Fall Of Judah Essays - Kings Of Ancient Judah, Zedekiah, Jehoiakim

Fall Of Judah Caught Between the Great Powers This paper will show how Judah aligned itself with Egypt, who was in a bipolar struggle for power with Babylon and how it eventually led to their destruction. Small nations caught between two larger powers struggling for supremacy find it impossible to remain in a state of neutrality. They must choose a side to align with and hope they make the right choice in order to survive the struggle. Judah's downfall began in 609 B.C. when Pharaoh Necho II led his army through Judah on his way to assist the Assyrians in battle against the Babylonians. Necho sent word all he intended to do was pass through Judah. King Josiah (640-609 B.C.) ruler of Judah decided to attack Necho's army on the plain of Megiddo. The Egyptians defeated Josiah's troops and King Josiah was killed as a result of the battle. Josiah's son Jehoahaz became King upon his father's death, he did not remain in power long and was replaced by Jehoiakim a pro-Egyptian leader. Jehoiakim was a loyal ally to the Egyptians and formed an alliance between Judah and Egypt in 609 B.C. Judah failed to realize the shift in power four years later when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated the Egyptian army in the Battle of Carchemish. Judah surrender to the Babylonians in 603 B.C., after seeing the total destruction of Ashkelon a year earlier. In 601 B.C. Judah revolted against Babylonian rule after seeing the Egyptian army defeat the Babylonian army. King Nebuchadnezzar retaliated against Judah in the winter of 586 B.C. Judah surrenders in order to save Jerusalem from destruction and to avoid the status of a conquered army. Nebuchadnezzar deported 10,000 inhabitants to Babylon, and levied heavy tribute on the people. In 594 B.C. King Zedekiah of Judah attempted to form a league against Babylon, made up of the small states that form modern Jordan, Israel and coastal Lebanon. The states were so small and weak they posed no threat to Nebuchadnezzar. In 589/8 B.C. Judah was once again left to fight the mighty Babylonians alone. Judah held out against the Babylonians for a year and a half. The fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. signaled the end of Judah. Judah took a gamble and sided with Egypt in a time of trouble. Judah failed to recognize that Egypt was no longer the dominant power, and did not try to align itself with Babylon. Judah's destruction; shows how small nations caught between two supreme powers fighting for control can be destroyed because they fail to recognize the shifts in power, and cling to a false hope they made the right choice. Malamat, Abraham ?Caught Between The Great Powers: Judah Picks a Side and Loses.? Biblical Archeology Review July/August 1999: 34-41. Religion

Free Essays on Sad

SAD ESSAY One fateful day at the end of June in 1998 when I was spending some time at home; my mother came to me with the bad news: my parent’s best friend, Tommy, had been diagnosed with brain cancer. He had been sick for some time and we all had anxiously been awaiting a prognosis. But none of us were ready for the bumpy roads that lay ahead: testing, surgery, chemotherapy, nausea, headaches, and fatigue. Even loud music would induce vomiting. He just felt all around lousy. After several surgeries and many rounds of chemotherapy, Tommy had lost the will to go on. He stayed at home in bed, he didn’t eat, he had lost the â€Å"go get’ em† attitude he once had. We all tried to give him the love and support he needed, but it didn’t look good. The doctor gave him until Christmas time. Then, one day there was a glimmer of hope in the darkness. Tommy’s cousin Tom Tripodi called one morning and told Tommy and his wife Barbara about an Indian healing ceremony. Skeptical at first, we began to learn more about the ancient art of healing ceremonies. We all warmed up to the idea, and Barbara took out several books on the subject. The decision had been toiled over, and finally made. Tommy was going to go through with it. Various plans must be made, and so the chaos began. Relatives and friends were called upon, both to attend the ceremony, and acquire the necessary supplies and provisions. After many over the phone consultations with the two Indians, Keith and Sean, and their friend/helper Tina, (who all lived in Canada), we were left with a long list of all the things that would be required for the event. Cans of tobacco; twenty foot high, three inch wide birch trees; river rocks; certain colors of fabric, pure cotton only; and the most important of all: family and friends, loved ones. For they would be the ones who would truly heal. Each item had a specific meaning and purpose, and each order must be followed exactly. ... Free Essays on Sad Free Essays on Sad SAD ESSAY One fateful day at the end of June in 1998 when I was spending some time at home; my mother came to me with the bad news: my parent’s best friend, Tommy, had been diagnosed with brain cancer. He had been sick for some time and we all had anxiously been awaiting a prognosis. But none of us were ready for the bumpy roads that lay ahead: testing, surgery, chemotherapy, nausea, headaches, and fatigue. Even loud music would induce vomiting. He just felt all around lousy. After several surgeries and many rounds of chemotherapy, Tommy had lost the will to go on. He stayed at home in bed, he didn’t eat, he had lost the â€Å"go get’ em† attitude he once had. We all tried to give him the love and support he needed, but it didn’t look good. The doctor gave him until Christmas time. Then, one day there was a glimmer of hope in the darkness. Tommy’s cousin Tom Tripodi called one morning and told Tommy and his wife Barbara about an Indian healing ceremony. Skeptical at first, we began to learn more about the ancient art of healing ceremonies. We all warmed up to the idea, and Barbara took out several books on the subject. The decision had been toiled over, and finally made. Tommy was going to go through with it. Various plans must be made, and so the chaos began. Relatives and friends were called upon, both to attend the ceremony, and acquire the necessary supplies and provisions. After many over the phone consultations with the two Indians, Keith and Sean, and their friend/helper Tina, (who all lived in Canada), we were left with a long list of all the things that would be required for the event. Cans of tobacco; twenty foot high, three inch wide birch trees; river rocks; certain colors of fabric, pure cotton only; and the most important of all: family and friends, loved ones. For they would be the ones who would truly heal. Each item had a specific meaning and purpose, and each order must be followed exactly. ...

