Podcasts about Seleucus

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

Back again after what feels like a confusingly short amount of time. Seleucus III has no son to succeed him, making him the first king since his great-great-grandfather without a direct heir. So, let's put Seleucus III behind us... This episode draws upon material from previous episodes.

Adieu to Seleucus II- but not quite just yet. Before we pass the torch on to the next generation, we will spend some time looking at how far we've come since 246 BCE and giving Seleucus his well-deserved epithet. In terms of sources, this episode is based on episodes 47 to 63 inclusive.

It's never easy coming up with your own origin story, and the ascendant Hellenistic dynasties tried their best to justify their legitimacy in an age of shifting alliances. PhD candidate Angus Jacobson joins the show to discuss the "Flight of Seleucus" story presented to us by Libanius of Antioch (314-392 A.D.), offering insights as to how the Successors used (or manipulated) events in their royal propaganda, and the challenges of separating fact from fiction. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/07/30/interview-the-flight-of-seleucus-and-dynastic-propaganda-with-angus-jacobson/) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Attalus of Pergamon seems to have become enough an issue that Seleucus is trying to stabilise Syria ahead of an incursion. It's time to mete out some Seleucid wrath to Anatolia- or is it...? Sources for this episode: Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur.  Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucus II Callinicus (online) (Accessed 28/03/2024).

Matthew 24:15 (ESV)Daniel 10:14 (ESV)Daniel 11:2 (ESV)1. Ahasuerus, Artaxerxes, or Xerxes (Esther's Husband)Ezra 4:6 (ESV)AlexanderDaniel 11:3-4 (ESV)The 4 windsMacedon and Greece went to CassanderThrace and Asia Minor went to LysimachusSyria and Babylon went to SeleucusJudah and Egypt went to PtolemyThe City of TyreEzekiel 26:1-7 (ESV)Antiochus III the Great: takes the throne at 18Daniel 11:10-12 (ESV)Daniel 11:13-14 (ESV)Daniel 11:17 (ESV)Daniel 11:18-20 (ESV)4. Antiochus EphiphiniesDaniel 11:21-27 (ESV)Daniel 11:28-30 (ESV)5. Anti-ChristDaniel 11:35-45 (ESV)Daniel 12:1 (ESV)Holy SpiritPsalm 2:1-5 (ESV)GodPsalm 2:6 (ESV)JesusPsalm 2:7 (ESV)GodPsalm 2:8 (ESV)Holy SpiritPsalm 2:10-12 (ESV)

Seleucus may have been losing territory around the edges, but life in the centre of the empire is no bed of roses either. The moral of the story? If you're a Seleucid royal, rejecting a proposal by your aunt may have consequences... Sources for this episode:  Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Demetrius II Aetolicus (online) (Accessed 28/03/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Nicomedes II of Bithynia (online) (Accessed 28/03/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Nicomedes III of Bithynia (online) (Accessed 28/03/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Nicomedes IV of Bithynia (online) (Accessed 28/03/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Prusias I of Bithynia (online) (Accessed 28/03/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Prusias II of Bithynia (online) (Accessed 28/03/2024).

Seleucus is beginning to head out eastwards again- somewhere we haven't been for a long time. Let's familiarise ourselves with Andragoras, governor of Parthia, and the Parsi who we last discussed in episode 42... Sources for this episode: Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. Broderson, K. (1986), The Date of the Secession of Parthia from the Seleucid Kingdom. Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte 35(3): 378-381. Dobbins, K. W. (1974), Mithridates II and his Successors: A Study of the Parthian Crisis 90-70 B.C. Antichthon 8: 63-79. The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2024), Andragoras (online) (Accessed 04/03/2024). Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook). Lendering, J., Livius (2018, last changed 2020), Arsaces II (online) (Accessed 04/03/2024). Lendering, J., Livius (2018, last changed 2020), Arsaces III Phriapatius (online) (Accessed 04/03/2024). Olbrycht, M. J. (2014), The genealogy of Artabanos II (AD 8/9- 39/40), King of Parthia. Miscellanea Antrhopologica et Sociologica 15(3): 92-97. Rawlinson, G. (1871), A Manual of Ancient History, From the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. Comprising the History of Chaldea, Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Lydia, Phoenicia, Syria, Judaea, Egypt, Carthage, Persia, Greece, Macedonia, Parthia, and Rome. New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Andragoras (Seleucid satrap) (online) (Accessed 04/03/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Priapatius (online) (Accessed 04/03/2024).

After Hierax evicted Seleucus from Anatolia, the peninsula descended into chaos. But one of the monarchs of the Hellenistic period would not stand for that. It's time for Attalus I of Pergamon to step up to the plate... Sources for this episode: Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook). Norwich, J. J. (2013), A Short History of Byzantium. London: The Penguin Group. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Attalus I (online) (Accessed 29/02/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Kingdom of Pergamon (online) (Accessed 01/03/2024).

About the King's Business Daniel 8:1-27 by William Klock The books of 1 and 2 Maccabees in the Apocrypha detail the persecution of the Jews in the mid-160s BC, during the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.  2 Maccabees 6, for example, tells how “the king sent an Athenian senator to compel the Jews to forsake the laws of their ancestors and no longer to live by the laws of God; also to pollute the temple in Jerusalem and to call it the temple of Olympian Zeus” (6:1-2).  The gentiles used the temple of God for their orgies and drunken banquets.  Antiochus desecrated the alter with the sacrifice of a pig.  On holidays the king's men would round up Jews and force them to participate in his parades and sacrifices.  Those who refused to participate or who were caught living by torah were killed.  Two women, for example, were caught having circumcised their baby boys.  Their babies were tied around their necks as the women were paraded through the streets to the wall of the city and then thrown down it to their deaths.  Faithful Jews who were caught secretly observing the sabbath in a nearby network of caves were burned alive.  2 Maccabees 7 tells the story of seven brothers and their mother, who were threatened with torture to eat pork.  Despite being beaten, they refused. The king fell into a rage, and gave orders to have pans and caldrons heated. These were heated immediately, and he commanded that the tongue of their spokesman be cut out and that they scalp him and cut off his hands and feet, while the rest of the brothers and the mother looked on. When he was utterly helpless, the king ordered them to take him to the fire, still breathing, and to fry him in a pan. The smoke from the pan spread widely, but the brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die nobly, saying, “The Lord God is watching over us and in truth has compassion on us, as Moses declared in his song that bore witness against the people to their faces, when he said, ‘And he will have compassion on his servants.'” (2 Maccabees 7:3-6) The king went on to do the same to the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh brothers who all refused.  We read that: The mother was especially admirable and worthy of honorable memory. Although she saw her seven sons perish within a single day, she bore it with good courage because of her hope in the Lord. She encouraged each of them in the language of their ancestors. Filled with a noble spirit, she reinforced her woman's reasoning with a man's courage, and said to them, “I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of humankind and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.” (2 Maccabees s7:20-23) She stood firm—and so did her sons—because they hoped in the Lord.  They knew that he is the Lord of history.  They knew his goodness.  They knew his faithfulness.  They knew their story and how it was interwoven with the story of the faithfulness of the God of Israel, and so even as they were brutally murdered by a mad king, they trusted in him.  Daniel was written for these people.  The stories in the first half of the book show Daniel and his friends standing firm for the Lord during the Babylonian exile, but the dreams and visions in the second are situated right in the middle of those days of violent persecution four centuries later.  That's what we see now as we come to Chapter 8 and to Daniel's second vision.  Let's start with verse 1 and read through to the end. In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.   As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.   Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”   When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”   And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”   And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.   Another vision during the reign of the blasphemous king Belshazzar.  In his ways, he foreshadows the evils of Antiochus Epiphanes.  But as the first vision revealed, the days of Babylon were soon to be over, so this vision whisks Daniel hundreds of kilometres to the east, to Susa, which would become the capital of the Persian empire.  And there he sees another animal, this time a ram.  This is another clue as to when the book was written.  The ram as a sign of the zodiac was associated with Persia—not in Daniel's day, but in the time of the Greeks. The symbolism of Daniel 7 was difficult and there's a fair bit of disagreement about what it all means, but not so much with Daniel 8.  This vision is simpler and the explanation pretty straightforward.  Most everyone agrees on the major points.  So it begins with a ram representing the combined empire of the Medes and the Persians—those are the two horns, one bigger than the other.  Horns, in ancient imagery, represent strength.  The Medes were strong, but the Persians eventually become stronger and gobbled them up and so Daniel sees the ram, lowering its head, and charging from the east into the north and into the south and into the west—which is exactly what the Persian empire did, until it controlled the known world, even as far as Greece.  Daniel writes that the ram did as it pleased and became strong.  It's the way of human empires. But as the ram reaches the peak of its power, Daniel sees a goat appear in the west.  It helps to know that in the biblical mind, the goat was stronger and more powerful than the ram.  This goat had a single horn and it made its way across the land so fast it might have been flying for all it seemed to touch the earth.  It put its head down and charged the mighty ram and shattered both its powerful horns.  In case the symbolism wasn't already obvious, the angel explains that the goat is Greece.  The jutting horn is Alexander the Great. Alexander was the son of Philip II, King of Macedon.  He was tutored by Aristotle and assumed the throne when his father died in 336 BC.  He was only twenty years old.  By the age of thirty he had conquered the known world, from Greece in the west to India in the East, from Central Asia in the north to Egypt in the south.  And then, in 323 BC, still a young man, Alexander died of a fever in Babylon.  For twenty years his generals fought over his empire, eventually carving it up into four kingdoms, which Daniel sees as four horns.  The two relevant ones for the Jews were that of Seleucus who controlled Syria and the east, and Ptolemy, who controlled Egypt and Palestine. But this is all the background to the most important part of the vision.  Out of those Greek successor kingdoms arises another horn.  He isn't named, but as the details of the first horn obviously point to Alexander, the details of this new horn point very obviously to Antiochus IV Epiphanes.  In the great sweep of history, Antiochus was hardly the greatest of the Greek kings, but when he defeated the Egyptian Ptolemies and took control of Judah he became very important to the Jews.  The Ptolemies had treated the Jews well and allowed them to govern themselves as a sort of religous state as long as the high priest coughed up the annual taxes.  Antiochus, however, wanted to make good Greeks of the Jews and to get his hands on the temple treasury.  Under his rule the priesthood was bought and sold and eventually observance of torah was outlawed and torah scrolls burned.  God's worship in the temple was ended and it was turned into a temple to Olympian Zeus.  And Antiochus murdered faithful Jews by the tens of thousands. In Daniel's vision, Antiochus takes the form of this great horn that rises up against heaven itself.  These verses, especially 12-13, are difficult.  Just when I was glad to leave the Aramaic of chapters 2-7 behind, here come these verses that I can only describe as a Hebrew word salad.  The Hebrew of Daniel is something else that points to it having been written in the Second Century, because it's not written in the great literary Hebrew of Daniel's day, but in a sort of clunky Hebrew that looks a lot like it was written by someone who probably spoke Aramaic as a first language.  But that's okay.  The gist of Daniel's vision is that Antiochus, in going up against the temple and the priesthood, was really shaking his fist at the God of Israel.  This little earthly king who called himself “Epiphanies”—the manifestation of God—was pitting himself against the living God, the Lord of history, the one the Babylonian kings had had the good sense to acknowledge as God Most High.  That never ends well. And yet, for a time, the mad king seems to have won.  Israel's identity was centred on the temple.  That was the place where heaven and earth, where God and man met.  They were the holy people who lived with God in their midst.  And not only did Antiochus do his best to make sure they broke their end of the covenant with God by preventing them from keeping his law, but he suspended the very sacrifices that acknowledged God's presence in the temple.  He wanted the Jews to live like good Greeks and when they insisted on living like Jews, he banished their God from his temple and set up an altar to Zeus.  Judah was now his land.  Their God was gone, so they had no reason to obey his law.  Of course, the Jews knew better.  Like that mother and her seven sons in 2 Maccabees, they knew the faithfulness of the God of the Israel and they knew that no puny human king could blaspheme against him forever.  But, for a time, he would seem to have won the day.  According to Daniel's vision, for 2300 evenings and mornings the temple would be desolate.  That's a reference to the morning and evening sacrifices that were—or were supposed to be—made every day.  The sacrifices that Antiochus suspended.  Depending on how you parse this detail out, it's either about three years and three months or it's about six years and six months.  Most people tend to go with the three years, which corresponds closely to the time when Antiochus had suspended the worship of the Lord in the temple.  But the six-and-a-half years works too, if you count back to when the high priest was deposed.  Either way, we know what the vision represents.  And either way and for whatever reason, it's not an exact number, which means it may also be symbolic—we just can't be sure exactly how.  However we parse out the number, the important point is that the Lord has numbered these evil days. And that's the point I want to close on.  Too often we get fixated on numbers and on fixing dates and end up missing the point.  We do it with books like Daniel.  We do it with books like Revelation.  We do it with the prophets and with the apocalyptic discourses of Jesus.  It's nothing new.  Christians have been setting dates for over a thousand years and whenever we do, we seem to end up distracted from the gospel mission we've been given.  Often it ends with the creation of schismatic sects and cults.  William Miller, for example, worked out from these 2300 evening and mornings that Jesus would return in 1843.  His argument convinced a lot of people (and it helped that he threw in plenty of “God has told mes”).  Of course, it didn't happen so he adjusted his formula, admitted a small error, and corrected the date to 1844.  That didn't happen either.  But his followers had given up everything and then many of them walked away and became jaded.  They called it the “Great Disappointment”.  But, still, to this day Miller has his ardent followers.  They're the Seventh Day Adventists and believe that it really did happen in 1843, and that it wasn't about Jesus returning to the earth, but that Jesus on that date entered the heavenly temple to begin is work of judging souls in anticipation of his return. And many of us remember Hal Lindsey's The Late Great Planet Earth that became a sensation in the 1970s.  Lindsey made a point of not setting an exact date, but he wasn't shy about saying things like the 1980's would probably be the earth's last decade.  It motivated some people to become missionaries, but it motivated lots of other people to abandon their jobs, their families, and to run up massive credit card debt because they were convinced that in a year or two none of it would matter.  In more recent years we've had similar predictions made about “blood moons” and the like.  Christian bookstores were filled books about the imminent return of Jesus and end of the world.  People were, once again, all worked up about the end of the world and, once again, nothing happened. Again, we too often forget the point of passages like this one in Daniel 8.  Even if we could estimate or even set a date by it, the point is that God is in control and, because of that, we have every reason to stand firm in the midst of trials and persecution, knowing that God will vindicate us in the same way that he has vindicated his people in the past and, especially for us as Christians, in the same way that he vindicated his son when he raised him from death.  Daniel 8—and so many other passages—remind us first and foremost that God is sovereign.  No matter how it seems, history is not random.  No matter how much they may shake their fists at the heavens, no king is outside the sovereign will of God.  No matter how much we may abuse our God-given liberty, every one of us will be held to account.  Sin and evil will not go on forever.  God is judge, one day he will deal with sin and death once and for all, and eventually all of creation will be to rights—including us.  And we know that this will happen, we believe, we have hope, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus.  At the cross God did the hard part needed to set the world to rights.  At the cross Jesus won the decisive battle and one day the war will be over when we, the church, his people, have accomplished the work he has given.  He has equipped us with his own Spirit and sends us out to proclaim the life giving and renewing good news of his death and resurrection.  And for two thousand years, that good news has driven away the false gods of the pagans and brought kings and their people to their knees before Jesus and to give glory to the God of Israel.  Brothers and Sisters, date-setting, goofy predictions, and eschatological paranoia do nothing to witness the sovereignty of the Lord of history.  They do just the opposite and they undermine our witness.  They make Christians look foolish and the scriptures untrustworthy.  Our mission is to proclaim the gospel, because in Jesus and in his death and resurrection, that is where the world meets the living God and knows his faithfulness. And that brings me to the final point.  Look again at verse 27 and Daniel's response.  The vision left him troubled.  He even lay sick in his bed for “some days”.  He was in some sense dismayed because he didn't fully understand it.  But what did he do?  He says that he arose and went about the king's business.  Brothers and Sisters, the prophecies and apocalypses that the Spirit has given us in the scripture were never meant to send us out in a panic or a frenzy, they weren't given to have us abandon our earthly responsibilities because the world is coming to an end.  They were given to us to remind us that God is sovereign, that he will judge the wicked, and that he will vindicate his people for their faithfulness.  So be faithful.  The Lord had placed Daniel in a position of authority in the court of the king of Babylon.  That pagan court was soon to fall.  That pagan king was soon to die.  But the Lord had put Daniel in that position for a reason and so he went faithfully back to his work.  The same goes for each of us.  The Lord has put us where we are for a reason.  Be a faithful husband and father or a faithful wife and mother knowing that the Lord is sovereign.  Be faithful in your vocation, whatever it may be, however mundane it may seem.  Be faithful to your earthly obligations: to your family, to your business, to your school, to your church, to your club, to your friends, to your debts, to your country knowing that the Lord has placed you where you are.  That is, after all, the King's business.  This witness to our trust in the sovereignty of God is the foundation that undergirds our greater witness to Jesus and the gospel.  It is what prepares us to stand firm should the day come when we find ourselves forced to choose between obedience to an earthly king and obedience to our heavenly King.  May we stand firm like the saints of old and declare with the mother of those seven martyred sons, “The Lord God is watching over us and in truth has compassion on us.” Let's pray: Almighty God, look with mercy on your people; that by your great goodness we may be always governed and preserved both in body and soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

Friday after Ash Wednesday Saint of the Day: St. Daniel; lived in the Third and Fourth Centuries; he and four companions, Elias, Isaias, Jeremy and Samuel were Egyptians who visited Christians condemned to work in the mines of Cilicia during Maximus' persecution; they were arrested at the gates of Caesaria, Palestine, accused of being Christians, and beheaded; Porphyry, a servant of St. Pamphilus demanded that the bodies be buried, and he was tortured and then burned to death when it was found he was a Christian; Seleucus witnessed his death and applauded his constancy in the face of his terrible death; whereupon he was arrested and beheaded; St. Daniel and his companions died in 309 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 2/16/24 Gospel: Mark 9:14-15

The title of this episode says it all. Today, we're going to be dealing with the fate of Antioch once Ptolemy III comes strolling over. Plus, we'll finally get to move Seleucus around a bit and see some divine justice being doled out by the weather system... Sources for this episode: Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur (eBook). Grainger, J. D. (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook). Rosenberg, A. M., Rausser, S., Ren, J., Mosharov, E. V., Sturm, G., Odgon, R. T., Patel, P., Soni, R. K., Lacefield, C., Tobin, D. J., Paus, R. and Picard, M. (2021), Quantitative mapping of human hair greying and reversal in relation to life stress. eLife 10: e67437. Watson, J. S. (1853), on Attalus (date unknown), Justinus: Epitome of Pompeius Trogus' Philippic Histories (online) (Accessed 23/10/2023). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Xanthippus (Spartan commander) (online) (Accessed 21/11/2023).

Here is a bonus, sneak peak of Western Civ 2.0. In my Patreon feed, we hit the proverbial reset button and start from scratch. The episodes are more detailed but the storytelling is the same. This is the principal way I support the show. Patreon offers a variety of options for support running as low as $1 per month. There is also a free trial wherein you check it out for a week free of charge.In this episode, I wrap up the Wars of the Successors. Alexander the Great's death in 323 BCE shattered his empire before it had the chance to get up and going. Ptolemy, Seleucus, and a slew of others fought over the remains until Rome gobbled it all up. Patreon FeedWebsiteThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5553835/advertisement

The Seleucids // After Alexander's death, Ptolemy and Seleucus emerged as successors. The Ptolemies Hellenized conquered lands, including Palestine, leading to tensions with orthodox Jews. Antiochus Epiphanes later tried to force Greek culture on Judea, sparking conflict.

We discuss how Seleucus managed to win the "funeral games" after the death of Alexander the Great, and found the biggest empire of his time: the Seleucid dynasty.

