Ahab, however, allowed the fruits of the victory to be lost, when he
might have made it decisive in its results. (1 Kings 20:26-43.)
5. The battle of =Ramoth-gilead=, in which the Syrians, under Ben-hadad,
were victorious over allied Israel and Judah, and Ahab was slain. (1
Kings 22.)
6. The slaughter of the allied Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites, at
=Berachah=, "the valley of blessing," in the reign of Jehoshaphat, king
of Judah. (2 Chron. 20.)
7. The war of Israel, Judah and Edom, against the Moabites, in which a
great battle took place at =Kir-haraseth=, in the land of Moab, when the
king of Moab offered his own son as a sacrifice in presence of the
contending armies. (2 Kings 3.) This was during the reign of Jehoshaphat
in Judah, and of Jehoram in Israel.
8. A second siege of =Samaria=, by the Syrians, under Ben-hadad, in the
reign of Jehoram; and a miraculous deliverance. (2 Kings 6, 7.)
9. A battle at =Zair= (probably Sela, or Petra), in Edom, in which
Jehoram was surrounded by the revolting Edomites, and won a victory, yet
could not prevent the Edomites from gaining their liberty. (2 Kings
8:21, 22.)
10. The capture of =Gath=, by the Syrians, under Hazael, in the reign of
Jehoash, king of Judah. (2 Kings 12:17.)
11. The victory of King Jehoash, of Israel, over the Syrians, at
=Aphek=, foretold by Elisha. (2 Kings 13:17-25.)
12. The battle of =Beth-shemesh=, a victory of Israel over Judah,
resulting in an Israelite army entering Jerusalem, in the reign of
Amaziah. (2 Kings 14.)
13. The final capture of =Samaria= by the Assyrians, and the extinction
of the kingdom of the Ten Tribes. (2 Kings 17:1-6.)
14. The battle of =Megiddo=, in which King Josiah, of Judah, lost his
life while resisting the invasion of Pharaoh-necho, the king of Egypt.
(2 Kings 23:29.)
15. Two battles at =Carchemish=, near the Euphrates, in the first of
which, Pharaoh-necho, of Egypt, was victorious (B.C. 608) over the
Assyrians, and in the second (B.C. 606) was thoroughly defeated by
Nebuchadnezzar, and compelled to relinquish all his conquests in Asia.
(2 Chron. 35:20.)
16. The destruction of =Jerusalem= by Nebuchadnezzar, and the extinction
of the kingdom of Judah. (2 Kings 25.)
OUTLINE FOR TEACHING.
1. Draw on the blackboard the map of _Solomon's Empire_, as already
given, showing its boundaries, and placing on it the city of Jerusalem,
the river Jordan, etc.
2. Divide the map into the _five kingdoms_ of _Syria_, _Israel_,
_Judah_, _Moab_ and _Edom_, and show their capitals and political
relations.
3. Drill the class upon the leading events of the _five historical
periods_ named in the above description, placing upon the map the
localities named in the history.
4. Name the _battles_ of the periods, and state the circumstances of
each battle, placing them upon the map in their historical order.
5. Through all the work let the class draw their own maps, following
that upon the board, and at the close carefully review all the work.
This subject might require several lessons in a normal class.
[Illustration: MOSQUE EL AKSA.]
THE GREAT ORIENTAL EMPIRES.
THE history of the Bible is so interwoven with that of the East, that a
view of its great empires is necessary. All the lands between the
Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean were united at different periods
under one government, and formed an empire which was constantly changing
according to the power or weakness of its dominant state; for in the
Oriental world there never has existed anything like a confederation of
states on an equality. At different periods Ur, Babylon or Nineveh
conquered all the surrounding lands; or at other periods a single race,
as the Medes and Persians, obtained supremacy. The empire thus arose and
fell, to be succeeded by a similar empire with another centre. During
the Old Testament history, between the days of Abraham and of Ezra, more
than 1,500 years, four successive empires appeared in the East. These
were:
I. The Early Babylonian Empire. B.C. 2280-1120.
II. The Assyrian Empire. B.C. 1120-626.
III. The Babylonian Empire. B.C. 606-538.
IV. The Persian Empire. B.C. 538-330.
I. =The Early Babylonian Empire= began about 3000 B.C., with several
states, each having a city as its capital. Among these were Ur
(_Mugheir_), Lagesh (Shirpurta), and Isin. These separate kingdoms were
united in an empire, of which Babylon was the capital, in the reign of
Hammurabi (the Amraphel of Gen. 14:1), about 2280 B.C. It lasted, with
varying fortunes, for 1,000 years. A map of this empire, in the time of
Abraham, is given on page 34.
