence in Libya was welcomed by the Jewish community, increasing their separation from the non-Jewish Libyans. The Alliance Israelite Universelle, founded in France in 1860CE, set up schools in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia as early as 1863 CE.
Beer'Sheba grew in importance in the 19th CE, when the Otto'Man Turks built a regional police station there. The Battle of Ber'Sheba was part of a wider British offensive in World War I aimed at breaking the Turkish defensive line from Gaza to Beer'Sheba. In 1947, Beer'Sheba was envisioned as part of the Arab state in the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. Following the declaration of Israel's independence, the Egyptian army its forces in Beer'Sheba as a strategic and logistical base. In the battle waged in October 1948, Beer'Sheba was conquered by the Israeli Defense Forces.
An Arabic history of tribes around Beer'Sheba, published in 1934, recorded 23 tribal groups.
Since 1948, when the Negev came under Israeli rule, it absorbed many of the Jewish refugees from Arab countries, with Israeli government setting up many development towns. Beer'Sheba has grown considerable since then. The Soviet Jews immigrants have made the game of chess a major city's sport. The city is now Israeli's national chess center, with more chess grand-masters per capita than any other city in the world.
Since then, the Negev region has also become home to many of the Israeli Defense Forces major bases -a process acelerated in the past two decades.
There are several studies (etymology) for the origin of the name 'Beer'Sheba'. 'Beer' is the Hebrew word for 'Well'; and 'sheva' for 'seven' or 'oath'. The Arabic form can also be translated as '7 Wells.'
Abi'Melech (Father/Leader of a king) was the name of multiple Philistine kings mentioned in the Bible.
There are 3 wife-sister narratives in the Book of Genesis, all of which are similar. They occur in Genesis 12, 20, and 26. At the core of each is the story of a Biblical Patriarch, who has come to be in the land of a powerful foreign overlord who misidentifies the Patriarch's wife as the Patriarch's sister, and consequently attempts to wed her himself. The overlord later finds out his error. Two of the three stories are similar in many other details, including the ruler's name, Abi'Melech.
- In the 1st, Abram is pressured to move to Egypt in order to evade a famine. Because his wife-sister is very beautiful, Abram asks her to say that she was only his sister lest the Egyptians kill him so that they can take her. On arriving before the Pharaoh, the Egyptians recognize Sarai's beauty, and the Egyptian princes shower Abram with gifts of livestock and servants to gain her hand in marriage. Sarai thus becomes part of the "Pharaoh's House"(harem), but God sends a plague to punish Pharaoh. Pharaoh realizes the truth of the matter, restores Sarai to Abram and orders them to leave Egypt with all the possessions Abram had acquired in Egypt.
-In the 2nd episode the story splits in two parts. The 1st in Genesis 20 and the 2nd in Genesis 21. It begins with Abraham emigrating to the Southern Region of Gerar, whose king is named Abi'Melech.
By this time, God had changed Abram and Sarai's names to 'Abraham and Sarah' respectively (Gen17).
He states that Sarah is only his sister, leading Abi'Melech to try to take Sarah as a wife; God intervened, before Abi'Melech touched Sarah, in a dream and tells him the truth, acknowledging that Abi'Melech made the mistake innocently, but ordering Abi'Melech to restore Sarah to Abraham. He complains to Abraham, who states that he did not exactly lie, since Sarah is his half-sister. Abi'Melech restores Sarah to Abraham, and gives him gifts of livestock and servants by way of apology, and also allows Abraham to reside anywhere in Gerar. He also gives 1000 pieces of silver to Abraham to reprove Sarah by a "covering of the eyes"(sign of vindication). The story then states for the 1st time that Abi'Melech, his wife, and household, had previously been punished for Abi'Melech's mistake concerning Sarah, by being made infertile. After an intermission concerning the birth of a son to Abraham and Sarah, the 2nd have of the story begins with Abi'Melech requesting Abraham swear an 'oath' of non-aggression towards Abi'Melech and his family, to which Abraham agrees. Abi'Melech's servants later 'violently take away' a well, and so Abraham complains to Abi'Melech, who apologizes. Abraham then sets aside 7 ewes (adult female sheeps) as witness to his having dug the well, and Abraham, Abi'Melech, and Phi'chol (Abi'Melech's chief captain), then make a 'covenant', and leave each other.