The empire is reeling from the death of Antiochus the Great and his son Seleucus now in charge. He will have to stabilize the empire from within and find foreign allies, that and deal with the Romans. You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2023/02/19/27-seleucus-iv-philopator/ For tickets to our live event with History of Persia go to moment.co/historyofpersia

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

From the smoldering ashes of the empire rises a new young dynamic king. Seleucus III has one task in mind and that is retaking Anatolia once and for all. You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2023/02/05/25-seleucus-iii-ceraunus/

So Antiochus II left a right mess and now his three sons are going to have to figure out who gets to succeed. Follow Seleucus II as he balances the concerns of his own family with the Ptolemies while the thundering of hoofs makes itself heard in the east. You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2023/01/29/24-seleucus-ii-callinicus/

Roman Parallel - Marius (157-86 BC)Important PeopleDemetrius (337-283) - Neighbor and even, for a time, brother-in-law. Son of Antigonus I and father of Antigonus II, Demetrius rules in Greece, Macedon (for seven years), Asia Minor but was ultimately conquered by Seleucus and imprisoned until he died of his own drinking habit.Cassander (355-297) - Son of Antipater, who had served as regent of Macedon during Alexander's campaigns and later served as regent after the death of Perdiccas, he did not inherit the Macedonian throne from his father but had to fight Polyperchon for it. He conquers Greece as well and, most infamously, ends the charade of the successors serving as satraps to a regent by killing the young Alexander IV and his mother and grandmother, Olympias.Ptolemy I Soter (367-282) - The stable successor to Alexander who carves out Egypt (305 BC) for himself and founds a dynasty that rules Egypt from the prosperous port of Alexandria until Julius Caesar's arrival. Ptolemy also strategic in his dynastic alliances to stave off further wars.Cineas - Philosopher and orator, Cineas acts as a foil to Pyrrhus's reckless moving from hope to hope. In the midpoint of this life, he attempts to help Pyrrhus think through why he should be driven from conquest to conquest and provides reflection on Pyrrhus's accomplishments. Nevertheless, the philosopher accompanies him on all Pyrrhus's expeditions.Fabricius - Our first direct encounters with Roman virtue. While not given his own biography, Fabricius looms large in contrast to Pyrrhus's vices. Fabricius is stable, cautious, and dependable where Pyrrhus is reckless, overly optimistic, and flighty.Important PlacesEpirus - Pyrrhus's birthplace and kingdom by right, inheritance, and conquest.Macedon - Neighboring kingdom to Epirus. Pyrrhus manages to win it and lose it without a fight. Rome - The new power in the Western Mediterranean, having risen even more recently than Carthage, now threatens the entire Italian peninsula, including the Greek-speaking colonies in the south. Tarentum - The colony that asks Pyrrhus for help, and then quickly comes to regret asking. Beneventum - The battle in which the Romans manage, not exactly to beat Pyrrhus, but to convince him that Italy won't be worth the fight. Key Vices and VirtuesExcessive Appetite for Conquest (πλεονεξία) - Not a vice in the Aristotelian canon, but one important to historians like Thucydides, who saw it as the root of the Athenian downfall. This Life becomes a meditation on knowign one's political limits and serving in the capacity one has been placed. The philosopher Cineas provides some of this perspective for us without being too heavy-handed.Justice - Once again ignored by most of Alexander's successors, we do se key aspects of it lived up to by the Romans. It is called the virtue of kings in this life and one philosopher observes that the Roman Senate strikes him as “An Assembly of Kings.” When Justice and Power are joined, Plutarch sees not only a properous state nor even just a stable situation, but a good government promoting virtue in its people. This life sets us up so well to enter into the Roman story, because Plutarch wants to remind even the Romans of their past virtues and encourage them to live up to those old virtues in the height of their power.Support the show

Sunday, 25 December 2022   But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. Acts 13:14   The previous verse spoke of Paul and those with him going to Perga. At that time John departed from them. Now, it continues, saying, “But when they departed from Perga.”   More literally, it reads, “And they, having passed through from Perga.” In other words, it is speaking of the area that is traversed between Perga and the next location. They left Perga, traveled through the land and “they came to Antioch in Pisidia.” Rather, it should read Antioch of Pisidia. Albert Barnes explains the place and the reason, saying –   “Pisidia was a province of Asia Minor, and was situated north of Pamphylia. Antioch was not in Pisidia, but within the limits of Phrygia; but it belonged to Pisidia, and was called Antioch of Pisidia to distinguish it from Antioch in Syria - Pliny, Nat. Hist., 5, 27; Strabo, 12, p. 577 (Kuinoel; Robinson's Calmet). The city was built by Seleucus, the founder of the Antioch in Syria, and was called after the name of his father, Antiochus. He is said to have built 16 cities of that name ("Life and Epistles of Paul," vol. 1, p. 122).”   This area was inland to the north of Pamphylia and Antioch lay at the very northern end of it. Of this area, Cambridge makes an interesting comment –   “Dean Howson (Life and Epistles of St Paul, i. 175) suggests that it was perhaps in this journey that St Paul and his companion were exposed to those ‘perils of robbers' of which he speaks 2 Corinthians 11:26. Pisidia was a mountainous district rising gradually towards the north, and the quotations given by Dr Howson from Xenophon and Strabo shew that there was a great deal of brigand-like life there even in these times, from which Paul and his company may have been in danger.”   Once they arrived in Antioch, it next notes, “and went into the synagogue.” Again, an aorist participle is used, “and having gone into the synagogue.” Each step is detailed methodically by Luke to give the sense of the journey's motion for the reader to join in. Once in Antioch and having gone into the synagogue, it next records that it was “on the Sabbath day.”   The words in Greek more precisely state, “on the day of the Sabbaths.” This is what Paul refers to in Colossians 2 when arguing against observing Sabbath days and other things fulfilled through the work of Christ –   “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16, 17   It is a way of designating the day as the Sabbath as a recurring Feast of the Lord (see Leviticus 23:2). Now, having arrived at the synagogue and entered it on this feast day, it says they “sat down.” Like going into a church, the people would go in, sit and await the word from the leader of the synagogue or whoever was designated to begin conducting the Sabbath affairs.   Life application: As noted above, Paul clearly argues against the observance of sabbaths in Colossians 2. The entire passage there refers to the work of Christ ending the Law of Moses. The words hinge especially on verse 2:14 when speaking of the abolishment of the law –   “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13, 14   The words “having wiped out the requirements” is speaking of the Law of Moses. To wipe out something indicates its removal, like chalk on a chalkboard. To take something out of the way means it was an obstruction that has now been removed. And the metaphor “having nailed it to the cross” specifically speaks of the death of Jesus Christ, the embodiment of the law. In His death, the law is abolished (see also Ephesians 2:15).   The reason for this detail is that people will argue that the word “sabbaths” in Colossians 2:16 is not referring to the weekly Sabbath. This is entirely incorrect. It is, as noted in the commentary above, the plural term used to speak of the fifty-two weekly Sabbaths. The same plural terminology is found in the Old Testament concerning the weekly Sabbath over 100 times.   Exodus 31:31 for example, while speaking of the weekly Sabbaths, refers to them in the plural. The Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ. Hebrews 4:3 says that we rest in Him now. Therefore, a Christian is to not let anyone judge him for not observing a Sabbath Day.   As a point of doctrine: There is no such thing as a Sunday Sabbath. The Sabbath is a Saturday, and only a Saturday. Christian tradition eventually started to claim that worshiping on the Lord's Day (Sunday) had replaced the Saturday Sabbath. The claim is that this day of worship was now the “Sunday Sabbath.” This is incorrect. There is one Sabbath, and it is a Saturday. It is fulfilled in Christ. He is our Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:3). As such, don't allow anyone to pull a fast one on you and steal the prize from you. Rest in Christ, trust in Christ, and stay away from law observance, including the Sabbath day observance.   Lord God, help us to accept Your word as it teaches us its progressively revealed truths. We are free from the law, we are free from the bondage it imposes on us, and we are at liberty in Christ who has accomplished all things for us. Now, help us to be obedient to faithfully follow You through the New Covenant that came at such a high cost. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Everything has been collapsing since Alexander came through and there is no true heir left, now what? In comes Seleucus, last of the successors to make a name for himself. Will we have peace at last? Tune in to find out. You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2022/12/19/21-seleucus-i-nikator/

Saturday, 5 November 2022   Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. Acts 11:19   With the matter of Gentile inclusion clearly established and settled based on Peter's words to those in Jerusalem, the narrative now takes on a new and significant direction. The direction and focus of Acts will now begin to head out into the world beyond the borders of Israel and, eventually, the gospel will predominantly be seen to go forth to the Gentiles. In order to reveal this, the account will also go back to events that occurred in previous chapters so that the narrative catches up with events that occurred there, such as in Acts 7, 8, and 9.   With that understood, the words begin with, “Now those who were scattered.” This takes the reader back to Acts 8:1 –   “Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”   This was referring to the events that took place among the Jews and it occurred “after the persecution that arose over Stephen.”   This goes back even further, to Acts 7 and the account of Stephen's stoning. The persecution that is recorded in Acts 8:1 is based upon that. Also, rather than “persecution,” the Greek word here signifies “tribulation.” It is a wholly different word than that used in Acts 8:1. The persecution led to tribulation. Because of this, these Jews were not only scattered within the borders of Israel, but they continued on and “traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.”   The first location, Phoenicia, is introduced here. The name is believed to come from the Greek word phoinix, meaning a palm tree, most especially the date palm. Albert Barnes describes the location, saying, “Phoenice, or Phoenicia, was a province of Syria, which in its largest sense comprehended a narrow strip of country lying on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, and extending from Antioch to the borders of Egypt. But Phenice Proper extended only from the cities of Laodicea to Tyre, and included only the territories of Tyre and Sidon. This country was called sometimes simply ‘Canaan.'”   The next location, Cyprus, is also introduced here, although the name of the inhabitants was mentioned in Acts 4:36. The origin of the name is uncertain. Again, Barnes describes it, saying, “An island off the coast of Asia Minor, in the Mediterranean Sea.”   Finally, this is also the introduction of Antioch. Albert Barnes again describes the place, saying, “There were two cities of this name, one situated in Pisidia in Asia Minor (see Acts 13:14); the other, referred to here, was situated on the Orontes River, and was long, the capital of Syria. It was built by Seleucus Nicanor, and was called Antioch in honor of his father Antiochus. It was founded in 301 b.c. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but is several times mentioned in the Apocrypha and in the New Testament. It was long the most powerful city of the East, and was inferior only to Seleucia and Alexandria. It was famous for the fact that the right of citizenship was conferred by Seleucus on the Jews as well as the Greeks and Macedonians, so that here they had the privilege of worship in their own way without molestation. It is probable that the Christians would be regarded merely as a sect of Jews, and would be here suffered to celebrate their worship without interruption.”   With these locations noted, the verse finishes with the thought that those scattered were “preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.” Although true to some extent, this is not so much because they “had the common prejudices of the Jews, that the offers of salvation were made only to the Jews” (Barnes), but that they probably had no idea that Gentiles would even be included in God's offer of Christ Jesus.   In other words, it is true that the Jews had these prejudices, but without even knowing something is available to others, those prejudices would not even arise. Peter found out that Gentiles could be included, and he set aside any such prejudices. These Jews were as of yet uninformed as to what God was going to do for the Gentiles. Therefore, they simply went about telling their own fellow Jews that the Messiah had come.   Life application: The narrative in Acts is marvelously structured to show how events unfolded, but the events are placed in a manner that allows us to go forward with certain events and then go back to older events to see how other things occurred while those first set of recorded events were happening.   In this, we can get a marvelous sense of how the narrative is simultaneously unfolding in several directions. As you read Acts, consider such things and think about why each section is placed where it is. Like all of Scripture, God is slowly and methodically revealing to us what His plans are for the people of the world. At the same time, He is showing us why trouble has come upon Israel during this dispensation and where He would lead things during their time of exile.   Everything is carefully and meticulously placed to help us see how the great story of man's redemption through the Person and work of Jesus Christ has come about, is coming about, and will continue to come about. Luke's record of Acts is a wonderful part of this. If we pay heed to how he has laid things out, we can get a marvelous sense of the structure of this beautiful plan.   Lord God, thank You for the careful detail You have placed in Your word to help us know and understand why things are the way they are. You have set a plan for man's redemption, and it is so beautifully and methodically detailed for us to see. Give us insight into Your word so that we can more fully grasp every nuance that You have placed there for us to understand what is going on. Thank You, O God. Amen.

We continue to study Daniel's final vision including more of the Angel's Explanation to Daniel. This includes Prophecies about Persia and Greece and detail information about the Greek kings of the South and North.  Amazing Prophetic detail!

In this episode we will look at the obstacles faced by Copernicus, Galileo and others in trying to convince humanity we are not the centre of the universe.Having brought you right up to the present with Flat Earth theory and its pundits in the previous 2 episodes, ‘New Flat World Order 1 Flimflammers Charlatans and Snake Oil and New Flat World Order 2  Liars Deniers and INCELs', we will now take a detour back in time. The denial of a heliocentric solar system is crucial to any flat earth theory.As discussed in the first episode of this trilogy the spherical nature of the earth was pretty much accepted fact by most educated thinkers since the early Greeks. But even people who believed the evidence we live on a round planet found the idea of it spinning on its own axis and orbiting the sun a bridge too far. This idea of the Earth orbiting the sun goes back to at least the 5th century BCE. Greek philosopher Philolaos was the first to put forward the idea that the Earth was not the centre of the universe. He even went one step further and proposed the sun and all the stars and planets we see orbited a central fire. Philolaos may have been the first to allude to the super massive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way.Aristarchus of Samos in the 3rd century BCE and Seleucus of Seleucia in the 2nd century BCE would also famously argue for this heliocentric theory.As discussed in the first episode many of the church's thinkers and writers were not flat earthers, but the idea that the sun went around the Earth would take more than a millennia and a half to knock out of them. This geocentric view of the universe would actually cause them nothing but trouble for that whole time.The church had a vested interest in accurate astronomy dating back to at least the 4th century CE and the first ecumenical council of Nicaea. The Catholic Church would become a major mover and shaker in astronomy.Theologians Thomas Aquinas, Giovanni Tolosani, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Francesco Ingoli, Tommaso Caccini, writer Alexander Ross and demonologist Jean Bodin couldn't imagine an Earth not at the centre of the universe.It was up to Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilee and other enlightenment thinkers to finally convince the church it was clutching a dogma brick in an ocean of scientific observation.Eerily reminiscent of the recent Hollywood film Don't Look Up, Galileo even had trouble convincing the powers that be to simply look through his telescope and see for themselves!So troubled by Galileo's revelations Pope Urban VIII had him arrested and refused him a burial befitting his stature when he died.A pre Paradise Lost, John Milton even gets involved in our story. Ironically it was at The Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna that the theories of Copernicus, Galileo and Johannes Kepler were finally proven true by Catholic astronomer Giovanni  Cassini late in the 17th century. Eventually the ban on Galileo and Copernicus's books was lifted by the Vatican, another century after that all opposition to Heliocentric Theory had disappeared from the church.Despite the fact that modern flerfers have not caught up, the Catholic church at least has completely dropped any claim to a geocentric universe and in 1992 Pope John Paul II formally acquitted Galileo of heresy.In this episode we also ask the question, ‘where else is dogma and doctrine holding science back today'? Will CRSPR CAS9 and Artificial Intelligence be delayed  by superstitious mumbo jumbo written on goatskins by a bunch nomads thousands of years ago? 

Episode 1808: Our article of the day is Seleucus VI Epiphanes.

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

Daniel: Daniel 11:20-The Prophecy of the Murder of Antiochus III's Son Seleucus IV Philopator By His Treasurer Heliodorus-Lesson # 337

Daniel: Daniel 11:20-The Prophecy of the Murder of Antiochus III's Son Seleucus IV Philopator By His Treasurer Heliodorus-Lesson # 337

Daniel: Daniel 11:9-The Prophecy of Seleucus II Callinicus' Failed Egyptian Invasion-Lesson # 326

Daniel: Daniel 11:10-The Prophecy of Seleucus III and Antiochus III Seeking to Regain Lost Prestige By Military Conquest-Lesson # 327

Daniel: Daniel 11:9-The Prophecy of Seleucus II Callinicus' Failed Egyptian Invasion-Lesson # 326

Daniel: Daniel 11:10-The Prophecy of Seleucus III and Antiochus III Seeking to Regain Lost Prestige By Military Conquest-Lesson # 327

Daniel: Daniel 11:7-The Prophecy of Bernice's Brother Ptolemy III Euergetes Avenges Her Death By Defeating Seleucus II Callinicus-Lesson # 324

Daniel: Daniel 11:8-The Prophecy of Ptolemy III Euergetes Returning to Egypt with Much Spoil and His Peace Treaty with Seleucus II Callinicus-Lesson # 325

Daniel: Daniel 11:8-The Prophecy of Ptolemy III Euergetes Returning to Egypt with Much Spoil and His Peace Treaty with Seleucus II Callinicus-Lesson # 325

Daniel: Daniel 11:7-The Prophecy of Bernice's Brother Ptolemy III Euergetes Avenges Her Death By Defeating Seleucus II Callinicus-Lesson # 324

Daniel: Daniel 11:5-The Prophecy of Ptolemy I Soter and Seleucus I Nicator-Lesson # 322

Daniel: Daniel 11:5-The Prophecy of Ptolemy I Soter and Seleucus I Nicator-Lesson # 322

Matutina para el Día 312 | Noviembre 8 “Así entrará en el reino el rey del sur, y volverá a su tierra.” Daniel 11: 9 Aquí nos menciona que el rey del norte, Seleucus marchó contra el rey del sur, Ptolomeo III, con el plan de recuperar las imágenes fundidas, sus objetos preciosos de oro y plata y el prestigio perdido. Pero El fue derrotado y tuvo que regresar a Siria con sus manos vacías. Esto tomó lugar aproximadamente en el año 240 B.C. Vivimos en un mundo de migraciones masivas. Desde las épocas antiguas muchas personas salían de su países para ir a otras naciones en búsqueda de mejores vidas y nuevas oportunidades. Hoy muchos países son totalmente multiculturales debido al número de inmigrantes que viven allí. Muchos de nosotros somos extranjeros en los países en los que vivimos en este momento. El apóstol Pedro nos dice en 1 Pedro 2: 11 “Amados, yo os ruego como a extranjeros y peregrinos, que os abstengáis de los deseos carnales que batallan contra el alma” Pedro llama a todos los seguidores de Jesus como: extranjeros y peregrinos. Es decir que donde quiera que vivamos en este mundo debemos considerarnos extranjeros, ya que nuestra tierra no está en este mundo. Esperamos una mejor tierra a la cual anhelamos ir muy pronto. Este es el argumento por el cual Pedro nos invita a abstenernos de la inmoralidad que reina en este mundo. ¿Dónde está tu verdadera tierra? ¿Anhelas volver a ella? Jesus está por regresar muy para hacernos volver a Su Tierra, la tierra prometida. Soy Oscar Oviedo y este es el Devocional “Daniel en 365 días” Producido por el Ministerio One4Seven #Matutina #DevocionalMatutino #Daniel365 #One4Seven

Round two of the scrap for Syria! Although my sources seem to be slightly uncertain about some of the details, the broad strokes of the conflict are agreed upon. So, today, let's discuss a conflict that will rage from the early to late 250s BCE- and which will also have implications for Antiochus II's rule in the east... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus, London: Edward Arthur. 2) Bevan, E. R., Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911, edited by Hugh Chisholm), Seleucid dynasty. Available at: Wikisource [Accessed 18/06/2021]. 3) Bevan, E. R. (1927), The House of Ptolemy, London: Methuen Publishing. Available at: LascusCurtis [Accessed 08/02/2021]. 4) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (check date), Antiochus II Theos (online) [Accessed 21/04/2021]. 5) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (check date), Syrian Wars (online) [Accessed 30/07/2021]. 6) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook) [Accessed 04/01/2021]. 7) Heinen, H., Encyclopaedia Britannica (check date), Ptolemy II Philadelphus (online) [Accessed 21/04/2021]. 8) Rawlinson, G. (1869) A manual of ancient history from the earliest times to the fall of the Western Empire, comprising the history of Chaldea, Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Lydia, Phoenicia, Syria, Judea, Egypt, Carthage, Persia, Greece, Macedonia, Rome, and Parthia. Oxford: Clarendon Press. (eBook) [Accessed 02/03/2021]. 9) Tunny, J. A. (2000), Ptolemy 'The Son' Reconsidered: Are there too Many Ptolemies? Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik 131: 83-92. 10) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antiochus II Theos [Accessed 25/05/2021]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Nicomedes I of Bithynia (online) [Accessed 01/08/2021]. 12) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Ptolemy II Philadelphus [Accessed 28/03/2021].

Around 258 BCE, a Ptolemaic prince rebelled against Ptolemy II in Ephesus. His rebellion, in conjunction with a self-made dynasty called Timarchus, would ultimately fail, although the details of the prince involved, events themselves and. However, if we sweep aside the murky veil of time, we can see that the events after the rebellion lead directly to the Second Syrian War... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus, London: Edward Arthur. Quote: p.175. 2) Bevan, E. R. (1927), The House of Ptolemy, London: Methuen Publishing. Available at: LascusCurtis [Accessed 08/02/2021]. 3) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Antiochus II Theos (online) [Accessed 21/04/2021]. 4) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook) [Accessed 04/01/2021]. 5) Heinen, H., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Ptolemy II Philadelphus (online) [Accessed 21/04/2021]. 6) Tunny, J. A. (2000), Ptolemy 'The Son' Reconsidered: Are there too Many Ptolemies? Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik 131: 83-92. 7) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antiochus II Theos (online) [Accessed 11/06/2021]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Condotierro (online) [Accessed 11/06/2021]. 9) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Ephesus (online) [Accessed 11/06/2021]. 10) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Miletus (online) [Accessed 11/06/2021]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Ptolemy II Philadelphus (online) [Accessed 11/06/2021]. 12) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Timarchus of Miletus (online) [Accessed 11/06/2021].

