Saturday, 31 May 2014
HEZBOLLAH LEADER'S ' WAR SPEECH ' . . . PRE-CURSOR TO IMPENDING CHAOS !!!
HEZBOLLAH LEADER'S ' WAR SPEECH ' . . . PRE-CURSOR TO IMPENDING CHAOS !!!
Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist group - armed & financed by close allies Iran & Syria - is central to a coalition of hostile Arab forces who ( fore-told in Psalm 83 ) will seek to destroy the nation of Israel in the ' latter days '. In one of his regular speeches of hatred against Israel , its leader Hassan Nasrallah has just revealed Hezbollah's coming strategy to attack Israel. As Hezbollah continues to fight along side the Syrian Govt to crush the last Syrian rebels in the Golan Heights , Nasrallah said his forces will turn its attack towards Israel . . . exactly as foretold in Isaiah 9. With a ' common goal ' of the destruction of the nation of Israel & the ' freeing of Palestine ' ( Al-Aqsa Intifada ) we will soon see a coalition of Shi'ite Syrian / Hezbollah & Sunni Palestinian military groups launch a devastating attack on Israel , in part through their massive arsenal of 70,000+ stockpiled rockets & missiles. It will be a war whereIsrael will prevail in the end ( Isaiah 17v1-4 ) but will bring tremendous death & suffering to both sides.
Psa 83v3-5 They have taken ' crafty counsel ' against thy people ( Israel ) & consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said ,Come & let us cut them off from being a nation ; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent : they are confederate against thee :
Isaiah 9v12 The Syrians before & the Philistines ( Palestinians ) behind & they shall ' devour ' Israel with open mouth.
SOVIET-TRAINED ' STRONG-MAN ' . . . WILL HE DELIVER LIBYA INTO RUSSIA'S CAMP ??
SOVIET-TRAINED ' STRONG-MAN ' . . . WILL HE DELIVER LIBYA INTO RUSSIA'S CAMP ??
Bible prophecy is emphatic . . . Libya will be a member of Russia's ' latter-day ' confederacy that will invade the Middle East. So it is not surprising in recent days , that a renegade general Khalifa Hifter has suddenly emerged as a ' strong-man ' who has ousted the Libyan Govt & vowed to use deadly force to arrest control of Libya from Islamic militias. While General Hifter has had past links with the USA , he was also trained extensively in the former Soviet Union. Importantly , both Khalifa & Russia's Vladimir Putinhave vehemently sworn their ' highest priority ' is to eradicate radical Islamic groups ( incl. Muslim Brotherhood ). With the USA's ever-widening withdrawal from world affairs , we know with certainty a strategic alliance between Russia & Libya will develop rapidly. With Vladimir Putin already making in-roads into neighbouring Egypt & subverting USA's influence in the region , General Hifter may well be the man to drag Libya out of chaos & into the ' long-prophesied ' alliance with Russia's Gog
Dan 11v40-43 - At the time of the end shall the ' king of the south ' ( UK-USA ) push at him & the ' king of the north ' ( Russia ) shall come against him like a whirlwind , with chariots & with horsemen & with many ships & he shall enter into the countries & shall overflow & pass over. He shall enter also into ' the glorious land ' ( Israel ) many countries shall be overthrown . . . He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold & of silver & over all the precious things of Egypt : & the LIBYANS & the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
Bible prophecy is emphatic . . . Libya will be a member of Russia's ' latter-day ' confederacy that will invade the Middle East. So it is not surprising in recent days , that a renegade general Khalifa Hifter has suddenly emerged as a ' strong-man ' who has ousted the Libyan Govt & vowed to use deadly force to arrest control of Libya from Islamic militias. While General Hifter has had past links with the USA , he was also trained extensively in the former Soviet Union. Importantly , both Khalifa & Russia's Vladimir Putinhave vehemently sworn their ' highest priority ' is to eradicate radical Islamic groups ( incl. Muslim Brotherhood ). With the USA's ever-widening withdrawal from world affairs , we know with certainty a strategic alliance between Russia & Libya will develop rapidly. With Vladimir Putin already making in-roads into neighbouring Egypt & subverting USA's influence in the region , General Hifter may well be the man to drag Libya out of chaos & into the ' long-prophesied ' alliance with Russia's Gog
Dan 11v40-43 - At the time of the end shall the ' king of the south ' ( UK-USA ) push at him & the ' king of the north ' ( Russia ) shall come against him like a whirlwind , with chariots & with horsemen & with many ships & he shall enter into the countries & shall overflow & pass over. He shall enter also into ' the glorious land ' ( Israel ) many countries shall be overthrown . . . He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold & of silver & over all the precious things of Egypt : & the LIBYANS & the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
Thursday, 29 May 2014
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Jesus: The Scriptural Account: The God of Jesus
Jesus: The Scriptural Account: The God of Jesus:
The God of Jesus
Jesus was a Jew born under the Law.1 The grace of God was upon him and he grew in wisdom and grew in favor with God.2As a Jew under the Mosaic Law, Jesus was required to observe the Law and keep that covenant just like any other Israelite.3 Jesus later declared that he considered the Shema to be the foremost commandment of the Law,4 “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is one and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might.”5 We also know that Jesus interpreted the words from the Shema, “the LORD is one” to mean the LORD is one single “He”6 and nobody else, "He is God and there is no other but Him."7 But he did not need to explicitly state this to us, as he did, since we also know that he obeyed the Shema commandment by recognizing only one person as his God and that one singl "He" was his Father alone and nobody else. It should also be obvious that Jesus also walked in truth so we can be sure he did not obey this commandment in one way while secretly and deceitfully interpreting those words to mean something else. The Shema says, “Hear O Israel, the Lord OUR God, the LORD is one.” The Shema commandment referred to the God of all Israel, every single Israelite and Jesus was one of those Israelites. Since Jesus was an Israelite under the Law, his God was necessarily identical to the God of every other Israelite; his God was also "OUR God," the exact same God as the rest of his Israelite brethren since the Shema says, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Hence, since Jesus of Nazareth's God was nobody else but his Father, we can be absolutely certain that Jesus interpreted the Shema to mean his Father alone, and nobody else, was the one God of all Israel, the God of every single Israelite including he himself. It is for that reason that Jesus interpreted and obeyed the Shema commandment in a unitarian manner just as every other Israelite did. His testimony concerning the Shema demonstrates to us precisely what those words mean.
The Scriptures also show us that the Father of Jesus and the Father of Israel were the one and same Father8 and the Jews believed that their God was their Father.9 Jesus also testified they were quite correct concerning the identity of their God when concerning the worship of the Father in Jerusalem, saying, "we worship what we know for salvation is from the Jews."10 He did not believe his Jewish brethren were ignorant about who they were really worshiping. His God was one single person, his Father, and since Jesus of Nazareth's God was necessarily identical to the God of Israel in order to obey the Shema commandment along with his Israelite brothers, we can be absolutely certain that Israel's God was only the Father just as the God of the Israelite Jesus was only the Father. "He is one and there is no other but Him." The one true God of Israel was Jesus of Nazareth's Father who gave Israel the Shema commandment, the commandment which Jesus himself obeyed by loving only his Father with all his heart, all his soul, all his might.
It is quite impossible to say Jesus obeyed the Shema commandment unless his God was identical to the God of every other Israelite. If Jesus' God was not a three-person-being, and Israel's God was a three-person-being, Jesus the Israelite could not have recognized the God of the Shema as "OUR God" and could not have obeyed this commandment. If we suppose, for the sake of argument, that a three-person-God actually existed, and this Triune being was the God of Israel, Jesus would have been required to refer to "his God" versus "their God" since his God was not a Triune being and since his God, the Father, is not a Triune being. A one-person-God and a three-person-God are not the same God. The Israelite Jesus would have been recognizing a different God than every other Israelite. But there was only one true God for Israelites, and as an Israelite among Israelites, he was required by the Law to recognize and serve the exact same God as every other Israelite. For this reason, we can be absolutely certain that his God, and the God of all Israel, was not a three-person-being. Therefore, the testimony of Jesus himself demonstrates to us beyond any doubt whatsoever that the one true God, the God of Israel, was his Father alone, the only person Jesus recognized and served as his God and "OUR God," the God of Israel. It is absolutely impossible to reasonably suppose Israel had been serving a three-person God, whether in ignorance or not, while Jesus served a one-person God when the God of Israel was for Jesus "Yahweh OUR God." And that should not surprise anyone since there is no three-person-being mentioned absolutely anywhere in the entire Scriptures.