The place the 'covenant' was made is consequently named 'Beer-Sheba,' which translates either to 'Well of Oaths' or 'Well of Seven' or 'Seven Wells,' and Abraham planted a Tamarisk Tree there in memory.
-In the 3rd episode, it is Isaac who, in order to avoid a famine, emigrates to the Southern Region of Gerar, whose king is named Abi'Melech. Isaac has been told to do so by God, who also orders him to avoid Egypt, and promises to him the fulfillment of the 'oath' made with Abraham. Isaac states that Rebekah, his wife, is really his sister, as he worried that the Philistines will otherwise kill him in order to marry Rebekah. After a while, Abi'Melech spots Isaac doing things that a brother do not do with his sister, and states that she must be Isaac's wife rather than his sister.
Abimelech then orders that Rebekah be left alone by the denizens of Gerar, on pain of death. Isaac goes on to spend a year in the area, and gradually built up a large household of servants, and a strong possession of livestock, leading to the envy of the Philistines of Gerar, so Abi'Melech sends Isaac away. Noting that the 'wells' that Abraham had dug have since been filled in, Isaac re-digs them, giving names for three:
Esek, which means 'argument', gaining its name due to the Gerar herdsmen contesting the 'ownership of the well.'
Sitnah, which means 'opposition', gaining its name due to the Gerar herdsmen also 'contesting this well.'
Rehoboth, which means 'enlarged space', gaining its name because 'God made room for Isaac.'
Isaac then travels to Beer'Sheba, and God appears to him, so Isaac builds an altar there. Abi'Melech then meets Isaac there, with a friend named Ahuzzath, and Phi'Chol (Abi'Melech's chief captain). They then make an 'oath of non-agression, hold a feast, and then depart from one another. Later on the same day, Isaac's servants report to him that they have found 'another well,' so he names the place in such a way that it later becomes known as 'Beer'Sheva.'
Christian interpretation of the narratives has varied considerably. Some have seen them as a symbolic interpretation of God's spiritual power in order to achieve His ultimately Plan of Salvation. The Patriarchal individuals did not lie, they merely concealed part of the Truth.
The Negev, which play a part in the Patriarchs' lives, is a desert and semi-desert Region and the city of Beer'Sheba is located in the North of it. At its South end is the Gulf of Aqaba.
Nomadic life in the Negev dates back as much as 7000 years. The 1st urbanized settlements were established by a combination of Phoenicians (Canaanites), Amalekite, and Edomite groups. Pharaonic Egypt is credited with introducing copper mining and smelting in both the Negev and the Sin'Ai between 1400 and 1300 BC.
In the Bible, the term Negev only relates to the Northern, semi-arid part, located in the general area of the Arad-Beer'Sheba Valley. According to the Book of Genesis, chapter 13, Abraham lived for a while in the Negev after being banished from Egypt. During the Exodus journey to the promised land, Moses sent 12 scouts into the Negev to assess the land and population. Later, Northern part of biblical Negev, was inhabited by the Tribe of Judah and the Southern part by the Tribe of Simeon. The Negev was later part of the Kingdom of Solomon (in its entirety, all the way to the Red Sea), and then, with varied extension to the South, part of the Kingdom of Judah. In the 9th century BC, development and expansion of mining in both the Negev and Edom (modern Jordan) coincided with the rise of the Ass'Yrian Empire.
Beer'Sheba was the region's capital and a center for trade in the 8th century BC.
The 4th CE arrival of Nabateans resulted in the development of irrigation systems that supported new urban centers located along the Negev incense route. They were Arab people who inhabited Northern Arabia and the Southern Levant, and whose settlements, most prominently the capital city of Petra (Raqmu), in 37-100CE, gave the name of Nabatene to the borderland between Arabia and Syria, from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. They controlled the trade on the spice route between Petra and the Gazan seaports. Nabatean currency and the remains of red and orange fragments of stone and glass vessels (pot-sherds), identified as a trademark of their civilization, have been found along the route. Nabatean control ended when the Roman empire annexed their lands in 106 CE. The population, largely made up of Arabian nomads, remained largely tribal and independent of Roman rule, with an animistic belief system.