Episode 121 – Perfectly Quiet – The Intertestamental Period 7 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: (Bible quotes from the God’s Word Translation) Gabriel [said] "Seventy sets of seven time periods have been assigned for your people and your holy city. ... from the time the command is given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed prince comes .... Jerusalem will be restored and rebuilt with a city square and a moat during the troubles of those times. But after the sixty-two sets of seven time periods, the Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing. Daniel, Chapter 9, verses 21 through 26, God’s Word Translation ******** VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K. Welcome to another episode of Anchored by Truth. Today we are continuing our look at “The Intertestamental Period” - the 400-plus year period between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. I’m in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder Crystal Sea Books. RD, today we’re going into our 7th episode in this series. Last time we talked about how the formation of the Pharisees and the Sadducees during the intertestamental period influenced the religious environment which Jesus confronted during His earthly ministry. Today we want to talk at some length about why we have called this series on the intertestamental period Perfectly Quiet. But before we get to that, RD, how about doing a brief refresher on why we’re so interested in helping listeners understand more about the Sadducees and Pharisees? RD: Greetings to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. We really appreciate you taking some time to be with us for this episode. We know that you are with us because you have a genuine desire to understand scripture more thoroughly. We also know that it might seem a little odd to focus as much attention as we have on a time period when no new books of the Bible were being added to the canon. But the truth is that having some familiarity with the intertestamental period is essential to a thorough understanding of both the Old and New Testament such as how the Sadducees and Pharisees developed and became instrumental in the story that would unfold in the four Gospels. Neither the Sadducees nor the Pharisees were mentioned at all in the Old Testament yet during in the Gospels the two parties had become so influential that they comprised the Jewish ruling council that was called the Sanhedrin. VK: But, of course, the trial itself was illegal according to Jewish law and the trial did not conform to Jewish law. So, it’s probably not fair to really call it a trial. But whatever label you want to put on it, the Sanhedrin was the group that held it. And the Sanhedrin was comprised of Sadducees and Pharisees which were two of the most important religious and political bodies of the day. Many scholars believe that at the time of Jesus’ trial there were more Sadducees on the Sanhedrin and many scholars believer that the high priest at the time was a Sadducee. RD: Right. So, we talked about the differences between the Sadducees and Pharisees and the possibilities for the factors during the intertestamental period that gave rise to their formation and influence. The main point we emphasized was that the fact that the Greek Empire and its successor empires had controlled Palestine for almost 200 years during the intertestamental period. And even after the Jews revolted and obtained their independence in 142 B.C. the Greek influence didn’t vanish. The leaders of the revolt founded the Hasmonean Dynasty that ruled Israel for several decades and the Hasmoneans seemed to have perpetuated the incorporation of Greek ideas and culture into the nation. So, even though the Hasmoneans were Jews, they were Jews who were comfortable with the Greek culture and ways of life. VK: And the Sadducees seemed to have been comfortable with the continued Greek influence, or Hellenization, but the Pharisees weren’t. The Pharisees were committed to retaining or returning to the traditional Jewish ways of life and religious practices. So, this would partially explain why the Sadducees were so threatened by Jesus. Jesus was the promised Messiah who had been predicted to come. Jesus was the very embodiment of the Jews’ hopes and aspirations. RD: Yes. And, of course, the Sadducees would have been even angrier at Jesus after he so decisively refuted their contention that there was no such thing as the resurrection. I think that the Sadducees held that opinion because Greek philosophy had a very low opinion of the “body” as opposed to the “spirit” and the Sadducees had readily embraced Greek ideas and thought. So, knowing that the Greeks controlled Palestine during the intertestamental period is very helpful in understanding the situation confronting Jesus. So, studying the intertestamental period gives us insight into the background of the New Testament. But studying the intertestamental period also helps us get a much clearer understanding of key portions of the Old Testament and today we want to talk about another very important implication of this. VK: Which is what? RD: The length of the intertestamental period. We’ve spent a lot of time during our series talking about what went on during the intertestamental period – such as the changes in empires that controlled Palestine. VK: So, just to set the stage. In our Bibles the last book of the Old Testament is Malachi which most scholars believe was written sometime between 430 B.C. and 458 B.C. The Persian Empire was in control of Palestine at that time and remained in control until around 332 B.C. when Alexander the Great entered Jerusalem having conquered the Persians. Alexander died in 323 B.C. and about 20 years later his empire was split among four of his generals including Ptolemy and Seleucus. A successor of Ptolemy or Seleucus controlled Palestine until 142 B.C. when the Jews regained their independence. The Romans took control of Palestine in 63 B.C. when the Roman general Pompey conquered Jerusalem. RD: Right. So, we’ve talked a lot about the changes in empires during the intertestamental period. We’ve talked about which foreign power controlled Palestine and we’ve talked about the impact those changes had – one of which was to actively spread their language and culture in the territories they controlled. During the lifetimes of Jesus and the Apostles Greek was the international language of commerce and trade. The most common version of the Old Testament in circulation among the dispersed Jews was the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament. Even though the Romans were in control politically and militarily Greek influences were everywhere. VK: The Greek language was so pervasive Roman youth were taught it. In fact, one of the most famous Roman statesmen and philosophers, Cicero said, "The Greek language is spoken in almost all nations; the Latin is confined to our comparatively narrow borders." And one of the most famous of the Roman historians, Tacitus, lamented that, "An infant born now is committed to a Greek nurse." So, despite the fact that the Roman Empire had displaced the Greek Empire the Greek influence continued to be felt both in and out of Palestine. RD: Correct. But, the Greek language was being used to communicate in a Roman empire and the Romans controlled trade, commerce, politics, and travel. One upside of Roman control was that Romans ensured that their roads and seaways were safe to it was easy to move around within the Roman Empire. So, we’ve talked about the changes in empires and how those changes affected Palestine. But up to this point we haven’t talked about why the intertestamental period lasted as long as it did. VK: Which was a period of over 400 years. You know that does seem to be a very long time during which God did not make any new revelations. RD: To our contemporary minds which are so used to instant responses from phones and computers 400 to 450 years is an eternity. But hundreds of years are of no consequence to an eternal God. VK: Which the Apostle Peter made plain in 2 Peter 3:8 and 9 where he wrote, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” RD: Exactly. God was being “quiet” insofar as new special revelations were concerned, but God was never inactive. During the intertestamental period God’s prophetic and redemptive time clocks were continuing to tick away. So, let’s make sure we have our time frames firmly established because today’s discussion is all about time. And establishing the beginning and ending points of the prophecy Daniel recorded in chapter 9 is crucial. So, first of all let’s note that Daniel received his vision around 539 B.C. At the time Daniel received the prophecy we heard in our first scripture Daniel himself had been in captivity close to 70 years. In all probability, he was part of the first group of Jews to be deported when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem around 605 B.C. At that time the Babylonians didn’t destroy Jerusalem. They just installed a vassal king and collected taxes. VK: Ultimately, though, after continued rebellions the Babylonians did completely destroy the city. Then, the remaining population, except for a very few of the poorest people, either went into exile or were scattered. At the time Daniel received the vision he recorded in chapter 9 Jerusalem had been a heap of rubble for decades. So, when the angel Gabriel told Daniel that Jerusalem was to be rebuilt would have been as astonishing as it was welcome. In the ancient world conquerors didn’t go around rebuilding cities and nations they had destroyed. RD: But, of course, Jerusalem had a special role to play in God’s plan of redemption so God was going to be sure that it was rebuilt. It didn’t matter how pagan emperors might ordinarily behave. Kings and empires are all going to do whatever God tells them to. So, when the Medo-Persian confederation conquered Babylon the Persian emperor, Cyrus, gave the first of four decrees that ultimately would result in Jerusalem’s complete restoration. Cyrus’s initial decree was given in 538 B.C. That decree allowed the Jews to return to their homeland but primarily concerned the rebuilding of the temple. That decree really did not say anything about rebuilding the city. Over the next not-quite 100 years three more decrees from Persian emperors concerning Jerusalem followed. The final of the four decrees came in 444 B.C. from the Persian emperor Artaxerxes. VK: Well, how can we be sure which of those four decrees started the prophetic time clock ticking and exactly what time period we are concerned with? RD: To answer your question we’re going to rely heavily on chapter 6 of Dr. Harold Hoehner’s book, Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ. I would highly recommend that book for anyone who is serious about developing their faith. So, let’s take the second part of your question first. Commentators are pretty much universally agreed that when the angel Gabriel, who delivered the prophecy to Daniel, referred to “Seventy sets of seven time periods” he was referring to 70 seven-year periods. Some translations refer to 70 “weeks” but for a variety of reasons, which Dr. Hoehner covers thoroughly, most commentators agree the prophecy concerns a total period 490 years or 70 seven-year periods. VK: But the 490 year time period was not one continuous period of 490 years. The total period is broken into 3 smaller periods: a 49-year period (7 times 7), a 434-year period (62 times 7), and one final seven-year period for a total of 70 seven year periods. And it was to be after the end of first two of those periods that the Anointed One, or Messiah, will be cut off. Before that happens, two of the three prophesied periods will have elapsed. The 49 year period and the 434 year period will have ended. That’s a total of 483 years. In other words, 483 years were prophesied to elapse between the decree issued to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and the cutting off of the Messiah? So, to evaluate the prophecy’s accuracy we need to know which of those four Persian decrees started that 483 year time clock ticking. RD: Right. As Dr. Hoehner discusses in his book, only one of those decrees, the last of the four, really meets the criteria given in Daniel chapter 9. That was the decree which is discussed in Nehemiah, chapter 2, verses 1 through 8. The first three decrees either had to do with rebuilding the temple or the ratification of the first decree when local opposition arose to rebuilding the temple and some surrounding locals tried to get it stopped. Only the Nehemiah decree talked about rebuilding the city’s walls which would have been an essential part to having a safe city which is implied in the prophecy’s discussion of the city square and moat. The “city square” implies a broad open place that is protected within the city and the moat would be a supplement to the defensive fortification a wall provides. According to Dr. Hoehner’s calculations Artaxerxes issued his decree, based on our calendar, on either March 4th or 5th of 444 B.C. VK: So that takes care of the start of the time clock and how long the clock would run, right? RD: Well, not quite. Remember that the ancient Jews did not use the Gregorian calendar which is the one we use. The Gregorian and Julian calendar both use a 365 day period for a year based on the solar cycle – the earth’s period of revolution around the sun. Now, of course, every 4th year in the Gregorian calendar is a so-called “leap year” to account for the fact that the solar cycle is actually slightly longer than 365 days. The ancient Hebrews used a calendar for a year that consisted of twelve even periods of 30-days. So, our current solar calendar year is not identical to the ancient Jewish calendar’s year. VK: In other words the ancient Jews year was 360 days long and not 365 days like ours. So, to make our calculation correctly we have to convert the years to days. So, 483 years times the 360 days the ancient Jews used for their calendar comes out to 173,880 days. So according to the prophecy 173,880 days would elapse between issuing the decree to restore Jerusalem and the Messiah being “cut off.” Are we just about ready to check Daniel’s accuracy? RD: Just about – one more detail. Today we actually know that the solar year is actually slightly longer than 365 and a quarter days. The solar year is actually 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45.975 seconds. VK: And 45.975 seconds? Yeah. Don’t want to forget those. RD: No you don’t because God didn’t. If we didn’t make an adjustment for those extra hours and seconds when you translate the Hebrew calendar days into the Gregorian calendar you would be off by 3 days. But the bottom line is that when you add those 173,880 days to March 5th of 444 B.C. and translate that result to our Gregorian calendar you come out to March 30th of 33 A.D. That is the day that we call Palm Sunday – the day Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem that we read about in scripture. Palm Sunday occurred just before Jesus’s crucifixion. Naturally, being crucified is a pretty dramatic way of being “cut off” and “having nothing.” A great many New Testament commentators agree that it was on Palm Sunday when Jesus’s role as the Messiah, the Anointed One became most visible during his pre-resurrection lifetime. On Palm Sunday Jesus visibly fulfilled a number of Old Testament prophecies including Zachariah 9:9 which prophesied that the Messiah would come to his people riding on the foal of a donkey. VK: This is starting to be another one of those moments that, when you think about it very much, gives you a headache. Let’s review for just a second. Sometime around 539 B.C. the angel Gabriel visited Daniel who was still in exile and far outside his homeland. Gabriel told Daniel that at some point in the future a decree would be issued that would allow the Jews to rebuild their city including the walls that would permit it to have a safe city square and interior. Gabriel told Daniel that 483 of their years later, after the issuance of that decree, the Jewish Messiah would appear to the people only to be “cut off and have nothing.” RD: Exactamundo, as I sometimes say to Jerry. VK: And we now know from history that all that unfolded exactly as Gabriel told Daniel that it would. Almost 100 years after Gabriel visited Daniel the Persian emperor Artaxerxes issued a decree that is recorded in Nehemiah chapter 2 and for which secular history provides confirmation. Then another 173,880 days later – which is 476 or so of our years - the prophecy was fulfilled on the exact day that was foretold. And this prophetic fulfillment accounts for the fact that the solar year actually contains not only 365 days we typically think about but also an additional 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 45.975 seconds. That’s not amazing. That’s mind boggling in the most literal meaning of the term. RD: That’s God. He is mind boggling – literally. So, this explains why the intertestamental period lasted as long as it did. Chronologically speaking, the book of Nehemiah, which contains the information we need to date the start of the prophetic time clock may be the last book of the Old Testament. It is certainly one of the last 3. But with the completion of the book of Nehemiah the world had all the information from the Jewish scriptures, our Old Testament, needed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah when He came. We even had the beginning of an exact time schedule. So, all that awaited was for the time to elapse to bring God’s plan of redemption to fruition. VK: So, what you’re saying is that God paused in His special revelation once He had given the world all the information it would need to know the Messiah when He came. So, just as God did with the 7 days of creation, God completed His work and then rested. That’s kind of an amazing thought. God treats time the way we treat distance. God measured out 173,880 days along the plane of history for a specific part of His plan of redemption. Then, God sent Gabriel to Daniel to tell Daniel about what He was planning. About 100 years later God put the plan into motion. And 173,880 days after that God completed His plan to reveal His Messiah at a specific point in earth’s history. Only an all-knowing, all-powerful God could do that. RD: But there’s one more thought I want to cover that is almost even more amazing than the prophetic precision we’ve just been talking about. VK: Not sure we can take much more. What we’ve already learned is a lot. You’ve already given us enough to meditate about for days. RD: Well, I think one more aspect of this prophecy needs to be emphasized. Clearly, only an omniscient and omnipotent God could give such a prophecy to one of His people and then orchestrate the events to bring it about. So the prophecy and its fulfillment alone illustrate that the Bible has a supernatural origin. But think about this. When Daniel heard about the prophecy, his world didn’t even know that the earth revolved around the sun much less know its orbital period. But God did and so do we. That means we can see the amazing accuracy of God’s activity within history that Daniel couldn’t. For that matter, from our vantage point within redemptive history, we have evidence of God’s existence, power, and faithfulness that even Jesus’s disciples didn’t possess. VK: Oh. I think I see where you’re going with this. Sometimes, Christians in our era will say to themselves how much stronger their faith would be if they had only seen Jesus turn the water into wine or feed 5,000 people with only a few loaves and fish. But, in an oddly ironic way, we have evidence to support our faith that even the people who lived alongside Daniel or Jesus didn’t possess. RD: Precisely. The Bible is so commonplace in our society that sometimes we miss the amazing attributes it possesses. Jesus’s audiences had access to the Old Testament so they could verify His claims about being the Messiah from the prophecies contained in it. But on Palm Sunday – the day He actually entered Jerusalem as the foretold Messiah – there probably wasn’t anyone in the crowd, including his own disciples, who had the same degree of information we have about the amazing display of prophetic perfection that was occurring right before their very eyes. But we have that – if we will take the time to get to know the Bible and to do a little bit of investigation about the astounding evidence that the Bible contains that it is the very word of God. The Bible not only tells about God and Jesus but properly studied, used, and understood it helps provide confirmation for its claims and our faith. In other words, contrary to some modern believers’ contentions, we have evidence that supports our faith that can be just as compelling as those who witnessed the water turning to wine or the loaves and fishes being multiplied. In an odd way we may have better evidence. VK: I see what you’re saying. Even if you had been standing next to Jesus and saw the water being poured into the barrel and then saw the lid being lifted and the wine drawn out – that would have been a single experience. It would have been a powerful experience, to be sure, but over time memories fade. Many of the witnesses to Jesus’s miracles might have had only that single experience with him. With the passage of time even the power of their experience might start to dim. But we have the Bible with us all the time and we can go to it daily or even multiple times a day. And every time we do we can have our faith reinforced not only by the comforting passages – like the fact that God will never leave us or forsake us. But by the fact that the Bible displays in every book the fact that God has given us evidence and reason to support and sustain our belief in Him. Sounds like a great time for a prayer. How about if today we pray a prayer of adoration for the Holy Spirit who is the one who attests, in our hearts, that Jesus came to bring us salvation. ---- PRAYER OF ADORATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!” (Bible Quotes from the God’s Word Translation) Daniel, Chapter 7, verses 2 through 7, God’s Word Translation https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1293/the-arrival-of-the-king

DESCRIPTION Episode 119 – Perfectly Quiet – The Intertestamental Period 5 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error. “ The Gospel of Mark, chapter 12, verses 18 and 26 and 27, New Living Translation ******** VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K. Welcome to another episode of Anchored by Truth. Today we are continuing our look at “The Intertestamental Period” - the 400-plus year period between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. I’m in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder Crystal Sea Books. RD, today we’re going into our 5th episode in this series. Last time we talked a bit about the conflict between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids for the control of Palestine during the intertestamental period. So, to set the stage for today’s discussion how about giving us a bit of a review of what we’ve been discussing. RD: Hello to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. We really appreciate you taking some time to be with us for this episode. The intertestamental period is probably the period of Biblical history that receives the least attention today. Most people are very familiar with the accounts of Jesus’ birth, life, and resurrection. Most are pretty familiar with some of the most popular episodes from the Old Testament such as Noah and the ark, Daniel in the lions’ den, or Elijah battling the prophets on Mt. Carmel. But even people who are regular Bible readers often pay little attention to the hundreds of years that elapsed between Malachi and Matthew. But we should because there were a great number of events that occurred during that period that are very important to us having a well-developed understanding of both the Old and New Testaments. And those events include the protracted conflict between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids that occurred between around 300 B.C. and 160 B. C. VK: And, as a refresher Ptolemy and Seleucus had both been generals in Alexander the Great’s army. After Alexander’s death his empire was carved into four territories. Ptolemy became the king of the Egyptian portion and Seleucus became the king of the Syrian portion. Israel, obviously, was between those two. So, when conflicts occurred between these two dynasties – which was pretty much all the time – Israel was always caught in the conflict. One of the most important prophetic chapters in the Old Testament has got to be chapter 11 of the book of Daniel. The entire chapter is devoted to the conflict between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids. It’s so detailed that it could almost read like a historical report of the conflict but it was written over 200 years before the first events of the struggle. RD: Right. And that’s a very good reason for looking at the intertestamental period. In the intertestamental period we see the fulfillment of a large number of prophecies contained in the Old Testament such as those in Daniel, chapter 11. See those prophecies fulfilled in such fine granularity cannot do anything but enhance our confidence in the Bible. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the strongest lines of evidence of the Bible’s supernatural inspiration. But beyond just seeing the prophetic fulfillment that occurred during the intertestamental period we also see the foundation for many of the events that we read about in the New Testament. For instance, there is no mention of the Sadducees or Pharisees at all in the Old Testament. But both groups were prominent in Israel in the first century A.D. VK: And since our contemporary calendar is dated according to Jesus’ life this is the period during which Jesus lived and performed his earthly ministry. Jesus frequently encountered both the Sadducees and the Pharisees during that ministry – though unfortunately most references to them are not positive ones. RD: Unfortunately, they are not. At any rate, both the Sadducees and Pharisees arose sometime during the intertestamental period though scholars are not exactly sure when. But it can be helpful to our understanding of Israel during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry to try to understand some of the forces that gave rise to them. VK: So, what is some of the thinking behind what gave rise to these two groups and why they became so prominent? RD: Well, as we have already mentioned after Alexander the Great died his empire was divided among four of his generals. Initially Palestine came under the rule of Ptolemy who also ruled Egypt. Under Ptolemy the Jews seemed to have retained a large measure of self-rule and were able to have their own high priest. Traditionally, the high priest had just a religious function but in the absence of a Jewish king the high priest also became a major source of political influence. Under the Ptolemies the Jews also flourished in Egypt and as we’ve noted the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint was eventually produced by the Jewish colony in Alexandria. The Ptolemies controlled Palestine from about 300 B.C. to 198 B.C. VK: But in 198 B.C. the Seleucids were finally able to get control of Palestine. There had been frequent conflicts between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids but this was the first time the Seleucids actually were able to directly rule Palestine. The Seleucid rulers normally went by the title of Antiochus. In 175 B.C. Antiochus IV (the 4th) came to power. This turned out to be a very bad thing for the Jews. RD: Correct. Antiochus IV also was known as Antiochus Epiphanes (god manifest). Well, Antiochus Epiphanes began to feel pressure from the Romans who were already beginning their expansion to the east. Macedonia, which is the northern part of the Greek peninsula actually fell to Rome in 146 B.C. but even before that Rome’s expanding territorial ambitions were becoming obvious. Antiochus Epiphanes saw this so in an attempt to strengthen his control Antiochus stepped up the process of Hellenizing his empire. VK: Hellenization referred to the process of importing the Greek language and culture into the territories Alexander had conquered. It had always occurred at some pace within the territories the Greeks controlled but not at the same rate everywhere. Evidently, Antiochus felt that if his empire were thoroughly Hellenized the people would be more resistant to the Romans. So, part of what Epiphanes did was to try to get the Jews to change their culture and even give up their religion. This produced a terrible period of persecution for the Jews. Not unpredictably it spawned a revolt. RD: Right. In 167 B.C. Antiochus set up a statue of Zeus in the temple and slaughtered pigs as a sacrifice to it. Many of the Jews thought that this event was what the prophet Daniel had referred to when he spoke of the “abomination of desolation.” It’s hard to imagine doing anything that would inflame faithful Jews more. Right after this desecration the Maccabean Revolt broke out. The revolt was led by Judas Maccabeus or Judas the “Hammer.” VK: And the revolt was successful. In 164 B.C. the Jews were able to regain control of Jerusalem and they cleansed the temple. This event is still celebrated among the Jews as Hannukah. All this history was recorded and is part of the book known as 1 (first) Maccabees. RD: And the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees are part of the group of books known as the Apocrypha which we talked about in the first episode of this series. The Apocrypha are thought by Roman Catholics and the Orthodox branches of Christianity to be part of a second canon or “deuterocanonical.” VK: So, after the Ptolemies lost control of Palestine there was a lot going on during the next 4 decades. How did all this lead to the formation of the Sadducees and Pharisees? RD: Let’s remember that both the Ptolemies and the Seleucids were Greek. They may have been fighting for control of territory but they were both part of the original Greek empire. So, Hellenization was present under both. It’s just that Antiochus Epiphanes had taken it to a whole new level. Well, after the Jews regained their religious freedom they also wanted political freedom. It took another 2 decades but in 142 B.C. the Jews finally regained their independence. VK: And this is hard for us to grasp but when the Jews regained their independence it was the first time in over 400 years. The first Babylonian deportation of the Jews to Babylon had taken place around 600 B.C. Even after the Jews returned to Palestine around 70 years later they still weren’t independent. They were just a vassal state of the Persian Empire and then part of the Greek Empire. That must have been an amazing period for the Jews – to finally have their freedom after over 450 years of foreign rule. RD: Undoubtedly. But of course even at that point the Jews had been subject to Greek influence for over 150 years. So, the process of Hellenization had been going on a long time. And as with any large cultural movement some Jews had welcomed the changes the Greeks had brought with them. But many did not. Even after the Jews under the Maccabeans gained their political independence they did not return to their traditional priestly line of governance. Instead, the Maccabees founded the Hasmonean Dynasty – named for one of their ancestors, Hashmon – and continued their control of the country. This was fine with some Jews but not with others. The Hasmonean rulers dominated the priesthood, even though they weren’t from the priestly line of Aaron, and continued to adopt Greek ways of life. VK: And the Sadducees appear to have been a group that supported them in this plan. The Sadducees were an aristocratic group that seemed to have prized political stability above everything else. I suppose we could think of them as being the “establishment” of their day? RD: Yes. Religiously, the Sadducees only recognized the first five books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch, as being canonical. They saw the rest of the books of the Old Testament as having lesser authority. This is one of the reasons they rejected the doctrine of the resurrection which Jesus confronted them about. VK: We heard that in our opening scripture today from Mark, chapter 12. There’s a parallel account of the same confrontation in Matthew, chapter 22, verses 22 through 33. So, it’s fair to say that the Sadducees had embraced the process of Hellenization far more than some other groups within Israel at the time. RD: Yes. VK: Then where do the Pharisees fit in? RD: The Pharisees seemed to have arisen as one of the groups that opposed the loss of the traditional Jewish culture and laws. They were not primarily a political group but they seemed to have begun to function as a cultural, religious, and political counterweight to the Sadducees and the Hellenizing intentions of the Hasmoneans. The Pharisees did accept the entire body of scripture we call the Old Testament so the Pharisees did accept the doctrine of resurrection and life after death. VK: And the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee. He famously invoked this religious difference when he was arrested in Jerusalem in Acts, chapter 23. This was a bit of clever lawyering on Paul’s part wasn’t it. RD: Yes. Paul’s trial before the Sanhedrin was around 60 A.D. So, it was about 200 years later than the events we’ve been describing. As we mentioned, we’re not sure exactly when the Sadducees and Pharisees formed as identifiable groups but they are first mentioned by the historian Josephus in connection with a Hasmonean ruler named John Hyrcanus I who ruled from 134 to 104 B.C. VK: So, sometime between the latter part of the 2nd century B.C. and the opening of the New Testament period the Sadducees and the Pharisees had become so well established and prominent that together they became the ruling group within Israel. Both groups had longevity. They persisted for well over 150 years. And we know that both groups had influence and power in Jesus’ day. RD: Yes. While we don’t know the exact origin of either group we do know that both groups have their roots in the intertestamental period and I think we can see how the Greek control of Palestine was a significant factor in shaping the Israel in which Jesus appeared. VK: What are you thinking about? RD: The Roman general Pompey occupied Jerusalem in 63 B.C. VK: Which put an end to the Jews’ independence. So, they were independent for less than 100 years? RD: Yes. So, let’s think about this. Between 300 B.C. and 142 B.C. the Jews were subject to Greek rule by either the Ptolemies or the Seleucids. And even after they became politically independent there were still factions within Israel that had supported the increasing Hellenization of their culture. The Greeks actively sought to transmit and spread their ideas. The Greeks were replaced by the Romans but the Romans did not make a corresponding effort to change the cultures, languages, or religious practices of the people they conquered. VK: The Romans were a very practical people. They were interested in stability within their far flung empire. They wanted control over economies, taxes, the military, and what we might term “infrastructure.” But the Romans didn’t have any particular interest in the religions or worship practices of their subject provinces provided those practices didn’t disrupt the Roman governance or the peace and stability of their empire. In fact the Romans afforded the Jews a fair amount of self-rule even during Jesus’ day didn’t they? The Jews had their own ruling council comprised of the Sadducees and Pharisees. The high council was permitted to make judgments about civil and criminal matters, although only the Romans could pronounce a death sentence. The Jews selected their own high priest. They were permitted to regulate the activities of the temples and synagogues. And even some of the high ranking Jews became friends with very senior Romans including members of Caesar’s family. RD: Right. As you mentioned, the Romans were very practical and this made them very capable builders and administrators. While it’s painting with a very broad brush you might say that Romans were builders while the Greeks had been thinkers. Alexander took an entire contingent of Greek scientists and philosophers along with his Army. The Greeks not only sought knowledge but they actively spread their knowledge and culture. During Jesus’ time, even after the Roman Empire had displaced the Greek Empire, Greek was the most common language used in international commerce and affairs. Even today the names of Greek philosophers are household names. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are still well known in our day and time. VK: So, there are Greek philosophers that are well known in our day and time - but there are still Roman public facilities in use in our day and time. Aqueducts and roads built by the Romans have survived and some are still functioning after 2,000 years. The Romans were masters at construction including pouring and curing concrete under water to build very sophisticated ports and harbors. Naturally, the Roman military prowess is legendary because they were masters of metallurgy and military design. So, what you’re saying is that the differences in these two empires was significant in God’s preparation of the world for the arrival of Jesus. RD: Exactly. While we’ll talk more about this in a future episode the Romans made it safe for the first evangelists to travel throughout the Roman Empire and spread the gospel. But the Greeks had made it possible for the evangelists to speak with the people wherever they went. VK: But you are also saying that the impact of the Greek and Roman Empires on the preparation for Jesus’ arrival wasn’t just limited to the world outside Palestine. There were also impacts within Palestine. This was especially true of the Greeks whose had been present in Palestine in one form or another for 300 years. And part of that impact was reflected in the presence and differences between the Sadducees and Pharisees. RD: Yes. The Sadducees seem to have followed the Hasmonean practice of embracing the Hellenization that had been brought to Israel. The Pharisees did not. In fact, the Pharisees seem to have actively resisted attempts to change their culture. This meant that the Sanhedrin, the Jews’ ruling council at the time of Jesus was split religiously and philosophically. The one thing they did agree on, though, was on a desire to maintain their own power and influence. VK: Well just about anyone who has read the Gospels or listened to a sermon on Jesus’ life has heard about the Sadducees and Pharisees. But what are you thinking about when you talk about their presence being important insofar as the arrival of Jesus in the world is concerned. RD: As you said just anyone who has ever read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John – or heard a sermon about them – has heard of the Sadducees and Pharisees. Part of the reason we’ve all heard about them is because it was often encounters between Jesus and a Sadducee or Pharisee that provided us with some of the clearest statements we have on major issues that pertain to salvation. VK: Such as? RD: Let’s look at the encounter we heard about in our opening scripture. This same encounter is described in Matthew and Mark. A group of the Sadducees were trying to trip Jesus up by asking, what was to them, a standard question they used in their debates with the Pharisees about whether there would be a physical resurrection. Remember the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection but the Pharisees did. So the Sadducees posed the famous married-to-seven-different-brothers question. VK: Let’s listen to the question from Matthew, chapter 22, verses 25 through 28. The Sadducees said, “Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. Last of all, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.” RD: Right. The basis for the question was the Levirate requirement for a younger brother to marry the widow of an older brother. Then the first son of that union would be reckoned as the son of the older brother. At any rate, it was a trick question. VK: Like the philosophy professor who asks the Christian student “If God is all powerful can God make a rock so big God can’t lift it?” RD: Exactly like that. It was a trick question but of course it couldn’t trick Jesus. Jesus quickly pointed out that even the part of the Old Testament that the Sadducees did accept, the Pentateuch, stated clearly that there was life after death. Jesus quoted from Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush. That encounter is described in Exodus, the 2nd book of the Bible. Jesus pointed out that God had used the present tense when he was speaking with Moses indicating clearly that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still alive with God even though all 3 had died physically decades before the encounter. So, we can see from this exchange with the Sadducees that Jesus often used his contact with either the Sadducees or Pharisees, or both, to clarify much of the confusion that existed at that time about major issues that pertained to faith and salvation. VK: So, you’re saying that the presence of the Sadducees and Pharisees in Israel during Jesus’ lifetime was actually helpful in Jesus getting out His message. The Sadducees and Pharisees were the leaders of society in their day. People listened to them just as they listen to various kinds of leaders and celebrities in our day. People would follow what the Sadducees and Pharisees said and did. And people would have been particularly interested if anyone confronted them. So, when Jesus had a debate or exchange with one the report would spread far more widely and quickly than it would otherwise. And, of course, we need to know something about the intertestamental period to know why that was true. If we don’t know anything about the intertestamental period the Sadducees and Pharisees appear in the Bible just like Dorothy dropping in from Kansas. RD: I like that visual. Next time we’ll take a little more about how some of Jesus’ exchanges with the Sadducees and Pharisees produced some of the clearest and most important teaching we have in the Bible. This is particularly important because so many of the things we learn pertain directly to our salvation and eternal life. Just as we heard in the scripture today Jesus Himself has affirmed that the resurrection is real. And since all things were made for Him and through Him when it comes to knowing how things work He is the most trustworthy voice possible. Now, I’m not saying that God or Jesus couldn’t have made these important revelations if the Sadducees and Pharisees didn’t exist. But I am saying that God chose to use the Sadducees and Pharisees as part of His plan of revelation. As such I think we need to take some time and understand how their arrival on the scene is part of the grand saga of redemption. VK: Amen. This sounds like a great time for a prayer. Jesus’ ministry while He was on this earth was all about saving those who are lost spiritually. The need for doing that continues today. So, today let’s listen to a prayer for the spiritually lost – knowing that God has promised that as we diligently and faithfully present our petitions He will respond with grace and mercy: ---- PRAYER FOR THE SPIRITUALLY LOST (JERRY). We hope you’ll be with us next time and we hope you’ll take some time to encourage some friends to tune in too, or listen to the podcast version of this show. If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the New International Version) Daniel, chapter 8, verses 5 through 8 and 20 and 21, New International Version

