Greece in History -Trustworthy Prophecy

 During his campaign, Alexander also fulfilled other Bible prophecies. For example, the prophets Ezekiel and Zechariah, who lived in the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E., foretold the destruction of the city of Tyre.  (Ezekiel 26:3-5, 12; 27:32-36; Zechariah 9;3, 4) Ezekiel even wrote that her stones and dust would be replaced "in the very midst of the water." Were those words fulfilled?

Consider what Alexander's troops did during their siege of Tyre

 in 332 B.C.E. They scraped up the ruins of the earlier mainland city of Tyre and cast the debris into the sea to build a causeway to the island of Tyre.  The strategy succeeded and Tyre fell.  "The prophecies against Tyre have been accomplished, even to the minutest details," said a 19th century explorer of the site. 

Next time: Greece in History - A Hope You Can Trust

From the jw.org publications

Greece in History - Trustworthy History - Continue

 Think about that! During the time of Babylonian world power, the Bible foretold that the succeeding powers would be Medo- Persia and Greece.  Moreover. as noted earlier, the Bible specifically stated that "as soon as it became mighty the great horn"-Alexander-be "broken" and would be replaced by four others, adding further than none of them would Alexander's prosperity. - DANIEL 11:4.

That prophecy was fulfilled in detail. Alexander became king in 336 B.C.E., at the age of 32.  No single individual succeeded Alexander as absolute ruler, nor did any of his offspring.  Rather, his four leading generals-Lysimachus, Cassander, Seleucus, and Ptolemy-"proclaimed themselves kings" and took over the empire, states the book The Hellenistic Age. 

Next time: Greece in History -Trustworthy Prophecy - Conclusion

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Greece in Bible History -Trustworthy Prophecy

 About 200 years before the time of Alexander the Great, Jehovah God's prophet Daniel wrote concerning world domination: "Look! there was a male of he goats coming from the sunset upon the surface of the whole earth, and it was not touching the earth.  And as regards the he-goat, there was a conspicuous horn  between its eyes.  And it kept coming all the way to the ram possessing the two horns, . . . and it kept running toward in its powerful rage.  And . . .it proceeded to strike down the ram and to break its two horns, and there proved to be no power in the ram to stand before it. So it threw it to the earth and trampled it down . . . And the male of the goats, for its part, put on great airs to an extreme; but as soon as it became mighty, the great horn was broken, and there proceeded to come up conspicuously four instead of it, toward the four winds of the heavens." - DANIEL 8:5-8.

To whom did these words apply?  Daniel himself answers: "The ram that you saw possessing the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goat stands for the king of Greece; and as for the the great horn that was between its eyes, it stands for the first king." -  DANIEL 8:20-22.

Next time: Greece in History - Trustworthy Prophecy - Conclusion

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Greece in History - Trustworthy History - Conclusion

 The temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, is mentioned a number of times in the book of Acts.  For example, we are told that Paul's ministry in Ephesus angered silversmith name Demetrius, who had a flourishing business making silver shrines of Artemis.  "This Paul, said an angry Demetrius, has persuaded a considerable crowd and turned them to another opinion, saying that the ones that are made byg hands are not gods." (Acs 19:23-28) Demetrius then stirred up an angry mob, who began to shout: "Great is Artemis if the Ephesians"

Today you can visit the ruins of Ephesus and the site of the temple of Artemis. Moreover, ancient inscriptions from Epesians verify that idols were made in honor of the goddess and that a guild of silversmiths was active in the city.

Next time; Greece in History - Trustworthy Prophecy

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Greece in History -Trustworthy History

 In his speech to the Athenians, Paul quotes the words: "for we are also his progeny," attributing the words, not to a single poet, but to "certain ones of the poets among you." (Acts 17:28) These Greek poets evidently were Aratus and Cleanthes.

For good reason, one scholar concluded: "The account of Paul's visit in Athens seems to have the favor of an eye-witness accout." The same could be said of the Bible's description of Paul's experiences in Ephesus and Asia Minor.  In the first century C.E., this city still retained its affinity for pagan Greek religion, most notably the worship of the goddess Artemis. 

Next time: Greece in History - Trustworthy History - Conclusion

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Greece in Bible History - Trustworthy History

 The Bible specifically states that "the Epicurean and the stoic philosophers took to conversing with [Paul] controversially," even taking him to the Areopagus to hear more of what he had to say. (Acts 17:   18,19) Athes was known for its many philosophers, including Epicureans and Stoics.

Paul refers to an Athenian altar inscribed "To a Unkown God." (Acts 17:23) Altars dedicated to an unknown god were possible erected by Epimenides of Crete. 

Next time: Greece in Bible History - Trustworthy History

From the jw.org publications 

 

Greece in Bible History -Trustworthy History

 Describing events that occurred during the apostle Paul's visit to Athens in 50 C.E., the Bible states that the city was "full of idols." (Acts 17:16) Historical evidence confirms that Athens and its suburbs were filled with religious idols and shrines.