Byzantine rule introduced Christianity to the population. Agricultural-based cities were established and the population grew exponentially.
The Southern Negev saw a flourishing of economic activity during the 8th to 10th CE. Six Islamic settlements have been found in the vicinity of modern Eilat, a busy port at the Northern tip of the Red Sea, on the Gulf of Aqaba, along with copper and gold mines and stone quarries, and a sophisticated irrigation system and road network. The economic center was the port of Aqaba (Ayla).
Nomadic tribes ruled the Negev largely independently and with a relative lack of interference for the next 1000 years. Bedouins of the Negev historically survive chiefly on sheep and goat husbandry. Scarcity of water and on permanent pastoral land required them to move constantly. What is known of this time is derived from oral histories and folk tales from the areas in present-day Jordan.
In 1900 CE the Otto'Man Empire established an administrative center for Southern Palestine at Beer'Sheba including schools and a railway station. The authority of the tribal chiefs over the region was recognized by the Otto'Mans. A railroad connected it to the port of Rafah.
Rafah has a history stretching back 1000s of years. It was first recorded in an inscription of Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I, from 1303 BC as 'Rph', and the first stop of Pharaoh Shoshenq I's campaign to the Levant in 925 BC. In 720BC it was the site of the Assyrian king Sargon II's victory over the Egyptians and in 217BC the 'Battle of Raphia' was fought between Ptolemy IV and Antiochus III, one of the largest battles ever fought in the Levant, with over a 100,000 soldiers and 100s of elephants.
In the 19th CE, the extension of the Freanch language by its adoption as a first language of the Jews in the French colonial North Africa, resulted in a separation of the community from the local Muslims.
The French began the conquest of Algeria in 1830CE. The following century had a profound influence on the status of the Algerian Jews. The situation in colonial Libya was similar; as for the French in the other North African countries, the italian influence in Libya was welcomed by the Jewish community, increasing their separation from the non-Jewish Libyans. The Alliance Israelite Universelle, founded in France in 1860CE, set up schools in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia as early as 1863 CE.
Beer'Sheba grew in importance in the 19th CE, when the Otto'Man Turks built a regional police station there. The Battle of Ber'Sheba was part of a wider British offensive in World War I aimed at breaking the Turkish defensive line from Gaza to Beer'Sheba. In 1947, Beer'Sheba was envisioned as part of the Arab state in the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. Following the declaration of Israel's independence, the Egyptian army its forces in Beer'Sheba as a strategic and logistical base. In the battle waged in October 1948, Beer'Sheba was conquered by the Israeli Defense Forces.
An Arabic history of tribes around Beer'Sheba, published in 1934, recorded 23 tribal groups.
Since 1948, when the Negev came under Israeli rule, it absorbed many of the Jewish refugees from Arab countries, with Israeli government setting up many development towns. Beer'Sheba has grown considerable since then. The Soviet Jews immigrants have made the game of chess a major city's sport. The city is now Israeli's national chess center, with more chess grand-masters per capita than any other city in the world.
Since then, the Negev region has also become home to many of the Israeli Defense Forces major bases -a process acelerated in the past two decades.
Sunday, 28 August 2016
THE LANGUAGE THAT WE REALLY SPEAK.
Language is understood as any means, vocal or other, by which feelings or thoughts are expressed or communicated. In general, language means a body of words and the methods of combining them in order to be understood by a community of people.
Language is most intimately associated with the mind, which employs the speech organs -throat, tongue, lips, and teeth- as its instruments. Thinking and words go together, and words are man's principal means of receiving, storing, manipulating and transmitting information. Of all earth's creatures only man has the ability of true and intelligent speech.
Language had been employed for untold ages prior to man's appearance on the universe scene. God maintained a good communication with his heavenly first-born Son. Hence he was called the 'Word.'