Jesus of Nazareth's Father who called him out of Egypt was the same Father as the Father of Israel who called His firstborn son Israel out of Egypt.11 Yahweh his Father declared that nobody else is God when He said, “I, I am He, and there is no God besides Me.”12 It was the Father to whom David said, “there is none like You and there is no God besides You,” in response to the Father’s promise to David concerning Jesus, “I will be a Father to him and he will be a Son to Me.”13 It was the One who spoke out of the fire who promised to raise up the prophet, his servant-son Jesus.14Therefore, Moses was necessarily talking about the Father of Jesus when he said, “Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard and survived?..... Yahweh, He is God and there is no one else besides Him.”15 The Scriptures testify abundantly and clearly that everyone but the Father is excluded and nobody else is the God of Israel but the Father alone. The Father of Jesus, the God of Jesus, was the God of Israel, was his Father and nobody else. "He is God and there is no other but Him." We are called to serve our Lord's God and no other. For us there is one God, the Father, and for us there is one Lord Jesus Christ.16 We have one God; we also have one Lord. The one God, the Father, is the God of our one Lord, Jesus Christ. Our one Lord's God is the Father.17 The one Head of every man is our Lord Jesus Christ, the one Head of our Lord Jesus Christ is his Lord and God.18 There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.19 We must leave our idols behind to serve a Living and True God and to wait for His son who will deliver us from the coming wrath.20
Notes
1. Galatians 4:4.
2. Luke 2:40,52.
3. Matthew 4:4. See Deut 4:1-2; 5:2; 8:3.
4. Mark 12:28-34.
5. Deuteronomy 6:4-5.
6. Mark 12:32,34.
7. Deuteronomy 4:35; Mark 12:32.
8. Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15.
9. John 8:41,54. See Exodus 4:22-23; Isaiah 63:16; 64:8; Malachi 2:10.
10 John 4:21-22.
11. Matthew 2:15; Hosea 11:1.
12. Deuteronomy 32:6,20,39.
13. 2 Samuel 7:11-22.
14. Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Acts 3:22-26.
15. Deuteronomy 4:33-39.
16. 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:4-6.
17. Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3, 17; Colossians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3.
18. 1 Corinthians 11:3.
19. 1 Timothy 2:5.
20 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.
Sunday, 25 May 2014
SOVIET-TRAINED ' STRONG-MAN ' . . . WILL HE DELIVER LIBYA INTO RUSSIA'S CAMP ??
SOVIET-TRAINED ' STRONG-MAN ' . . . WILL HE DELIVER LIBYA INTO RUSSIA'S CAMP ??
Bible prophecy is emphatic . . . Libya will be a member of Russia's ' latter-day ' confederacy that will invade the Middle East. So it is not surprising in recent days , that a renegade general Khalifa Hifter has suddenly emerged as a ' strong-man ' who has ousted the Libyan Govt & vowed to use deadly force to arrest control of Libya from Islamic militias. While General Hifter has had past links with the USA , he was also trained extensively in the former Soviet Union. Importantly , both Khalifa & Russia's Vladimir Putin have vehemently sworn their ' highest priority ' is to eradicate radical Islamic groups ( incl. Muslim Brotherhood ). With the USA's ever-widening withdrawal from world affairs , we know with certainty a strategic alliance between Russia & Libya will develop rapidly. With Vladimir Putin already making in-roads into neighbouring Egypt & subverting USA's influence in the region , General Hifter may well be the man to drag Libya out of chaos & into the ' long-prophesied ' alliance with Russia's Gog
Dan 11v40-43 - At the time of the end shall the ' king of the south ' ( UK-USA ) push at him & the ' king of the north ' ( Russia ) shall come against him like a whirlwind , with chariots & with horsemen & with many ships & he shall enter into the countries & shall overflow & pass over. He shall enter also into ' the glorious land ' ( Israel ) many countries shall be overthrown . . . He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold & of silver & over all the precious things of Egypt : & the LIBYANS & the Ethiopians shall be at his steps
Bible prophecy is emphatic . . . Libya will be a member of Russia's ' latter-day ' confederacy that will invade the Middle East. So it is not surprising in recent days , that a renegade general Khalifa Hifter has suddenly emerged as a ' strong-man ' who has ousted the Libyan Govt & vowed to use deadly force to arrest control of Libya from Islamic militias. While General Hifter has had past links with the USA , he was also trained extensively in the former Soviet Union. Importantly , both Khalifa & Russia's Vladimir Putin have vehemently sworn their ' highest priority ' is to eradicate radical Islamic groups ( incl. Muslim Brotherhood ). With the USA's ever-widening withdrawal from world affairs , we know with certainty a strategic alliance between Russia & Libya will develop rapidly. With Vladimir Putin already making in-roads into neighbouring Egypt & subverting USA's influence in the region , General Hifter may well be the man to drag Libya out of chaos & into the ' long-prophesied ' alliance with Russia's Gog
Dan 11v40-43 - At the time of the end shall the ' king of the south ' ( UK-USA ) push at him & the ' king of the north ' ( Russia ) shall come against him like a whirlwind , with chariots & with horsemen & with many ships & he shall enter into the countries & shall overflow & pass over. He shall enter also into ' the glorious land ' ( Israel ) many countries shall be overthrown . . . He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold & of silver & over all the precious things of Egypt : & the LIBYANS & the Ethiopians shall be at his steps
Friday, 23 May 2014
Sunday, 18 May 2014
WORLD'S LARGEST DINOSAUR DISCOVERED . . . FORETOLD IN BIBLE 2,500 YEARS AGO
WORLD'S LARGEST DINOSAUR DISCOVERED . . . FORETOLD IN BIBLE 2,500 YEARS AGO !!!
Fossilised bones of a dinosaur believed to be the ' largest creature ' ever to walk the Earth have been unearthed in Argentina , palaeontologists say. Based on its huge thigh bones , it was 40m (130ft) long & 20m (65ft) tall. Weighing in at 77 tonnes , it was as heavy as 14 African elephants. Scientists believe this new species of titanosaur lived 95 to 100 million years ago , but did it ?? Did you know ?? . . . God's Word - the Bible - vividly described this exact creature indicating this dinosaur actually lived at the same time as man - before the Great Flood. The ' Behemoth ' described in Job 40 " eats grass like an ox " & moved its huge tail " like a cedar " , had bones " like beams of bronze " & its limbs were as " bars of iron ". This cannot be an elephant or a hippo which both have short tails like a pig. It is unmistakably a dinosaur - a type of Brachiosaurus. The next chapter Job 41 mentions the ' Leviathan'. this was also a dinosaur. It was a tall creature that " raiseth himself up " & had a large wake that " makes the sea look white ". It was not a crocodile but more likely a type of Elasmosaurus. This lastest paleontological discovery & the irrefutable Bible evidence just confirm the Bible's truthfulness & authenticity is to be trusted, even in the face of misguided scientific theories
Job 40v15-24 - Take a look at Behemoth , which I made , just as I made you. It eats grass like an ox. See its powerful loins & the muscles of its belly. Its tail is as strong as a cedar. The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together. Its bones are tubes of bronze. Its limbs are bars of iron. It is a prime example of God’s handiwork & only its Creator can threaten it . . . It lies under the lotus plants , hidden by the reeds in the marsh . . . It is not disturbed by the raging river . . . ' No one ' can catch it off guard or put a ringin its nose & lead it away. ( Indicating it existed when man existed )
TURKEY'S MINE DISASTER . . . CATALYST FOR REGIONAL CHAOS
TURKEY'S MINE DISASTER . . . CATALYST FOR REGIONAL CHAOS ?!?