Acts 17:21 says that "all Athenians and the foreigners sojourning there would spend leisure time at nothing but telling somethings or listening to something new." The writings of Thucydides and Demosthenes attest to the Athenian preoccupation with conversation and debate. 

Next time: Greece in Bible History - Trustworthy History

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Greece in Bible History -Trustworthy History

 The Bible record does not mention that any prophets of God were active during the era of Greek supremacy, nor were any inspired Bible books written then. Nevertheless, Greece is feature in Bible prophecy. Additionally, the Christian Greek Scriptures. commonly called the New Testament, often refer to Greek influence. In fact, mainly in Israel there was a group of ten Hellenistic cities called the Decapolis, from a Greek word meaning "ten cities." (Matthew 4:25; Mark 5:20; 7:31) The Bible mentions this region several times, and secular history and the impressive remains of theaters, amphitheaters, temples, and baths verify its existence. 

The Bible also makes many references to Greek culture and religion, especially in the book of Acts, which was written by the physician Luke.  Consider a few examples: 

Next time: Greece in Bible History -Trustworthy History - Continue

From the jw.org publications

A Book You Can Trust -Part 5 -Greece in Bible History

 This is the fifth in a series of seven articles in consecutive issues of Awake! That discuss the seven world powers of Bible history.  The objective is to show that the Bible is trustworthy and inspired of God and that its message is one of hope for the end to the suffering caused by man's cruel domination of his fellow man.

In the fourth century B.C.E., a young Macedonian named Alexander propelled Greece onto the world stage. In fact, he made Greece the fifth world power in Bible history and eventually came to be called Alexander the Great.  The preceding empires were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia.

After Alexander's death, his empire fragmented and began to wane.  However, Greece's influence by way of culture, language and religion, and philosophy endured long after the political empire ceased. 

Next time: Trustworthy History

From the jw.org publications

 

A Hope You Can Trust - Conclusion

 The 9 weeks, however, were not literal weeks of seven days but weeks of years. In fact, some Bible translations render the expression "weeks" as "weeks of years." (Daniel 9:24, 25) The Messiah would appear after a period of 69 "weeks" of 7 years each-a total of 483 years. The prophecy was fulfilled in 29 C.E. when Jesus was baptized, exactly 483 years from 455 B.C.E. 

The precise fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy adds to the abundant evidence conforming Jesus' identity.  This evidence confirms our hope for the future.  Jesus, as King of God's heavenly Kingdom, will bring an end to harsh human rule. Thereafter, he will fulfill many Bible prophecies, including those pointing forward to a resurrection of the dead to endless life in Paradise on earth. -DANIEL 12:2; JOHN 5:28, 29; REVELATION 21:3-5.

Next time: A Book You Can Trust -Part 5 - Greece in Bible History

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A Hope You Can Trust

 Shortly after Medo-Persia conquered Babylon, Daniel recorded a prophecy that sheds light on a most important event in the accomplishment of God's purpose for mankind.  The angel Gabriel informed Daniel precisely when the Messiah-the "seed" promised at Genesis 3:15-would appear! God's angel said: "From the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah the Leader, there will be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks," a total of 69 weeks. (Daniel 9:25) When did this prophetic period begin? 

Although Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to their land soon after the fall of Babylon, many years later Jerusalem and its walls were in disrepair. In 455 B.C.E., King Artaxerxes granted permission to his Jewish cupbearer Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem and take the lead in the rebuilding work. (Nehemiah 2:1-6) This marked the start of the 69 weeks. 

Next time: A Hope You Can Trust -Conclusion

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Trustworthy Prophecy - Conclusion

 Furthermore, some two centuries before Babylon's defeat, the prophet Isaiah foretold both the name of the conquering Persian king-who was not yet born-and his strategy for taking Babylon.  Isaiah wrote: "This is what Jehovah has said to his anointed one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have taken hold of, to subdue him nations, . . . to open before him the two-leaved doors, so that even the gates will not be shut." (Isaiah 45:1) Both Isaiah and Jeremiah foretold Babylon's "rivers," or canals fed by the Euphrates River, which served as a protective moat, would be dried up. (Isaiah 44:27; Jeremiah 50:38) The Greek historian Herodotus and Xenophon confirm the Bible's prophetic accuracy, including the  fact that the Babylonian's were reveling on the very night that Cyrus took the city.  (Isaiah 21:5, 9;29:10) Having diverted the Euphrates River, Cyrus's armies entered the city through open gates along the river, encountering little resistance. In one night mighty Babylon fell!

That event, in turn, led to the amazing fulfillment of another prophecy.  The prophet Jeremiah had earlier foretold that God's people would be exiled in Babylon for 70 years. (Jeremiah 25:11, 12; 29:10) That prophecy was fulfilled right on time, and the exiles were allowed to return to their homeland. 

