by Lord Byron

1

THE Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,

And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;

And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,

When the blue wave rolls nightly on the Galilee.

2

Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green,

That host with their banners at sunset were seen:

Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown,

That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

3

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,

And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;

And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,

And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still!

4

And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,

But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;

And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,

And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

5

And there lay the rider distorted and pale,

With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail:

And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,

The lances unlifted, the trumpets unblown.

6

And the widows of Ashur are load in their wail,

And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;

And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,

Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

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“If you measure your shadow, you will find it no greater than before the victory.”
~ Archidamus to Philip of Macedon

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.

1. Slay the Nemean Lion.
2. Slay the 9-headed Lernaean Hydra.
3. Capture the Golden Hind of Artemis.
4. Capture the Erymanthian Boar.
5. Clean the Augean stables in a single day.
6. Slay the Stymphalian Birds.
7. Capture the Cretan Bull.
8. Steal the Mares of Diomedes.
9. Obtain the Girdle of the Amazon Queen.
10. Obtain the Cattle of the Monster Geryon.
11. Steal the Apples of the Hesperides.
12. Capture Cerberus.

It is generally believed that coins were invented in the East (China) sometime around 900 B.C, and in the West (Lydia) sometime around 700 B.C.  However, coins from Egypt’s National Museum seem to be telling a different story. The following comes from The Pastor’s Weekly Briefing:

Egyptian coins minted during the era of biblical Joseph have been discovered in boxes “carelessly” stashed away for years in Egypt’s National Museum. The discovery, originally reported by Egypt’s Al Ahram newspaper and translated into a report by Middle East Media Research Institute, said that coins with Joseph’s name and image were found in a pile of unsorted artifacts that had been stored at the museum.

News of this discovery counters claims by some historians that barter was used for trade in Egypt — not coins — at the time the Bible records that Joseph and the Israelites migrated there. But, the report carried an explanation of the discovery by researcher Sa’id Muhammad Thabet: “What most archeologists took for a kind of charm, and others took for an ornament or adornment, is actually a coin. … First, many such coins have been found at various [archeological sites], and also they are round or oval in shape, and have two faces: one with an inscription, called the inscribed face, and one with an image, called the engraved face — just like the coins we use today,” said the report.

The newspaper called the find “unprecedented” and noted that the Quran indicates clearly “that coins were used in Egypt in the time of Joseph.”

The MIMRI report explained, as well, that other texts from the Third, Sixth and Twelfth Dynasties also talk about coins. “The archeological finding is also based on the fact that the inscribed face bore the name of Egypt, a date, and a value, while the engraved face bore the name and image of one of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs or gods, or else a symbol connected with these. Another telling fact is that the coins come in different sizes and are made of different materials, including ivory, precious stones, copper, silver, gold, etc.,” the newspaper reported.

Of the 500 coins discovered, one even had the image of a cow “symbolizing Pharaoh’s dream about the seven fat cows and seven lean cows, and the seven green stalks of grain and seven dry stalks of grain. … Joseph’s name appears twice on this coin, written in hieroglyphs: once the original name, Joseph, and once his Egyptian name, Saba Sabani, which was given to him by Pharaoh when he became treasurer. There is also an image of Joseph, who was part of the Egyptian administration at the time,” the report said. [WorldNetDaily.com, Biblical Archaeology Review, Memri.org]

An emperor asked a Rabbi: “Why is God’s Name mentioned in the first Five Commandments and not in the last Five?”

The Rabbi answered: “Your statue is placed in clean places, but not in unclean. By the same token, God did not care to place His Name in the Commandments dealing with thieves, adulturers, murderers, false witnesses and those who covet their neighbors’ goods.”

(Pesikta Rabbati, Piska, 21. Vide, Hezkuni to Jethro.)

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“The answer which a captured pirate gave to the celebrated Alexander the Great was perfectly accurate and correct. When that king asked the man what he meant by infesting the sea, he boldly replied: ‘what you mean by warring on the whole world. I do my fighting on a tiny ship, and they call me a pirate; you do yours with a large fleet, and they call you Commander.’” (Augustine’s City of God, pg 89)

How fascinating it is that from ancient history mankind has continued to define what is acceptable by one’s might! Did either leader in the instance above provide better leadership than the other? Did either man inflict fewer atrocities on humanity than the other? To answer would be difficult. What gave one man the “authority” to impose his will over another? It is nothing more than the “stick” with which he backs up his position. Remember the common saying, “he who has the biggest stick wins.” Just as in the case of the early government of the expanding United States versus the Native American Indians who had been living in the land for years, the US was “allowed” to relocate them. They were not relocated because the US had certain God-given rights to the land, but because the US government had the bigger “stick.” Interestingly, perception plays a greater role in what is right than reality does.

“History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity.”

Cicero (106BC – 43BC), Pro Publio Sestio

Cicero, a respected Roman orator, author, and politician, shared this view of history at the beginning of his speech, Pro Publio Sestio (On behalf of Sestius). Considered to be one of the most versatile minds of the Roman world, Cicero gave this judicial speech in 56BC as a defense of Publius Sestius against an accusation of public violence. Many historians and philosophers argue that Pro Sestio is Cicero’s most important speech as it serves to account relevant history and introduces many political values and philosophical ethics.

Cicero’s words create a foundation for the importance of studying history. As a student, one can easily see the relevance in such words. The historical/philosophical world would be wise to pay close attention to this statement in order to testify the passing of time, illumine reality, vitalize memory, find guidance in daily life and bring tidings of antiquity.

Backgrounds of Early Christianity (Ferguson)

This is another book from Ferguson (author of the Church History book) The book explores and unpacks the Roman, Greek, and Jewish political, social, religious, and philosophical backgrounds necessary for a good historical understanding of the New Testament and the early church. This book is a very good resource to add a little more depth to the Church History book. ENJOY!