[Illustration: AN ASSYRIAN PALACE.]
II. =The Assyrian Empire= arose from the small country Asshur, about 25
square miles in extent, lying east of the Tigris and north of the lower
Zab. Its capital was the city Asshur, now called _Kileh Sherghat_, 60
miles south of Nineveh. The city rose to power in the 14th century B.C.,
when, under Tukulti-ninib, Babylon was captured and the Babylonian
empire became the Assyrian. Afterward _Nimrud_, 20 miles south of
Nineveh, became the capital. Not until 702 was NINEVEH made by
Sennacherib the royal residence. It soon surpassed the earlier capitals
in size and magnificence, and became one of the largest cities of the
East. It then included four cities, surrounded by one wall, and forming
a parallelogram, as shown on the plan on page 96. The greatest kings of
this empire were: Shalmaneser, who made war on Samaria, and erected the
"Black Obelisk," which now stands in the British Museum, and by its
inscriptions furnishes the best record of the kingdom down to its own
age; Sargon, who completed the conquest of Samaria, and otherwise added
to the empire; Sennacherib, who enlarged and beautified Nineveh, warred
from Babylon to Egypt, and extorted tribute from Hezekiah, king of
Judah; and Esar-haddon, son of the preceding, who saw the empire at its
height, embracing, besides Assyria, Armenia, Media, Babylonia, Elam,
Mesopotamia, Syria, Israel, Judah, and the northern portion of Egypt.
These lands, however, for the most part retained their own rulers,
customs and government, but recognized themselves as vassals to the
"Great King," as he is styled in the inscriptions. Esar-haddon took
Manasseh, king of Judah, captive to Babylon, and repopulated Samaria
with colonists from other lands. His son, Asshur-bani-pal, witnessed his
kingdom declining, and was the last of the great kings, though he built
a vast palace at Nineveh. There was no coherence or unity in the empire,
whose provinces were held together only by the strong arm of the king;
and, on the death of Asshur-bani-pal, a general revolt took place among
the subject nations, his son perished, and Nineveh was utterly
destroyed, never again to appear in history.
The boundaries of the Assyrian empire are given upon the map according
to the best authorities. On the north they were the Armenian Mountains,
the river Cyrus (now called the _Kur_), north of the Araxes, and the
northern range of Mount Taurus; on the east, the Caspian Sea and the
great salt desert; on the south, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian desert
and Upper Egypt; on the west, the Mediterranean and the river Halys.
[Illustration: THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE.]
[Illustration: THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS.]
III. =The Babylonian Empire=, B.C. 606-538. This period has been more
correctly termed that of the "four kingdoms," since the East was not
then, as during the Assyrian period, under one government. The
destruction of Nineveh had been wrought by the union of the Medes and
Babylonians, under their kings, Cyaxares and Nabopolassar, and these
peoples succeeded to most, but not all, of the conquests of Assyria.
1. Media won its own independence, and obtained possession of Armenia,
Assyria Proper (north of the Tigris), and Elam. Persia had already been
conquered, so that the largest, though less important, portion of the
Assyrian empire now belonged to Media.
2. Babylonia obtained Chaldea, Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine. Most of
these countries had claimed their independence on the fall of Assyria;
and their conquest occupied the reign of Nabopolassar, and his greater
son, Nebuchadnezzar. Thus the important parts of the Bible world were
nearly all under the rule of Babylon.
3. A new kingdom arose in Asia Minor, that of Lydia, embracing all the
lands between the Ægean Sea and the river Halys; destined, however, to a
short history, for it formed one of the earliest conquests of Cyrus the
Great.
4. Cilicia also appears for the first time upon the map, being situated
between the Euphrates and Lydia, north of Syria, and south of the Halys
river, and retained its independence until the close of the Babylonian
period, when it was annexed to Persia, though even then it retained its
own kings.
5. To these might be added Egypt, though outside of the Asiatic world.
It soon shook off the yoke of Assyria, and resumed its independence;
but, endeavoring to contest with Babylon the empire of the East, was
defeated at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar, and compelled to retire from
Asia. Some suppose that it was conquered by Babylon; and it is possible
that for a few years Egypt may have recognized the supremacy of
Nebuchadnezzar by paying tribute, but it was never a part of his empire.
[Illustration: BLACK OBELISK.]