The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13, made reference to 'tongues of men and of angels.' God speaks to his angelic creatures 'in their tongue' and they carried out His Word.
Since God and His spirit sons are not reliant upon an atmosphere, which makes possible the sound waves and vibrations necessary for human speech, angelic language is obviously beyond human conception or attainment. To talk with men as God's messenger, angels therefore employed human language, and angelic messages are recorded in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.
Hebrew: Genesis 22 ..."But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' And he said, 'Here am I.' He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.' ....
And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, 'By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the Gate of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed My Voice.' "
Aramaic: Daniel 7 "In the 1st year of Bels'Haz'Zar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, and told the sum of the matter."
Daniel said, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the 4 Winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And 4 Great Beasts came up out of the Sea, different from one another,"
"The 1st was like a Lion and had Eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted from the ground and made to stand upon two feet like a man; and the Mind of Man was given to it."
"And behold, another beast, a 2nd one, like a Bear. It was raised up on one side; it had 3 ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, 'Arise, devour much flesh.' "
"After this I looked, and lo, another, like a Leopard, with 4 wings of a bird on its back; and the beast had 4 heads; and dominion was given to it."
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a 4th beast, terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet.
It was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had 10 horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which 3 of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things."
"As I looked, thrones were placed and one that was Ancient of Days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire."
"A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the Books were opened."
"I looked then because of the sound of the Great Words which the horn was speaking. And as I looked the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time."
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came One Like a Son of Man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed."
"As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious and the visions of my head alarmed me. "
"I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the Truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made known to me the interpretation of the things. This 4 Great Beasts are 4 Kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, for ever and ever."
Greek : Revelation 11 "Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told: 'Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the Court outside the temple, leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample over the holy city for 42 months, And I will grant my 2 Witnesses power to prophecy for 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth."
"These are the 2 Olive Trees and the 2 Lamp-stands which stand before the Lord of the earth. And if any one would harm them, Fire pours from their mouths and consumes their foes; if any one would harm them, thus he is doomed to be killed. They have power to Shut the Sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the Waters to turn them into blood, and to Smite the Earth with every plague, as often as they desire."
"And when they have finished their testimony, the Beast that ascends from the bottomless pit will make war upon them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the Great City which is allegorically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified."
"For 3 1/2 days men from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these 2 prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth."
"But after the 3 1/2 days a breath of Life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a Loud Voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up hither!" And in the sight of their foes they went up to heaven in a cloud."
"And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a 10th of the City fell; 7000 people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."
"The 2nd woe has passed; behold, the 3rd woe is soon to come. Then the 7th angel blew his trumpet, and there were Loud Voices in Heaven, saying, 'The Kingdom of the World has Become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever."
"And the 24 elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God saying,
'We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who are and who was, that you have taken the great power and begun to reign."
"The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear Your Name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth."
"Then God's temple in heaven was opened , and the Ark of His Covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashed of lightning, Voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail."
Language is most intimately associated with the mind, which employs the speech organs -throat, tongue, lips, and teeth- as its instruments. Thinking and words go together, and words are man's principal means of receiving, storing, manipulating and transmitting information. Of all earth's creatures only man has the ability of true and intelligent speech.
Language had been employed for untold ages prior to man's appearance on the universe scene. God maintained a good communication with his heavenly first-born Son. Hence he was called the 'Word.'
The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13, made reference to 'tongues of men and of angels.' God speaks to his angelic creatures 'in their tongue' and they carried out His Word.
Since God and His spirit sons are not reliant upon an atmosphere, which makes possible the sound waves and vibrations necessary for human speech, angelic language is obviously beyond human conception or attainment. To talk with men as God's messenger, angels therefore employed human language, and angelic messages are recorded in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.
Hebrew: Genesis 22 ..."But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' And he said, 'Here am I.' He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.' ....
And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, 'By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the Gate of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed My Voice.' "
Aramaic: Daniel 7 "In the 1st year of Bels'Haz'Zar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, and told the sum of the matter."