Next time: A Hope You Can Trust

From the jw.org publications

 

Trustworthy Prophecy

 In a divinely inspired dream, the prophet Daniel saw a series of four beasts rising out of the sea, each representing a successive world power. The first beast. a winged lion, represented Babylon. The second, "like a bear." The account continues:  "This is what they were saying to it, 'Get up, each much flesh." (Daniel 7:5) The fearsome bear pictured Medo-Persia.

True to Daniel's prophecy, Medo-Persia displayed a voracious appetite for conquest. Not long after Daniel's vision, Cyrus defeated the Medes and then waged war against neighboring Lydia and Babylon. His son Cambyses II conquered Egypt. Later Medo-Perian rulers expanded the empire even farther.

How can we be sure of this interpretation? In a separate but related vision, Daniel saw a ram "making thrusts to the west and to the north and to the south." The prophecy was fulfilled when Medo-Persia made "thrusts" against other nations, including mighty Babylon. An angel of God interpreted this vision, saying to Daniel: "The ram that you saw possessing the two horns stands for the kings of Media and Persia." - DANIEL 8:3, 4, 20. 

Next time: Trustworthy Prophecy - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications

Trustworthy History - Conclusion

 The Bible tells us that opposers of the Jews later wrote to Darius the Great (also called Darius I) challenging the Jews' claim that Cyrus has authorized the reconstruction of the Temple. Darius commanded that a search be made for the original decree.  The outcome? A scroll containing Cyrus's decree was found at Ecbatana, the capital. In response, Darius wrote: "I, Darius, do put through an order. Let it [temple reconstruction] be done promptly." Opposition to the work then ceased." - EZRA 6:2, 7, 12, 13.

Secular history supports these details. For one thing, Ecbatana was the summer residence of Cyrus, and he may have issued his decree from there. Also, archaeological discoveries show that Medo-Persian kings took a keen interest in religious matters affecting their realm and wrote letters to resolve disputes.

Next time: Trustworthy Prophecy

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Trustworthy History

 The Bible tells us that King Cyrus II freed the Jews held captive in Babylon, allowing them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild God's temple, which the Babylonians had destroyed in 607 B.C.E. (Ezra 1:1-7; 6:3-5) Corroborating this account is a clay document known as the Cyrus Cylinder, discovered in 1879 in the ruins of ancient Babylon. The inscription identifies Cyrus by name and describes his policy of returning previously captured  peoples and their religious objects to their native lands.  The Bible writer Isaiah recorded Jehovah's prophetic words concerning Cyrus: '"All that I delight in he will completely carry out': even in my saying of Jerusalem, 'She will be rebuilt,' and of the temple, 'You will have your foundation laid."' -ISAIAH 44:28.

In fact, Cyrus ordered that funds for temple reconstruction "be given from the king's house," says Ezra 6:3, 4. This amazing statement harmonizes with secular history.  "It was a consistent policy of Persian kings to help restore sanctuaries in their empire," says the book Persia and the Bible. 

Next time: Trustworthy History- Conclusion

From the jw.org publications

A Book You Can Trust -Part 4 - Medo-Persia in Bible History

 This is the fourth series of seven articles in consecutive issues of Awake! that discuss the seven world powers of Bible history. The objective is to show that the Bible is trustworthy and inspired of God and that its message is one of hope for an end to the suffering caused by man's cruel domination of his fellow man. 

The ruins of palaces and royal tombs provide only a glimpse of the grandeur, power, and wealth of the ancient dual empire of Media and Persia.  Before the two kingdoms united, Media was the dominant kingdom. But in 550 B,C.E., the Medes came under the control of Persian King Cyrus II, who thereafter ruled over the kingdom of Medo-Persia.  Centered in the region north of the Persian Gulf, this vast realm eventually stretched from the Aegean Sea to Egypt to northwestern India and included Judea.

Medo-Peris ruled over the Jewish nation for more than 200 years-from the overthrow of Babylon 539 B.C.E. until Medo-Persia itself was defeated by the Greeks in 331 B.C.E. Numerous Bible books comment on significant events that occurred during that time. 

Next time: Trustworthy History 

From the jw.org publications

A Promise You Can Trust - Conclusion

 As a prelude to the fulfillment of this Bible prophecy, Jehovah's Witnesses are carrying out a Bible education program that teaches people the ways of peace, as Jesus did. Indeed, not man, but God will fulfill the Bible prophecy at Isaiah 2:4: "They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears.  Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore." In contrast, today, the world and its rulers spend a trillion dollars a year on military endeavors! 

Accurate history and prophecy put the Bible in a class of its own, demonstrating to those sincerely searching for the truth that is indeed a book worth of our trust.  In the next article i this series, we will consider Medo-Persia the fourth world power.  Babylon was the third world power.