Episode 118 – Perfectly Quiet – The Intertestamental Period 4 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: "Some years later an alliance will be formed between the king of the north and the king of the south. The daughter of the king of the south will be given in marriage to the king of the north to secure the alliance, but she will lose her influence over him, and so will her father. She will be abandoned along with her supporters. But when one of her relatives becomes king of the south, he will raise an army and enter the fortress of the king of the north and defeat him." Daniel, chapter 11, verses 6 and 7, New Living Translation ******** VK: Hello. I'm Victoria K. Welcome to another episode of Anchored by Truth. Today we are continuing our look at "The Intertestamental Period" - the 400-plus year period between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. I'm in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder Crystal Sea Books. RD, today we're going into our 4th episode in this series. Can you give us a brief recap of where we are and why we are talking about a period of history when no new books were being added to the Bible? RD: Greetings to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. Let's start with the second question first. The reason we thought it was important to take a close look at the intertestamental period is the same reason we do everything on Anchored by Truth – to help increase listeners' understanding and confidence in the Bible. The Bible contains the content of the Christian faith. The Bible contains God's special revelation to the world. We can know that God exists and that God is a God of immeasurable power and wisdom by looking at the created order but the amount of information we can derive about God just by looking at the created order is going to, of necessity, be limited. VK: Theologians call the knowledge we get about God by our observations of the created order "general revelation." This knowledge is general in that is available to everybody but it also general in its content. By looking at galaxies and stars we can know that Whoever created them is a being of immense power and strength. We can look at the unmatched complexity of a cell and see that the Creator must have unimaginable wisdom and precision. But we won't know that God sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins just by staring at the stars or looking through a microscope. In order to know that God has a special plan and purpose for His creation we need His special revelation – and that is contained in the Bible. RD: Right. It's not too strong a statement to say that if someone doesn't know what the Bible says any faith they possess is going to be incomplete. At a minimum it will not be the faith that God wants His children to have. VK: The Good News Translation of the Bible says," faith comes from … hearing the Good News about Christ." Today, we only hear the Good News about Christ by either reading or listening to the revelation that comes from the Bible. RD: Yes. So, we need to read and meditate on the Bible in order to develop our faith. But just about any honest reader will tell you that the first time they read the Bible there were lots of things that they read that they didn't understand. VK: Quite possibly things such as our opening scripture. In our opening scripture we heard about the king of the north and the king of the south and them trying to form an alliance. We also heard about the king of the south sending his daughter to marry the king of the north but then the daughter gets abandoned. I don't think it's much of a stretch for many of us to wonder what all that has to do with coming to salvation through Christ. I'm sure you're going to say that's why we're doing this series. RD: I don't have to say it because you just did. We're doing this series on the intertestamental period for two reasons. First, because studying that period helps us make sense of scripture passages like the one we heard from Daniel, chapter 11. Let's remember that the Bible is all about the grand saga of creation, fall, and redemption. In the Bible creation and the fall occur within the first 3 chapters of Genesis which is the first book of the Bible. So, the rest of the Bible is about the unfolding saga of redemption. And because that saga occurred during the real history of the world, to understand the saga we need to understand some of that history. Second, studying the history of the intertestamental period can actually help increase our confidence that the Bible is the word of God because many of the prophecies that were made in the Old Testament were actually fulfilled during the intertestamental period. VK: Fulfilled prophecy helps demonstrate that the Bible truly has a supernatural origin. So, that's part of what we want to do during this study of the intertestamental period. We want to show that there were numerous prophecies made in the Old Testament period that were fulfilled during this time. We believe that seeing the precision of the prophecies and the precision of the fulfillment should increase our confidence in the fact that the Bible is the Word of God. RD: Correct. The seemingly mundane facts of history connect to the Bible's spiritual messages about salvation and heaven in a very direct way. By reading the Bible and studying history we can see that the Bible contains a large volume of prophecies, hundreds of which have been fulfilled. This solidifies our confidence that the Bible is God's word so that it can be trusted in matters that are supernatural. VK: So, where are we then in our intertestamental series? Obviously, today you want to talk about the specific prophecy that's contained in Daniel 11:6 and 7. How does that fit it with what we have covered so far in our series? RD: Well, in our first episode in this series we saw that there is a gap of hundreds of years between the close of Old Testament canon and the writing of the first book of the New Testament. In our second episode, we saw that at the start of the intertestamental period the Jews had returned to their ancestral homeland after an extended period of exile. But we also saw that at that time they were not an independent kingdom. At the start of the intertestamental period the Jews were a vassal state of the Persian Empire. Notwithstanding that they weren't truly independent though, we saw that the Jews had considerable reasons for hope because everything they had experienced had been consistent with prophecies they had been given. Therefore, they had reason to be hopeful because they also had prophecies of coming deliverance. In our third episode we saw as the intertestamental period progressed more and more prophecies they had been given also continued to come true. VK: Now during the intertestamental period they Jews did not know that that was the period they were in. At that point the Jews had no idea that someday the arrival of the Messiah would inaugurate an entirely new part of God's special revelation. But what you're saying is that the Jews could still continue to maintain a hopeful expectancy. Because even though there were no new prophets giving them additional messages from God, they could still see that God was active in their nation fulfilling prophecies He had already given. So, what is the significance of the discussion in Daniel, chapter 11 of the kings of the north and the south? RD: We covered last time that the Jews had been in exile at Babylon but they were allowed to return back to Palestine after the Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Medes and the Persians. The Persian Empire, in turn, fell to the Greeks who were led by Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great died fairly young at age 32. He had sons but they were far too young to take over for him and in the ensuing power struggle none of Alexander's relatives took power. After 20 years or so, 4 of Alexander's former generals divided his empire: Ptolemy, Seleucus, Cassander, and Lysimachus. The Bible is really only concerned with Ptolemy and Seleucus. VK: Because Ptolemy took over Egypt and Seleucus took over Syria – and Palestine of course lies between Egypt and Syria. Because the Bible always designates its directions using Israel as the point of reference Ptolemy and his successors would become the kings of the south. Egypt is south of Israel. Seleucus and his successors would become the kings of the north. Syria is north of Israel. So, in our passage when it refers to the king of the south we're really talking about an Egyptian ruler. And when it refers to the king of the north we're talking about a Syrian ruler. Right? RD: Right. So, chapter 11 of Daniel is devoted to a description of the struggle that would occur between Egyptian rulers and Syrian rulers over the territory of Israel. And all of chapter 11 of Daniel occurs chronologically during the intertestamental period. VK: Again, just as a quick refresher the last book of the Old Testament Malachi was written around 450 B.C. Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire in 334 B.C. So, it was more than 100 years after Malachi wrote that the Jews saw many of the events of the prophecies of the book of Daniel come true. RD: And, since Daniel had written his book about 100 years earlier than Malachi wrote, a total of more than 200 years elapsed between Daniel receiving his prophecy and the inauguration of the events that are described in chapter 11. But as we're going to see the precision of the prophecy is amazing and it would certainly defy the ability of any human being to make it unless that human had received a supernatural revelation from God. VK: Ok. Let's get started and see how our amazingly God is able to act sovereignly through both prophecy and history. For purposes of this exposition we're going to use the Good News Translation version of the same scripture. In the Good News Translation Version the first line of verse 6 says "After a number of years the king of Egypt will make an alliance with the king of Syria…" What is this all about? RD: The "after a number of years" means that the events of verses 6 and 7 did not occur during the lives of Ptolemy or Seleucus who had taken over immediately after Alexander, but during the reign of their successors: Ptolemy Philadelphus and Seleucus's successor, Antiochus Theos. "An alliance will be formed" means that these two successor kings would make an attempt to unite the two kingdoms more closely by a marriage between the royal families. All of Alexander's former generals had seen a bitter power struggle in the wake of Alexander's death and there were already tensions between these two royal families over which would control the boundary territory between the two kingdoms. VK: And that boundary territory included the territory of Israel. So, in an attempt to head off a protracted war these two kings decided to try to form an alliance. It was and is common among monarchies to try to create such alliances by intermarrying with one another. There have been some pretty famous attempts at such alliances – Henry the VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon springs to mind. Those attempts didn't always turn out so well. It certainly didn't for Catherine. RD: Yes. And as we will see it didn't turn out all that well in this case for the bride either. VK: In this case the bride was the daughter of the king of Egypt. Our text says the king of Egypt will give the king of Syria "his daughter in marriage." Who was the daughter? RD: The daughter was Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt. Philadelphus agreed that Berenice would marry Antiochus Theos, king of Syria. Ptolemy agreed to the marriage in order to bring a war in which they were engaged to an end. Philadelphus not only hoped to restore immediate but also hoped to establish a permanent peace and an alliance between the two kingdoms. One of the conditions of this alliance was, that Antiochus would divorce his former wife Laodice, and that the children of that former wife would be excluded from the line of succession. Ptolemy hoped that the kingdom of Syria might become part of Egypt, if Berenice had any children with Antiochus. VK: But that didn't work out, did it? Our scripture goes on to say "But the alliance will not last, and she, her husband, her child, and the servants who went with her will all be killed." This is starting to sound an awful lot like Henry's marriage to Catherine. Henry abandoned Catherine for Anne Boleyn. RD: And in the case of our scripture Ptolemy Philadelphus died two years after this marriage. When Philadelphus died, Antiochus returned to his former wife, Laodice, and put Berenice away. But that didn't work out so well for Antiochus because after he returned to Laodice she murdered him because she didn't want to risk being dismissed again. By then she obviously knew Antiochus was a fickle husband. VK: Let me guess what happened next. Laodice wasn't all that fond of the woman who had replaced her so she decided to get rid of her as well. RD: As they say, "Bingo!" The Syrian court officers conspired to plan the death of Berenice and her children. But Berenice got wind of the plan and fled with her children to the city of Daphne. But the officers caught up with her there and killed her and her children. And notice that the text also says that the servants who went with her will all be killed. It was common when a bride was sent from one royal family to marry into another that the bride would take along the servants who had been taking care of her. In some cases they had cared for her almost since birth. Not only would these familiar faces make settling into the new life and country easier but the bride knew she could trust them. VK: And sometimes those servants included one or more who would send reports back to the king or royal family of the country she had left. A set of highly placed eyes and ears in the country to which the bride had been sent. And, of course, as we will see next the old queen killing the new queen, her child, and her servants didn't end of the matter. Verse 7 of Daniel 11 says, "Soon afterward one of her relatives will become king. He will attack the army of the king of Syria, enter their fortress, and defeat them." So, what is this verse about? RD: Berenice was not the only child of Ptolemy Philadelphus. She had a brother called Ptolemy Euergetes. As soon as he heard of what was happening to his sister, he gathered an army together and went north to rescue her. Euergetes was too late to save he, but, in connection with an army which he had recruited from Asia Minor as part of the rescue, he decided to avenge her death. He not only conquered Syria but he also took over other territories that had been under Seleucid control including Israel. In fact, if Euergetes had not had to return home to put down a revolt he probably would have conquered all of the Seleucid controlled territory. VK: But he didn't and the war between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids would continue for another hundred or so years with Israel caught in between. Ultimately, a particularly evil Syrian king would come to throne who would desecrate the Jewish temple which is sometimes referred to as the "abomination that causes desolation." Some commentators believe this "Abomination of Desolation" might pre-figure the anti-Christ who will appear just before Jesus' return. RD: Yes. This Syrian king is known in history as Antiochus Epiphanes. Epiphanes means "god manifest" Well, the Jews were so outraged by the behavior of Antiochus Epiphanes that they revolted and eventually were able to throw off all foreign rule for a period of several decades. But despite this period of self-rule it's important to note that by that time Israel had been under Greek control for almost 2 centuries. Remember that even though the Ptolemies and Seleucids were warring for control both sides in the war were Greek. When Alexander had conquered the Mideast he didn't just bring his soldiers he also had brought the Greek language and culture. You will often hear people refer to "Hellenism" or "Hellenization." During this period while these struggles were going on the Greek culture and language were being spread throughout the Mideast and western Asia. VK: And this Hellenization dramatically affected life within Israel didn't it? So, that's part of what we would like to talk about in our next episode of Anchored by Truth. But what do you want to emphasize as we close out for today? RD: In our previous episodes on Anchored by Truth in this series we have seen some important truths. God wasn't providing additional special revelation during the intertestamental period but that doesn't mean that God wasn't active in superintending the unfolding of history to achieve His purposes. VK: So, this tells us that even during the seasons of our lives when we may feel like we don't see a lot happening God is still in control. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians in Philippians 1:6 "I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus." God continues to work with us, in us, for us even in those times it seems like He is being very quiet in our lives. RD: Exactly. God never sleeps or slumbers and He never leaves His children. During the intertestamental period there was a lot going on that affected the Jews and most of it was beyond their control. Empires were changing. Kings were coming and going. Palace intrigues were transpiring that would affect their lives. But God was directing it all in such a way that He preserved His people. The Jews during the intertestamental period could be assured of this because they could continue to see that prophecies that had been given to them uniquely were still coming true. Decades, even centuries, had passed but then they saw another prophecy fulfilled exactly as it had been given. VK: In our last episode of Anchored by Truth we saw that God sometimes gave prophecies that affected entire empires and regions of the world. God is the God of the seemingly big and important. But today we saw that God also gave prophecies that pertained to specific individuals – in this case the daughter of an ambitious king and her brother. God isn't just the God of empires and world history. He is also the God for individual people and individual destinies. RD: Yes. God knows each of us personally and, even though it seems trite to say it, He has a plan for each of us personally. God can work through anybody regardless of their station, status, age, or place. The key is whether we want to see God's will come to fruition in our lives – or be like Adam and Eve in the garden when the Bible tells us the first sin occurred because they desired to be like God. There can only be one Lord in anyone's life. It can be God Almighty or it can be a lesser being like us. That's one of the lessons that comes to us powerfully by watching prophecies continuing to be fulfilled during the intertestamental period. VK: God can rule in our lives or we can. God is not going to share His throne with anyone. The tragic part is when we think that we can do a better job than God. And it's not that God wants to take away our free will. Far from it. God wants to enable us to experience His best. But as you say in our Christmas epic poem The Golden Tree: Komari's Quest God can only help us when we set our own power aside. The question ultimately is whether we want to experience all that we can provide or all that God can provide. RD: Absolutely. And that's what we see so clearly as we study the Bible and history. The Jews went into captivity because they refused to honor God's commandments especially the first commandment to have no other gods before Him. During captivity a great many faithful Jews learned the lesson and, as promised, God returned them to their homeland. Also as God promised, God punished the nation that had exiled the Jews and ultimately God used a succession of world powers to continue to prepare the world for the arrival of Jesus. Chapter 11 of the book of Daniel was written about 200 years before any of the events it describes occurred. But in time they did occur exactly as prophesied. God, as only God can do, just recorded them 200 years ahead of time. This is a powerful confirmation of the supernatural origin of the Bible. The Bible's character is no different today than it was when any of the various human authors first prepared their records. It's just that today we have a complete revelation and that revelation clearly tells us that just as Jesus came to earth 2,000 years ago, He is coming again. It's just that the first time He came as the suffering servant. Next time He is coming as the conquering lion. VK: Amen. This sounds like a great time for a prayer. Since all of us have sinned and fallen short of God's perfect plan for our lives, today let's listen to a prayer of corporate confession – knowing that God has promised that as we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive them: ---- PRAYER OF CORPORATE CONFESSION (MARCUS). We hope you'll be with us next time and we hope you'll take some time to encourage some friends to tune in too, or listen to the podcast version of this show. If you'd like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where "We're not famous but our Boss is!" (Bible Quote from the New International Version) Daniel, chapter 8, verses 5 through 8 and 20 and 21, New International Version

