Bible History
Bible History
Choose a Category

History

The Diadochi: The Siege of Rhodes

In 305, Antigonus Monophthalmus, one of the Diadochi (successors ofAlexander the Great), sent out his son Demetrius to capture the city and island of Rhodes. It controlled the entrance to the Aegean Sea, and its capture was necessary if Antigonus wanted to liberate Greece andMacedonia. Diodorus of Sicily tells about the siege in his World History20...

Read More

History of Hannukah

The holiday originated when Judah the Maccabee and his followers reclaimed the temple in the village of Modi'in from Syrian King Antiochus IV. The temple was cleansed and prepared for rededication. The Hebrew word Hanukkah means "dedication." When the sacred temple Menorah (candelabra) was relit, there was only enough sacred oil to burn for one day...

Read More

The Diadochi: The end of the Macedonian Royal House

In 311, the Diadochi concluded a peace treaty. Ptolemy and Lysimachuswere confirmed in their territories, Egypt and Thrace; Cassander andAntigonus Monophthalmus remained supreme commanders of theMacedonian forces in Europe and Asia; the Greek towns were recognized by all parties as 'free and autonomous' (but Cassander kept garrisons at several plac...

Read More

The Diadochi: The Greek League

n 338 BCE, king Philip II of Macedonia defeated the army of the Greek towns at Chaeronea (text) and went to Corinth, where he founded the Greek League. The Greek towns were to stop fighting each other and share the burdens of a common war against Persia, in which Philip was to be their general (text; Eventually, Alexander the Great was the commande...

Read More

My Jewish Learning: Hanukkah History

Overview: Hanukkah History Hanukkah is one of the few Jewish holidays not mentioned in the Bible. The story of how Hanukkah came to be is contained in the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, which are not part of the Jewish canon of the Hebrew Bible. These books tell the story of the Maccabees, a small band of Jewish fighters who liberated the Land of Isra...

Read More

The Diadochi: The Inscription of Scepsis

Between 314 and 311, Antigonus Monophthalmus, the strongest of the generals who were contending for the inheritance of Alexander the Great, fought the Third Diadoch War against Ptolemy of Egypt, Lysimachus of Thrace, and Cassander of Macedonia. In 311, he agreed to a peace treaty. An inscription found in Scepsis in the Troad contains the text of a ...

Read More

The Diadochi: The Foundation of Halos

In the autumn 304, Demetrius I Poliorcetes invaded Greece, where he liberated the towns that were garrisoned by Cassander. Two years later, the two kings faced each other in southern Thessaly (between modern Almirós and Soúrpi), but no battle was fought, because both sides knew that the real decision was to be made in the battle between Antigonus...

Read More

Chapter 30: The Hasmonean Dynasty

Old Testament Life and Literature (1968) WITH Simon (141-135) a new era dawned for the Jews, and for the first time since the Babylonian conquest, they breathed the pure air of freedom. The atmosphere was charged with expectation. Simon seized the important port city of Gaza, providing Judah with a direct outlet to the Mediterranean world. Treaties...

Read More

Cleopatra , Ptolemy XIII, Ptolemy IV, Ptolemy XV Caesarion

Cleopatra VII, Ptolemy XIII, Ptolemy IV, Ptolemy XV Caesarion. In 51 BC, Cleopatra assumed power at the age of 17. She was required to marry so she took her brother, Ptolemy XIII, as her husband. He was only 12 by that time. Cleopatra soon dropped him from official documents and regarded herself as the sole ruler. Few years later, Ptolemy XIII chal...

Read More

Alexander's Successors: The Diadochi

Diadochi ('successors'): name of the first generation of military and political leaders after the death of the Macedonian king and conquerorAlexander the Great in 323. To settle the question whether his empire should disintegrate or survive as a unity, and, if so, under whose rule, they fought four full-scale wars. The result, reached by 300, was a...

Read More

61 Bible Translations

Popular Articles

Explore the Bible Like Never Before!

Bible History Online

Bible Study Tools

Top Tags