Next time: A Book You Can Trust - Part 4 - Medo-Persia in Bible History

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A Promise You Can Trust

 Long before Nineveh's fall, while her kings still struck terror into the hearts of their enemies, Isaiah foretold the coming of a very different kind of ruler. He wrote: "There has been a child born to us, there has been a a son given to us; and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called . . . Prince of Peace.  To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom in order to establish it by means of justice and by means of righteousness, from now on and to time indefinite.  The very zeal of  Jehovah of armies will do this." - ISAIAH 9:6, 7.

The rulership of the "Prince of Peace," Jesus Christ, will embrace the entire earth. Psalm 72:7, 8 says: "In his days the righteous one will sprout, and the abundance of peace until the moon is no more. And he will have subjects from sea to sea and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth. 

 Through this mighty "Prince of Peace," Jehovah God will fulfill the promise at Psalm 46:8,9: "Come you people, behold the activities of Jehovah, how he has set astonishing events on the earth.  He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces; the wagons he burns in the fire."

Next time: A Promise You Can Trust - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications

Trustworthy Prophecy

 About a hundred years before the fall of the Assyrian Empire, Isaiah declared that Jehovah God would call those proud conquerors to account for their insolence toward his people. "I shall make and accounting for the fruitage of the insolence of the heart of the king of Assyria and for the self-importance of his loftiness of eyes," Jehovah said: (Isaiah 10:12) Furthermore, God's prophet Nahum foretold that Nineveh would be plundered, its gates would be opened to its enemies, and its guards would flee. (Nahum2:8, 9; 3:7,13, 17, 19) The Bible prophet Zephaniah wrote that the city would become "a desolate waste." - Zephaniah 2:13-15.

Those prophecies of destruction were fulfilled in 632 B.C.E. That is when Nineveh fell to the combined forces of the Babylonians and the Medes, bringing the Assyrian Empire to an inglorious end. A Babylonian chronicle of that event states that the conquerors " carried off the vast booty of the city and the temple" and turned Nineveh "into a ruin heap."  Today the desolate waste that was once Nineveh is marked by mounds of ruins on the east bank of the Tigris River, opposite the city of Mosul, in Iraq. 

Assyria's destruction also contributed to the fulfillment of yet another Bible prophecy. Earlier, in 740 B.C.E., Assyria took the ten-tribe kingdom into exile. About the same time that Assyria did this, God's prophet Isaiah foretold that Jehovah would "break the Assyrian." tread him down," and bring Israel back to its homeland.  Isaiah wrote: "the remnant of his people who will remain over from Assyria . . ., he [God] will collect together." That is exactly what occurred about two hundred years later! - ISAIAH 11:11, 12; 14:25.

Next time: A Promise You Can Trust

From the jw.org publication   

Trustworthy History

 At Nineveh archaeologists have found an account of the same events in the annals of Sennacherib. In the text, which is inscribed on a hexagonal clay prism, the Assyrian king boasted: "As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke, I lad siege to 46 of his strong cities, walled forts and to the countless small villages in their vicinity, and conquered (them). . . Himself [Hezekiah] I made a prisoner in Jerusalem, his royal residence, like a bird in a cage." Sennacherib then claims that Hezekiah sent him "30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, precious stones, . . . (and)all kinds of valuable treasures," inflating the number of silver talents that he actually received. 

Note, though, that Sennacherib does not claim to have conquered Jerusalem. In fact, he says nothing about the crushing defeat his army suffered through divine intervention.  According to the Bible, God's angel took the lives of 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night.  (2 Kings 19:35, 36) Says scholar Jack Finnegan: "In view of the general note of boasting which pervades the inscriptions of the Assyrian kings, however, it is hardly to be expected that Sennacherib would record such a defeat." 

Next time: Trustworthy Prophecy

From the jw.org publications 

Trustworthy History - Continue

 "I built a pillar over against his city gate, and I flayed all the chief men who had revolted, and I covered the pillar with their skins; some I walled up within the pillar, some I impaled upon the pillar on stakes, . . . and I cut off the limbs of the officers, of the royal officers who had rebelled. . . Many captives from among them I burned with fire, and many I took as living captives."  When archaeologists excavated Assyrian royal palaces, they found the walls decorated with depictions of horrendous treatment meted out to captives. 

In the year 740 B.C.E., Assyria conquered Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, and took its people into exile. Eight years later, Assyria invaded Judah. (2 Kings 18:13) The Syrian King Sennacherib demanded of Judean King Hezekiah a tribute of 30 talents of silver. The Bible record states that this tribute was paid. Even so, Sennacherib insisted that the capital of Judah, Jerusalem, also surrender unconditionally to him. - 2 KINGS 18:9-17, 28. 