The map of the Oriental world, as thus reconstructed, lasted about a
century, though with varying boundary lines; as, for instance, Elam, or
Susiana, sometimes formed a part of Babylonia, and at other times of
Media. During this period BABYLON was the metropolis of the East. It was
raised to greatness by Nebuchadnezzar, who finished the Tower of Belus,
raised the Hanging Gardens, and built great palaces. Two-thirds of the
bricks unearthed in the ruins of Babylon bear his name. The city formed
a square, on both sides of the Euphrates, covering an area of 130 miles,
about that of the city and county of Philadelphia. It was surrounded
with double walls, one of which is said to have been 300 feet high, and
so wide that six chariots could be driven abreast along its summit. The
greatness of the city was short-lived. It was taken by the Medes and
Persians, B.C. 536, and soon began to decline, though it remained, in a
decaying condition, for nearly 1,000 years afterward.
[Illustration: BABYLON.]
[Illustration: COMPARATIVE AREAS OF THE GREAT EMPIRES--ASSYRIAN,
BABYLONIAN, PERSIAN.]
[Illustration: THE PERSIAN EMPIRE.]
[Illustration: DIVISION OF ALEXANDER'S EMPIRE.]
IV. =The Persian Empire=, B.C. 538-330. As the Babylonian power arose
with Nebuchadnezzar, the Persian began with Cyrus the Great. He was the
hereditary king of the Persians, and headed a revolt against the Medes,
which resulted in reversing the relations of the two races, so that the
Persians became dominant. He then led his united people westward, and
conquered Croesus, the king of Lydia, thus extending his dominion from
the Persian Gulf to the Ægean Sea. The power of Babylon began to fall on
the death of Nebuchadnezzar, whose successors were weaklings, and in
B.C. 538 Cyrus took the city of Babylon. His dominions were now larger
than those of the old Assyrian empire; and under his successors the
conquests of Persia were pushed both eastward and westward, until, under
Darius the Great, they embraced all the lands from the Indus to the
Nile. The map represents the empire of Persia at this period, with the
twenty satrapies, or provinces, into which it was divided by Darius.
This empire lasted for 200 years, until its conquest by Alexander the
Great, B.C. 330, when the sceptre of the East passed into European
hands, and Greece gave law to Asia. In the extent of its territory, in
the strength of its dominion, and in the consolidation of its conquests,
Persia was far greater than either Assyria or Babylon. It will be
observed that the scale of all the maps of the Assyrian, Babylonian and
Persian Empires, is the same, so that their relative proportions may be
seen.
The map of the Persian Empire represents the political state of the
Oriental world at the conclusion of the Old Testament period. When Ezra
and Nehemiah were at Jerusalem, and Haggai and Malachi were the prophets
of Judah, all the lands were under the dominion of Persia, and were
governed from "Shushan the palace," or Susa.
[Illustration: BABYLON.]
PERIOD OF RESTORATION 536 B.C.-70 A.D.
The closing portion of Old Testament history, from the edict of Cyrus
the Great, B.C. 536, permitting the captive Jews to return to Palestine,
is known as the Period of Restoration. From that time until the end of
the Jewish history, the land was under foreign rule. The Period of
Restoration, from the return from captivity to the birth of Christ, may
be divided as follows:
1. =The Persian Supremacy=, B.C. 538-330. During the 200 years of the
Persian empire, the Jews were kindly treated by their sovereigns, and
permitted to regulate their own affairs. Under Darius the Great, who
reigned B.C. 521-486, the second Temple was completed. Under Xerxes, the
next monarch, called in the Bible, Ahasuerus, occurred the romantic
events of Esther's deliverance, and the downfall of Haman. Under his
successor, Artaxerxes Longimanus, B.C. 465-425, the Jewish state was
reformed by Ezra, and the walls of Jerusalem were built by Nehemiah.
Soon after this occurred the separation of the Samaritans, and a rival
temple was built on Mount Gerizim.
2. =The Macedonian Supremacy=, B.C. 330-321, though brief, brought to
pass vast results. Alexander the Great, in a brilliant series of
battles, subjugated the entire Persian empire, and became the master of
the Oriental world. He dealt kindly with the Jews, notwithstanding their
loyalty to the Persian throne, and permitted them to enjoy freedom of
worship and of government. We do not give a map of Alexander's empire,
as its boundaries in Asia varied but little from those of Persia, and it
has no direct relation to Bible history. Soon after Alexander's death,
his generals formed a compact for the government of his empire; but it
was soon broken, and out of his conquests four kingdoms arose, of which
the most important were those of Seleucus in Asia, and of Ptolemy in
Africa. In the first division, B.C. 323, Palestine became a part of
Syria.