Episode 117 – Perfectly Quiet – The Intertestamental Period 3 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: … a goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. … I saw it attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering its two horns. … at the height of its power the large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven. … The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is the first king.” Daniel, chapter 8, verses 5 through 8 and 20 and 21, New International Version ******** VK: Hello. I'm Victoria K and today on Anchored by Truth we are continuing our look at “The Intertestamental Period.” This is the period between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. Many people don't realize that there is a gap of 400 to 450 years that elapsed between the close of the Old Testament canon and the start of the New. I'm in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder Crystal Sea Books. RD, how about reminding us about why you thought it was important for us to do a series focused on a time period in history when books of the Bible weren't being produced? RD: As we mentioned in our first couple of episodes in this series knowing what happened between the two testaments helps us improve our understanding of both the Old and New Testaments. You might think that the events of the intertestamental period would primarily benefit our understanding of what was recorded in the New Testament. After all, history only unfolds in one direction. So, it would be natural to think that the events of the intertestamental period were primarily important to a student of the Bible because of the historical background they would provide for New Testament events. But actually the intertestamental period provides us with a wealth of insight into the Old Testament, in part because a number of Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled during the intertestamental period. If we don't know what happened during that period we would lose important evidence that demonstrates that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. VK: Well, maybe you should take a moment and connect the dots for us about how Biblical history helps us improve our confidence in the inspiration of scripture. I think a lot of people tend to view history as one of those subjects we could leave behind when we finished school. I mean many people might think that the Bible is important in that it gives us moral and ethical instruction. And they would acknowledge the Bible contains information on spiritual topics like salvation, heaven, and how to have better lives. But I think that many Christians don't understand the link between the topics that affect our daily lives, or our future in heaven, with knowing something about history. RD: Well, let's start with a refresher. Here on Anchored by Truth we start every show by reminding everyone that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. But how can we know that? How can we be sure of that? Well, one way we can be sure the Bible is the Word of God is by examining evidence that supports this contention. We often talk about 4 lines of evidence that demonstrate that the Bible is inspired: reliable history, remarkable unity, fulfilled prophecy, and redeemed destinies. Redeemed destinies occur when people learn and accept the Bible's spiritual and moral truths. The Bible has helped untold millions discover the truth that Jesus died to save us from our sin and assures us that we can spend eternity with Him in heaven. But of course redeeming destinies doesn't stop there. VK: Besides just leading people into a saving relationship with Christ, the Bible has also helped millions give up addictions to drugs, alcohol, and pornography. The Bible has also helped families be reunited and it has led people to found hospitals, missions, and schools. When we talk about redeeming destinies we're not just talking about redeeming eternal destinies. The Bible has also helped millions and their families have far better lives here on this earth. RD: That's all very true. So, the fact that one book has had such a positive impact on so many lives is evidence that that book is special or remarkable. And it's important that the Bible has been able to do that across times, places, and cultures. But, as important as that line of evidence is, those redeemed destinies alone don't demonstrate that the Bible is God's word. We also need those other lines of evidence to complete the demonstration. VK: The reliable history the Bible contains shows that the Bible is consistent with what we can see around us, not only in our day and time but in the days and times that have gone before. A book claiming divine inspiration that is manifestly inconsistent with observations of our world and its history automatically surrenders much of the validity of its claim. When we speak of remarkable unity we're referring to the fact that the books of our Bible were written by over 3 dozen human authors over a period of fifteen hundred years. Yet, despite this variety of human authors and times in which it was written, the Bible is unified. It contains one message about one plan centered on one person for one purpose. This consistency is strong evidence that there is one single Mind behind all the books. And, obviously, that Mind would have to be eternal. Otherwise, it could not have kept that singular focus for fifteen hundred years. RD: Right. Those three lines of evidence – redeemed destinies, reliable history, and remarkable unity – are all very compelling in demonstrating that the Bible is a remarkable book. But, it is not impossible that a really determined group of people might have crafted a sort of pious fraud that possessed those attributes. It's highly unlikely but none of those things are beyond the realm of human ability. But one thing that is beyond the realm of human possibility is to accurately predict the future – and not just the near term future – weeks, days, or months – but centuries. And not predict the future in a vague or non-descript kind of way like Nostradamus, Edward Cayce, or the other so-called human prophets. Biblical prophecies name names, give places, describe events, and even designate times with such precision that it would be beyond the ability of any human or group of humans to predict or even arrange. VK: Fulfilled prophecy helps demonstrate that the Bible truly has a supernatural origin. And to go back to our point – there is no way for us to know about prophecies that were made and fulfilled without knowing a little history. So, that's part of what we want to do during this study of the intertestamental period. We want to show that there were numerous prophecies made in the Old Testament period that were fulfilled during this time. New prophecies were not being made during the intertestamental period. But old prophecies were being fulfilled. RD: Correct. So, the mundane facts of history connect to the Bible's spiritual messages about salvation and heaven in a very direct way. By reading the Bible and studying history we can see that the Bible contains a large volume of prophecies, hundreds of which have been fulfilled. This solidifies our confidence that the Bible is God's word so that it can be trusted in matters that are supernatural. And in case anyone thinks that this connection is new or novel, even Jesus made the same point in his conversation with Nicodemus. VK: You're thinking about the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verses 11 and 12 where Jesus said: I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message. You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven? So, Jesus himself connected the things of this world – like historical events - to the things of heaven. RD: Right. Nicodemus had gone to Jesus secretly at night because Nicodemus was an important man in Jewish society. Now, Nicodemus may have gone to Jesus at night because he didn't want to ruin his reputation. But, it's possible Nicodemus just wanted to be able to speak candidly with Jesus because Nicodemus had become convinced Jesus might be the Messiah. Nicodemus would have had a mastery of the Jewish scriptures, the Old Testament. He also would have been very familiar with the immediate history of his people. Nicodemus' study of history and scripture could easily have led him to believe Jesus was the one the Jews had been expecting for hundreds of years. VK: I see what you're saying. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Now, most of the Pharisees were skeptical or opposed to Jesus because Jesus was a threat to their power and influence. But Nicodemus was an exception. He wanted to know the truth about Jesus regardless of what it meant for him personally. As a Pharisee Nicodemus would have been an expert in the Old Testament. He certainly would have been familiar with those prophecies that had been fulfilled during the intertestamental period. That would have included the prophecy we heard in our opening scripture. RD: Right. So, it's possible Nicodemus went to Jesus because Nicodemus was just trying to find out the truth about Jesus for himself so he wanted some undisturbed time with Jesus. At any rate during their conversation Jesus apparently felt the need to correct Nicodemus' understanding about some spiritual matters. When he did so it appears Jesus encountered either skepticism or Jesus just hit some gaps in Nicodemus' understanding. But notice, as he was addressing Nicodemus's questions about spiritual matters, Jesus plainly connected his teaching about matters of this world with the Jews' willingness to accept his teaching about spiritual truth. I personally think this is one of the most profound truths we learn from scripture. A lot of people today become very enamored with the esoteric elements of the Bible – eschatology, the operation of spiritual gifts, supposedly hidden messages and Bible codes, and more. Yet, too often these same people have ignored the most basic teachings of the Bible and plain facts about the Bible. The point is that it's a good idea for every Christian to know enough about Biblical history to be able to answer some basic questions. The question, “how can you be confident the Bible is God's word,” is not an unreasonable question. As believers, we should be prepared to answer reasonable questions. Good evangelism includes not just proclamation but sometimes explanation. VK: Well, let's get back to our discussion about the intertestamental period. As we've been discussing fulfilled prophecy is one of the strongest lines of evidence that the Bible is the word of God. And there were a lot of prophecies fulfilled during the intertestamental period such as the ones in our opening scripture. So, let's focus on it. Our opening scripture came from Daniel, chapter 8. Verse 1 of chapter 8 tells us that Daniel received his vision in the “third year of King Belshazzar's reign.” Belshazzar was a Babylonian king. When did Belshazzar rule? RD: Around the middle to latter part of the 6th century B.C. – from about 556 B.C. to 539 B.C. And the mere fact that Daniel dates his vision using Belshazzar is itself significant. At one time Belshazzar was thought to be legendary because many of the well-known ancient Greek historians such as Herodotus made no mention of him as king of Babylon. The last king of Babylon was thought to be Nabonidus who some scholars think had married a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. But thanks to excavations at Ur we now know that Belshazzar was a co-regent with Nabonidus who was his father. Nabonidus spent a lot of time in another part of the empire so Belshazzar actually ruled in Babylon. VK: So, the fact that Daniel even dates his vision by Belshazzar is significant evidence of the historicity of the book of Daniel. Herodotus wrote around 450 B.C. Apparently, Belshazzar's name had disappeared from common historical knowledge by that time. That's just decades after Belshazzar's death in 539 B.C. The fact that Daniel correctly identified Belshazzar's role in Babylon means the book of Daniel must have been written earlier that 450 B.C. Again, this is solid evidence the book of Daniel was written in the 6th century B.C. Right? RD: Right. In terms of our calendar, chapter 8 of Daniel can be reliably dated to around 550 or so B.C. At that point the Babylonian empire is still intact. But it would only remain that way for another 20 years or so. In our opening scripture we heard about 2 empires that would follow the Babylonian empire – the Medes and Persians and the Greeks. Well, the Medes and Persians actually conquered Babylon during Daniel's lifetime (539 B.C.). VK: So, Daniel lived to see a partial fulfillment of some of his own prophecies. Daniel lived to see the Medes and Persians replace the Babylonians. In Daniel's vision the two-horned ram represented the Medes and Persians. That image made perfect sense because it was a confederation of the Medes and the Persians that actually conquered Babylon. Ultimately, the Persian side of the alliance became dominant but initially both sides were part of the conquests. The two horns of the ram should be contrasted with the single horn of the shaggy goat. The goat represented the Greeks and the Greek empire was led by Alexander the Great who was unmatched in the speed and scope of his conquests. RD: Exactly. And we're going to talk more in a moment about why the goat was used as a symbol for the Greeks. But let's focus for just a second on the remarkable speed and scope of Alexander's conquests. Alexander the Great conquered all the territory from Greece to India including Egypt and the Mideast and he did it in just over a decade. No other single person in history has ever been as successful as a military leader. That's why in Daniel's vision it makes perfect sense that the shaggy goat is said to cross the whole earth without touching the ground. That's a poetic way of talking about the speed with which Alexander's conquests would occur. He moved so fast it's as if he wasn't touching the ground. But notice that it says that at the height of his power the “prominent horn” – Alexander - would be broken off and replaced by four other horns that would grow up toward the four winds of heaven. VK: And we know from history that that is exactly what happened. After Alexander died his brother was declared king. But the unity of the Greek power died with Alexander. Alexander died 323 B.C. For about the next 20 years there was a power struggle among Alexander's generals but in 300 B.C. there was a formal division of Alexander's empire between four of his generals who had taken to calling themselves kings. RD: Yes. The four former generals who emerged as the “four other horns” (in the Bible a horn is a symbol of power) were Ptolemy, Seleucus, Cassander, and Lysimachus. The Bible is primarily concerned with Ptolemy and Seleucus because Ptolemy became the ruler of Egypt and Seleucus became the ruler of Syria. Of course, geographically Israel is between Egypt and Syria. So, for the next 200 plus years those two powers would struggle for control of Israel. VK: But the Bible doesn't refer to these two kingdoms by the names of the generals – Ptolemy or Seleucus. The Bible just calls them the King of the South and the King of the North. The Bible always uses directions using Israel as the point of reference. So, when the Bible says the King of the South it's referring to a kingdom south of Israel. Same for King of the North. That's referring to a kingdom that would be north of Israel. RD: Yes. And we're going to talk more about the struggle between the King of the North and the King of South in our next episode of Anchored by Truth. But for today we want to just focus on the amazing nature of the prophecies in our opening scripture. We've already seen that the speed of Alexander the Great's conquests is a fitting fulfillment of the prophecy's description of a shaggy goat crossing the earth that doesn't touch the ground. Alexander's conquests were amazingly fast just a running goat not touching the ground would be. VK: And you've also said that using the goat as a symbol for Greece also makes good sense in a couple of different ways. In ancient times Macedonia and Greece were separate states until they were unified under Philip of Macedon, Alexander's father. So, why would it make sense to use a goat as a symbol for Alexander? RD: The first king of the Macedonians was thought to be Caranus who began his reign about 800 years before the Christ. There's a story that Caranus was led to establish the city of Edessa as his capital when he was led to the city by a herd of goats. As such, the goat became associated with Macedonia and subsequently the unified Greece and Macedonia. Bronze figures and architectural elements have been found that showed the goat as a symbol of Macedon. There's a particularly fascinating pilaster, which is essentially a decorative framework for a building, which shows a man in Persian dress holding the single, large horn of a goat. The pilaster seems to depict the time when Cyrus the Great conquered Ionia, a territory that had been colonized by the Macedonians. That kicked off a year conflict between the Persians and the Greeks that lasted more than 200 years. And some of the battles in that conflict have made it into our popular culture of today. VK: The Battle of Marathon is a good example. It occurred during the first Persian invasion of Greece in 490 B.C. The Greeks, principally the Athenians, defeated the Persians on the Plain of Marathon. Then various accounts say a Greek runner ran the entire distance to Athens to tell of victory so the Persians could not falsely claim they had won. The name of the Greek runner varies in different accounts and some say he died. Marathon is 26.1 miles from Athens and that's why today's marathon running event is 26.1 miles. RD: That's a good example. So, is the legendary stand of the Greeks at the pass of Thermopylae. According to popular movie versions there were only 300 Spartans who blocked a huge invasion force of Persians, but in actuality there were probably around 7,000 Greeks from Sparta and a variety of other city-states. It is true, though, that the Spartans and about 1,000 other Greeks remained guarding the pass when the rest of the Greek army retreated. At any rate, the Persians repeated incursions into Greece between 490 B.C. and around 450 B.C. obviously branded them as enemies of the Greeks. So, when Alexander the Great became king at the age of 20 after his father, Philip, was murdered Alexander was determined to get revenge. At the time Daniel received his prophecy in Chapter 8 all of that was still in the future. It would be almost 20 years after Daniel received the vision before the Babylonians would fall to the Medes and the Persians. It would be another 200 years after that before the Persian Empire would fall to Alexander the Great. VK: And it was 13 years after Alexander conquered Persia that he died – or as the scripture says “at the height of its power the large horn was broken off.” And it would be another 23 years after Alexander's death before the formal division of the Greek empire – or as the scripture put it “in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.” You know, that is a lot of unfamiliar names, dates, and places. RD: True enough. And I understand why it can be daunting for someone who has never investigated Biblical history to begin to understand it. VK: It can seem very far away from the things that we usually think about when it comes to our faith – salvation, heaven, living better lives, overcoming bad habits. RD: Yes. And I get that. And I wouldn't want to suggest that we can't live lives that are individually pleasing to God without mastering the dates and places of the Greco-Persian wars. But I would suggest that the church collectively won't fulfill its mission if we don't reclaim the idea that the Bible and Christianity aren't just subjectively comforting but objectively true? VK: And you would say that the current state of our culture is ample evidence that when the church tried to become popular it lost some or much of its preservative character? RD: Exactly. The church is supposed to be salt and light to the culture. Salt is a preservative. Light is necessary for clear direction. But we lose those attributes if allow the Bible to be treated as just another interesting book – entertaining at times but ultimately a book that we can leave or take. That's certainly not how Jesus treated the scriptures. VK: In Matthew, chapter 5, verses 17 and 18 Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true. Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with—not until the end of all things.” That's the Good News Translation. RD: Exactly. Well, one of the teachings of the prophets Jesus referred to are the prophecies found in Daniel. So, we honor Jesus' words when we take the time to develop a solid understanding of the truth contained in the prophets. And, at our point in the grand plan of redemption, that means understanding enough about Biblical history to be able to confidently communicate at least a few basics. VK: And we want to make that easier on our listeners. So, one way listeners can help others develop a better understanding is just by informing others about the availability of Anchored by Truth. Anchored by Truth can be a simple way for listeners to help other believers, or unbelievers, begin to strengthen their faith and communicate the message that the Bible really is the inspired word of God. RD: Yes. Knowing something about Biblical history not only helps increase our confidence in the Bible itself but helps us get a better understanding of our own times. We see from history that the Jews persistent refusal to accept warnings and correction from the Lord caused them to go into captivity. They were later given permission to return to their homeland but how much better it would have been to listen to the Lord in the first place. I think that message is just as important today as it was 2,500 years ago. VK: This sounds like a great time for a prayer. Today's prayer is a prayer for our young children. We not only want them to grow up healthy and strong but also in the love, nurture, and admonition of the Lord: ---- PRAYER FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. We hope you'll be with us next time and we hope you'll take some time to encourage some friends to tune in too, or listen to the podcast version of this show. If you'd like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We're not famous but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the New International Version) Daniel, chapter 8, verses 5 through 8 and 20 and 21, New International Version

Antiochus I's eldest son is a bit of a mystery to research; every source I've accessed so far seems to say something different... This week, we delve into the life and times of Seleucus, co-king from 275 to 266 BCE (approximate dates) who disappears from the story towards the end of his father's reign. As we'll see, he and his father probably didn't have the easiest relationship... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. Quote: p.169. 2) Bevan, E. R., Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911, edited by Hugh Chisholm), Seleucid dynasty. Available at: Wikisource [Accessed 11/04/2021]. 3) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 11/04/2021]. 4) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook) [Accessed 04/01/2021]. 5) Jérémy, C. (2020), The Mysterious Fall of the Coregent Seleucus: Triarchic Experiment and Dynastic Strife under the Reign of Antiochus I Soter. Historia 69(4): 408- 440. Please note: I've only been able to access the abstract for this. 6) Kosmin, J. (2014), The Land of the Elephant Kings. London: Harvard University Press. (eBook) [Accessed 03/04/2021]. 7) Lendering, J., Livius (2006, modified 2020), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 11/04/2021]. 9) Strootman, R. (2014), The Encyclopaedia of Ancient History (1st edition), p.473- 475. London: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 10) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 11/04/2021].

The Antigonids are back! This time, we'll witness Antigonus II re-establish his control over Macedon and marry the daughter of Seleucus and Stratonice- reaffirming the alliance between the Seleucids and the Antigonids. Just in time, too- as happens pretty much constantly during the Hellenistic period, war is about to break out again with Egypt... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. Quote: p.145. 2) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook) [Accessed 04/01/2021]. 3) Rawlinson, G. (1869) A manual of ancient history from the earliest times to the fall of the Western Empire, comprising the history of Chaldea, Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Lydia, Phoenicia, Syria, Judea, Egypt, Carthage, Persia, Greece, Macedonia, Rome, and Parthia. Oxford: Clarendon Press. (eBook) [Accessed 02/03/2021]. 4) Volkmann, H., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019) Antigonus II Gonatas (online) [Accessed 27/03/2021]. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antigonus II Gonatas (online) [Accessed 27/03/2021]. 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Apama II (online) [Accessed 27/03/2021]. 7) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Berenice I of Egypt (online) [Accessed 27/03/2021]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Demetrius II Aetolicus (online) [Accessed 27/03/2021]. 9) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Magas of Cyrene (online) [Accessed 27/03/2021]. 10) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Stratonice of Syria (online) [Accessed 14/07/2021].

Antiochus I faced a difficult situation when his father died, as indicated by today's episode title- an extract from Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If'. The great distance messengers had to travel to notify Antiochus of the western situation following his father's death meant that others had already begun carving out their own piece of the pie again. Yes, Seleucus has an obvious heir where Alexander did not, but that doesn't mean that the Hellenistic world isn't going to descend from unity into anarchy once again... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. Quote: p. 75- 76. 2) Bevan, E. R. (1927), The House of Ptolemy, London: Methuen Publishing. Available at: LascusCurtis (online) [Accessed 08/02/2021]. 3) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 11/03/2021]. 4) Kipling, R. (1949) The Definitive Edition of Rudyard Kipling verse. Edinburgh: R. & R. Clark Ltd. (Printed for Hodder and Stoughton Ltd. in London). Quote: p. 576 5) Rawlinson, G. (1869) A manual of ancient history from the earliest times to the fall of the Western Empire, comprising the history of Chaldea, Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Lydia, Phoenicia, Syria, Judea, Egypt, Carthage, Persia, Greece, Macedonia, Rome, and Parthia. Oxford: Clarendon Press. (eBook) [Accessed 02/03/2021]. 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 10/03/2021]. 7) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antigonus II Gonatas (online) [Accessed 10/03/2021]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Arsinoe II (online) [Accessed 10/03/2021]. 9) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Attalid dynasty (online) [Accessed 10/03/2021]. 10) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Bithynia (online) [Accessed 10/03/2021]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Cappadocia (online) [Accessed 10/03/2021]. 12) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Kingdom of Pontus (online) [Accessed 10/03/2021]. 13) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Pergamon (online) [Accessed 10/03/2021]. 14) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Philetaerus (online) [Accessed 10/03/2021]. 15) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Zipoetes I of Bithynia (online) [Accessed 10/03/2021].

A brief overview of what the Hellenistic would have looked like in 281 when we left our narrative in episode 16. Despite the near reunification Seleucus had achieved, his son Antiochus is going to inherit a difficult position... This episode builds on information in previous episodes. Additional sources for this episode: 1) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), List of ancient Macedonians (online) [Accessed 04/03/2021]. 2) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021].

Before we ease ourselves back into the main narrative again, I thought it would be a good idea to catch up with the life and times of Antiochus I until he acceded to the throne in 281 BCE. Then next week, we'll look around the world in 281 before plunging back into the hectic fight to keep Seleucus' ambition alive. Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. 2) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021]. 3) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook) [Accessed 04/01/2021].4) Kosmin, J. (2014), The Land of the Elephant Kings. London: Harvard University Press. (eBook) [Accessed 03/04/2021]. 5) Lendering. J., Livius (2006, modified 2020), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 18/03/2021]. 6) Strootman, R. (2014), The Encyclopaedia of Ancient History (1st edition), p.473- 475. London: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 7) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 28/02/2021]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Stratonice (online) [Accessed 28/02/2021].

As I've mentioned in previous episodes, the moment when Seleucus re-entered Babylon marked the start of the Seleucid era- otherwise known as the 'Anno Graecorum' or 'Year of the Greeks'. But when exactly did this start getting used? Why were there two different ways of measuring it? And how long did its use last for? Sources for this episode: 1) Anson, E. M. (2006), The Chronology of the Third Diadoch War. Phoenix 60(3/4): 226, 235. 2) Strootman, R. (2013), The Encyclopaedia of Ancient History (1st edition), p.473- 475. Hobokon, New Jersey: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 3) Strootman, R., Encyclopaedia Iranica (2015), Seleucid Era (online) [Accessed 20/01/2021]. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra (online) [Accessed 19/02/2021]. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucid era (online) [Accessed 03/02/2021]. 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021].