Bipolar Disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bipolar Disorder - Research Paper Example With bipolar disorder comes many complications, but there are equally as many treatments in the ongoing battle against this disorder. Causes and Risk Factors Bipolar disorder is among the emotional disorders that has no definite cause. Regardless of the advances made in understanding this disorder, concrete causes are still being questioned and further investigated. However, there is an array of potential causes and risk factors that are believed to play a role in the development of bipolar disorder. Such factors include biological differences, hormones, neurotransmitters, inherited traits, and an individual’s environment. Biological differences, hormones, and neurotransmitters are vital aspects to the workings of an individual’s mind. If even one detail is off mark, the individual can experience a plethora of disorders, including bipolar disorder (Miklowitz & Cicchetti 229). It has been noted that many people who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder have physical alterations to their brains that do not exist in the brains of people who do not have the disorder. It has not been determined as to what causes these changes, but they are one of the characteristics that many bipolar disorder sufferers have in common. Likewise, an imbalance of neurotransmitters, which occur naturally in the brain, are thought to play a part in the causation of bipolar disorder. This imbalance can come in the form of too many or not enough neurotransmitters, or neurotransmitters that are not reacting as they should. The same can be said about an imbalance of hormones. Should an individual have too many or too few hormones, they risk developing bipolar disorder. Since these two features of the brain are important in defining one’s mood, any off-set can trigger many mood disorders, including bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is also believed to be a result of genetics, though the genes connected to the disorder are still to be determined. All the same, it has been shown that bipolar disorder is more common in individuals whose blood family, such as a parent or sibling, has a history of bipolar disorder or other mood disorders. Indeed, if there is a history of mood disorders, the risk of an individual developing the disorder themselves increases significantly. This connection has become too common to be just a coincidence, and doctors and scientists continue to look for the gene that may be linked to bipolar disorder. Finally, an individual’s environment is thought to be associated with the onset of bipolar disorder. â€Å"Genes are the bullets, but environment is the trigger† (Grieco & Edwards 63) is the agreement when it comes to most mood disorders. An individual might be prone to bipolar disorder, but they may not show symptoms of this disorder until their environment takes its toll. Stress, abuse, or a significant loss can trigger the start of bipolar disorder. Someone may have the makings for a mood disorder, though qu ite a few people go their entire lives without realizing it because they are not subjected to certain trigger events in their lives. There are also factors that can increase one’s risk of developing bipolar disorder. As previously mentioned, having blood relatives who have been diagnosed with a mood disorder increases one’s chances of developing bipolar disorder. Being subjected to periods of high stress or major life changes can drastically alter