3. =The Egyptian Supremacy=, B.C. 321-198. Palestine was taken from
Syria by Ptolemy Soter, the ruler of Egypt; and his successors, the
Greek kings of Egypt, all named Ptolemy, held the Holy Land for 120
years. During this time the Jews were governed, under the king of Egypt,
by their high-priests. The most important event of this epoch was the
Septuagint translation of the Old Testament, made at Alexandria about
285 B.C. The map of the Division of Alexander's Empire represents the
Oriental world at this period, after the lands had settled down into
something like order under stable governments.
Omitting the minor states and free cities, the kingdoms of that epoch
were as follows:
1. _The kingdom of the Seleucidæ_, sometimes known as Syria, was founded
by Seleucus, B.C. 312. It included the largest portion of Alexander's
conquests, embracing most of Asia Minor, and those provinces of the
Bible world known as Syria, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Persia Proper,
Southern Media, and far beyond them eastward to the Indus. Throughout
its history of 250 years, it remained a Greek government, though in
Asia, and introduced the Greek language and literature to all the lands
of the Orient.
2. _The kingdom of the Ptolemies_ included Egypt, Libya, Palestine,
Phoenicia, and the southern provinces of Asia Minor. It was ruled by a
succession of Greek monarchs, descended from Ptolemy Soter, and, with
changing boundaries, endured until the death of its last queen, the
famous Cleopatra, when it became a part of the Roman empire.
3. There were other kingdoms in Asia at this time, appearing upon the
map. _Pontus_ and _Cappadocia_ intervened between the two sections of
the empire of the Seleucidæ. Southwest of the Caspian, and near the sea,
_Media Atropatene_ had gained its independence, and on the southeast
_Parthia_ was rising to power; while beyond, on the east, was
_Bactriana_. Other lands of less importance might also be named; but
these are all that are necessary to the reader of the history.
During this epoch of 125 years, Palestine remained under the control of
Egypt.
[Illustration: NINEVEH AND VICINITY.]
4. =The Syrian Supremacy=, B.C. 198-166. By the battle of Mount Panium,
Antiochus of the Seleucid line wrested Palestine from Egypt. The Syrian
domination, though short, brought to the Jews greater trials than any
previous period in their history. Jerusalem was twice taken and sacked,
the Temple was desecrated and closed, the Jewish religion was forbidden,
and those who remained steadfast to it were subjected to a cruel
persecution. The trials named in Heb. 11:35-87, belonged to this
period, when every attempt was made by Antiochus Epiphanes to destroy
the worship of Jehovah, and introduce Greek customs and religion among
the Jewish people. But the very violence of the tyranny reacted, and led
to a complete deliverance and a more thorough devotion.
5. =The Maccabean Independence=, B.C. 166-40. A priest named Mattathias
raised the banner of revolt; and, after his death, his five sons in
succession led the efforts of the Jews for freedom. The greatest of
them, though all were heroes, was Judas, called Maccabeus, "the hammer."
In B.C. 165 he took possession of Jerusalem; and, after his death, his
brother Simon won the recognition of the freedom of Palestine. Other
Maccabean princes extended the boundaries of the land over Edom, Samaria
and Galilee. Under a succession of these rulers, also called Asmonean
kings, Palestine was virtually independent, though nominally subordinate
to either Syria or Egypt.
[Illustration: PALESTINE UNDER THE MACCABEES.
B.C. 100.]
6. =The Roman Supremacy=, B.C. 40-A.D. 70. Perhaps this period should
begin with B.C. 63, when the Roman general Pompey entered Jerusalem, and
the Romans began to exercise a controlling influence. But the
representatives of the Maccabean line were allowed to reign until B.C.
40, when they were set aside, and Herod the Great, an Idumean (Edomite),
was made king by the Romans. It was in the closing portion of his reign
that JESUS CHRIST was born. The last 70 years of the Roman period belong
to New Testament history, and will be considered in connection with the
maps of that period.
THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
THE last of the Old World empires was that having its capital on the
seven hills of ROME. Like most of the others, it was the dominion of a
single city; but, unlike others, it represented the conquests, not of a
single conquering king, as Nebuchadnezzar or Cyrus, but of a
self-governing and conquering people; and, unlike its predecessors, it
was not a loose aggregation of states, ready to fall apart as soon as
the hand that fettered them was removed, but an empire, carefully welded
together, building up in every land its own civilization, and developing
a national unity which held its possessions together for a thousand
years.
[Illustration: THE COLOSSEUM AT ROME.]