Next time: Trustworthy History - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications

Trustworthy History

 The Bible prophet Nahum described Nineveh as "the lair of the lions" and "the city of bloodshed." He added: "Prey does not depart! There is the sound of the whip and the sound of the rattling of the wheel, and the dashing horse and the leaping chariot. The mounted horseman, and the flame of the sword, and the lightning of the spear. and the multitude of the slain ones, and heavy mass of carcasses; and there is no end to the dead bodies. They keep stumbling among their dead bodies." (Nahum 2:11; 3:1-3) Does secular history corroborate the Bible's description of ancient Assyria? 

The book Light From the Ancient Past Calls Assyria "the ruthless fighting machine whose calculated frightfulness was the terror of its enemies."  The following is the way one Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II, boasted of his treatment of those who opposed him.

Next time: Trustworthy History-Continue

From the jw.org publications

A Book You Can Trust -Part 2 -Assyria in Bible History

 This is the second in a series of seven articles in consecutive issues of Awake! that discuss the seven world powers of Bible history. The objective is to s how that the Bible is trustworthy and inspired of God and it message in one of hope for an end to the suffering caused by man's cruel domination of his fellow man.

THE very mention of Assyria to people of the ancient Middle East may have made their blood run cold. According to the Bible book of Jonah, when that prophet received an assignment from God to preach a judgment message in the Assyrian capital, Nineveh, he fled in the opposite direction! (Jonah 1:1-3) Perhaps that was so because the Assyrians' fearsome reputation.

Next time: Trustworthy History

From the jw.org publications

THE MERNEPTAH STELA

 In 1896 in an Egyptian funerary temple, archaeologist found what has been called the Merneptah Stela. This black granite pillar boasts of the achievements of Egyptian King Merneptah, believe to have reigned in the late 13th century B.C.E. Inscribed on the stela is a hymn, which reads, in part: "Israel is laid waste, his seed is no more." This is the only known reference to Israel in ancient Egyptian texts and the earliest reference outside the Bible.

The stela was made during the Biblical period of the Judges, an era documented in the Bible book of that name. However, unlike the self-applauding chronicles of the pharaohs, the book of Judges sets out both the exploits and the failures of Israel.  Concerning the failures, Judges 2:11, 12 states "the sons of Israel fell to doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah and serving the Baales [Canaanite gods]. Thus they abandoned Jehovah . . . , who had brought them out of the land of Egypt." Such candor characterizes the entire Bible.

Next time: A Book You Can Trust - Part 2 -Assyria in Bible History

From the jw.org publications

A Hope You Can Trust - Conclusion

 That precious hope calls to mind yet another prophecy recorded during the time of ancient Egypt. Found at Job 33:24, 25, the prophecy states that God will deliver humans even from "the pit," or the grave, by means of a resurrection. Yes, in addition to those spared through the coming destruction of the wicked, many millions now dead will be raised to life with the prospect of everlasting life in Paradise on earth. (Acts 24:15) "The tent of God is with mankind," says Revelation 21:3, 4. "He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore."

Trustworthy history and prophecy-that theme will continue in the next article in this series, which focus on ancient Assyria, the world power that followed Egypt. 

Next time: THE MERNEPTAH STELA

From the jw.org publications

A Hope You Can Trust

 The very first prophecy in the Bible was penned by Moses during the time of the Egyptian world power.  Found at Genesis 3:15, the prophecy states that God would produce a "seed," or offspring, who would crush Satan and his "seed"-those who adopt Satan's wicked ways. (John 8:44; 1 John 3:8) The primary "seed" of God proved to be the Messiah, Jesus Christ. - Luke 2:9-14.

Christ's reign will encompass the entire earth, from which he will remove all wickedness and oppressive human governments. No longer will 'man dominate man to his injury.' (Ecclesiastes 8:9) Moreover, like Joshua of old, who led Israel into the "Promised Land," Jesus will safely lead "a great crowd" of God-fearing humans into a far greater "Promised Land"-a cleansed earth that will be transformed into a global paradise. - REVELATION 7:9, 10, 14, 17; LUKE 23:43. 

Next time: A Hope You Can Trust - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications 

Trustworthy Prophecy

 Only Jehovah God, the Author of the Bible, can unfailingly predict the future. Note, for example, what he inspired  Jeremiah to foretell concerning two Egyptian cities-Memphis and Thebes. Memphis, or Noph, was once a prominent commercial, political, and religious center. Yet, God said: "Noph itself will become a mere object of astonishment and will actually be set afire, so as to be without an inhabitant." (Jeremiah 46:19) And so it turned out. The book in the Steps of Moses the Lawgiver says that "the titanic ruins of Memphis" were pillaged by Arah conquerors, who used them as a quarry. It adds that today, "within the circuit of the ancient city not a stone protrudes above the black soil."