Daniel said, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the 4 Winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And 4 Great Beasts came up out of the Sea, different from one another,"
"The 1st was like a Lion and had Eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted from the ground and made to stand upon two feet like a man; and the Mind of Man was given to it."
"And behold, another beast, a 2nd one, like a Bear. It was raised up on one side; it had 3 ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, 'Arise, devour much flesh.' "
"After this I looked, and lo, another, like a Leopard, with 4 wings of a bird on its back; and the beast had 4 heads; and dominion was given to it."
"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a 4th beast, terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet.
It was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had 10 horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which 3 of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things."
"As I looked, thrones were placed and one that was Ancient of Days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire."
"A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the Books were opened."
"I looked then because of the sound of the Great Words which the horn was speaking. And as I looked the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time."
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came One Like a Son of Man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed."
"As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious and the visions of my head alarmed me. "
"I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the Truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made known to me the interpretation of the things. This 4 Great Beasts are 4 Kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, for ever and ever."
Greek : Revelation 11 "Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told: 'Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the Court outside the temple, leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample over the holy city for 42 months, And I will grant my 2 Witnesses power to prophecy for 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth."
"These are the 2 Olive Trees and the 2 Lamp-stands which stand before the Lord of the earth. And if any one would harm them, Fire pours from their mouths and consumes their foes; if any one would harm them, thus he is doomed to be killed. They have power to Shut the Sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the Waters to turn them into blood, and to Smite the Earth with every plague, as often as they desire."
"And when they have finished their testimony, the Beast that ascends from the bottomless pit will make war upon them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the Great City which is allegorically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified."
"For 3 1/2 days men from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these 2 prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth."
"But after the 3 1/2 days a breath of Life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. Then they heard a Loud Voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up hither!" And in the sight of their foes they went up to heaven in a cloud."
"And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a 10th of the City fell; 7000 people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven."
"The 2nd woe has passed; behold, the 3rd woe is soon to come. Then the 7th angel blew his trumpet, and there were Loud Voices in Heaven, saying, 'The Kingdom of the World has Become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever."
"And the 24 elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God saying,
'We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who are and who was, that you have taken the great power and begun to reign."
"The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear Your Name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth."
"Then God's temple in heaven was opened , and the Ark of His Covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashed of lightning, Voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail."
PHOENIC' IA ORIGINS.
Phoenic'Ia was an ancient civilization that were primarily known as sailors who developed a high level of skill in ship-building and were able to navigate the often turbulent waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Phoenic'Ians were composed of independent city-states settled along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea stretching through what is now Syr'Ia, Lebann'On, and Northern Isra'El. The city-states began to take form around 3200 BC and were firmly established by 2750 BC. The island city of Tyre and the city of Sidon were the most powerful states with Geb'Al/Byblos ans Baal'Bek as the most important spiritual / religious centers.
They were highly regarded for their skill in ship-building, glass-making, the production of dyes, and an impressive level of skill in the manufacture of luxury and common goods.
Ship building seems to have been perfected at Geb'Al/Byblos where the design of the curved hull was first initiated. Over the following centuries, Geb'Al/Byblos and other city-states such as Tyre, Sidon, Arvad, and Beirut, created an important 'niche' for themselves by transporting luxury goods and bulk raw materials from overseas markets back to the Near East. These new trade routes took in much of the Eastern Mediterranean, including Cyprus, Rhodes, the Cyclades, mainland Greece, Crete, the Libyan coast, and Egypt. The sailors were also known to have traveled to Britain and to Mesopotamian ports.
The cargo of these ships carried ingots of copper and tin, storage vessels containing unguents, wine, oil,
glass, gold and silver jewelry, glazed earthen-ware, painted pottery, tools, and scrap metal.
Phoenic'Ians were known by the Greeks as the 'Purple People,' owing to the dye manufactured at Sidon and used extensively at Tyre), or as the 'Horse People' owing to the ornately carved horse heads which adorned the prows of their ships. This horse heads were purposeful tributes to honor the might of their sea god Y'Amm, the brother of M'Ot, the god of death, and were used on the ships to placate the god's mood, needed to be constantly appeased to prevent his wanton destruction of the ships at the sea.
