When the northern kingdom of Israel was defeated by the Assyrians around 740 B.C. and 722 B.C., the Assyrians carried away many people to places along the Habor River (2 Kings 15:29; 1 Chronicles 5:26) and to cities in Media (2 Kings 17:1-6), and the nation essentially ceased to exist. Over a hundred years later, […]
Category Archives: Old Testament
Lower Egypt
In ancient times, the northern region of Egypt, often called Lower Egypt, was dominated by the extensive Nile River Delta and covered with uncultivated brush and papyrus. The Delta continually expanded and changed shape throughout Egypt’s history, as did the many branches of the Nile River. The Pelusaic branch, located at the eastern extreme of […]
The Final Days of the Northern Kingdom of Israel
2 Kings 16-17; 2 Chronicles 28; Isaiah 7-8 The final days of the northern kingdom of Israel were marked by a failed gamble and a desperate gambit. The failed gamble came as an attempt by Aram and Israel to compel neighboring states (including Judah) to form an alliance against the expanding Assyrian Empire around 735 […]
Patriarchs in Canaan
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all of Jacob’s sons lived in Canaan, the land that the Lord promised to give to Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 12:1-9; 15:1-21), and several of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and their wives were buried in the family burial cave that Abraham purchased in Hebron (Genesis 23:19; 25:9; 50:1-14). Abraham built […]
The Moabite Alliance Attacks Judah
2 Chronicles 20 After King Ahab of Israel died in 853 B.C., the nation of Moab revolted and reestablished their independence from Israel (2 Kings 1:1), and then they immediately formed an alliance with the Ammonites and the Meunites to attack King Jehoshaphat of Judah. By the time Jehoshaphat was informed of the situation, the […]