Thebes, earlier called no-amon or just No, suffered a similar fate, along with its impotent gods. Concerning this onetime capital of Egypt and principal center of the worship of the god Amon, Jehovah said: "Here I am turning my attention upon Amon . . . and upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt and upon her gods . . . And I will give them into . . .the hand of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon." (Jeremiah 45:25, 26) As prophesied the Babylonian Monarch conquered Egypt and its prominent city of no-amon. Then, after Persian ruler Cambyses II dealt another blow to the city in 525 B.C.E., it steadily declined, finally being completely ruined by the Romans. Yes, accurate prophecy puts the Bible in a class of its own, giving us confidence in what it says about our future.

Next time: A Hope You Can Trust

From the jw.org publications 

Warfare

 Jeremiah and Ezra also mentioned the invasion of Judah by Pharaoh Shishak, specifically stating that it occurred "in the fifth year of [Judean] King Rehoboam," or in 993 B.C.E. ( 1Kings 14:25-28; 2 Chronicles 12:1-12) For a long time, the only record of that invasion as the one found in the Bible.  Then there came to light a relief on the wall of an Egyptian temple at Karnak (ancient Thebes).

The relief depicts Shishak standing before the god Amon, Shishak's arm raised the act of smiting captives. Also recorded are the names of the conquered Israelite towns, many of which have been identified with Biblical sites. Additionally, the document mentions "The Field of Abram"-the earliest reference to the Biblical patriarch Abraham in Egyptian records. - GENESIS 25:7-10. 

Clearly, the Bible writers did not pen fiction. Recognizing their accountability to God, they wrote truth, even when doing so was unflattering-as in the case of Shishak's victories in Judah. Such candor contrasts sharply with the varnished, exaggerated chronicles of the ancient Egyptian scribes, who refused to record anything that might be uncomplimentary to their rules or people.

Next time: Trustworthy Prophecy

From the jw.org publications

Shaving

 Hebrew men of ancient times grew beards. Yet, the Bible tells us that Joseph shaved prior to appearing before Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:14) Why did he shave? To conform with Egyptian custom and etiquette, which considered facial hair to be a sign of uncleanness.  "[The Egyptians] prided themselves on being clean-shaven," says the book Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt. In fact, cosmetic sets consisting of razors, tweezers, and mirrors, along with their containers, have been found in tombs.  Clearly, Moses was Meticulous chronicler.  The same can be said of other Bible writers who documented events relating to ancient Egypt. 

Business enterprises.

Jeremiah, who wrote the two books of Kings, gave specific details regarding King Solomon's trade in horses and chariots with the Egyptians and Hittites.  A chariot cost "six hundred silver pieces, and a horse . . . a hundred and fifty," or one quarter the cost of a chariot, the Bible states. - 1Kings 10:29.

According to the book of Archaeology and the Religion of Israel, the Greek historian Herodotus and archaeological findings both confirm that a lively trade in horses and chariots was carried on during the reign of Solomon. In fact, "a standard exchange rate of four . . .  horses for one Egyptian chariot was established," the book states corroborating the figures given in the Bible. 

Next time: Warfare

From the jw.org publications

Trustworthy History

 Titles and terms

Accurate history is often revealed in the details-customs, etiquette, names and titles of officials, and so on.  How do the books of Genesis and Exodus, the first two books of the Bible, measure up to this respect? Regarding the Genesis narrative about Joseph, a son of the patriarch Jacob, as well as the book of Exodus, J. Garrow Duncan says in his book New Light on Hebrew Origins:" [the Bible writer] was thoroughly well acquainted with Egyptian language, customs, beliefs, court life, and etiquette and officialdom." He adds: [The writer] employs the correct title in use and exactly as it was used at the period referred to. . . . In fact, nothing more convincingly proves the intimate knowledge of things Egyptian in the Old Testaments, and the reliability of the writers, than the uses of the Pharaoh at different periods." Duncan also states: "When [the writer] brings his characters into the presence of Pharaoh, he makes them observe the correct court etiquette and use the correct language."

Brickmaking

During their period of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites made bricks out of clay mixed with straw, which serves as a binding material. (Exodus 1:14; 5:6-18) Some years ago, the book Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries stated: "In few places has [brickmaking] been practiced more than in Egypt, where sun-dried bricks still are, as they have always been, the characteristic building material of the country."  The book also mentions "the Egyptian practice of using straw in making bricks," thus corroborating that addition detail recorded in the Bible. 

Next time: Business enterprises 

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A Book You Can Trust - Part 1 - Egypt in Bible History

 The Bible was written over a period of some 2,600 years. Its history and prophecy are linked to seven world powers: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and Anglo-America. Each of these will be considered in a series of seven articles. The objective? To show that the Bible is trustworthy and inspired of God and that its message is one of hope for an end to the suffering caused by human misrule.

Egypt, famous for its pyramids and the Nile River, was the first world power of Bible history. Under its shadow the nation of Israel was formed. Moses, who penned the first five books of the Bible, was born in Egypt. Do secular history and archaeology corroborate what Moses wrote about that ancient land? Consider some examples.

