A little Bible Archaeology . . .
What is the importance of a good foundation?
http://www.atlastours.net/iraq/babylon.html
Questions:
- What is the importance of a good “foundation”?
- What comes to mind when you think of a “good foundation”?
- Have you ever watched a building being constructed from the foundations up?
-
Have you seen the earth being compacted, possibly piles
driven, and then
the foundations being poured?
- Have you ever seen the ruins of an older building?
- Who was Nebuchadnezzar?
- Could this be one of “Nebuchadnezzar’s” ruins?
-
How was Nebuchadnezzar tied to
-
What foundation did Nebuchadnezzar lean on?
- What lesson did Nebuchadnezzar learn?
What is the picture above?
Nebuchadnezzar's Southern
Palace (190 x 300 m) is situated on the west side of this
major street, made up of five courtyards each surrounded by halls and a diversity
of
chambers, one of which is the throne room (52 x 25 m) . . . It should be noted that many
remains lie under the accumulations of later buildings . . .
Let’s take a look at related Scripture and a man named
Nebuchadnezzar:
2 Kings 24:15 (NIV):
Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive to
Note: That in 2 Kings 24 Nebuchadnezzar brought back to
wealth and all of its men of valor.
Daniel 1:1-2 (NIV):
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim
king of
2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim
king of
articles from the
Daniel 3:1 (NIV): The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace
1
King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide,
and set it up on the plain of Dura in the
Daniel 4:28-33 (NIV): The Dream Is Fulfilled
28
All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 Twelve months later,
as the king was walking on the roof of the royal
30 he said, "Is
not this the great
mighty power and for the glory of
my majesty?"
31 The words were
still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is
decreed for you, King
Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from
you.
32 You will be driven
away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat
grass like cattle. Seven times will
pass by for you until you acknowledge that the
Most High is sovereign over the
kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he
wishes."
33 Immediately what had
been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven
away from people and ate grass like
cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of
heaven until his hair grew like the
feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a
bird.
Later Nebuchadnezzar was
restored, and stated the following . . .
Daniel 4:37 (NIV):
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the
King of heaven, because
everything he does is right and all
his ways are just. And those who walk in pride
he is able to humble.
What lesson did
Nebuchadnezzar learn?
What foundation should
Nebuchadnezzar
have leaned on?
Additional related
Bible references:
2 Kings 24; Daniel 1-5; many places in Jeremiah; Ezekiel 30:10;
2 Chronicles 36:7; Nehemiah 7:6; Ester 2:6; Ezra 1 & 5;
References:
The following websites were accessed Dec. 22, 2006:
http://www.allaboutarchaeology.org/bible-archaeology.htm
http://www.allaboutarchaeology.org/babylon-and-the-ishtar-gate-faq.htm
http://www.luc.edu/depts/history/dennis/Visual_Arts/101Images/02_1.21-27_Ishtar_Gate_1.jpg
http://www.rkcheung.com/Iraq/Ray%20Ishtar%20Gate.jpg
http://www.atlastours.net/iraq/ishtar_gate.jpg
http://www.atlastours.net/iraq/babylon.html
C M B
A little more information found off the
internet . . .
Bible Archaeology:
Cities of Ancient Empires
Bible Archaeology includes
the capital cities of the major ancient empires. For instance,
the Hittite civilization is mentioned throughout the Old Testament as ruling
the area of
present-day
of the Bible. About 100 years ago, ancient Boghazkoy was discovered east
of
then, archaeologists have uncovered a wealth of information about the history,
language
and culture of a people considered "imaginary" to
many scholars prior to that time.
Babylon, the ancient capital of the Babylonian Empire, covers nearly 3,000
acres about
55 miles south of current-day
structures (ex., the Tower of
enormous walls that measured 80 feet thick (wide enough to allow a four-horse
chariot to
turn). The Bible tells us that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed
the Jews to
that constantly warred against the Israelites for control of early
200 times in the Old Testament, the Philistines had a major fortified seaport
at Ashkelon
on the Mediterranean Sea, which was discovered just north of present-day
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed
prophets.
The Ishtar Gate of Babylon was built during the reign
of King Nebuchadnezzar II (604-
562 BC). The foundations of the gate were discovered between 1899 and 1914,
including
numerous glazed bricks and unglazed figures. The entire Ishtar
Gate was reconstructed to
a height of 47 feet and now resides at the
The Ishtar Gate is one of the most dramatic finds
from ancient
dragons and bulls, Nebuchadnezzar dedicated the huge, ceremonial gate to the
goddess
Ishtar. It was the main entrance to the inner streets
and temples of
Nebuchadnezzar II was known for awesome building projects such as the restored
of
wonders of the ancient world.
The
Ishtar Gate and other Babylonian Archaeology
& history . . .
It was the capital of ten Mesopotamian dynasties starting with the dynasty of
King
Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC); the 6th king of the 1st
dynasty; reaching prominence as the
capital city of the great
achieved its zenith, is well known particularly of its 2nd king,
Nebuchadnezzar II (605-
563 BC), to whom most of
temples and palaces. Its famous
his wife Amytas, were one of the
her home was in mountainous country, so the King reputedly had the
built to allay her homesickness.
Nowadays, its ruins covers about 302 km lying on the east bank of
Euphrates 90 km south
of Baghdad and about 10 km north of Hilla. The most important of the standing
monuments of
Nebuchadnezzar II, the Ziggurat attached to it, the Street of Processions, the
Lion of
Babylon, and the famous Ishtar Gate.
In Akkadian times, around 2350 BC,
centuries had grown in size and importance, mostly during the reign of the 3rd
Dynasty,
until it rose like a city meteor to deal the coup de grace to Sumerian authority
in
capital of the great Amorite soldier, the famous king, law-giver and social
reformer King
Hammurabi, with a code of common law, and a king with
genuine concern for the well-
being of his subjects - an unusual feature in those times.
temples and palaces. Its famous
his wife Amytas, were one of the
her home was in mountainous country, so the King reputedly had the
built to allay her homesickness.
What foundation should
Nebuchadnezzar
have leaned on?