Since the Arab Spring , Turkey has been ' on a knife-edge ' Social anger & unrest has remained at boiling point with widespread political corruption & oppression , evident in the govt's recent shutdown of social media such as Twitter & YouTube to suppress dissent. Then just on the 1st anniversary of the 2013 Turkish riots comes the worst mining disaster in Turkey's history, leaving almost 300 miners dead & corrupt politicians & mine owners facing the public backlash. Further enraged by video footage of Turkey's PM Ergodan & his officials ' caught ' physically beating & brutalizing local miners , the streets of the mining town , Soma , Istanbul & the capital Ankara have erupted in violent protests , threatening to unhinge Turkey's fragile social & political stability. With ' tensions ' between Russia & Turkey escalating dramatically in recent days with the unfolding Ukraine crisis, the time will soon come when Vladimir Putin will seize upon Turkey's unravelling chaos before his latter-day invasion of the Middle East & Israel
Ezek 38v3-8 - I am against thee O Gog , chief prince of Meshech & Tubal ( Russia ) : I will turn thee back & put hooks into thy jaws & I will bring thee forth & all thine army , even a great company Persia (Iran) , Ethiopia & Libya with them , Gomer & all his bands ;the house of Togarmah ( TURKEY ) of the north quarters & all his bands & many people with thee. Be thou prepared & prepare for thyself , thou & all thy company that are assembled unto thee & be thou a guard unto them . . . in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword & is gathered out of many people , against the mountains of Israel
VLADIMIR , THE GREAT ?!?. . . ' THE 21st CENTURY GLADIATOR
VLADIMIR , THE GREAT ?!?. . . ' THE 21st CENTURY GLADIATOR '
' NEWS FLASH ' - Vladimir Putin - Russia's bare-chested testosterone-injected President - leads his team to a crushing victory in a ' charity ' ice-hockey game. Personally scoring a swag of goals himself , the iron-man of world politics put on a ' exhibition ' of his extraordinary sporting prowess & further fed his need for ' cheesey ' staged-propaganda. So justhow many goalsdid the illustrious Russian leader score ?? In a game where only rarely does a player score 3 or 4 goals in a game . . . Vladimir scored an astonishing '6' goals himself !!! Entirely appropriate. In scripture , 6 is the number of Man , the number of imperfection in man's nature & work. Man was created on the sixth day ; six days were given to man to do labor & to toil ; the ' kingdoms of men ' will last6,000 years & the giant ' Goliath ' of Gath , who with his 6 fingers & 6 toes , stood 6 cubits high& was the ultimate symbol & embodiment of fleshly men. As we witness the rise of a latter-day ' giant ' in the form of Vladimir Putin , we know with absolute certainty , he (together with his confederate armies ) will also be destroyed - like Goliath - by the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
Daniel 8v23-25 - In the latter time of their kingdom , when the ' transgressors ' are come to the full , a KING of fierce countenance ( Russian Gog ) understanding dark sentences ( ex-KGB Chief ) shall stand up & his power shall be ' mighty ' but not by his own power & he shall destroy wonderfully & shall prosper & practise & shall destroy ' the mighty ' & ' the holy people ' ( Israel ) & through his policy also he shall cause ' craft ' ( deceit ) to prosper in his hand & he shall magnify himself in his heart & ' by peace ' shall destroy many : he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes ( Lord Jesus Christ ) but he shall be broken ' without hand
Saturday, 10 May 2014
THE FALLING CRUCIFIX . . . THE ' FISHY ' ORIGINS OF PAPAL WORSHIP REVEALED
THE FALLING CRUCIFIX . . . THE ' FISHY ' ORIGINS OF PAPAL WORSHIP REVEALED
The bizarre death of a Catholic pilgrim beneath the collapsed crucifix was God's forewarning of coming divine judgment on this 'false religion ' that has its origins in ' Pagan Worship '. Among the Papacy's most notable symbols of its Pagan roots , is the ' Mitre' commonly worn upon the heads of Catholic Popes & Bishops. This unusual headdress originated from the worship of the ancient Pagan Fish god , Dagon. In a stunning parallel , scripture vividly describes the demise of the original worshipped statue ofDagon over 2,000 years ago , in the ' exact identical circumstances ' to the fallen crucifix of recent days ( incl. cutting off of both head & hands of both idolatrous statues ) This terrible crucifix incident was no random event. Its an unmistakable warning from Almighty God of the judgments coming upon the Roman Mother Church & those who would partake of her sins
1 Samuel 5v2-5 - When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon & set it by Dagon & when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow , behold , Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon & set him in his place ' again ' . And when they arose early on the morrow morning , behold , Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD ; & the head of Dagon & both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold ; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon , nor any that come into Dagon'shouse , tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Monday, 5 May 2014
Edom the Arab Nations in Latter Day Bible Prophecy Psalms 83
Judgment on Israel's Latter Day Invaders Psalms 83
Even if we cannot be certain which of Edom's many atrocities upon Israel provoked the tongue, and pen, of Obadiah -- it seems certain that we are intended to read Obadiah's prophecy as a Last Days prophecy as well: Obad 1:15,17,21.
Such language can only be absolutely fulfilled with the return of Christ and the establishment of God's Kingdom. Seen as a Last Days preview, Obadiah's words corroborate certain details of the general picture:
(a) This Edomite enemy will be a member of an alliance: Obad 1:11. Edom is a member of the 10-nation Arab alliance described in Psa 83.
(b) The controversy of the Last Days will concern God's holy mountain, mount Zion. There the enemies of Israel, including Edom, will rejoice over her: "Just as you drank on my holy hill...." (Obad 1:16).
And there also will God bring retribution upon these blasphemous enemies: Obad 1:15-17. This observation lends credibility to the idea that the last great conflict in and around Jerusalem -- a conflict which will bring on the literal Return of Christ -- will be a religious conflict, between two peoples desperately struggling to lay claim to the same "holy places".
(c) At this point the prophecy dramatically changes tone. The people of Israel are saved from their adversity and are spiritually regenerated. They receive back the Land promised to their fathers, to its fullest extent, and the rescued and redeemed state of Israel becomes the nucleus of the Kingdom of God: "But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy... The house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame; the house of Esau will be stubble, and they will set it on fire and consume it. There will be no survivors from the house of Esau... Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD's" (Obad 1:17,18,21).
Saturday, 3 May 2014
A smooth stone found in the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem
A smooth stone found in the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem
by Leen Ritmeyer
Nadav Shagrai wrote a lengthy article, called A Heart of Stone, in Israel Hayom about the amazing feat of tunneling deep underground along the foundations of the Western Wall by Eli Shukron and his team. This uncovering has undoubtedly increased our understanding of how this mighty wall, and indeed all other walls too, were constructed. It was reported earlier that some coins dating from about 17-18 CE had been found in the fill of a mikveh below the Western Wall. This find was used to suggest that not Herod the Great, but one or more of his sons completed the project.
This stretch of foundation stones of the Western Wall is located right next to the main drain that runs the full length of the Herodian street that began at the Damascus Gate and ended at the southern gate near the Siloam Pool. One doesn’t need much imagination to understand that maintenance work would have frequently been carried out in and near the drain during the long period that it was in use. The filling in of the above mentioned mikveh, that was located in between the drain and the foundation of the Western Wall, could have been carried out during such work.