Even among the successors, Seleucus has a reputation as a prolific city-builder; in all, he founded approximately 31 cities, including sites such as modern day Antioch and Laodicea, both situated in the Levant. While some of these places started out as attempts to swell the ranks of his armies, they would end up becoming heartlands of his empire... Sources for this episode: 1) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Antioch (online) [Accessed 11/02/2021]. 2) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019) Seleucid empire (online) [Accessed 11/02/2021]. 3) Siebert, J., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 11/02/2021]. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antioch (online) [Accessed 11/02/2021]. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown) Apamea, Syria (online) [Accessed 11/02/2021]. 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Greeks in Syria (online) [Accessed 11/02/2021]. 7) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Laodicea in Syria (online) [Accessed 11/02/2021]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia(date unknown), Seleucia Pieria (online) [Accessed 11/02/2021]. 9) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucid army (online) [Accessed 11/02/2021]. 10) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucid empire (online) [Accessed 11/02/2021]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucis of Syria (online) [Accessed 31/01/2021]. 12) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021].

As promised, this episode is going to be a recap of our narrative so far, stretching from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 until the death of Seleucus in 281. Along the way, I give you my two cents on the man, as well as the new, shiny, 21st-century epithet. It's time to review the life of the man known to contemporaries as Seleucus Nicator- Seleucus the Victor. Then, as promised, we'll be into special episode territory for a while to allow you all some time to breathe before we jump back in with Antiochus I on May 8th. Sources for new material this episode: 1) Lendering, J., Livius (2002, modified 2020), Diadochi 1: The Babylon Settlement (online) [Accessed 06/01/2021]. 2) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Eumenes (online) [Accessed 07/02/2021]. 3) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown, Philip III of Macedon (online) [Accessed 07/02/2021]. Quick aside- I've recently found out that the conference of Triparadeisus is placed at either 321 or 320 BCE depending on the source. Grainger, Kosmin and Lendering seem to agree on 320, while Bevan and the Wikipedia article on the matter say 321. I've left it in because the date is disputed, but just know that there is another option.

With the assassination of Agathocles in 282 came the perfect opportunity for Seleucus to strike Lysimachus' territories in Thrace and Macedon. The number of Hellenistic kingdoms is now rapidly dwindling- aside from the behemoth of the Seleucid realms, there's only Lysimachus' domains, Epirus and Egypt left. With Ptolemy now dead and a potential rival heir in Seleucid hands, the stage is set for a showdown between Lysimachus and Seleucus to see who will be the last successor standing... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. 2) Lendering, J., Livius (2002, modified 2020) Diadochi 10: Lysimachus and Seleucus (online) [Accessed 24/01/2021]. 3) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Diadochi (online) [Accessed 03/02/2021]. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Lysandra (online) [Accessed 03/02/2021].

With Demetrius dead, the Antigonid threat is out of the picture again for a bit- although rest assured, it's not the last time we've heard of names such as Antigonus II, so don't forget about them completely. Instead, the struggle begins for the throne of Macedon, with the principal contenders at the time Demetrius is taken off the chessboard being Lysimachus and Pyrrhus of Epirus. However, it wouldn't take much for Ptolemaic and Seleucid interests to be peaked as well. On the podcast today, the match is going to be struck and chaos will break out in the old heartland of Macedon... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. 2) Heinen, H., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Ptolemy II Philadelphus (online) [Accessed 28/01/2021]. 3) Komnene, A., translated originally by Sewter, E. R. A. (c.1147, my edition 2009), The Alexiad (Penguin Classics) London: Penguin Books Ltd. 4) Lendering J., Livius (2002, modified 2020), Diadochi 10: Lysimachus and Seleucus (online) [Accessed 23/01/2021]. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown) Ptolemy I Soter (online) [Accessed 24/01/2021]. 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Ptolemy Ceraunus (online) [Accessed 24/01/2021]. EDIT: I've discovered that the Antigonid story naturally moves back into our main narrative at the beginning of the next reign, so I'm going to discuss what's been happening to Antigonus II in a separate at that point instead of during our interlude episodes.

As with the stereotypical image of Wild West pioneers in the late 19th century, Seleucus' political ambitions are going to head west. With himself and Demetrius on the one hand and an alliance of Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Cassander on the other, a falling out was pretty much inevitable. This week, we're going to see the final act of Demetrius' story, which will include the beginnings of a succession crisis in Macedon... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur. 2) Lendering, J., Livius (2002, modified 2020), Diadochi 9: Demetrius (online) [Accessed 21/01/2021]. 3) Lendering, J., Livius (2002, modified 2020), Diadochi 10: Lysimachus and Seleucus (online) [Accessed 23/01/2021]. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021].

Key points: -Once we get past Seleucus' life, there's going to be a recap episode and some tangent topics, before we introduce Antiochus I properly -I might experiment with making episodes a bit shorter in future, probably about the length of episode 12 -I'm going to be creating a modern epithet for each ruler in their recap episode (details in the episode) That's it for now, see you all next episode! There'll be another announcement next week and then regular content resumes the week after.

The Battle of Ipsus in 301 BCE, which saw the death of Antigonus I, was a gamechanger. Demetrius was still alive, but the power of their dynasty was momentarily in tatters. In Part 2 of our discussion of Ipsus, we're going to analyse what it meant for both the victors and the losers. A brief spoiler here- it's not going to mean the dawning of a new age of peace and mutual trust. Far from it, in fact... Sources for this episode: 1) Grainger, J. D., 2014, The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook) [Accessed 04/01/2021]. 2) Lendering, J., Livius (2002, modified 2020), Diadochi 9: Demetrius (online) [Accessed 18/01/2021]. 3) Siebert, J., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021]. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Apama (online) [Accessed 18/01/2021]. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Nahr al-Kabir (online, used to find the location of the Eleutheros river) [Accessed 19/01/2021].6-7) The Wikipedia pages for Stratornice and Seleucus can be accessed for their ages in 298 used in this episode. Quick notice from me: there's going to be a few updates coming up soon, so regular content will resume in two weeks time on the 13th of March.

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

Ipsus was a decisive turning point in the fate of the Antigonids, and indeed their opponents, but it didn't come out of nothing. In this episode, which I'm artificially going to dub Part 1, we're going to discuss the manoeuvring leading up to the battle, before getting stuck into the action. Then in Part 2, we'll get to the aftershocks and implications of the battle. Sources for the episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), the House of Seleucus, Vol. I. London: Edward Arnold. 2) Lendering, J., Livius (2002, modified 2020), Diadochi 7: The Fourth Diadoch War (1) (online) [Accessed 13/01/2021]. 3) Lendering, J., Livius (2002, modified 2020), Diadochi 8: The Fourth Diadoch War (2) (online) [Accessed 13/01/2021].

With the deaths of both Alexander IV in 311 at the hands of Cassander and Heracles (possibly the illegitimate son of Alexander the Great by Barsine) in 309 due to Polyperchon, the Argead royal line is dead. So, in 306 and 305, the generals and successors to Alexander take that final step on the road to the destruction of the empire- taking up the diadem of kinship. Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), the House of Seleucus, Vol. I. London: Edward Arnold. 2) Lendering, J., Livius (2002, modified 2020), Diadochi 7: The Fourth Diadoch War (1) (online) [Accessed 13/01/2021]. 3) Oltermann, P. et al. (2010), The Ancient World (booklets) Day two: Greece. Produced by the Guardian. 4) Oltermann, P. et al. (2010), The Ancient World (booklets), Day five: Mesapotamia. Produced by the Guardian. 5) Walbank, F. W., Encylopaedia Britannica (2020), Alexander the Great (online) [Accessed 16/01/2021]. 6) Author unknown, Livius (date unknown), Alexander IV (online) [Accessed 16/01/2021]. 7) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Alexander IV of Macedon (online) [Accessed 16/01/2021]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), League of the Islanders (online) [Accessed 16/01/2021]. 9) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021].

Sadly for Seleucus, we can't send him off to the west again just yet, because we're going to have to pause and pay a bit of attention to the second generation of Successors. Given that Seleucus' son Antiochus is pushing nineteen by the time his father receives the diadem (spoiler alert!) in 305 as I once claimed- he and his siblings are going to become increasingly relevant on the world stage. It's time to turn the spotlight away from the father and look to his family. At least, what we know of them... Sources for this episode: 1) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020), Antiochus I Soter (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021]. 2) Tarn, W. W. (1966), The Greeks in Bactria and India. New York: Cambridge University Press. 3) Author unknown, Wikipedia, date unknown, Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021]. 4) There are also a variety of genealogy sites where I have seen claims of Achaeus' birth year as 320, but this is not mentioned elsewhere so I have ignored it here. Also, bear in mind a limitation that exists when researching this question in that, to the casually interested, there is not an awful lot of source material readily available.

After rampaging his way around the closer eastern provinces, Seleucus' peace deal with Antigonus allowed him to gaze further east and start greedily dreaming about conquest further afield. On the podcast today, we will see Seleucus copy both Alexander the Great and the Persians by invading India. But, as we saw in episode 4, he doesn't face the disunited political scene that they did. It's time for the Seleucids and the Maurya to butt heads... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1902), the House of Seleucus, Vol. I. London: Edward Arnold. 2) Cooke, F., Dingle, H., Hutchinson, S., McKay, G., Schodde, R., Tait, R. and Vogt, R. (2008), The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide. Sydney: Weldon Own Pty Ltd. 3) Hirst, K. K., ThoughtCo (updated 2018), The Mauryan Empire Was the First Dynasty to Rule Most of India (online) [Accessed 13/01/2021]. 4) Komnene, A. (c.1148), the Alexiad. Translated by Sewter, E. R. A. (1969). London: Penguin Classics, Penguin Books Ltd. 5) Kosmin, P. J. (2014), The Land of the Elephant Kings: Space, Territory, and Ideology in the Seleucid Empire. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. (eBook) [Accessed 03/04/2021]. 6) Szczepanski, K., ThoughtCo (updated 2019), Biography of Chandragupta Maurya, Founder of the Mauryan Empire (online) [Accessed 13/01/2021]. 7) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Megasthenes' Herakles (online) [Accessed 14/01/2021]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021].

With Seleucus back in Babylon, it appears that he is back in the game. However, not everyone is so keen on this new development as Seleucus himself. From pretty much 311 to 310, Seleucus is going to have to fight to keep his hard-won prize… Sources for this episode: 1) Lendering, J., Livius, (2002, modified 2020), Diadochoi 6: The Babylonian War [Accessed 10/01/2021]. 2) Lendering, J., Livius, (2006, modified 2020), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 19/12/2020]. 3) Seibert, J., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021]. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 10/01/2021].

Seleucus, now decidedly province-less, flees to Egypt and holes up with Ptolemy. There, he gets himself appointed as commander in chief of Ptolemy's fleet in the eastern Mediterranean, cooperating with Ptolemy's brother Menelaus who was appointed as commander to forces dispatched to Cyprus. With the Third War of the Diadochoi going on in the background and with a bit of a foray into Egypt's situation and the Seleucid era calendar, it's time to get nautical…. Sources for this episode: 1) Anson, E. M. (2006), The Chronology of the Third Diadoch War. Phoenix 60(3/4): 226, 235. 2) Grainger, J. D., 2014, The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook) [Accessed 04/01/2021]. 3) Kosmin, P. J. (2014), The Land of the Elephant Kings: Space, Territory, and Ideology in the Seleucid Empire. London: Harvard University Press. (eBook) [Accessed 03/04/2021]. 4) Lendering, J., Livius (2002, modified 2020), Diadochoi 5: The Third Diadoch War (online). [Accessed 03/01/2021]. 5) The central position of Babylon with the former empire can be seen at the Wikipedia page of the Diadochoi. 6) For more on the life of Menelaus, see his Wikipedia page [Accessed 27/03/2021].

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

This message demonstrates that Antiochus Epiphanes is the little horn of Daniel 8-9-11. --In Daniel 2-32, 37-38, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is represented as the head of gold- in Daniel 7-4, he is a lion with a human heart.--In Daniel 2-32, 39, The empire of the Medes and Persian is represented as the chest and arms of silver- in Daniel 7-5, it is a bear. --In Daniel 2-32, 39, Greece is represented as the belly and thighs of brass- in Daniel 7-6, it is a leopard with four wings.--In Daniel 2-33, 40-43, Rome is represented as legs of iron with feet of iron and clay- in Daniel 7-7, it is a terrifying beast with iron teeth and ten horns. A little horn comes up out of one of these horns. This is the Man of Sin -Daniel 7-8- 2 Thessalonians 2-1-4-.--Two of these empires are singled out for a closer look in Daniel 8. The empire of the Medes and Persians is revealed as a two-horned ram -Daniel 8-3-4, 20-, and Greece is a goat -Daniel 8-4-8, 21-25-. The goat has one horn, Alexander the Great- he dies in 323 B.C. and is replaced by four of this generals- Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. Out of the dynasty of Seleucus arises the little horn, Antiochus Epiphanes -Daniel 8-9-14, 21-25-.--Antiochus sacrifices a pig to Zeus and stops the Jewish sacrifices for several years until he is defeated by the Hasmoneans and then dies mysteriously -Daniel 8-25-.--Hanukkah celebrates the cleansing of the Jewish temple -John 10-22-.--As one studies the persecutions of the Jewish people under Antiochus Epiphanes, it become very apparent that he is the greatest foreshadowing of the Man of Sin.

Move over Hannibal. More over Carthage. This podcast is all about a much BIGGER elephant power in antiquity. A power that, at its height, stretched from modern day Bulgaria to the Hindu Kush: the Seleucid Empire. Existing for almost 250 years, throughout this Empire’s long history the Indian elephant remained right at its heart. On the battlefield these giant beasts of war became symbolic of Seleucid warfare, fighting in almost all (if not all) the major military encounters the Seleucids had with other powers: from Ipsus to Magnesia. But away from the battlefield too, these animals retained their importance, particularly for the Seleucid Kings.The history of Seleucid elephant warfare is fascinating and it was a great pleasure to be joined by Dr Silvannen Gerrard to talk through this topic. Silvannen explained how these elephants were trained and used in war, but she also stressed their importance away from the battlefield - their prestige value, the logistics of looking after elephants and how they epitomised a vital trade link with ancient India. She also answered the all important question: did the Ancients send elephants into battle drunk?Oh, and make sure you listen RIGHT to the end!A few notes:Eumenes, Antigonus, Ptolemy and Seleucus were all prominent players fighting after Alexander the Great’s death.Ptolemy was the founder of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic Kingdom, centred in Egypt.Sarrisas were very long pikes – roughly 6 metres long.The Galatians: a conglomeration of Gallic tribes that settled in modern day central Anatolia.We (I mainly) go back and forth between 'Seleucid' and 'Seleukid'. Same kingdom! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Come dream with we as go Deep into the year 301 BCE and experience the Battle of Ipsus.

323 - 281 BCE - Meet Philip III and Alexander IV, Antipater, Craterus, Antigonus, Demetrius, Cassander, Eumenes, Seleucus, Polyperchon, Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Peithon among others.

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

The founder of the Seleucid Empire, Seleucus I Nicator, had an extraordinary career. From a minor player in Alexander's campaigns to king of the largest realm in the Hellenistic world, we cover the origins of the empire in its entirety, taking us from administration in Babylon to the wars against Chandragupta Maurya and the Diadochi. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links: Website/Show Notes (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2019/08/12/029-the-seleucid-empire-seleucus-i-the-foundation-of-the-empire/) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Discord (https://discord.gg/VJcyUcN)