Y'Amm (Hebrew word for 'sea') was depicted as tyrannical, angry, violent, and harsh, and closely associated with chaos. The god was in constant conflict with Baal Ha'Dad, the son of the supreme god El, a force of Order. Both gods met each other in combat on the Plains of Heaven and, after the defeat of Y'Amm, the god was cast out of heaven into the depths of chaos. Still, Y'Amm wished to dethrone Baal Ha'Dad and rule in heaven and so he came back from the depths beneath the seas to battle for heaven's gates, bringing chaos with him. Y'Amm was defeated again and exiled to the seas where he directs his rage against humans.
The 'Purple Dye' manufactured and used in Tyre for the robes of Mesopotamian royalty gave to the Phoenic'Ians the Name by which we know it today (from Greek 'Phoinik'Es' for Tyr'Anian Purple) because the dye stained the skin of the workers.
The extraordinary skill of the artists of Sidon in glass-making made the thought that the Sidon'Ians invented the glass. They provided the model for the Egyptian manufacture of faience and set the standard for work in bronze and silver. They developed the art of mass production in similar artifacts, fashioned in the same way and in large quantities. All of this was accomplished through the competition between the city-states (particularly keen between Tyre and Sidon), the skill of the sailors who transported the goods, and the high art attained by the craftsmen in the manufacture of the goods.
Herod'Otus cites Phoenic'Ia as the birthplace of the Alpha'Bet, stating that it was brought to Greece by the Phoenic'Ian Cadm'Us (before 8th BC) and that, prior to that time, the Greeks had no alpha'bet.
The Phoenic'Ian Alpha'Bet is the basis for most Western Languages written today and their city of Geb'Al (called by the Greeks 'Byblos') gave the Bible its name (Greek 'Ta Biblia', 'The Books') as Geb'Al was the great exporter of papyrus ('bublos' to the Greeks) which was the paper used in writing in ancient Egypt and Greece.
In its time Phoenic'Ia was known as Can'Aan and is the land referenced in the Hebrew Scriptures to which Moses led the Israelites from Egypt and which Joshua then conquered.
The people of the land recognized a shared ethnic identity as Cann'Ai, inhabitants of the land Can'Aan yet, despite a common linguistic, cultural, and religious inheritance, the region was very rarely united, with each city operating as a sovereign state ruled over by a king.
The city-states flourished through maritime trade between 1500 - 322 BC when the major cities were conquered by Alexander the Great. In 334 BC he conquered Baal'Bek (re-naming it Heliopolis) and marched to subdue Tyre and Sidon in 332 BC. Upon his arrival at Tyre, the citizens followed Sidon' s example by submitted peacefully to Alexander's demand for submission. He then wished to offer a sacrifice in the holy temple of Melq'Art at Tyre and this the Tyrians could not allow. The beliefs of the Tyrians forbade foreigners from sacrificing, or even attending services, in the temple, and so they offered Alexander a compromise whereby he could offer sacrifice in the Old City on the mainland but not in the temple on the island complex of Tyre. He found this proposal unacceptable and sent envoys to Tyre demanding the surrender. The Tyrians killed the envoys and threw their bodies over the walls.
At this point Alexander ordered the siege of Tyre and was so determined to take the city that he built a causeway from the ruins of the Old City, debris, and felled trees, from the mainland to the island (which owing to sediment deposits over centuries is why Tyre is not an island today), and, after 7 months, breached the walls and massacred most of the populace. It is estimated that over 30,000 citizens of Tyre were massacred or sold into slavery and only those wealthy enough to properly bribe Alexander were allowed to escape with their lives (besides those who found a way to escape by stealth).
After the Fall of Tyre, the other city-states surrendered to Alexander's rule, thus ending the Phoenic'Ian Civilization and ushering in the Hellenistic Age. After Alexander's death, the region became a battle ground in the fight between his generals for succession and their empire.
