Jerusalem – its growth from 1000 BCE to 70CE
Judges 1:8.21 tells us of the Israelites attempt to take Jerusalem from the Jebusites. They did not succeed and it wasn’t until David’s time that Jerusalem became home to the Israelites. In 997 BCE,...
View ArticleEl and the Elohim
Much has been made of the fact that the common Hebrew word for God in the Book of Genesis, Elohim, translates to gods in the plural. This is however a narrow view that needs some context. El in Ebla...
View ArticleWho Were The Nephilim?
The term Nephilim has been a point of debate amongst biblical scholars. There has been a theory that they were angels cast out of Heaven or that they were the Sons of Seth (the son of Adam), who had...
View ArticleInsights into Ancient Babylonian Astronomy
Some twenty-five hundred years ago, the Ancient Babylonians constructed mud brick towers that rose up towards the night sky. The towers known as Ziggurats, could have very well been for making...
View ArticleAkitu – The Babylonian New Year Festival
The calendar of the ancient Near East was usually replete with festivals that honored the gods according to the season. One of the most famous of these festivals was the Akitu Festival of Babylon. The...
View ArticleKing Herod’s Buildings put into Biblical and Historical Context
Herod owes his rise to ‘king’ to his ability to realise the true nature of the political scenarios which were being played out at the time. He was initially an unpopular military commander of the...
View ArticleThe Conquests of Sargon the Great
There is no record of the birth name of Sargon and what is known of his origins are little more than legends. What is certain is that his impact on the Ancient Near East would be felt for thousands of...
View ArticleThe Cursing Of Akkad
The Akkadians had conquered much of the Ancient Near East under the leadership of Sargon the Great ca 2300 BCE. The empire continued to dominate Mesopotamia and the surrounding lands for four...
View ArticleThe Origins of Sargon the Great
One of the most influential characters of ancient history is Sargon the Great. He is remembered for conquering the known world and establishing the Semitic Akkadian language as the lingua...
View ArticleThe Rise Of Abdi-Ashirta Of Amurru
During The Late Bronze Age, while the major powers were preparing for war, an ambitious warlord built a kingdom on the Syrian coast. During the later days of the rule of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, or...
View Article