Kiran Krishnan is a microbiologist that has made huge waves in health and microbiome science. Well beyond concepts, Kiran has helped engineer, create, and study Spore probiotic delivery systems. It is incredibly unique in that before Microbiome Labs' data, there was almost no conclusive evidence to demonstrate probiotic efficacy en vivo (in humans/living animals). Kiran shares with GCP the basics of natural vaccination that we all should be doing everyday.https://microbiomelabs.comhttps://gutcheckproject.comhttps://kbmdhealth.comhttps://lovemytummy.com/spoonyHey hi Mandy if you don't know me it's probably because I'm not famous but I did start a men's grooming company called Harry's the idea for Harry's came out of a frustrating experience I had buying razor blades most brands were overpriced overdesigned and out of touch and here is our approach is simple here's our secret we make sharp durable blades and sell them at honest prices for as low as two dollars each we care about quality so much that we do some crazy things by world-class German blade factory obsessing over every detail means were confident in offering 100% quality guarantee millions of guys have already made the switch to Harry's so thank you if you're one of them and if you're not we hope you give us a try with the special offer get a Harry starter set with a five blade razor weighted handle shave gel and a travel cover all for just three bucks plus free shipping just go to Harry's.com and enter 5000 at checkout that's Harry's.com code 5000 enjoy good morning it is that God check project I may agree or hear with your host Dr. Ken Brown what's going on again and we got all kinds of good on this is kind of exciting show because we did a remote location with a really really cool guy Kieran Krishnan get on condition and get on so we ended up taking all of our equipment down to IFN that's the functional medicine meeting and we film the podcast with him and I think it's fantastic it really is some of the coolest microbiology an incredible explanation so the second hour or second hours are to be amazing and it's so cool this is actually really cool because we can look into the future and say we know 100% that we are going to deliver in the second hour because he did an awesome job there's lots of eye-opening anecdotes that I will call them anecdotes they would they were just new in concept the way that he said the but the look back you like it just makes sense it just makes sense he deed he is the backrub microbiologist behind mega spore and it's a spore-based probiotic were going to get into that whenever we have them on the show here and I think if if you have ever been interested in taking a probiotic absolutely have to listen to this because he has a lot of evidence about the industry probiotics how many people are making probiotics that are really not on the up and up and that we know where the product is coming from oh we covered that we covered why a soil baseboard biotic is much better and then with deep dive into the science of how it does so I really really like that that whole podcast that we did with them I did to if you are new to the gut check project this is the gotcha project with your host Dr. Ken Brown we check our egos at the door because nothing is off the table and you may already want to know I saw your post we can Winfrey outrun teal and keeping the CBD so let's just get straight to a doctor can what should they do if they would like to win the signature protection package for signature protection package go to gut check project sign up subscribe share and do they have take a picture of it to get the get enrolled how does it work they want take a screenshot just so that you happen to win when we will draw a winner in the mid part of July actually at least five winners if the if the numbers keep coming in online iTunes like they are now we may have more than five winners which would be great but you can go to iTunes or YouTube search get check project basically subscribe take a screenshot you wish but then go to get your project.com connect let us know that you subscribe and then you're entered that's all there is to it subscribe to let us know get your project.com search for gut check project on YouTube and or iTunes and dad tell a friend about because the more we grow the more giveaway that's all there is to absolutely and if you are enjoying this let us know so that we can keep doing what y'all want to hear about note no doubt so when you reconnect you'll see that you can you can actually suggest guests topics for the show we've already been able to book some in advance with with some of those it suggestion so really looking forward to that today you'll get a glimpse of one of those suggestions they came from a friend of ours named Bridget a little over a year ago when she knew that we wanted to have a show and this this delivers if you've ever really wondered what is it about probiotics that even mean anything and my taking the right one I promise if you're not taking one for mega sport or a mega mega spore a micro biome Lansing to get that right sorry for someone there then you're probably not taking a reputable or a probiotic the can and should prove that it's worth so as we launch the KB empty box we get a lot of feedback from people they will know what's in the box and one of the reasons why you're going to have two really cool things which is trying to heal and mega spore is because in this podcast he explains how the polyphenols not trying to actually augment the spore base biotic and you can improve your health and improve the diversity of your micro biome with that no doubt in on top of that the biggest hang at that you had long ago is how do I even know these probiotics of people are taking are getting to work where I need them to work if you're here ingesting them and their encapsulated in their breaking open the small bowel that the model does cut hole in your billing is pouring a bunch of stuff that is it makes sense he essentially addresses all of that in talks why the science behind spore-based probiotics is the answer so I went on Melanie Avalon's new show called the Melanie Avalon showing I got on Monday and we talked exactly like this that when you listen to guys like Eamonn Quigley who have been studying probiotics for 40 years the thing that he says the best as we can they do amazing things in a petri dish we just can't get them to replicate that in the human body because it's very very complex we get into big detail about how that actually happens how many people have we had come to the G.I. clinic who have said I had G.I. distress or whatever that whatever sentiment was happy but I had G.I. distress and then begin to take a probiotic and it went away for a little while and then after name the time interval for weeks six weeks 12 weeks whatever it is suddenly they returned to that feeling of the symptoms and often times what I hear is it was worse and so basically it's your the idea environment applying what Kant said correctly is that taking the wrong delivery system of probiotics is actually just dumping bacteria would know doesn't necessarily belong so when I see these people with really bad natural overgrowth say hello and they start taking the way worse that gives me a hint of what's going on sure the Cedars-Sinai protocol Dr. Pimentel is a little let the patients take probiotics now to Ron has some great research showing that the spore based biotics can actually help with leaky gut intestinal permeability I think it's funny because patients go oh I've tried probiotics before but that's a lot like when people say oh I tried to CBD before right and the like I didn't get any response Michael CBD is a lot like the supplement industry there's a lot of products out there which they do not show in the manufacturing process is not on the up and up so that's how come we see some of the people to take the KB MD CBD and the like wow I really feel a huge difference and it's because we know exactly with with a certificate of analysis how many milligrams is actually in the and we know we do a whole series of videos about why your body needs CBD tell me about the dosing of CBD so if any of you have any questions about that you have with CBD sent them over so that we can do videos and put them out there and trying to educate my job here is to educate everyone on the science of these different things always know the gut check project check your ego at the door and start relearning everything and that's what I had to do a CBD that's what I'm doing with probiotics right woman launching his boxes as part of it so the first box that were that were launching the ingredients that we put in there the Meigs point out front children work together and there there to begin to heal your gut then I put in life extension comprehend the digestive enzymes so that you can make sure that you can absorb all your micronutrients I want to protect your brain and we put in their organic tumor from Omega and they have is really cool blend of putting an animal which has been shown to help with insulin sensitivity and ginger which is been shown to help with digestive issues so those four things right there and then we threw in something really cool something called truancy try our US II now I recently I replied discover this because my patients were told me about it and member boxers saying that so many of the other influencers were having really good success with its Western look of the science micronized hydrogen as it turns out micronized hydrogen nanoparticles of hydrogen can actually help at a cellular level decrease inflammation so here were protecting your gut and then all these things added upward and thrown a couple of the really cool products a lot of people take apple cider vinegar so we went with Vermont Village organic flavored apple cider vinegar that actually taste good and the special guest from or special gift from me to everyone that signs up in addition to that we should say that anybody that signs up for the KPMG member box we do not have CBD in it yet because there's a lot of regulatory stuff going on but you will be given a discount is that correct they can I resend you sign up you'll get access that nobody else gets on CBD with KPMG CBD being a certified COA product already so you know that it's authentic it's already priced is the best value high quality CBD bits available anyhow simply sign up for the KPMG box KPMG box.com you will then be able to get price access to KB MD CBD that's not available on really anywhere on the web so absolutely and so this is legitimate still the old adage membership has its privileges except that's what were trying to do to be of the community when you get on that you're getting $250 with the product sent to you they are going to get IC work in my patients that's the key to this is that I see these things work or adding a little bit more and it's over $103 savings so you like to be able to find these products cheaper anywhere they come right to you and then with the feedback we get working to continue to evolve organ to get more products and were to be able to add more work to get me it's gonna be really fun in addition to being able to get discounts on CBD just add to it so simply what what I believe can you're saying is that this is an opportunity if you take supplements whatsoever that you're going to get settlements that work going to get them all for a price it is inaccessible to essentially like Costco for healthcare providers is as suggestions right and then we don't just talk about the science or the claims on the label weeks we essentially just tell you all of the benefits that it can be scientifically proven for this product that's in there what actually is happening for you is your benefit correct exactly and then when you sign up you get access to this big marketplace so Rivard had several people that built in addition to what's already getting the writing a few other things and and this is gonna be a really fun exciting time as we launch this it's an opportunity to change the landscape of health I want to see what happens with people I would love to see will go back into the regular doctor and find out that these great things are happening like oh my my insulin sensitivity is improving because we know that multiple products in their actually help with that oh and sleeping better just know that the magnesium in the truancy can help with that working to start doing that and then as we get feedback from everybody were you learn hey can you do something and similar patients of Artie been asking about this hey I have a I take a supplement for my eyes anyway that we can get on their gnomelike reward are working to get that product on this marketplace so that you can get it at a huge discount so it's good to be a really really fun exciting hopefully life-changing experience for anybody that signs up this is essentially an environment where it is totally consumer driven it's done for the benefit of the consumer and it's essentially like walking to the store saying this work for me does this work for me and then turning back to a physician insane I would suggest this one actually I don't know so much about that one and which is really cool and that's what a lot of people are looking for whenever the china shop and then everybody that's involved in this community there's a lot of other healthcare providers we've got gynecologic experts would get functional medicine doctors we got chiropractors we have health nutritionists and were all bouncing ideas off each other so I can find out that's our thought about truth he actually right like now you you have to try this it's awesome and it's incredible to value that were getting on that so this is going to be really neat I just want to see this happening of course percent money back guarantee go to KPMG box.com check it out check it out well to move forward Dr. Brown I didn't want before we got down to the topics I was going to ask you what's going on with the oldest tennis player and your family so Lucas Lucas right now is with his coach in Haverford Pennsylvania playing in IETF which is the International tennis Federation it's the I guess it's 18 and under Junior pro circuit were international people can come from all over it's a grass court tournament so these pictures are just beautiful is it some country club yes were all white just like your going to Wimbledon right Wimbledon has the same rules so they treat it just like that and he's doing really well apparently this grass surface suits his game because he is in the semifinals playing tomorrow he's got today off and then play in the semifinals tomorrow so and the boys can be playing as a is from Thailand okay and he he lives in Florida at one of the at one of the Database and Seleucus knows of him to his boy to start accounted go round is a few years older but the own so hopefully we'll see what happens but I'm just probably got here all the way on grass yet picture that you show this like they're playing on a bentgrass greenhead is out things ready Heck yeah I mean levels doesn't look like a lie would be Arctic adeptly but straight for the whole but yet is that is wild is beautiful with the boys for me are just it's all about taking a break from basketball next week being 4 July just after the listeners we won't have a live show next week because the fourth is on Thursday and have family and I are are going take a break and have two out to Colorado for a couple days to get out of the heat in Texas which actually has been a bad so far this year but I while we were getting ready for the show something I thought was really funny have we been looking at or hearing so much about how people found meat replacements have you seen this in new commercial or for RVs it was on online so we just look this up somebody texted Eric said yeah this is a check out the new Arby's Arby's unveils vegetables made from meat where there they now have meat carrots sort of a fight back against the whole but it's the amazing what's what's everybody doing Usha Patrick what had there is beyond beyond meet an impossible barter that since this is the fight back you have the lease they basically took me shape it is a ^ relevant ^ dusted and cooked it pretty it's pretty it's pretty interesting pretty awesome but Rob Wolf is the one who shared that when I was really fun that is funny so one would also really funny this past weekend that so what it was out of town and while she was out I decided to be a good hobby in those who are your car detailed and so I took it and Mike did the whole just keep it for a few hours they did the inside and out. You know the full on detailing proud of myself I go to pick it up driving home I don't drive a car very often and I clipped a curb or a pothole or something is went white and next and I blew a big old hold that tire nicely as so awesome it's only some found out that her accurate roadside assistance had run out and I had canceled that on our insurance because we have accurate roadside assistance why would I need that right so had neither some told this thing to tire shop on the it was on Saturday night told it left it discount tire whatever was going to fix it the next day will are closed on Sunday and I saw Lloyd arrive Sunday night not only are you mentally cannot brag about me washing the car detailing the car it's I pretty much screwed it up so it's that there will have to do tomorrow hey man it was the intention it matters thank you hope yeah exactly well what he got didn't say in the corner I know that we got you have kicked back and forth a bunch of really cool article this last week and I didn't really know which direction you're going to go today because there's a lot there but once you had lead off with your favorite one so far well usually it's thing there's been a lot of recent news there was Melanie Avalon and I actually talked about this one which I think nobody should lose take take a look at churn and realize something there's two studies published in the British medical Journal were looked at how when people take really, refined diets that all cause mortality increases significantly and there was another study with a look that were cardiovascular events goes up so then they started looking at what it does to the micro bio just just for clarity for for refined diets were talking talking about things where people have refined sugars refined carbohydrates things that have been bleached crack like flour etc. right there were some of the so what they're actually looking at is anything that's that has that been said impacted the happy stabilizers and chef Patrick could probably expand on this but they're looking at that most of these things have emulsifiers in them they have lots of sugar and a very interesting concept they usually decrease the amount of fiber content and the reason for that is is that fiber keeps you full this is and encourage you to keep popping the chinos or whatever so check Patrick do you know what an emulsifier is when they're doing with the processed foods Yemen there and there a lot of that that but it's a binding agent modified food starch is things like that yeah it said there chemically in its natural substance chemically modified to be cheaper – you need less of it so the date they work really well as a thickening or something at texture to to breads or things like that so what they showed as these emulsifiers so those three things the emulsifier actually damages your good micro biome and then the sugar feeds bacteria that allow them to grow more the lack of fiber means that your micro biome does not use that as a prebiotic so you diversity decreases so you don't have the benefit of having your micro biome Hope you so not only do we now know that that definitely increases cardiovascular risk and all cause mortality now we've got molecular reasons of how it messes with your micro bio so it's kind of a fascinating thing because they what they showed is that when these bacteria get hurt by the emulsifier they do not they cannot break down the prebiotic's which then allows the bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids which your body works and uses as fuel in in the colonic cells so becomes this very vicious cycle that replacement of fiber I would imagine would also increase the glycemic index then of those foods making them also more dangerous correct 100% what they showed is by not having the short chain fatty acids float around inflammation in your body goes up tested so they show these animal models that cortisol and CRP go up that the reactor protein yeah and what that does this is your goal of this they showed it was the first time I've seen this that when your cortisone CRP goes out you actually block the information walks your response to leptin growling is the hormone that makes you hungry leptin conventional full so you open up a package of something you start eating and you start get in the habit of doing that on a regular basis you change your micro bio you are not decreasing in not allowing your own bacteria to help you decrease the inflammatory response of anything in short chain fatty acids go down you will get hungrier you eat more of it more of the bacteria that like that start putting out signals and so a lot of times these are when people like and why can't I quit eating this junkfood there's a cycle going on in all of this were now seeing on a cellular level what's actually happening where huge explanation so if you if if you're experiencing already some inflammation you can see it doesn't have to be anything terrible but if you have acne it obviously feeding it more of a refined food diet would simply just be feeding into the inflammation process that you're currently experiencing right exact so you got a child at home maybe this even just these four minutes is worth watching on why you need to steer away from sugary cereals for breakfast or why you need to not come straight home and turned straight to a bag of chips or something else like that because you're going to not the you not to feel full and there the right way and you're just going to can keep consuming really bad calories you wake up and you take in and those cereals that such a great example we talked about that before the show were I grew up in fruity pebbles and stuff like that I cringe at screens where is he striking about it now and now we know that your not feeding your bacteria what it really needs which polyphenols work really well to feed your bacteria we know that fiber does that as well so that you can have a very diverse micro bound the key is to have a diverse micro bio they showed that the more people that eat this they have a much more narrow spectrum so you do not have the benefit of that microbiota you want your left in response so you're always kinda hungry you never really feel full and then let's take it up once that they didn't get into this but I that she had some patients that were food chemists working for I don't I don't member Frito-Lay or some like I actually work on having more likely it's an emulsifier now that I think about it to slide more easily so that the food goes down quicker so that the Fritos go down quicker all that stuff so there's a lot of science being put into it to trying get people to open up bags and then their engineering to make you dependent upon their crappy food and it's not gonna benefit you in the long term it's so weird I mean it's actually nuts like it at some point we have to start getting involved in not letting companies destroy the general health they have the money to take out the money to make beat carrots yeah so you have these companies out there doing that and it's an uphill battle wrist we do know the epidemic of childhood obesity everything else the activities is that will yeah that that is something to do with it but what if were really messing ourselves up on a cellular level that were not even paying attention to it's so hard in the grassroots level if you're not I just like you hug I grew up on really sugary cereals I mean I'm sure if you termite clock of wouldn't want to do that it also it it's like how do you move forward how to educate your kids and for the most part I would say even though my both of my boys feel it's incredibly boring for breakfast for them weight Marine I just don't buy that that Stuff and ironically since the boys it there after the summer they've been earning their own money one of the ways he rewarded themselves they went bought a box crappy cereal you have such a downer when I see it I don't want to me I how I know you can't get Kellan to make some choices still but at the same time I look at my I just don't think they have any idea what the many Dell right they don't they don't know what it's doing Celine I think when you really young you don't feel the effects as much the truth is as much as they play sports and that inflammation they work up it's not helping them heal they are recovering we talked about that that the the original thing a breakfast being the most important part of the day was actually an ad campaign in 1940 when greatness came totally. Today I went without my normal bacon and eggs I felt great so you did intermittent fasting that I did it was also and I was still wasn't hungry until about three in the afternoon I get another really cool little tidbit that I will talk about regarding bacteria and CBD when we come back all right wow that was a quick half-hour so like and share like and share gut check project on YouTube and iTunes we will catch on the back and let us hear from you and catch a project.com if you are trying to quit drinking or doing too many drugs listen to me you don't know me and will never meet I had a problem like you want I drank and used a party a little too much till he got out of control and almost ruined my life I realize I needed help to fix my problem before it totally destroyed me if you tried to fix your drinking and drug problem and you know you can't do it alone you need to call the national treatment advisors they'll immerse you into a 30 day program to replace your old habits with new 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second half hour episode number 16 I think we said that the last half hour episode number 16 episode number 16 can't wait to get the 20 that's when they say the magic happens I know that means but I do know that our subscribers are growing so I certainly appreciate that you'd like to win your very own signature package from Dr. Brown aim KPMG health you can get your very own Arbitron teal month supply as well escaping the CBD simply by going to iTunes or YouTube or both and subscribe and share and then go to get check project.com and let us know that you did it that's all you have to do do all those things Dr. Brown these are things you see I should add that that's the signature package there is what we call the signature package skills what might what I'm trying to do is bridge the gaps and bring traditional science into natural places and right now I think that what were lacking a lot of is just data and science on CBD there's so much confusion about the reason why the signature package is because we know that the polyphenols in front he'll actually decrease the enzyme that breaks down your own and a cannabinoid site and this is that they work together to increase so that's what I was seeing in my practice when people take the CBD and otter until they feel markedly better there was there so many things to get to like there is a recent article were it was looking at how CBD actually is very effective against superbugs better than antibiotics science is pretty thick on that go to KB MD health.com sign up for KB MD box and we were to continually update that site with a lot of science new science and everything but there's another article that I found little bit more interesting than I want to cover and note out let's get to that article just died just for those who haven't done it yet because it grows every single day KPD health.com which is why you find such a project.com etc. just simply sign up for the newsletter over the next three weeks the transition is going to be huge what what kids talk about is that from KB MD were going to be able to put the science were actually the science has been explained behind polyphenols CVD diet it's for you it's for free but it's for you to be more educated spend your money more wisely stay more healthy that's really what this whole things about and we have the ability to find a lot of articles a lot of my colleagues like will there's no science Alyssa Mike no no no no there's so much science on this you just have to know where to look and you have have access to a lot of these articles right so if anybody has questions like hey what can do you have you had any springs of receiving the articles on what it does for skin issues for instance like your dermatologist does as this have any background on things like that psoriasis eczema acne all kinds of different issues oh have you seen any benefit with rheumatology words are from Bruce her arthritis word osteoarthritis will not make any claims here what I'm saying is that working to find studies and see and they had just like we did with the photo bio modulation just like we did with the stem cells we can find this stuff and really saved now this makes sense absolutely I mean really that's that was the whole idea why you started caving to health in the first place is just find a place where people can turn these the same questions that come to the G.I. clinic every single day and so now we got a place where people can turn it start find some real answers speaker questions this morning I was working out poses new Joe Rogan's podcast and he had Bob Lazar on yeah that's a space so there's a there's a new Netflix movie out there word so will trickle UFO and saucers or something I think it even uses his name is UFOs and Balthasar something honest I don't remember exactly what it's called but yeah I lazy and hours avoiding exact figure just to be one of those conspiracy type things but no ma'am he on Joe Rogan the guy sounded like he was looked legitimately scarred from the whole experience in yeah I don't want to be pain but I'll I really, want to talk to Mildred more debt than on TV has any pictures because I thought it was really honestly it seemed it seemed sincere maybe if he's that good at holding that that form for almost 4 decades and while but I mean he's he said the stores were really really long time Dennis really messed them up yeah I mean he's any heat honestly was saying I don't want to be here but I need to get the story out and while he was on Joe Rogan show it was like he was bragging or anything I was weird listening to another podcast Kim of the comedian's name is on XM radio but they were kind of trying to debunk all that and say that he was just is just crazy I'm reading an article that just came out said film on Netflix finds UFO whistleblower baubles are seeming less crazy than ever yeah will admit the funny thing is even just two decades ago and I can't remember exactly what all of them were but similar like bone scans identification systems and the fact that he said that there was a certain isotope of the hydrogen that he knew existed before and they had been scientifically denied but it turns out that a handful of the things that he declared that he had seen before are suddenly now available the bone scan machine that he described exactly as he described it is now available the isotope of hydrogen that he described almost 3 and half decades ago everyone said didn't exist sudden exist now and it's really neat he's basically like I find this is a point of vindication I have stuck to the story and that's all been documented in fact they even say they who have the proverbial they is scrubbed his name as he claims he described his name as being a student in attendance at a few different it's so that's with the other podcasts talk about the light how can you just have no measures only exist they scrubbed his name from going to MIT or something like that it was a and Cal poly Cal poly and MIT on the scrub is named after the service and the like that is impossible somebody would've known him wreck that's how come they think that he may just be craziness in his own story and sticking to it but how is there nobody else saying hey I knew that guy would school with him here she went here that's the weird part is there is there's there's people who assigned affidavits who are listed as all real students who said that yeah he was totally in school with us so it's I don't know it's a very bizarre and promising new nothing about it until I heard that same podcast I nine so I'm starting to put that yellow color online from Alpha Centauri waiting on them back to Nelly I've spent a lot of time watching videos on YouTube no no I haven't any but it's interesting it's a fascinating story he is especially I seen the new Netflix shows that were in the watch that Check Out Joe Rd. in Charlotte is what you are she watched both and I think the Joe Rogan episode is probably more informative findings that the Netflix thing is okay but the hearing Bob is talking his own voice I found far more interesting and certainly in terms the validity would be more compelling and quite honestly fencing the Netflix thing first I don't know how much Otto believed yeah he just need to seem far more genuine than just the longform phone interview Joe Rogan is such a great host he really is he saying to her and intuitive question so that without question well I to change his story over 30 years picture the phone call there yet Patrick can we only got 20 minutes we get Karana on going to hit the yeah yeah I will hit the so much like Bob Lazar said he goes this is the stuff were looking at it just could be that they like to be dumped a motorcycle on the on the street in Victorian times people are to poke around that it somebody may figure out how to turn it on this kind were he was saying that I do know there's so much will in science we do the exact same thing were to talk this next hour with Quran and probiotics in spore-based biotics because micro bombs are really big deal now after until is NSF certified that is certified for sport the reason why that's a big deals because were making sure that we get no doping agents inherent giant athletes pro athletes College athletes there's all this reaction to anti-doping and everybody keeps putting new things on the list I got a new one for you okay probiotics may become anti-doping things really if they can figure this out there so if you had what you're saying is that you can test positive for probiotics there is a chance that I would become a flag there was they were referencing that there was and I don't remember what it was but they whatever sport it was a female had much higher levels of testosterone probably curling up in public but they said for her to continue to compete at the Olympic level she has to actually decrease her testosterone by taking some sort of testosterone blocker because whatever so that there's lots of different things that can be performance enhancers what this study that just came out June 24 in nature what it talked about his elite athletes gut bacteria give Road runners a boost so this group was looking and it's pretty funny to think about the tension with anti-doping I just wonder if this will suddenly pop up on the anti-doping list what they showed is that proportions of certain bacterial species increase after endurance athletes have completed a marathon furthermore this type of bacteria that increases breaks down lactic acid and produces another compound called propionic lactic acid is what makes your muscles tired and sore and weak propionate can be used as a fuel so then I looked at another group of people and this was a series of 15 runners that their look at the Boston Marathon and they found that they look at another group on some a bunch of very elite rowers Ro's of in Olympic trials and they got very similar result basically this type of bacteria called Velma Nella or villanelle at a Tippecanoe increased in both of these groups of people so Bella Bella atypical appears two have adapted in these elite athletes to break down the lactic acid yeah informed that so is it chicken or the egg right are these people elite athletes because possibly they have a higher proportion of villanelle or did they develop develop mellow in response to constantly increasing the lactic acid in the body while so that's what this group is trying to look at so they ended up taking a bunch of mice put them on of little reels treadmills mice treadmills whatever they're called and they were able to show in the mice if they gave them Bella Nella rectally and orally they actually had decreased amounts of lactic acid now I've done that before I've gone and done I went to the to the try shop and did a whole lactic acid to push yourself as far as you can go and my lactic acid just kept going up and elite athletes it will start to go up in the middle drop because it goes back into the Krebs cycle okay so does that happen because they've got more this melanoma or doesn't happen because their elite athletes and their bodies have adapted I don't really interesting so their ability essentially to of work or outwork others because they function better in an anaerobic state the right no no once they going to anaerobic state than the lactic acid gets put back into the Krebs cycle so it can be used as fuel again okay possibly converted to now I'm thinking it's possibly being converted to appropriate okay I so I and others a lot more to it but what I find really funny is the people that did the study have a new startup called fit bionics fit bionics for bionics bionic microbiology okay right so it is really interesting to sit there there's always a go to market something to try and increase the amount of this particular species and what we do learn in the next hours is how complex it is you really just can't say only take this one I'll go back to Dr. Soltis row study were he showed people with bacterial overgrowth they tend to take probiotics that are lactate producing probiotics okay that's what almost all the probiotics you get over the counter and he showed that lactate cross the blood brain barrier which is one of the reasons why a lot of these people maybe have some brain fog it could be intestinal permeability leaky gut it could be that the lactic acid is increasing we may be using the completely wrong species maybe we should be using this species to get rid of the lactic acid and produce this propria night so interesting yeah but it's it's going to be now if you be a race now revisited to others a probiotic for sleep this a probiotic for endurance and once again it still has to make it all the way through the intestinal tract and get Rick and start of dividing more and increasing the diversity you can't just do one memory of 100 trillion bacteria in your colon over thousand species this is what this is little of the marketing hype is been around over to skim through this want you to do all kinds of things that part is a make a lot of sense either that or just to simply take a bacteria or probiotic just for one desired effect of what you would want even for sleep and no doubt that someone will market like that but it all comes down to the biodiversity of that bacteria anyhow could you if you were to load up theoretically on sleep bacteria will then would you just have lethargy all of the times he sensei not exist to make sense it's marketing on everything on every single line so this is a mouse study where they said that so they took humans they checked her poop and they go oh these guys have higher part they have a higher percentage of this particular species that must mean something then were to go to rodents were to give it to we know that trying to replicate in a mouse model in the human models extremely difficult it's the closest thing we can have because there you can't keep humans in cages and you don't control her diet will look all that other stuff so there's a lot of other studies I've seen with a like oh this particular group had higher levels of this and they were skinnier so this is going to be a weight-loss probiotic so it becomes a marketing game with the science being really difficult to prove it is mastered adding that their research that makes sense to keep doing that did you see the article he came out I just was last week were two people died from fecal transplant now some super unfortunates the first time that people have had bad outcomes from people transport you ever get real excited about the microbiota transplants and if you don't know what this is as a whole new field of science were people taking one person's poop and they emulsify it and they put it in one way or the other there's a lot of different ways to do it either through a kaleidoscope or you can go way into the small bowel and push it through more and just dead just to cover the whole array want there some people who taken frozen capsules of the of poop and then and then just basically ingesting it like normal and then that idea was it with all yeah yeah so the idea would be there with thought you'd always through my partner Dr. Stuart Ackerman what he was doing is she was getting he was getting stool from this NIH grants location were there collecting school from people they do all the make sure that there's no diseases or anything in the they bring it back and then they injected it's frozen emulsified as it goes down with the scope way into the small bowel and then just pushes it beyond the stomach acid beyond the pancreatic and where would normally all get killed its way down and there's this part on seeking go and that's what that's what he was doing but that's been shut off because the cost of the poop has gone so high that the nurse on an island or something happened where regulations are coming in the cost to test it for all these other found my game yet became prohibitive so now you know we all have poop and now it's a controlled the FDA is they made it a they wanted when the FNT first came out they wanted everyone start applying for a new drug indication just poop it's poop but enforces a big setback because two people died but apparently the prepaid toxigenic E. coli on it they didn't realize that so they took one person give to other people would use a lot in the hospital for C diff infections okay so if you take antibiotics not only can you just disrupt your micro biome but you cannot actually allow one particular species to dominate yet the dominant cold seat of Clostridium difficile and and if you ever had a relative or you've ever experienced that it is not fun and hard to get rid of the fecal transplants were working very very successful for that so it's it's unfortunate but this the first time that we had no bad outcome so people are trying to figure out how to work with this microbiota it's almost like we have the ability to test but we don't really know what to do with it Peter Peter Addie it was talk about this on one of his podcasts use and yet we have this ability to do this big gene mapping we can do PCR analysis got all these different species and overlooked the runners had this let's do that it's just not that simple at least up until this point must we cracked the code on how to actually figure that part out its own of the game you can you find different things you can detect that learning how to interpret the analysis is as a whole nether probably can alarm just understanding how to apply the science that happens every day so what you think the numbers are if we've lost these two people and they've directly attributed it to the transplant self correct out of how many oh I don't I don't know you rationalize death but the truth is it is a number everything is run through statistics and it's unfortunate that this would be a setback but I say that that we have people who will die today the in several the died yesterday in the day before that from opioid abuse and that's not stopped anybody from administering that so when you when you look at then you put it in in those kinds of of boxes it is unfortunate now we can move forward in and make certain that this doesn't happen but the fact that that really famous kid back in the 80s Ryan White who died from AIDS from a blood transfusion bleeding stop doing blood transfusions because of that we learned how to get better at doing blood transfusions yeah I think that the cycle things if if they can be sensationalized it then it's going to make the moves and fecal microbial transplants are always something that is gonna make the news because people just go what in the world and they want to read more about it than when asked questions about it been in my field for years and years decades we been trying to figure out what actually do without you know there was the their study that came out I believe is out of Yale where they took poop from skinny my scared to fat mice the fat mice got skinny and vice versa than that led to this whole study there actually trying to do this at Brigham Young's University and I will say just got published but it really didn't didn't have any weight loss affects all really desolate it worked in mice got all excited your own fun skinny people got tight trying to poop the other they got all excited that that's what was going happen but it looks like the results of work it's really interesting I wonder what the parameters were around it because I I can I figured it wouldn't be necessary that you just simply metabolize food differently it may have to also it may also include what are you can foods do you desire by having that type of bacteria inside so it is small level where mice don't make a whole lot of decisions I guess you could say they may just eat a little bit less with that fecal transfer but maybe the reason why it didn't necessarily work in this one experiment Brigham Young is because people are still left to their own their own devices or vices whenever they're out there and they can contaminate the sample that they take to buy say love get the bacteria on still going to go to fill in the fast food chain restaurant or I should lose weight I back at the bacterium now that's a really good observation because you would almost have to have them in a cage to do this because just as we talk about your left and still in blunted and do not do your document feel full you may be taking in more cows have ever done it like I did my fitness pal thingy Jack Kerry and I were doing that Bruce was log all the food but it became really cumbersome but I was eating way more calories and I thought yeah like you to sit down and up around 2500 revenues keep adding them up you like, get the handful of almonds that you walk by throw down to hundred percent you look back you try to write off the day like that's the anomaly in the realized that days just like the day before and he put forth that now I'm guilty that Rhonda Patrick just came out with a podcast with her on telomere specials telomeres are the kind of tells our age right that it's the end caps of the chromosomes and as we age they decrease and they were looking at things that directly affect the telomere length stress cortisol sugar refined foods lack of bacterial diversity same stuff that were always talking about actually can speed up the aging process so telomeres can be damaged each time basically that ourselves replicate and what we don't want from all the things you just listed is telomere shortening because that that enables the sales to age more quickly and basically if it is I understand the DNA just does not get replicated in the future with the new the new daughter cells deliver younger cells in there that's another complex thing when we are at I effeminate if you remember that but there's booths were people check your telomere length and have been not only was it real well that's what Ron was talk about when she there's so many different ways of to be affected what lab it is what you going to do with the information and now there's companies out there that are selling products to increase to llama race decreased farmers I remember whatever you think it's increased telomerase which is an enzyme that kinda protects the telomere this and just go off, have gas podcast just it's really a menu notes Rhonda Patrick sure super sightseeing geeky and with that we don't know because sometimes you want shortening as if it's a cancer cell you want that you want the body to recognize that and it'll go away and that way you don't have because cancer cells will grow so fast that you need that shortening to prevent that from happening so we don't know try to mess with telomeres is going to do something like that but the same thing keeps coming around over and over and over if you get sleep eat right you feed your micro bomb what it needs like polyphenols like spore base biotics then decrease the information with CBD then all of that your body will figure out what to do so sometimes whatever we thought articles were people going only wanted this one probiotic and you can run faster really overthinking maybe if we just kind of got rid of those refined foods the emulsifiers in the high sugar and all that stuff a huge take away here is that you can if you step back you realize that there are there are real researchers that want to make things happen that the crazy unfortunate thing is oftentimes a marketer was simply just take the data and then want to be the first to make something happen rather than make certain that the science is solid or a company has a good product and they just won a race to get out and get a second product that doesn't necessarily burying value without having the research back behind it and honestly it's that that's the really cool part of being a part of KB MD health and KBS is that we we've always tried to make certain that the data is solid for eight do no harm be sure that you can help someone before you just turn a product loose now you make me feel bad because I'm actually scratching out abdominal discomfort and putting decrease veil and Ella and then underneath that protector tell me the only product available with you faster and younger trying to get your telesales cereal today exactly that out I don't know it it's it that you don't want to paint a picture of the whole world going dark but each but if you're listening just protect yourself when you if I go to these conferences and you listen to somebody scientist like vulture long ago and these guys are doing the research and like when Rhonda Patrick talks and such and panda it's very well this is what we saw we believe this is this we can extrapolate that it's real great it's not like you see when you're talking to a marketer like privilege and will increase your memory and it's like well and wait a minute's backup was little to the studies these guys are out there and all these PhD's there not that will I find them fun but sometimes is not up on the listen to them cry don't really land on anything the light that we kind of think this is what's happening what image frustrating to the general public and in their pioneers and is probably a lot like a Lewis and Clark they made their way through their just mapping they're not necessarily saying that everything's going to be roses by the time they get out to out to the West Coast right I mean they were just finding their way there they just basically charted as it came along we talked last week about all those medical reversals where they were looking all theatrical reversals they had three they found out in the Lancet New England Journal of medicine in JAMA that when they looked back at trials they showed that 369 straight up medical reversals has taken place like we talked about where we thought estrogen was really good for every woman take a bunch that we realized it was actually increasing heart attacks so it's really complex and it's hard to sit there and say okay let's look at an article this bacteria can increase running and there immediately when I would I guess I would too if I was the scientists are like weeds do a startup right now so during the startup called for bionics but it's no different than the multibillion dollar industry that is probiotics if you talk to Dr. Quigley that's not how he describes it he just says we hope that they they were great when he say they were great in a petri dish that we just cannot seem to replicate it consistently in humans right and that's this policy that leads right into the next thing Quran Krishnan is here to explain the real data in the application in humans on what the correct type of probiotic delivery system can do for you I this is you've heard me talk like this for so long as the first time a microbiologist is going to know exactly know your you're right and here's why right this is and I studied this and so I'm really excited to get this kind information out there and very pleased that were teaming up with them for our member box so that we can put the two together and you'll see why they work together but I think it's really cool be sure to like and share the gut check project if there's anything that you want to take away from you today show you can just show the next hour to anybody who's ever been exposed to probiotics ever whatsoever you'll learn a ton I know they cannot both did Chiron is that these amazing he's very intelligent and he's got real data to show something he probably never hit up a lot of right on everybody enjoy will pick it up in about two minutes rest for this is the only 24 hour take anywhere platforms dedicated to food and fun clear spoony fifth hour from Townhall.com, drawings could come down at any time now on to the Supreme Court's biggest cases the current High Court terrors whether the trump administration can add a citizenship question to the 2020 census supporters say it's needed to get an accurate count while critics claim it will lead to an undercount of minorities the second case involves gerrymandering and whether Democrats and Marilyn went too far when they redrew the boundaries of the sixth Congressional District slip I get from Republican to Democrat correspondent Wally Hines on the heels of last nights debate 10 more Democratic presidential hopefuls preparing to take to the stage for Tonight Show down Democratic pollster and strategist Brad Bannon calls Joe Biden the big guy tonight's debate I think he's going to be a target in this debate and he has to demonstrate that he can hold his own and that he can't make a slob corresponded Alexander Jaffe in Miami expect some fireworks during this evening's showdown you are federal health experts say the vaccine has once again turned out to be a big disappointment the vaccine did not work against the flu bug that popped up halfway through the flu season latest figures show the vaccine only 29% effective overall stocks higher on Wall Street this hour right now the Dow is up about five points see S&P 500 index well points higher than the NASDAQ better by 46 more on these stories to Townhall.com now you can fly anywhere in the world and paid discount prices on your airline tickets flight to date alignment is harassment to read or anywhere else you want to go and pay a lot less guarantee quality international travel department right now low-cost airlines 800-452-1075 800-452-1075 that's 800-452-1075 got an old car you can donate it whether it's running or not to the United breast cancer foundation and save a life they'll even come and pick it up for free the United breast cancer foundation has saved hundreds of women's lives through their free or low-cost breast screening exams but now they need your help the United breast cancer foundation wants to save more lives through early detection by offering women free or low-cost breast screening exams in donating your old car SUV or truck whether it's running or not helps pay for them plus you get a charitable tax deduction help the United breast cancer foundation save lives by donating your old car SUV or truck call now for free pickup 800-245-0823 800-245-0823 800-245-0823 all right now that number again is 800-245-0823 never forgotten apparel is more than just a premium women's and men's clothing line it's a movement to remind us to wear American-made and serve those who serve us our heroes never forgotten apparel gives 20% of their total sales to nonprofits that support homeless veterans and off-duty firefighters and 50% to individual veterans and firefighters in need nationwide checkout never forgotten apparel.com use promo code Matt and ATT and get 15% off your purchase all right welcome to the gadget project as promised we are here in San Antonio with Karen Krishnan of micro biome labs makers of mega spore and 35 other private labels right yeah I am a busy this is a busy man yeah got a lot of science behind it is a lot of people that like what they do with probiotics and it's a completely new way of using probiotics can rethink that well what I think for starters I just got a text from your mom did I'm done she's always listening and I will need to apologize to all investors just in case you don't like the sound level it's because I'm doing it and I don't know exactly how the engineer now here's the really really bad engineer Jeff Chef Patrick sorry as best we can do so were over here at the IFN conference in San Antonio and we you and Eric have met before different conferences I love the work that you guys are doing yellow to start with us who are you so we are a band of super nerds that that are battling the revolution that is going on within the right so we we know that and this is a way to explain it to people all the time if you look at the human construct were essentially a microbial system we are the fancy word for it for those I want to impress your friends as holo- bio hello Viola volume we are super organism were no moral can we think of ourselves as a collection of organ systems of the brain and in her lungs and heart and all I connected by neurons and vessels we are a walking talking rain forest is what we are right we are an organism made up of thousands of other organisms that have to work in concert to perpetuate the health of the collective that's what the that's what all environments make it's like a ring for Savior look at a rain forest the canopy the floor every part has a different ecology and if any of those ecologies get damaged the entire ring for sufferers so we can trace back now virtually every chronic disease to some disruption in our ecology so in our thinking we are a microbial construct were made up of microbes we've taken this amazing microbial constructs and we put ourselves in an antimicrobial world like so we've really shot ourselves in the flick like crazy everything around us destroys our inner ecology and that leads to disease somewhere here fighting that whole problem in revolution of bringing back our ecology ecology fixing the rain forest I love that I was taught I was tell my patients about I've never use the word hole while I say multi-bile talk about just your micro biome there's other things going on your exactly what we are do we live for the multi-biome or does the multivolume live for us yeah you know if you look at the evidence and you look the history essentially we are an accident because of the multifile right so even the human cell is constructed of ancient bacteria write the eukaryotic human cell is basically a concert of ancient bacteria which at which make up our what sort I'm having to bring forth the energy production of the sound might've come in my country is so ancient back arrow essentially individual mitochondria that all came together to form a eukaryotic cell building nucleus surrounded also you guys in a way back we were going back to the beginning of time rice like where all of this started from we don't understand that and how do we understand how the lungs and dutiful nice so just going back to the simplicity of it because as it turns out when we start looking at these unique multicellular organisms that we are when where a small population of what's living in the universe are there in the world we don't know what's living Universalist living on earth most of it are single cellular organisms I'm also living entities are single cellular's will relook at multicellular organisms when we look at how multicellular organisms communicate from one cell to the other all of those rules are written by single cellular organisms you know hormones for example most people are surprised to know that our micro biome and the got produces virtually every hormone or endocrine system can make writing all of the serotonin's ANOVA means all of the stress hormones all of insulin estrogen and testosterone all that is made by Mike Bynum as well in the end the thinking is that that our micro biome actually taught our endocrine system how to make those hormones so the bacteria provided the DNA code to our endocrine system to figure out how to make hormones and accurately using hormones for millions of years to communicate with one another and so we now use hormones to communicate with in our body itself this is so fascinating because in my field the micro biome is a relatively new concept in traditional medicine and here you're talking about that the micro bio actually taught our bodies how to organize how to live in the world how to move that is fascinating because what we think about it the way that other people talk about all it's so complex we don't know that you just dumbed it down to you know it's actually so simple visits and darted yeah with just one cell that you follow Mr. I'm following in what I think is awesome is its way it does seem like it is so simple however it's not just the dumbed down version of what you just need some good bacteria is way way way different in that you have to understand I for long time kind of felt like that we are vehicles for this bacteria yeah and everywhere that you go you're basically being driven guy what is indeed the chemical messengers that you referenced we interpret that but is it really completely hours to interpreted not not necessarilyyou know there's evidence of vector making us do things right and and you would think that there is some altruistic reason for them to do it for example there are certain types of bacteria within your my combined that make you more social that make you go out Thanksgiving lead the motivation to go out and meet people and the reason for then you think all why did the back you want me to be more social and that's one of the ways of the transfer from house to house is that if you're not socially antisocial you sit back and back in the Navy set back in your cave all the time by yourself you're really not going up and spreading this Michael this micro bio there are there bacteria out there that connect you change your outlook on life there was a study looking at women who took probiotics versus women that didn't and they took women that the probiotics in the group that didn't and they showed him a bunch of pictures and they were measuring brainwave activity and was showing them like really stressful take pictures things that would bother them normally and they found that the women that took probiotics on a regular basis actually had a less intense emotional response to those pictures so their outlook on life seemed a little bit better than the ones that did you know and so these microbes are dictating a lot of how we even respond to the world around us is fascinating because yes urologist we always I was trying to people to feed their microbiological would eat the diet that your bacteria really should have diverse bacteria and now we have the highest incidence of anxiety of depression mean all were doing is just throwing more and more drugs at it trying to get that to be corrected when the reality is we could balance the bacteria and you know what I really like about this as an excuse for me to go to Vegas with my buddies. Tell me to get out for health that is one of the best places to swap microbial going to Vegas as a sign expression when you all the activ