By 64 BC the disassembled parts of Phoenic'Ia were annexed by Rome and, by 15 BC were colonies of the Roman Empire with Heliopolis remaining an important pilgrimage site which boasted the grandest religious building (Temple of Jupiter Baal) in all of the Empire, the ruins of which remain well preserved to this day.
The Bible refers to the Phoenic'Ians as the 'princes of the sea' in a passage from Ezeki'El 26 and 27, in which the prophet seems to predict the destruction of the city-state of Tyre and Sidon.
Melq'Art was the highest god and patron of the city of Tyre, equivalent to Baal at Sidon. The god was associated with monarchy, sea, hunting, colonization, and commercial enterprise, both at home and abroad. The deity, in addition, assumed some of the characteristics of both Adonis and Eshmun as he was the focus of a festival of resurrection each year (February-March). He was responsible for the cities commercial success as we can see that the discovered of the dye the Phoenic'Ians extracted from the murex shellfish, which they used to create their famous purple cloth, was attributed to him.
Religion was an inseparable part of everyday life and remarkably constant, due to the geography of the region where their land were contained on the narrow coast of the Levant and backed by the Mountains creating a border with their Ar'Ama'Eans and Hebrew neighbors. Their beliefs influenced the Mediterraneans and continued to evolve and was perpetuated by their greatest colony of all, Cart'Hage.
Phoenic'Ians were composed of independent city-states settled along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea stretching through what is now Syr'Ia, Lebann'On, and Northern Isra'El. The city-states began to take form around 3200 BC and were firmly established by 2750 BC. The island city of Tyre and the city of Sidon were the most powerful states with Geb'Al/Byblos ans Baal'Bek as the most important spiritual / religious centers.
They were highly regarded for their skill in ship-building, glass-making, the production of dyes, and an impressive level of skill in the manufacture of luxury and common goods.
Ship building seems to have been perfected at Geb'Al/Byblos where the design of the curved hull was first initiated. Over the following centuries, Geb'Al/Byblos and other city-states such as Tyre, Sidon, Arvad, and Beirut, created an important 'niche' for themselves by transporting luxury goods and bulk raw materials from overseas markets back to the Near East. These new trade routes took in much of the Eastern Mediterranean, including Cyprus, Rhodes, the Cyclades, mainland Greece, Crete, the Libyan coast, and Egypt. The sailors were also known to have traveled to Britain and to Mesopotamian ports.
The cargo of these ships carried ingots of copper and tin, storage vessels containing unguents, wine, oil,
glass, gold and silver jewelry, glazed earthen-ware, painted pottery, tools, and scrap metal.
Phoenic'Ians were known by the Greeks as the 'Purple People,' owing to the dye manufactured at Sidon and used extensively at Tyre), or as the 'Horse People' owing to the ornately carved horse heads which adorned the prows of their ships. This horse heads were purposeful tributes to honor the might of their sea god Y'Amm, the brother of M'Ot, the god of death, and were used on the ships to placate the god's mood, needed to be constantly appeased to prevent his wanton destruction of the ships at the sea.
Y'Amm (Hebrew word for 'sea') was depicted as tyrannical, angry, violent, and harsh, and closely associated with chaos. The god was in constant conflict with Baal Ha'Dad, the son of the supreme god El, a force of Order. Both gods met each other in combat on the Plains of Heaven and, after the defeat of Y'Amm, the god was cast out of heaven into the depths of chaos. Still, Y'Amm wished to dethrone Baal Ha'Dad and rule in heaven and so he came back from the depths beneath the seas to battle for heaven's gates, bringing chaos with him. Y'Amm was defeated again and exiled to the seas where he directs his rage against humans.
The 'Purple Dye' manufactured and used in Tyre for the robes of Mesopotamian royalty gave to the Phoenic'Ians the Name by which we know it today (from Greek 'Phoinik'Es' for Tyr'Anian Purple) because the dye stained the skin of the workers.
The extraordinary skill of the artists of Sidon in glass-making made the thought that the Sidon'Ians invented the glass. They provided the model for the Egyptian manufacture of faience and set the standard for work in bronze and silver. They developed the art of mass production in similar artifacts, fashioned in the same way and in large quantities. All of this was accomplished through the competition between the city-states (particularly keen between Tyre and Sidon), the skill of the sailors who transported the goods, and the high art attained by the craftsmen in the manufacture of the goods.