It is now also reported that one of the Herodian foundation stones had no margins, but a smooth finish. This what Eli has to say:
Photo of the smooth stone at upper left. Photo credit: Vladimir Neichin
“This stone came from the Temple Mount, from the surplus stones that were used in the construction of the Temple itself. Those stones were high-quality, chiseled and smooth, like this unusual one, which was discovered among the Western Wall’s foundations. This stone was intended for the Second Temple, and stones like it were used to build the Temple — but it was left unused. The builders of the Western Wall brought it down here because it was no longer needed up above — and this is how the other stones of the Temple looked,” he says, adding, “Anyone who passes a hand gently over this stone feels a slightly wavy texture, just like the Talmud describes.”
It is true that all the external faces of the Herodian stones have margins on all four sides, apart from this unique stone. The suggestion that this particular stone could have come from the Temple itself would have been a possibility if only the stones that were used to build the Temple had a smooth finish. That, however, is not the case. In studying Herodian architecture, one needs to differentiate between external and internal finishes of the stones. The internal parts of the stones that make up the retaining walls were never seen and therefore were roughly squared on the inside. The stones of the Western Wall above the level of the Temple Mount could be seen from inside the porticoes that were built all around. The interior finish of these stones was smooth. Several of these stones were found in the Temple Mount Excavations. One such stone was later reused in a Byzantine building. That stone was a pilaster stone, part of the outer wall of the porticoes that ran above the Temple Mount retaining walls. These stones had an external finish with margins, like the ones we see today, and a smooth internal finish. From the inside therefore, the portico wall looked smooth. It is quite possible, and indeed more likely, that the newly discovered smooth stone came from the porticoes and not necessarily from the Temple itself.
It is necessary to exercise caution before suggesting that this smooth stone must have come from the Temple. Although it is exciting to find the first in situ stone without margins, one needs to be careful not to draw unwarranted conclusions.
UNITED STATES of AMERICA ~ UNDER DIVINE ASSAULT . . . WHY ?!?!?
UNITED STATES of AMERICA ~ UNDER DIVINE ASSAULT . . . WHY ?!?!?
A week of ' freak & extreme ' weather events has battered the United States . . . devastating tornados & twisters that killed over 35 people ; terrential rainfall & hail in many regions on a biblical scale ; epic flooding that swept away roads & homes ; raging wildfires in California ; apocalyptic sink-holes swallowing up entire streets & even colossal moving ice-waves described as ' ice-tsunamis '. Is it just co-incidence ?? These cascading events come just as America's top international diplomat , Secretary of State , John Kerry has been caught describing long-standing ally Israel , as an ' apartheid state ' further confirming the Obama Administration's rising hostility towards God's people. As these forces ' of nature ' continue to punish the USA for its abandonment of Israel , we know it's merely a foretaste of greater judgments to come as the Holy One of Israel unleashes his judgments on mankind , before establishing His righteous & eternal kingdom on earth. Keep looking up . . . it is coming !!!
Isa 66v15-18 - Behold , the LORD will come with fire & with his chariots like a whirlwind , to render his anger with fury & his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire & by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh & the slain of the LORD shall be many. ForI know their works & their thoughts : it shall come , that I will gather all nations & tongues & they shall come & see my glory
A week of ' freak & extreme ' weather events has battered the United States . . . devastating tornados & twisters that killed over 35 people ; terrential rainfall & hail in many regions on a biblical scale ; epic flooding that swept away roads & homes ; raging wildfires in California ; apocalyptic sink-holes swallowing up entire streets & even colossal moving ice-waves described as ' ice-tsunamis '. Is it just co-incidence ?? These cascading events come just as America's top international diplomat , Secretary of State , John Kerry has been caught describing long-standing ally Israel , as an ' apartheid state ' further confirming the Obama Administration's rising hostility towards God's people. As these forces ' of nature ' continue to punish the USA for its abandonment of Israel , we know it's merely a foretaste of greater judgments to come as the Holy One of Israel unleashes his judgments on mankind , before establishing His righteous & eternal kingdom on earth. Keep looking up . . . it is coming !!!
Isa 66v15-18 - Behold , the LORD will come with fire & with his chariots like a whirlwind , to render his anger with fury & his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire & by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh & the slain of the LORD shall be many. ForI know their works & their thoughts : it shall come , that I will gather all nations & tongues & they shall come & see my glory
Friday, 2 May 2014
The Siege of Lachish: The City Attacked
The Siege of Lachish: The City Attacked.The siege of Lachish itself is shown in the next section of the scene. Lachish is shown under attack, many siege mounds are shown up against the walls. The Assyrians are attacking with their equivalent of the modern tank, the siege engines.
Below is a line drawing if the same scene giving a clearer view if what is going on.
And again here is a closer view in more detail of the centre of the scene. Judean defenders are desperately trying to defend themselves against the overwhelming Assyrian forces.
The scene would have been painted as well as bein
g a carved relief. The section of the scene to the right gives an idea of what this might have looked like on the walls of Sennacherib’s palace. The colours I have used are arbitrary and have not been chosen because I know which colours were used. Archaeologists have on occasion been able to find small traces of the original colour on the stone to establish that the work was coloured and sometimes, what the colour used was.
It is also clear from the fresco that the Assyrians revelled in their ability to be cruel and ruthless. Below the tower shown in the image to the left, captives are being hoisted up onto poles outside to the city walls in order to discourage the defenders of the city. This was a common tactic of the Assyrians and is depicted in other sieges.Perhaps the most fearful part of the Assyrian war machine was the siege engine. Designed to be portable and assembled on site. It is clearly made of several parts and covered with a leather “coat” which was held together with toggles. The engine attacking the tower in the images above is cut out below. It seems that the defensive tactic was to try to set the siege engine on fire. Many fire brands are being thrown down onto the 
engine and the attackers. In turn the engine was protected from fire by constant dowsing with water, which would have needed constant re-supply.This part of the battle scene shows many things happening at once, though this is an artistic representation. Whilst those on the tower defend and the Assyrians attack, other Jews are seen leaving the city, defeated and surrendering to the Assyrian army.The Siege of Lachish: The Assyrian Army Advance.
Sennacherib was the son of a usurper Sargon II. Sargon had taken the throne by force and set up his own capital in Korsabad, in present day Iraq. When Sennacherib came to the throne he moved a short distance west to his new capital of Nineveh. In his new palace he decorated the walls with stone panel depictions of his conquests in battle. Many of the panels were severely damaged in a fire during the destruction that ensued when the Assyrian empire finally fell to the Babylonians in 612BC. The palace and it’s carvings were rediscovered in the mid 19th century, much of the work being credited to Sir Henry Layard who dispatched many of his finds back to London and the British Museum for display to the public. Of particular interest to Biblical scholars is this room sized depiction of the fall of Lachish to Sennacherib.
The relief tells the story from left to right and is of course from the perspective of and for the glory of the Assyrians, .
You are first greeted with a depiction of the formidable force of the Assyrian army as it advances on the town of Lachish.
Although some of the upper parts of the relief are missing, the might of the Assyrian army is still well depicted in this scene. Included are a number of different troops…
Sling stones recovered from Lachish during the archaeological investigations there in the 1950’s.
Iron arrow heads recovered from Lachish. These are from the arrows the Assyrians would have fired at the Judean defenders in Lachish.
In response there is evidence that the defenders of Lachish were running out of ammunition. Arrow heads crudely made of bone were being manufactured and fired back at the Assyrians.
Archers were placed at the front of the battle lines. These were forward troops, precision shooting at close range. They are working in pairs. One holds a thick defensive reed shield whilst the archer picks off the defenders of Lachish. Both are protected by tall helmets with hinged ear flaps and are wearing bronze lamellar body armour.
One of Sennacherib’s forward storm troopers. He carries his own light weight defensive shield, a long spear or lance and a short sword for close combat. He is equipped for speed and agility and wears no body armour.
Further back in the ranks are depicted pairs of archers. As these are not front line troops they are not shielded. However they are wearing bronze lamellar body armour. Row upon row of archers shoot a hail of arrows at the defenders of Lachish.
