I am enjoying perusing the newly published Photo Companion to Genesis, the latest addition to the Photo Companion to the Bible, by Dr. Todd Bolen and his team. As with the other volumes in this set, each chapter in Genesis (all 50!) is treated separately with its own PowerPoint. For example, chapter one has 225 slides; chapter two has 171 slides, chapter 10 has 604 slides! Another helpful feature: the slides include notes with further explantion, suggested resources, photo credits, etc.
I have been using Dr. Bolen’s materials for more than 20 years, and highly recommend this new addition. Knowing the geographical, archaeological and cultural context of the Bible enhances our understanding of the biblical text, and can help fortify one’s faith. This collection of photos, maps, and explanation chapter by chapter is a great resource.
Today my tour group visited Ostia Antica, and saw some of the excavations there. Over time, the port silted up, but in antiquity it was of vital importance to Rome. The Lexham Bible Dictionary has the following information:
OSTIA An ancient port of Rome located at the mouth of the Tiber River. A vital strategic and commercial site of the Roman Empire.
Location and Biblical Relevance
Ostia was the nearest port that granted access to Rome for seafaring travelers of the New Testament world. Its name is derived from the Latin term ostium, meaning “doorway” or “entryway.” The name encapsulates the importance of the site, for it served as the maritime gateway to the capital of the Roman Empire.
The city and port of Ostia was located 22 miles (35 km) downstream from Rome at the mouth of the Tiber River. It was associated with sea trade, which brought in wares and cultural goods from throughout the Mediterranean.
Ostia was also an early base for Roman naval activities. In its first centuries, the city was hardly more than a Roman army camp populated by citizen colonists (Salmon, Roman Colonization, 26–27). Ostia was not an excellent harbor; its anchorage was exposed, leaving it vulnerable to storms and pirates. These problems would not be solved until the first and second centuries ad, when the rival port of Portus was constructed.
Brand, S. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.
As one first enters the archaeological area, there is a statue of Minerva-Victory.
The writer of Hebrews closes with several imperatives, including this admonition in 13:5: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (ESV). For comparison: “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU” (NASB). The NET renders, “Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.”
Some years ago, while at Samsun (Biblical Pontus) on the Black Sea, Ferrell Jenkins and I visited the Samsun Archaeology and Ethnography Museum there. Here are some photographs which might be helpful visuals in teaching this biblical text (Heb. 13:5):
One should note that it is not the money that is itself sinful, but the LOVE of money (compare 1 Timothy 6:10).
Also note the Hebrews 13:5 states what “He Himself” (God) has said. What follows is to be the Christian’s response: “So that WE may boldly say, ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear, What can man do to me?'” (v.6). This kind of “answering speech” runs throughout scripture: God takes the initiative, He speaks, He reveals Himself, and then there is to be the appropriate repsonse, the answer of faith on the disciple’s part. “Speak, LORD, thy servant heareth” (1 Samuel 3:9).
Pontus is mentioned three times in the New Testament. Jews from Pontus were present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9). Aquila, one of Pau’s invaluable helpers, was from Pontus (Acts 18:2). Also the Apostle Peter addressessed Pontus (1 Pet. 1:).
Samsun (Amisus) was a leading city of Pontus. Regarding its biblical significance, Dr. Mark Wilson writes, “Amisus was at the northern terminus of the main road that ran across Asia Minor to Tarsus. Peter’s messenger undoubtedly disembarked at Amisus and initally made his way south along this route” (Biblical Turkey, pp. 334,336). Samsun is located between the deltas of the Kızıl and Yeşil rivers.
In 2 Chronicles in the context of the Divided Kingdom during the reign of Jehoram, king of Judah, the statement is made, “Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever” (21:7). (The NET Bible reads, “But the LORD was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty because of the promise he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty”).
To say that Jehoram was very wicked would be an understatement. His first act when his co-regency with his father Jehoshaphat (good king!) ended was to murder all six of his brothers! (21:4). Jehoram was married to Athaliah, the wicked daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and greatly swayed by them. Though King of Judah, “he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done” (21:6).
Lamp, dating to the time of the Divided Kingdom. Author’s personal collection. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Our inspired historian is stating that although Jehoram deserved destruction, as had indeed been meted out to several dynasties in Israel, that Yahweh, the faithful God of the Covenant, would insure that the lineage of David would continue. The use of the word picture of a lamp which continues to burn, and is not extinguished, was a fitting metaphor. The Davidic lineage (here seen in the kings of Judah, both good and bad) would continue until the Messiah came to earth, God Incarnate. This fulfilled the promise made in 2 Samuel 7; cf. 1 Chron. 17, and etc.). Indeed, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).