Next time: Trustworthy History/Titles and terms

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BABYLON THE GREAT

 The Bible book of Revelation mentions a symbolic harlot named Babylon the Great." (Revelation 17:5) What does this harlot represent? The evidence points to its being religious entity.

Ancient Babylon was an extremely religious city, having over 50 temples dedicated to various deities.  The Babylonians believed in trinities of gods and an immoral soul that at death would descend to a dark netherworld. There, "human existence beyond the grave is at best only dismal, wretched reflection of life on earth," says Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia.

In time, those teachings spread throughout the world. Today they, or modified versions of them, can be found in the religions of Christendom-Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian etc., except Jehovah's Witnesses who worships the true God, Jehovah and not the traditional god from years past that they grew up knowing, and everyone thinks they are serving.  Together, these religions make up a major part of the global entity Babylon the Great! 

Next time: A Book You Can Trust - Part 1 -Egypt in Bible History

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A Hope You Can Trust

Yet another prophecy is having a remarkable fulfillment in our day.  The prophecy involves King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and a dream that he had about an immense image. The body was divided up into five parts-the head, the breasts, and arms, the belly and thighs, the legs and feet-each one with a different composition. (Daniel 2:31-33) These metal parts stood for a succession of governments or kingdoms, that started with Babylon and continues down to the Anglo-American World Power, the seventh of Bible history. - DANIEL 2:36-41.

Daniel discloses that in the feet and toes of the image, there was a noteworthy change of materials.  How so? Pure metal was replaced with a mixture of iron and moist clay. By way of explanation, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar: "Whereas you beheld iron mixed with moist clay, they will come to be mixed with the offspring of mankind; but they will not prove to be sticking together, this one to that one, just as iron is not mixing with clay." (Daniel 2:43) Yes, mixing iron and clay results in a fragile union; there is no "sticking together." How accurately this describes the political divided world in which we live today!

Daniel also reveals another significant development.  In his dream, King Nebuchadnezzar saw a stone that was cut out of a large mountain.  This stone was lifted up, and "it struck the image on its feet of iron and of molded clay and crushed them." (Daniel 2:34) What does that mean? Daniel himself answers: " In the days of those kings [during the time of the final world power] the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin. And the kingdom itself will not be passed to any other people. It will crus and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite." (Daniel 2:44) That prophecy pointed forward to a Kingdom unlike any other government known to mankind. Its King is Jesus Christ, the Messiah. As mentioned in the previous articles of this series, Jesus will crush Satan and all his followers, human and spirit, thus bringing about universal peace and harmony. -1 Corinthians 15:25. 

Next time: BABYLON THE GREAT

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FORETOLD BY NAME

 One of the most remarkable prophecies regarding the downfall of Babylon involved is conqueror, King Cyrus of Persia. Nearly two centuries before Cyrus rose to power, Jehovah God mentioned him by name and foretold that he would be the one to conquer Babylon.

Pointing forward to Cyrus's conquest, Isaiah was inspired to write: "This is what Jehovah has said to his anointed one, to Cyrus whose right hand I have taken hold of, to subdue before him nations, . . .to open before him the two-leaved doors, so that even the gates will not be shut."  God also foretold that the Euphrates River, in effect, dry up. - ISAIAH 45:1-3; JEREMIAH 50:38. 

Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon confirms the fulfillment of this amazing prophecy.  They reveal that Cyrus's armies thus gained access to the city through its gates, which had been left open. As foretold, mighty Babylon fell "suddenly," in one night. - JEREMIAH 51:8.

Next time: A Hope You Can Trust

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Trustworthy Prophecy

 How would you respond if someone told you that a major capital city-such as Beijing, Moscow, or Washington D.C.-would become an uninhabited ruin? You would rightly be skeptical.  Yet, that is what happened with ancient Babylon. Some 200 years in advance, about the year 732 B.C.E., Jehovah God inspired the Hebrew prophet Isaiah to put in writing a prophecy about the demise of Babylon.  He wrote: "Babylon, the decoration of kingdoms . . . must become as whe God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited, nor will she reside for generation after generation.." - ISAIAH 13:19, 20.

But why would God foretell Babylon's destruction?  In 607 B.C.E., Babylonian armies destroyed Jerusalem and took the survivors off to Babylon, where they were treated cruelly. (Psalm 137:8, 9) God foretold that his people would have to endure this bitter treatment for 

70 years because of their own wicked deeds. Then God would deliver them and let them return to their homeland. - JEREMIAH 25:11; 29:10. 

True to God's prophetic Word, in 539 B.C.E.-just as Judah's 79-year exile was about to end-the seemingly invincible city of Babylon was overthrown by Medo-Persian armies. In time, the city became a heap of ruins-just as predicted. No human could foretell such a striking achievement.  Without a doubt, the act of prophesying, or foretelling events in advance. sets the Author of the Bible-the true God, Jehovah - apart from any other god. - ISAIAH 46:9, 10. 