Right at the back of the battle lines behind the archers are shown the slingers. The stones they threw were large, about the size of a cricket ball. Modern day slingers are able to sling a stone over 100 metres (330 feet). These it seems were thrown over the top of the archers and the front line troops, onto the enemy. As seen below, many large sling stones have been found close to the main gates of Lachish.
Below is depicted an infantry guard. He appears to wear no body armour but is otherwise well equipped. The shield would have been made from a leather cone embossed with bronze.
The Siege of Lachish: The Assyrian Army Advance.
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Sennacherib and the Siege of Lachish.
In 701BC Sennacherib king of the Assyrian empire came against the land of Judah, ruled by Hezekiah, who had years earlier led a revolt against Assyria and refused to play tribute to the king. Perhaps prompted by the death of Sargon, Sennacherib’s father. Of Hezekiah’s reign, in summary we read…
“The LORD was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. He subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.” (2Kings 18 v 7 - 8)
The siege itself at Lachish is only mentioned in passing in the Biblical record.
From “the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah”…
“And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay." And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh from Lachish, with a great army against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah.”
(1Kings 18 v 13 to 17)
The parallel account in “The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah” is here, beginning with the words of encouragement to the people in Jerusalem by Hezekiah the King and Isaiah the Prophet…
“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he and all the forces with him laid siege against Lachish), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem…” (Chronicles 32 v 7 - 9)
There is also an interesting reference to Lachish, and God’s judgement of the city from a contemporary prophet to Isaiah and Hezekiah, Micah. In what appears to be a list of towns and cities destined for defeat by the Assyrians, he has this to say about Lachish:
O inhabitant of Lachish, Harness the chariot to the swift steeds (She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion), For the transgressions of Israel were found in you. (Micah 1 v 132)
Despite Sennacherib’s boasts and threats he was to be defeated and humiliated at Jerusalem (more details here) and chose to glory in his success over the rest of Judea and in particular in his defeat of Judah’s second city: Lachish. The very fact that Lachish is the object of Sennacherib’s boast in his own palace and he chooses to ignore Judah’s principle city, goes a long way to confirm the biblical record of his humiliation outside the walls of Jerusalem.
Sennacherib and the Siege of Lachish.
“The LORD was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. He subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.” (2Kings 18 v 7 - 8)
The siege itself at Lachish is only mentioned in passing in the Biblical record.
From “the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah”…
“And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay." And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. Then the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh from Lachish, with a great army against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah.” (1Kings 18 v 13 to 17)
The parallel account in “The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah” is here, beginning with the words of encouragement to the people in Jerusalem by Hezekiah the King and Isaiah the Prophet…
“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah. After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he and all the forces with him laid siege against Lachish), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem…” (Chronicles 32 v 7 - 9)
There is also an interesting reference to Lachish, and God’s judgement of the city from a contemporary prophet to Isaiah and Hezekiah, Micah. In what appears to be a list of towns and cities destined for defeat by the Assyrians, he has this to say about Lachish:
O inhabitant of Lachish, Harness the chariot to the swift steeds (She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion), For the transgressions of Israel were found in you. (Micah 1 v 132)
Despite Sennacherib’s boasts and threats he was to be defeated and humiliated at Jerusalem (more details here) and chose to glory in his success over the rest of Judea and in particular in his defeat of Judah’s second city: Lachish. The very fact that Lachish is the object of Sennacherib’s boast in his own palace and he chooses to ignore Judah’s principle city, goes a long way to confirm the biblical record of his humiliation outside the walls of Jerusalem.
Sennacherib and the Siege of Lachish.
The Sennacherib Prism
(A full translation of the prism is available here)
The Sennacherib Prism
The Sennacherib prism is a six sided clay prism detailing the first eight military campaigns of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The prism is also known as the Taylor prism after the discoverer, Colonel R. Taylor who found it in Nineveh in 1830.The prism is famous for it’s reference to Hezekiah the Biblical king of Judah.
As for Hezekiah the Judahite, who did not submit to my yoke: forty-six of his strong, walled cities, as well as the small towns in their area, which were without number, by levelling with battering-rams and by bringing up seige-engines, and by attacking and storming on foot, by mines, tunnels, and breeches, I besieged and took them. 200,150 people, great and small, male and female, horses, mules, asses, camels, cattle and sheep without number, I brought away from them and counted as spoil. (Hezekiah) himself, like a caged bird I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city. I threw up earthworks against him- the one coming out of the city-gate, I turned back to his misery. His cities, which I had despoiled, I cut off from his land, and to Mitinti, king of Ashdod, Padi, king of Ekron, and Silli-bêl, king of Gaza, I gave (them). And thus I diminished his land. I added to the former tribute, and I lad upon him the surrender of their land and imposts-gifts for my majesty. As for Hezekiah, the terrifying splendor of my majesty overcame him, and the Arabs and his mercenary troops which he had brought in to strengthen Jerusalem, his royal city, deserted him. In addition to the thirty talents of gold and eight hundred talents of silver, gems, antimony, jewels, large carnelians, ivory-inlaid couches, ivory-inlaid chairs, elephant hides, elephant tusks, ebony, boxwood, all kinds of valuable treasures, as well as his daughters, his harem, his male and female musicians, which he had brought after me to Nineveh, my royal city. To pay tribute and to accept servitude, he dispatched his messengers.
(A full translation of the prism is available here)
Sennacherib’s boast to have shut up Hezekiah in Jerusalem is in complete accord with the Biblical record. It also fits rather well with the proud attitude of the Assyrian kings who could never admit failure or defeat. Sennacherib’s highly understated admission of defeat is deafening…
“(Hezekiah) himself, like a caged bird I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city.”
The biblical record has a different story to tell:
2Ki 19:35 “And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.”
Isaiah 30 & 31 are fascinating in this respect and perhaps explain how “the angel of the LORD” destroyed the Assyrian army. These chapters give the impression that whilst the Hezekiah, Isaiah and the remnant of Judah were celebrating Passover (Passover was the only feast that was kept at night) inside the walls of Jerusalem, outside a violent storm raged, wreaking destruction on the Assyrian camp.
Isa 30v27-33 “Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke; his lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a devouring fire;
28 his breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck; to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction, and to place on the jaws of the peoples a bridle that leads astray.
29 You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as when one sets out to the sound of the flute to go to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.
30 And the LORD will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones.
31 The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of the LORD, when he strikes with his rod.
32 And every stroke of the appointed staff that the LORD lays on them will be to the sound of tambourines and lyres. Battling with brandished arm, he will fight with them.
33 For a burning place has long been prepared; indeed, for the king it is made ready, its pyre made deep and wide, with fire and wood in abundance; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.”
Chapter 31 of Isaiah has a similar message and is a continuation of Isaiah’s words from God to the remnant of Judah:
Isa 31v4-9 For thus the LORD said to me, "As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey, and when a band of shepherds is called out against him he is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise, so the LORD of hosts will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it."
6 Turn to him from whom people have deeply revolted, O children of Israel.
7 For in that day everyone shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.
8 "And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man; and a sword, not of man, shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labour.
9 His rock shall pass away in terror, and his officers desert the standard in panic," declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Both chapters are in the context of not relying on the then superpower of Egypt for protection against the Assyrians, but rather to rely on God.
The table below shows in more detail where the Biblical record and the Assyrian record coincide.
1 Kings 18 & 19
Sennacherib’s Prism
At the beginning of his reign Hezekiah is described as rebelling against Assyria and also subduing the Philistines.
1Kings 18v7&8: "And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city."
Sennacherib refers to Hezekiah’s control over the Philistine area, an undesigned coincidence that links the two records and demostrates that both records are talking about the same events.
“The officials, nobles, and people of Ekron, who had thrown Padi their king-bound by oath and curse of Assyria- into fetters of iron and... ...had given him over to Hezekiah, the Judahite - he kept him in confinement like an enemy...”