I have earlier written about Judah’s King Jehoram here.
In our previous post we saw Roman Emperor Constantine’s Arch, commemorating his victory over his rival Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge.
Arch of Constantine. (Colosseum on the right). Photo by Leon Mauldin.
There is a lengthy official inscription at the top center of the arch, explaining its purpose.
Inscription on Arch of Constantine. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Here is the Latin inscription with the English translation, from Rome, an Oxford Archaeological Guide:
IMP(eratori) CAES(ari) FL(avio) CONSTANTINO MAXIMO To the emperor Flavius Constantine, the Great, P(io)F(elici) AUGUSTO S(enatus) P(opulus)Q(ue)R(omanus) pious and fortunate, the Senate and People of Rome, QUOD INSTINCTU DIVINITATIS MENTIS because by divine inspiration and his own greatness of spirit MAGNITUDINE CUM EXERCITU SUO with his army TAM DE TYRANNO QUAM DE OMNI EIUS on both the tyrant and all his FACTIONE UNO TEMPORE IUSTIS faction at once in rightful REM PUBLICAM ULTUS EST ARMIS battle he avenged the State, ARCUM TRIUMPHIS INSIGNEM DICAVIT dedicated this arch as a mark of triumph
It is very popular to have group photos of tours taken with the arch as the background. Perhaps this will help in some small way to understand its historical significance.
The early 4th Century AD was a tumultuous time in the Roman Empire. Diocletin retired in AD 305 and left power to his chosen successors. Maxentius (one of the previous rulers of Diocletian’s Tetracharchy, ruled over the west) declared himself emperor, 306 AD. This was contested by several rivals, igniting a round of civil wars. Constantine (son of Flavious Constantius, d. AD 306, “senior emperor” under Diocletian) emerged as a major contender.
Initially there were several rival claimants to the throne but two primary factions emerged: Constantine vs Mazentius. In AD 312, Constantine and his troops met Maxentius and his army near the Milvian Bridge (located over the Tiber River in northern Rome. Maxentius’s forces were defeated; in the retreat Maxentius fell into the Tiber River and drowned.
Arch of Emperor Constantine in Rome, Italy. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Following the battle, the empire was ruled by Constantine (most of the west), Maximinus Daia (the easternmost provences, and Licinius (the area between).
It was just before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge that Constantine was converted to Christianity. Later in AD 313 Constantine (and Licinius) issued the Edict of Milan, which granted toleration to all religions and restored confiscated property to the Christians church.
The Arch of Constantine was dedicated by the Roman Senate in AD 315. It commorates Constantine’s victory over Maxentius.
Right hand side of the Arch. Shows Battle at Milvaian Bridge in frieze above smaller arch. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Here is a close-up of the battle as depicted on the Arch.
Highlighted area depicts the Battle at the Milvian Bridge. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Professor Gregory Aldrete notes, “The Arch of Constantine is one of the few surviving victory arches at Rome. It marks the first time that such a monument was erected to celebrate a civtory over fellow Romans rather than foreigners.”
My first opportunity to do some aerial photography in Israel was with Ferrell Jenkins, as he and I were on a personal study trip in 2009. Among the sites we photographed from that (tiny) plane was biblical Joppa.
Here in the foreground you can still see some of the ruins of the ancient harbor, an ancient Mediterranean harbor of Canaan and Israel, dating back to Old Testament time. At center is the old city, the geographical setting for many biblical events:
When Solomon was to construct the temple, the king of Tyre offered, “We will get all the timber you need from Lebanon and bring it in raft-like bundles by sea to Joppa. You can then haul it on up to Jerusalem.” (2 Chron. 2:16, NET).
Joppa was again used in this same manner when the second temple was rebuilt (Ezra 3:7). It’s about 35 miles from Joppa to Jerusalem.
Joppa figures in with the narrative of Jonah, who, when God told him to preach to Nineveh, “Instead, Jonah immediately headed off to Tarshish to escape from the commission of the LORD. He traveled to Joppa and found a merchant ship heading to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard it to go with them to Tarshish far away from the LORD” (Jonah 1:3, NET).
In NT times, there were disciples of Christ at Joppa. It was here that Peter raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36-43). Peter remained at Joppa for “many days” (Acts 9:43) and was there when the Gentile Cornelius, a Roman centurion stationed at Caesarea, sent for him, that he could hear the Gospel message of salvation (Acts 10; 11:1-18; see esp. 11:14).