Next time: FORETOLD BY NAME

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Trustworthy History

 The Bible book of Daniel tells us that a man by the name of Belshazzar once ruled as king in Babylon. (Daniel 5:1) However, some secular sources have stated in the past that Belshazzar, though powerful, was never king.  Was the Bible wrong? Archaeologists have uncovered a number of clay cylinders in the ruins of Mesopotamia.  The cuneiform inscription on one cylinder included a prayer by Babylonian King Nabonidus for "Bel-sar-ussur, my eldest son." Later findings confirmed that Belshazzar had "acted as regent for more than half his father's reign," states the New Bible Dictionary, "during which time he was to all intents and purposes king."

History also shows that ancient Babylon was an extremely religious city, rife with astrology and divination. For example, at Ezekiel 21:21, we read that the king of Babylon resorted to divination in order to determine whether to attack Jerusalem.  The king "looked into the liver," the Bible says. Why the liver? The Babylonians used this organ in quest of omens. The book Mesopotamian Astrology tells us that at just one site in ancient Babylon, archaeologists found "32 [clay] liver models, all inscribed with omens. 

Noted archaeologists Nelson Gluek once said: "I have excavated for thirty years with a Bible in one hand and a trowel in the other, and in matters of historical perspective I have never found the Bible to be in error." 

Next time: Trustworthy Prophecy

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A Book You Can Trust-Part 3 -Babylon in Bible History

 This is the third in a series of seven articles in consecutive issues of "Awake that discuss the seven world powers of Bible history. The objective is to show that the Bible is trustworthy and inspired of God and that its message is one of hope for an end to the suffering caused by man's cruel domination of his fellow man.

Situated in a fertile plain some 50 miles (80 km) south of modern-day Bagdad, the ancient city of Babylon was truly magnificent. With massive double walls and a surrounding moat, Babylon seemed impregnable.  The city was renowned for its majestic temples, hanging gardens, and temple towers. As one of the greatest cities of the ancient world, Babylon was recently dubbed the city of wonders.

In the Bible, it was named "Mistress of Kingdoms" and was the capital of the third world power of Bible history. (Isaiah 47:5) Like the Egyptian and Assyrian empires before it, ther Babylon Empire played a prominent role in Bible history, enabling us to compare what the Bible says about it with what secular sources say.

Next time: Trustworthy History

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Did the Israelites have anything to eat in the wilderness besides manna and quail?

 Where did the animals find food and water? Back then there may been a greater amount of rainfall and thus more vegetation in the wilderness.  Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 1, states that 3,500 years ago, the water supply in Arabia was to some extent superior to what it is at the present time.  The existence of many deep dry wadis, or valleys, which were once riverbeds, gives evidence that at some time in the past there was sufficient rainfall to produce streams of water." Even so, the wilderness was a barren and fearsome place. (Deuteronomy 8:14-16) Without the water that Jehovah miraculously provided, both the Israelites and their animals would surely have perished. - EXODUS 15:22-25; 17:1-6; NUMBERS 20:2, 11.

Moses told the Israelites that Jehovah had fed them with the manna "in order to make [them] know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every expression and word from Jehovah's mouth. 

Next time: A Book You Can Trust -Part 3-Babylon in Bible History

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Questions From Reader/Did the Israelites have anything to eat in the wilderness besides manna and quail?

 The Israelites may also have stopped at the major oasis known today as Feiran, which is part of the wild Feiran. This wadi, or river valley," is 81 miles (130 km) long and is one of the longest, most beautiful, and most famous wadis in Sinai,"" says the book Discovering the World of the Bible. It continues stating: "In the wadi, about 28 miles (45 km) from its mouth, is the 3-mile-long [4.8 km, beautiful, palm-laden Feiran Oasis, about 2,000 feet [610 km] above sea level. It is the Eden of Sinai.  Thousands of date palms have attracted settlers to this site since ancient times."

When leaving Egypt, the Israelites brought along flour dough, kneading troughs, and possibly some grain and oil. Of course, these things would not have lasted long.  The people also brought "flocks and herds, a great number of livestock." (Exodus 12:34-39) Because of the harsh conditions in the wilderness, however, the number of animals would likely have dwindled.  Some of them may have served as food for the Israelites. Other animals may have been offered as sacrifice, even to false gods. (Acts 7:39-43) Still, the Israelites did breed some animals, as noted in Jehovah's words to the people in response to their gross lack of faith: "Your sons will become shepherds in the wilderness 40 years." (Numbers 14:33) It is possible, therefore, that their flocks provided milk and on occasion meat but certainly not enough to sustain an estimated three million people for 40 years.

Next time: Did the Isrelites have anything to eat in the wilderness besides manna and quail? - Conclusion

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