He boasts that the cities he has defeated, he gives to the former Philistine kings…
“His cities, which I had despoiled, I cut off from his land, and to Mitinti, king of Ashdod, Padi, king of Ekron, and Silli-bêl, king of Gaza, I gave (them). And thus I diminished his land.”
2Kings 18v13 “In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.”
“As for Hezekiah the Judahite, who did not submit to my yoke: forty-six of his strong, walled cities, as well as the small towns in their area, which were without number, by levelling with battering-rams and by bringing up siege-engines, and by attacking and storming on foot, by mines, tunnels, and breeches, I besieged and took them.”
2Kings 18v14-16 “And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear." And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house.
At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.”
The record in the book of Kings makes if clear that Sennacherib took the tribute, sent by Hezekiah to end the attack, but continued the war against Judah. This was a deceit probably designed to weaken Hezekiah. Sennacherib boasts:
“As for Hezekiah, the terrifying splendour of my majesty overcame him, and the Arabs and his mercenary troops which he had brought in to strengthen Jerusalem, his royal city, deserted him.”
It’s no surprise that after paying tribute to Sennacherib he no longer had the money to pay the mercenaries, so they deserted him.
Whilst this inscription doesn’t refer to the siege of Lachish, other inscriptions do. In particular the wall relief now housed in the British Museum.
This inscription does mention the tribute Sennacherib received from Hezekiah…
“In addition to the thirty talents of gold and eight hundred talents of silver, gems, antimony, jewels, large carnelians, ivory-inlaid couches, ivory-inlaid chairs, elephant hides, elephant tusks, ebony, boxwood, all kinds of valuable treasures, as well as his daughters, his harem, his male and female musicians, which he had brought after me to Nineveh, my royal city. To pay tribute and to accept servitude, he dispatched his messengers.”
The weight of the gold is the same but the silver is almost three times more. This makes sense, Sennacherib is boasting about the whole quantity of tribute, several years after the event. He may be exaggerating but it is also worth noting the trouble Hezekiah took to obtain the gold. It is likely that he had no more gold to give. The silver and other tribute would’ve been taken from cities like Lachish which Sennacherib attacked and defeated. He puts a spin on the story to make himself look greater and Hezekiah appear as weak as possible. After all it was a storm that defeated the Assyrian army whilst Hezekiah was “shut up” inside Jerusalem.
Famously Hezekiah defeats the Assyrian King by faith in the intervention of God. In one night the Assyrian army is decimated. 185 thousand soldiers of the Assyrians are killed.
2Ki 19:31 “For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD will do this.
Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it.
By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD.
For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David."
And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh.
And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.”
The Assyrian record shouts out in it’s silence. Sennacherib boasts the best boast he can make but the fame of his defeat at Jerusalem means he cannot pretend he took the city.
“(Hezekiah) himself, like a caged bird I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city. I threw up earthworks against him- the one coming out of the city-gate, I turned back to his misery. His cities, which I had despoiled,...”
One place where the records do diverge is the reference to siege mounds and earth works, Isaiah the prophet says that the King of Assyria will not build a siege mound but Sennacherib claims he did. This may be a boast or it may be that the Assyrians had pitched their camp and in that sense built earth works in preparation for a siege but not directly against the city.
The death of Sennacherib at the hand of his son’s did happen as described but it was about twenty after the events in Judah.
Chapter 20 of second kings refers to a delegation from Babylon of the envoys of Merodach-Baladan
2Ki 20:12 “At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick.”
Both Hezekiah and Merodach-Baladan had a common enemy in the King of Assyria at this time. Again evidence that the bible record really is historical and accurate to it’s time.
Merodach-Baladan is refered to in the Taylor prism in both the first and the fourth campaigns of Sennacherib.
“In my first campaign I accomplished the defeat of Merodach-baladan, king of Babylonia, together with the army of Elam, his ally, on the plain of Kish.”
“...That Merodach-baladan, whose defeat I had brought about in the course of my first campaign, and whose forces I had shattered, the roar of my mighty arms and the onset of my terrible battle he feared...
The British Museum also has on display a section of text taken from the base of a winged bull in Sennacherib’s palace. The text again contains the annuls of Sennacherib and in content is essentially the same as the Taylor prism. Of particular interest to the Bible reader, the shutting up of Hezekiah in Jerusalem and the tribute he paid to the Assyrian king are mentioned here also.
Black Obelisk Translation
A Translation of the Inscription on the Black Obelisk
(Annuls of Shalmaneser III of Assyria)
(1-21) Assur, the great lord, king of all the great gods; Anu, king of the Igigi and Anunnaki, the lord of lands; Enlil, the exalted, father of the gods, the creator; Ea, king of the Deep, who determines destiny; Sin, king of the tiara, exalted in splendor; Adad, mighty, pre-eminent, lord of abundance; Shamash, judge of heaven and earth, director of all; Marduk, master of the gods, lord of law; Urta, valiant one of the Igigi and the Anunnaki, the almighty god; Nergal, the ready, king of battle; Nusku, bearer of the shining scepter, the god who renders decisions; Ninlil, spouse of Bêl, mother of the great gods; Ishtar, first in heaven and on earth, who fills the measure of bravery; the great gods, who ordain destinies, who have made great my kingdom, I invoke.
Shalmaneser, king of all peoples, lord, priest of Assur, mighty king, king of all the four regions, Sun of all peoples, despot of all lands; son of Assur-nâsir-pal, the high priest, whose priesthood was acceptable to the gods and who brought in submission at his feet the totality of the countries; glorious offspring of Tukulti-Urta, who slew all of his foes and overwhelmed them like a deluge.
(22-26) At the beginning of my reign, when I solemnly took my seat upon the royal throne, I mobilized my chariots and troops; I entered the passes of the land of Simesi; I captured Aridu, the stronghold of Ninni.
(26-31) In my first year, I crossed the Euphrates at its flood; I advanced to the shore of the sea of the setting sun; I washed my weapons in the sea; I offered sacrifices to my gods. I climbed Mount Amanus; I cut cedar and cypress timbers. I climbed Mount Lallar, and set up my royal image.
(32-35) In the second year of my reign, I drew near to Til-barzip. I captured the cities of Ahuni, son of Adini. In his city I shut him up. I crossed the Euphrates at its flood; I captured Dabigu, a fortified city of Hatti, together with the towns of its neighborhood.
(35-44) In the third year of my reign, Ahuni, son of Adini, was frightened before my mighty weapons and retreated from Til-barzip, his royal city. I crossed the Euphrates. I seized for myself the city of Ana-Assur-utir-asbat, which lies on the other side of the Euphrates, on the Sagur river, which the Hittite people called Pitru. When I returned, I entered the passes of the land of Alzi; the lands of Alzi, Suhni, Daiaeni, Tumme, Arzashkunu, the royal city of Arame, the Armenian (king), Gilzânu, and Hubushkia (I conquered).
(45-52) In the eponymy of Daian-Assur, I departed from Nineveh, crossed the Euphrates at its flood, and pursued Ahuni, son of Adini. He made Shitamrat, a mount peak, which is on the bank of the Euphrates, his stronghold. The mountain peak I stormed and captured. Ahuni, together with his gods, his chariots, his horses, his sons, his daughters, his troops, I carried off and brought to my city, Assur. In that same year I crossed Mount Kullar and descended against Zamua, which lies inside. I captured the cities of Nikdiara: the city of Ida and Nikdima.
(52-54) In the fifth year of my reign, I went up against Mount Kashiari. I captured eleven strongholds. I shut up Assur-itti-sheruriai in his city. His many gifts I received from him.
(54-62) In the sixth year of my reign, I drew near to the cities on the banks of the Balih. They slew Giammu, governor of their cities. I entered Til-Mâr-ahi. The Euphrates I crossed at it flood. I received gifts from all the kings of Hatti. At that time Hadad-ezer of Aram, Irhuleni the Hamathite, together with the kings of Hatti and the seacoast, relied on each other's strength and came out against me to make battle and war. At the command of Assur, the great lor, my lord, I fought with them, I accomplished their defeat. I took from them their chariots, their cavalry, and their weapons of war. I slew 20,500 of their warriors with the sword.