Herod'Otus cites Phoenic'Ia as the birthplace of the Alpha'Bet, stating that it was brought to Greece by the Phoenic'Ian Cadm'Us (before 8th BC) and that, prior to that time, the Greeks had no alpha'bet.
The Phoenic'Ian Alpha'Bet is the basis for most Western Languages written today and their city of Geb'Al (called by the Greeks 'Byblos') gave the Bible its name (Greek 'Ta Biblia', 'The Books') as Geb'Al was the great exporter of papyrus ('bublos' to the Greeks) which was the paper used in writing in ancient Egypt and Greece.
In its time Phoenic'Ia was known as Can'Aan and is the land referenced in the Hebrew Scriptures to which Moses led the Israelites from Egypt and which Joshua then conquered.
The people of the land recognized a shared ethnic identity as Cann'Ai, inhabitants of the land Can'Aan yet, despite a common linguistic, cultural, and religious inheritance, the region was very rarely united, with each city operating as a sovereign state ruled over by a king.
The city-states flourished through maritime trade between 1500 - 322 BC when the major cities were conquered by Alexander the Great. In 334 BC he conquered Baal'Bek (re-naming it Heliopolis) and marched to subdue Tyre and Sidon in 332 BC. Upon his arrival at Tyre, the citizens followed Sidon' s example by submitted peacefully to Alexander's demand for submission. He then wished to offer a sacrifice in the holy temple of Melq'Art at Tyre and this the Tyrians could not allow. The beliefs of the Tyrians forbade foreigners from sacrificing, or even attending services, in the temple, and so they offered Alexander a compromise whereby he could offer sacrifice in the Old City on the mainland but not in the temple on the island complex of Tyre. He found this proposal unacceptable and sent envoys to Tyre demanding the surrender. The Tyrians killed the envoys and threw their bodies over the walls.
At this point Alexander ordered the siege of Tyre and was so determined to take the city that he built a causeway from the ruins of the Old City, debris, and felled trees, from the mainland to the island (which owing to sediment deposits over centuries is why Tyre is not an island today), and, after 7 months, breached the walls and massacred most of the populace. It is estimated that over 30,000 citizens of Tyre were massacred or sold into slavery and only those wealthy enough to properly bribe Alexander were allowed to escape with their lives (besides those who found a way to escape by stealth).
After the Fall of Tyre, the other city-states surrendered to Alexander's rule, thus ending the Phoenic'Ian Civilization and ushering in the Hellenistic Age. After Alexander's death, the region became a battle ground in the fight between his generals for succession and their empire.
By 64 BC the disassembled parts of Phoenic'Ia were annexed by Rome and, by 15 BC were colonies of the Roman Empire with Heliopolis remaining an important pilgrimage site which boasted the grandest religious building (Temple of Jupiter Baal) in all of the Empire, the ruins of which remain well preserved to this day.
The Bible refers to the Phoenic'Ians as the 'princes of the sea' in a passage from Ezeki'El 26 and 27, in which the prophet seems to predict the destruction of the city-state of Tyre and Sidon.
Melq'Art was the highest god and patron of the city of Tyre, equivalent to Baal at Sidon. The god was associated with monarchy, sea, hunting, colonization, and commercial enterprise, both at home and abroad. The deity, in addition, assumed some of the characteristics of both Adonis and Eshmun as he was the focus of a festival of resurrection each year (February-March). He was responsible for the cities commercial success as we can see that the discovered of the dye the Phoenic'Ians extracted from the murex shellfish, which they used to create their famous purple cloth, was attributed to him.
Religion was an inseparable part of everyday life and remarkably constant, due to the geography of the region where their land were contained on the narrow coast of the Levant and backed by the Mountains creating a border with their Ar'Ama'Eans and Hebrew neighbors. Their beliefs influenced the Mediterraneans and continued to evolve and was perpetuated by their greatest colony of all, Cart'Hage.
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