I visited Joppa for the first time in 1999. It gives a different perspective to see such sites from above.
Some context: Mareshah in southern Israel was a city which Solomon’s son, King Rehoboam fortified (2 Chronicles 11:8). Later Judah’s King Asa met a military force of Cushites which greatly outnumbered Judah’s forces, but YAHWEH granted deliverance (2 Chronicles 14:9ff). Here is a photo of a Blessed Milkthistle I took while there a few years ago:
A helpful resource, Chronicles of the Land: Archaeology in the Israel Museum Jerusalem, regarding the above artifact, simply notes, “Head of a statue depicting an Ammonite deity, late 8th century BCE” (p. 87). That date would fit in the bibilcal period of the Divided Kingdom, or perhaps Judah Alone (Israel fell in 722 BC).
The inside BAR article notes,
Ancient inscriptions tell us that the people of Ammon called themselves the bene ammon (“children of Ammon”), a designation also found in the Book of Kings (1 Kings 11:7,33). The Ammonites had their own language and script, which developed from Proto-Canaanite and was closely related to Phoenician, Hebrew, and Moabite. They worshiped their own chief deity, Milkom [spelled “Milcom” in most translations], who is mentioned in both Ammonite inscriptions and the Bible (e.g., 1 Kings 11:5,33).
(BAR/Winter 2023, p. 50).
The Ammonites had their origin in Lot, the nephew of Abraham. The sad story is told in Genesis 19:30-38. In time to come, during the biblical period of the Judges, Israel worshiped “the gods of the people of Ammon”, among other gods (Judges 10:6). Later during the days of the United Kingdom, Saul fought (successfully) against the Ammonites (1 Samual 14:47). They were also subdued under King David (2 Samuel 8:11-12). Unfortunately, Israel’s forces were besieging Rabbah, Ammon’s capital, when David “tarried in Jerusalem” and committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-5). Another sad event: “Furthermore, on the hill east of Jerusalem Solomon built a high place for the detestable Moabite god Chemosh and for the detestable Ammonite god Milcom” (1 Kings 11:7, NET Bible).
Our map here below shows the location of Ammon.
Location of Ammon, beyond the Jordan. Map by BibleMapper.com.
The wording of our titles comes from 2 Chronicles 12:2, “And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD.” As most readers know, “Pharaoh” was not a personal name but a dynastic title designating the king of Egypt. The first biblical mention of a Pharaoh is Genesis 12:15, in the days of Abraham’s sojourn into Egypt. Other subsequent pharaohs are mentioned as time goes on, including the events in Joseph’s life, and later in the time of Moses and the Exodus. But the first Pharaoh mentioned by name is Shishak (cf. 1 Kings 11:40; 14:25-26). Shishak reigned during Egypt’s 22nd dynasty, which was a Libyan dynasty. His reigned 946-924 BC. He invaded Judah in his 19/20th year, which was 927/926 BC. This lines up with the 5th year of Rehoboam, 926/5 BC (2 Chron. 12:2), r. 931/930-913 BC.
In the days of Solomon’s adversary Jeroboam (who would become Israel’s first king when the kingdom divided into Israel and Judah after Solomon’s death, 931 BC), “Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon” (1 Kings 11:40). Solomon was succeeded by his son Rehoboam (1st king of the southern kingdom of Judah), and Pharaoh Shishak was again mentioned in scripture: “It happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house; he took away everything. He also took away all the gold shields which Solomon had made” (14:25-26). God allowed this invasion of Jerusalem because of Judah’s unfaithfulness (2 Chron. 12:2). The text explains, “Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the LORD, ‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak'” (2 Chron. 12:5).
It was the 21st year of his reign when Shishak returned to the capital of Thebes (ESV, “No” in NKJV), at Karnak he recorded his victory, including the listing not only of cities of Judah, but of many Israelite cities as well. Our photo shows the Shishak Inscription. Here he lists conquests, including Yuda Melchi (kingdom of Judah). This hieroglyphic inscription contains the names of ca. 50-60 localities in Israel and about 100 in Judah which were captured on this expedition.
The site of Tanis/Zoan is to be associated within the area of Goshen where the Israelites had lived for some time and were living at the time of the Exodus. “Psalm 78:12 Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan” (Psa. 78:12). Tanis is the site where Shishak was entombed. Our photo here shows the entrance into Tanis:
This is a fascinating example of how archaeology can enhance our understanding of the biblical text, as well as underscore the fact that the Bible is factual. While we do not depend on archaeology to “prove” the Bible, as it stands on its own merit, this “intersection” of biblical history with secular records has an important place in the discipline of apologetics.
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