(63-72) In the seventh year of my reign, I marched against the cities of Ha-rat, the til-abnêite. I captured Til-abnê, his royal city, together with the towns of its region. I advanced to the source of the Tigris, where the waters emerge. I washed the weapon of Assur in it, I offered sacrifices to my gods, I spread a fantastic banquet. I fashioned a heroic image of my royal personage. I wrote on it the glory of Assur, my lord, all my deeds of bravery which I performed in the lands and set it up there.
(73-76) In the eighth year of my reign, Marduk-bêl-usâte;, the younger brother, revolted against Marduk-zâkir-shumi, king of Karduniash, and they divided the land in its entirety. In order to avenge Marduk-zâkir-shumi, I marched out and captured Mê-Turnat.
(77-84) In the ninth year of my reign, I marched against Akkad a second time. I besieged Gananate. As for Marduk-bêl-usâte, the terrifying splendor of Assur and Marduk overcame him and he went up into the mountains to save his life. I pursued him. I cut down with the sword Marduk-bêl-usâte and the rebel army officers who were with him.
(85-86) In the tenth year of my reign, I crossed the Euphrates for the eighth time. I captured the cities of Sangara of Carchemish. I advanced against the cities of Arame. I captured Arnê, his royal city, together with 100 of his small cities.
(87-89) In the eleventh year of my reign, I crossed the euphrates for the ninth time. I captured countless cities. I descended upon cities of the land of Hamath. I captured 89 cities. Hadad-ezer of Aram and twelve kings of the land of Hatti stood by each other. I was successful in overthrowing them.
(89-90) In the twelfth year of my reign, I crossed the euphrates for the tenth time. I marched against the land of Pakar-hubuna. I carried off their spoil.
(90-91) In the thirteenth year of my reign, I went up against the land of Iaeti. I carried off their spoil.
(92-93) In the fourteenth year of my reign, I mustered my land. I crossed the Euphrates. Twelve kings advanced to meet me. I battled with them and successfully overthrew them.
(92-93) In the fifteenth year of my reign, I advanced to the sources of the tigris and Euphrates. I set up my royal image upon their cliffs.
(93-95) In the sixteenth year of my reign, I crossed the Azaba river. I marched against the land of Manri. Marduk-mudammik, king of Namri, went into the mountains to save his life. I carried his goods, his armies, and his gods to Assyri.
(96-97) In the seventeenth year of my reign, I crossed the Euphrates. I went up on Mount Amanus; I cut cedar timbers.
(97-99) In the eighteenth year of my reign, I crossed the Euphrates for the sixteenth time. Hazael of Aram came out in battle. I captured from him: 1121 of his chariots, 470 of his cavalry, together with his camp.
(99-100) In the nineteenth year of my reign, I crossed the Euphrates for the eighteenth time. I went up on Mount Amanus and I cut cedar timbers.
(100-102) In the twentieth year of my reign, I crossed the Euphrates for the twentieth time. I descended against the land of Kâue. I captured their cities. I carried off their spoil.
(102-4) In the twenty-first year of my reign, I crossed the Euphrates for the twenty-first time. I advanced against the cities of Hazael of Aram. I captured four of his cities. I received the gifts of the Tyrians, Sidonians, and Gebalites.
(104-7) In the twenty-second year of my reign, I crossed the Euphrates for the twenty-second time. I descended against the land of Tabal. At that time I received the gifts of 24 kings of Tabal. I advanced to Mount Tunni, the silver mountain, and Mount Mulî, the marble mountain.
(107-10) In the twenty-third year of my reign, I crossed the Euphrates. I captured Uetash, the royal city of Lalla of the land of Milid. The kings of the land of Tabal arrived and I received their gifts.
(110-26) In the twenty-fourth year of my reign, I crossed over the Lower Zab River. I advanced through the land of Hashimur; I descended to the land of Namri. Ianzû, king of Namri, was frightened before my mighty weapons, and he went up into the mountains to save his life. I captured Sihishalah, Bît-tamul, Bît-sakki, Bît-shedi, his fortified cities. I slew his warriors; I carried off his spoil. I destroyed, devastated, and burned his cities with fire. The rest of them went up into the mountains. I stormed and captured the mountain peak; I slew their warriors. I brought down their booty and goods. I departed from Namri. I received the gifts of 27 kings of the land of Parsua. I departed from Parsua. I descended to the lands of Messi and the Medes, the lands of Araziash and Harhâr. I captured the cities of Kuakinda, Tarzanabi, Esamul, Kinablila, together with the towns of their regions. I slew their warriors; I carried off their spoil. I destroyed, devastated, and burned their cities with fire. I set up my royal image in the land of Harhâr. I carried off and brought to Assyria Ianzû, son of Haban, together with his great wealth, his gods, his sons, his daughters, and his many soldiers.
(126-31) In the twenty-fifth year of my reign, I crossed the Euphrates at its flood. I received the gifts of the kings of Hatti, all of them. I crossed over Mount Amanus to the cities of Katei of the land of Kaue; I descended. I stormed and captured Timur, his royal city. I slew their warriors; I carried off their spoil. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire countless cities. On my return, I seized as a stronghold for myself Mûru, the royal city of Arame, son of Agusi. I strengthened its thresholds; I built a palace in it for my royal abode.
(132-41) In the twenty-sixth year of my reign, I traversed Mount Amanus for the seventh time; and for the fourth time I marched against the cities of Katei of Kaue. I besieged Tanakun, the royal city of Tulka. The terrifying splendor of Assur, my lord, overpowered him. They came out and seized my fee. I received his hostages; I received from him silver, gold, iron, cattle, and sheep as tribute. I departed from Tanakun and advanced against Lamenash. The people of the land fled; they climbed a steep mountain. I stormed the mountain peak and captured them. I destoyed, devastated, and burned with fire their cities. I advanced to Tarzi; they seized my feet. I received silver and gold as their tribute. I set up Kirri, brother of Kattei, as king over them. On my return I ascended Mount Amanus; I cut cedar timbers; I carried them away and brought them to my city, Assur.
(141-46) In the twenty-seventh year of my reign, I mustered my chariots and troops. I dispatched at the head of my armies Dâian-Assur-the Turtan, the commander of my immense armies; I sent him against Urartu. He descended against Bît-Zamâni; he entered by the pass of Ammash and crossed the Arzania river. Sêduri, the Armenian, heard about it and trusted the strength of his many troops. He advanced against me to offer battle. I fought with him; I was successful in defeating him. I filled the wide plain with the corpses of his warriors.
(146-56) In the twenty-eighth year of my reign, while I was staying in Calah, word was brought me that the people of Hattina had slain Lubarna their lord, and had raised Surri, who was not "lord of the throne," to the kingship over them. I dispatched Dâian-Assur-the Turtan, the commander of my immense armies-sending him at the head of my army and camp. He crossed the Euphrates at its flood. In Kinalua, his royal city, he came to a halt. The awe-inspiring splendor of Assur, my lord overcame Surri, who was not "lord of the throne," and he went to the death of his fate. The people of Hattina were afraid before the terror of my mighty weapons; they seized the sons of Surri, together with the "sinners," and gave them to me. I impaled these (rebels) on stakes. Sâsi, son of the Uzzite, seized my feet. I set him over them as king. I received from them: silver, gold, lead, copper, iron, ivory without measure. I fashioined a heroic image of my royal personage; I had it set up in Kinalua, his royal city, in the house of his gods.
(156-59) In the twenty-ninth year of my reign, I dispatched and sent troops and camp against Kirhi. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire their cities. I overwhlemed their lands like a flood. I poured out awe-inspiring terror over them.