At the close of the Old Testament period, the Persian empire stood in
all its power. Four hundred years later, at the opening of the New
Testament epoch, the Persian empire had given place to that of
Alexander; that had broken up into many fragments; and most of these in
turn had been united under the eagles of Rome. The world's capital had
moved westward, and the Mediterranean was now a Roman lake. The
principal provinces of this empire, omitting minor subdivisions, were:
I. =European Provinces.= 1. Italy. 2. Hispania, now known as Spain,
subdivided into three provinces. 3. Gallia, now France, including also
parts of Germany and the Netherlands, embracing five provinces. 4. The
Danubian provinces of Rhætia, Noricum, Pannonia, and Moesia, to which
Dacia was afterward added by the emperor Trajan. 5. The Grecian
provinces of Thracia, Macedonia, Achaia, and Illyricum.
II. =The Insular Provinces= were: 1. Britannia. 2. Sicilia. 3. Sardinia
and Corsica, united. 4. Cyprus. The other islands were attached, either
to these, or to governments upon the mainland.
III. =The Asiatic Provinces= were: 1. Asia, a term referring only to the
western end of Asia Minor. 2. Pontus and Bithynia, united. 3. Galatia.
4. Pamphylia and Lycia. 5. Cilicia. 6. Syria, of which Palestine was a
part. To these were added, after the New Testament period, Armenia,
Mesopotamia, and Arabia Petræa; but they were soon lost to the empire.
IV. =The African Provinces= were: 1. Ægyptus, or Egypt. 2. Cyrenaica,
called, in Acts 2:10, "parts of Libya about Cyrene." 3. Africa, the
district around Carthage. 4. Mauritania, now Morocco.
This empire was the most thoroughly organized and the longest in
duration of any in ancient history. It lasted until Rome fell under the
attacks of barbarians from the North, A.D. 476. Even after this, the
eastern division of the empire remained with almost unbroken power for
centuries, and was not finally extinguished until 1453, the close of the
Middle Ages.
[Illustration: THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT PERIOD.]
OUTLINE FOR TEACHING AND REVIEW.
THE ANCIENT EMPIRES.
It is desirable to let the class see the comparative area and location
of the Four Oriental Empires; hence they should be presented upon the
same map. Each of these may form a separate lesson.
I. _The Early Chaldean Empire._ 1. Draw in the centre of the blackboard
the outlines of the map of Chedorlaomer's Empire, on page 34, reserving
space enough around it to embrace all the lands of the maps on page 92.
2. Draw the four important rivers: the _Tigris_, _Euphrates_, _Jordan_
and _Nile_. 3. Show the _boundaries_ of Chedorlaomer's empire, and its
principal places: _Babylon_, _Ur_, _Nineveh_, _Haran_, _Damascus_,
_Hebron_. 4. State briefly the _history_ of the empire. 5. Review the
lesson, and let the class state all the information given.
N. B. The outlines may be drawn in advance with slate pencil or
soapstone, and then traced with chalk in the presence of the class.
Also, the initial letters only of places or rivers should be written, as
a hint to the memory; afterward the initial letters should be erased,
and the class be called upon to name the places as located by the
pointer.
II. _The Assyrian Empire._ 1. After erasing the boundaries of the first
empire, leaving the general outline of sea-coast and lands the same,
show the location of the conquering province, _Assyria_, and its
capital, Nineveh. 2. Draw the _boundaries_ of the Assyrian empire,
explain them to the class, and have them repeated in concert. 3. Locate
and name the subject provinces: _Armenia_, _Media_, _Mesopotamia_,
_Susiana_, _Babylonia_, _Syria_, _Palestine_. 4. Name its most important
kings: _Tiglath-adar_, _Shalmaneser_, _Sargon_, _Sennacherib_,
_Esar-haddon_, _Asshur-bani-pal_. With each king should be named the
events associated with his reign. 5. Review the outline as before.
III. _The Babylonian Empire._ This may be given upon the same map as the
two preceding. 1. Show the location and relations of the four kingdoms:
_Babylonia_, _Media_, _Lydia_, _Cilicia_. 2. Give an account of Babylon,
and its fall.
IV. _The Persian Empire._ Leaving the coast-line of the former maps on
the board, add to it the lines in all points of the compass requisite to
show the boundaries of Persia. The provinces, or satrapies, need not be
specified (unless detailed knowledge is desired), for they do not relate
to Bible history. Name the leading monarchs, Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes,
Artaxerxes Longimanus, and give an account of the fall of the empire.
V. _The Empire of Alexander._ 1. This may be shown in outline; and its
history be given. 2. The division of the empire and its leading kingdoms
should be mentioned.
VI. _The Roman Empire._ This will require a new map. Draw in outline the
lands around the Mediterranean Sea, and enumerate the provinces:
European, Asiatic, African.
[Illustration: GROTTO OF JEREMIAH (UNDER MOUNT CALVARY).]