(159-74) In the thirtieth year of my reign, while I remained in Calah, I dispatched Dâian-Assur-the Turtan, the commander of my immense armies-sending him at the head of my armies. He crossed the Zab River; he approached into the midst of the cities of the Hubushkians. I received the tribute of Datana, the Hubushkian. I departed from the midst of the cities of the Hubushkians; I approached into the midst of the cities of Magdubi, the Malhisite. I received tribute. I departed from the midst of the cities of the Malhisites; I approached into the midst of the cities of Ualki, the Mannean. Ualki, the Mannean, became terrified by the splendor of my weapons and deserted Zirta, his royal city, going up into the mountains to save his life. I pursued him. I brought back his cattle, sheep, and property in countless numbers. I destroyed, devastated, and burned his cities with fire. I departed from Manash; I approached the cities of Shulusunu of Harruna. I captured Masashuru, his royal city, together with the towns of its region. I pardoned Shulusunu and his sons; I returned him to his land. I imposed tribute and tax in the form of horses broken to yoke. I drew near to Shurdira. I received the tribute of Artasari, the Shurdirite. I descended upon Parsua. I received the tribute of the kings of Parsua. I captured the rest of Parsua, who were not loyal to Assur; I captured their cities; I carried off their spoil and property to Assyria.
(174-90) In the thirty-first year of my reign, for the second time I set my face toward Assur and Adad. And at that time, while I remained in Calah, I dispatched Dâian-Assur-the Turtan, the commander of my immense armies-sending him at the head of my troops and camp. He approached the cities of Datana the Hubushkian. I received tribute from him. I marched against Sapparia, the stronghold of the land of Musasir. I captured Sapparia, together with 46 cities of the Musasirites. I marched as far as the fortresses of the Urartians. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire 50 of their cities. I descended against Gilzânu. I received the tribute of Upû, the Gilzânite, of the M[...], the [...], the Harranites, the Shashganites, the Andites, and the [...]: cattle, sheep, and horses broken to the yoke. I went down against the cities of the land of Tabal. I destroyed, devastated, and burned with fire Perria, Shitiuaria, its strong cities, together with 22 towns of its region. I poured out awe-inspiring terror over them. He marched against the cities of the Parsuans. I captured Bushtu, Shalahamanu, Kinihamanu, fortified cities, together with 23 towns of their region. I slew their warriors; I carried off their booty. I descended against the land of Manri. The awe-inspiring terror of Assur and Marduk overwhelmed them. They deserted their cities. They went up into the wild mountains. I destroyed, devasted, and burned with fire 250 of their cities. I descended through the passes of Simesi at the head of the land of Halman.
RELIEF CAPTIONS
Tribute of Sûa, the Gilzânite. I received from him: silver, gold, lead, copper vessels, staves for the hand of the king, horses, two-humped camels.
Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri. I received from him: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden beaker, golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead, staves for the hand of the king, javelins.
Tribute of the land of Musri. I received from him: two-humped camels, a river-ox, a sakêa, a sûsu, elephants, monkeys, apes.
Tribute of Marduk-apal-usur of Suhi. I received from him: silver, gold, pitchers of gold, ivory, javelins, bûia, brightly colored linen garments.
Tribute of Karparunda of Hattina. I received from him: silver, gold, lead, copper, copper vessels, ivory, cypress (timbers).
Black Obelisk: Left Side
RELIEF CAPTIONS
Tribute of Sûa, the Gilzânite. I received from him: silver, gold, lead, copper vessels, staves for the hand of the king, horses, two-humped camels.
Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri. I received from him: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden beaker, golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead, staves for the hand of the king, javelins.
Tribute of the land of Musri. I received from him: two-humped camels, a river-ox, a sakêa, a sûsu, elephants, monkeys, apes.
Tribute of Marduk-apal-usur of Suhi. I received from him: silver, gold, pitchers of gold, ivory, javelins, bûia, brightly colored linen garments.
Tribute of Karparunda of Hattina. I received from him: silver, gold, lead, copper, copper vessels, ivory, cypress (timbers).
Black Obelisk: Left Side
The final relief shows more Israelites presenting tribute to Shalmaneser. Included on this panel are lead carried on the shoulders of two men, more pitchers of gold mentioned in the text. The final tribute bearer seems to be carrying a basket of fruit or some other produce, many of the Israelites are also carrying sacks.
The inscription in cuneiform reads: “Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri. I received from him: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden beaker, golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead, staves for the hand of the king, javelins.”
Black Obelisk: Rear
RELIEF CAPTIONS
Tribute of Sûa, the Gilzânite. I received from him: silver, gold, lead, copper vessels, staves for the hand of the king, horses, two-humped camels.
Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri. I received from him: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden beaker, golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead, staves for the hand of the king, javelins.
Tribute of the land of Musri. I received from him: two-humped camels, a river-ox, a sakêa, a sûsu, elephants, monkeys, apes.
Tribute of Marduk-apal-usur of Suhi. I received from him: silver, gold, pitchers of gold, ivory, javelins, bûia, brightly colored linen garments.
Tribute of Karparunda of Hattina. I received from him: silver, gold, lead, copper, copper vessels, ivory, cypress (timbers).
Black Obelisk: Rear
The rear of the obelisk shows more of the line of Israelites who are presenting tribute to Shalmaneser. Included on this panel are pitchers of gold, a javelin, goblets of gold and staves.
Although the representation is by an Assyrian artist, it is interesting to note the appearance and clothing of the Israelites of this period.
The inscription in cuneiform reads: “Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri. I received from him: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden beaker, golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead, staves for the hand of the king, javelins.”
Black Obelisk: Right Side
RELIEF CAPTIONS
Tribute of Sûa, the Gilzânite. I received from him: silver, gold, lead, copper vessels, staves for the hand of the king, horses, two-humped camels.
Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri. I received from him: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden beaker, golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead, staves for the hand of the king, javelins.
Tribute of the land of Musri. I received from him: two-humped camels, a river-ox, a sakêa, a sûsu, elephants, monkeys, apes.
Tribute of Marduk-apal-usur of Suhi. I received from him: silver, gold, pitchers of gold, ivory, javelins, bûia, brightly colored linen garments.
Tribute of Karparunda of Hattina. I received from him: silver, gold, lead, copper, copper vessels, ivory, cypress (timbers).
Black Obelisk: Right Side
The right hand side of the obelisk shows two Assyrian officials leading Israelites who are presenting tribute to Shalmaneser. Included on this panel are a golden goblet, golden bowl and golden pitcher mentioned in the text.
The inscription in cuneiform reads: “Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri. I received from him: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden beaker, golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead, staves for the hand of the king, javelins.”
Black Obelisk: Front.
RELIEF CAPTIONS
Tribute of Sûa, the Gilzânite. I received from him: silver, gold, lead, copper vessels, staves for the hand of the king, horses, two-humped camels.
Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri. I received from him: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden beaker, golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead, staves for the hand of the king, javelins.
Tribute of the land of Musri. I received from him: two-humped camels, a river-ox, a sakêa, a sûsu, elephants, monkeys, apes.
Tribute of Marduk-apal-usur of Suhi. I received from him: silver, gold, pitchers of gold, ivory, javelins, bûia, brightly colored linen garments.
Tribute of Karparunda of Hattina. I received from him: silver, gold, lead, copper, copper vessels, ivory, cypress (timbers).
Black Obelisk: Front.
The second panel down shows Jehu giving obeisance to Shalmaneser III King of Assyria, surrounded by Assyrian officials.
The inscription in cuneiform reads: “Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri. I received from him: silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden beaker, golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead, staves for the hand of the king, javelins.”
Jehu in the biblical text is not son of Omri but was famous for ending the Omrid dynasty. Omri at the time was well known as a having been successful king, Israel for a time was known as the land of Omri. Added to this, the paying of tribute was paid in Jehu’s first year as king and the reference is easy to understand. It may even be that the Assyrians used the term “Jehu son of Omri” as a deliberate put down, as a show of strength that Jehu could not question or counteract as leader of an inferior kingdom.
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