 Daniel 8 - Worlds In Conflict   This is an amazing and very interesting passage of Scripture. I am sure you will agree. In this book of Daniel, from Chapter 2 to 7, we have had a wide angled panoramic view, and now, in Chapters 8 to 12 we zoom in on specific areas which were previously covered in Chapters 2 to 7. In Chapter 7, we have seen that the prophet Daniel had a dream of 4 animals, which were a winged lion, a bear, a winged leopard and a beast.  So let us read together Daniel 8. Daniel 8 - In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, even to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. I saw in the vision; now it was so, that when I saw, I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai. Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself. As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west over the surface of the whole earth, and didn't touch the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran on him in the fury of his power. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the ram, and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled on him; and there was none who could deliver the ram out of his hand. The male goat magnified himself exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of the sky. Out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the army of the sky; and some of the army and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled on them. Yes, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the army; and it took away from him the continual burnt offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. The army was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through disobedience; and it cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered.Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, How long shall be the vision concerning the continual burnt offering, and the disobedience that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the army to be trodden under foot? He said to me, To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. It happened, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was frightened, and fell on my face: but he said to me, Understand, son of man; for the vision belongs to the time of the end. Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright. He said, Behold, I will make you know what shall be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongs to the appointed time of the end. The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia. The rough male goat is the king of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. As for that which was broken, in the place where four stood up, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not with his power. In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to the full, a king of fierce face, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and do his pleasure; and he shall destroy the mighty ones and the holy people. Through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in their security shall he destroy many: he shall also stand up against the prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true: but seal up the vision; for it belongs to many days to come. I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick certain days; then I rose up, and did the king's business: and I wondered at the vision, but none understood it. Here in Chapter 8, we look at the bear, which here is described as a ram, and a winged leopard that is described as a goat. Unlike his previous two visions which occurred at night, this one occurs during the day. Daniel was transported in the Spirit to Susa, a major city of the Babylon & Persian empires. He sat down beside the Ulai canal, nine hundred feet wide and connected two large rivers so that boats could easily pass from one to the other. Spiritually seated by the river, he lifted up his eyes. He saw a ram, a male sheep, that had two horns, and as he watched, one of its horns became larger than the other. We can be in no doubt that this ram is symbolic of the Medo-Persian Empire, because it is told to us in verse 20. The horn that grew large was the Persian empire, which gradually took over from the Medes. The king of Persia also carried the image of a ram in front of him whenever he went into battle. It is natural for rams to be aggressive and to butt. The ram here goes in every direction, but east. Historically we know that the Medo-Persian empire did not gain much territory to the East. Suddenly - the dream changes. Coming in from the West, races a male goat that is travelling so fast that its feet do not touch the ground. Verse 21 tells us that this is the Greek Empire, and the horn is its 'first king' Alexander the Great. In actual fact he named one of his sons, Alexander Goat. The feet not touching the ground signified the speed with which Alexander won battles over a vast area from Africa to India. The goat in verse 6 collides with the ram, breaks the rams' horns and humiliates it, crushing and destroying it. This reflects how the Medo-Persian Empire fell to the Greeks. Then we read that the goat, at the height of its power, was broken by the unseen hand of God. Alexander the Great became inflated with pride at the speed and number of battle victories, but his arrogance was short lived and he died at the age of 32. The goat, Alexander, was replaced by 4 horns. These historically are - Macedonia under Cassander; Thrace and Asia Minor under Lysimachus; Syria under Seleucus; and Egypt under Ptolemy. Again, history has followed what Scripture said would happen. In verse 9, Daniel notices that 'Out of one of them came a little horn.' From a small beginning it grew to great power, and its power stretched south and east, and then into the 'Beautiful Land' of Canaan. There is no doubt that this refers to that horrible man of history, Antiochus Epiphanes. He, as predicted, came from the Seleucid section and took Egypt with an immense army, following that by taking Elymais and Armenia. Then he invaded Canaan. This man, the little horn referred to, arose as the great persecutor of God's people. There were 5 main things that we learn about his rule from this passage - 1. v10/24 - No justice. He persecuted the Jews. Stars being either leading Jews or authorities. 2. v11/12a - No righteousness. He exalted himself higher than the Prince of Peace, and blasphemed God by holding idolatrous sacrifices in the temple. 3. v12b/25 - No truth. He attacked truth consistently and practised deception. He would often wait until he had someone's trust before turning upon them.  4. v12b - No peace. Evil prospered 5. v25 - No mercy. He was struck down by the invisible hand of God. It is documented that he fell ill in a small town in Egypt, and while on his sick bed, wrote to the Jews saying that he himself would become a Jew if only God would save him. God showed him no mercy, for the evil that he had performed on God's people and the attacks upon God Himself. In verse 14, we are told that it would last about 2300 evenings and mornings until the sanctuary will be made holy again. Some scholars say that this is about 6.25 years. Antiochus Epiphanes rule lasted from 171 to 165 BC. Other teachers say that this is about 3.5 years. The temple was used for heathen sacrifice for the last 3.5 years of Antiochus Epiphanes life. The end of time referred to in verses 17 - 19, could refer to 2 things. Firstly, it could refer to the end of Antiochus Epiphanes reign of terror over the Jews, when the Jews could expect the Messiah to come and end God's indignation with the Jews. Secondly, it could mean the period of the Gentiles, which is from Nebuchadnezzar's reign to the 2nd coming of Jesus. Whichever theory is correct, there are still applications that apply to our lives today. Firstly, rampant evil and not peace will rule on earth until Jesus comes again. We look around the world and we see conflicts and wars everywhere - Iraq, Afghanistan, throughout Africa & Asia. There will be always people like Antiochus Epiphanes. People like Hitler and the slaughter of the Jews in the 1930's & 1940's; or Idi Amin in Uganda; or Pol Pot and the Khemer Rouge in Cambodia/Kampuchea; Stalin and the former USSR Communist bloc; Ceacescu and Romania. The submission to the state or government of all citizens, being forced to accept government decrees. There will also always be the limitation of freedom to worship. I can still see the remains in the mass graves in the destruction of Cambodia coming from my television screen, where even to think any kind of individual thought was suppressed and all books were destroyed. Or the pictures of the desecration of the millions of Jews during the 2nd World War. Or how about the persecution of religious peoples under the regimes in China, Romania and the former USSR. And here in England, or the USA or even Australia, the threats to us and our Christianity are probably more subtle. We see the media laughing at people like Cliff Richard, Billy Graham and other well-known Christians, whenever they are in the spotlight. In many countries around the globe, where Christianity is illegal, suppressed or forced to fit into the confines of Government thinking. The attacks upon us here in the West are not so direct, but much more subtle. Frogs, when placed in a pot of cold water do not feel the subtle rise in the water temperature when the pot is placed on a stove with a low heat. Let us not be frogs. One day we are going to be attacked because we are Christians, and to think otherwise is clearly unbiblical. Secondly, what do we do when it comes. It is natural for us when persecution hits us to ask why, but our reaction should probably be like the 2nd angel and ask "How long?" We shouldn't be surprised when persecution comes to us, and be like the Romanians who also asked, not why, but How long? Thirdly, notice that the people who commit such atrocities, and are great powers here on earth, are described as 'little horns' and are just that, little.  Little in comparison to our awesome God. He is the invisible hand, who merely sweeps them away with one quick brush of his 'invisible hand'. Is this not a God worthy of our praise and worship? These men could only harm the flesh, not the soul. Their power was brittle, like the horns on the goat and ram, and broken by the hand of God. Where is Hitler now? Dead and buried. Where is Stalin? Dust in the frozen ground. Where is Antiochus Epiphanes now? Dust blown in the wind. Where is Alexander the Great? Dust spread across the deserts he so easily conquered. All these men are dead, but where is our God? Alive forevermore! Fourthly, we bow the knee not to a rampaging ram or a galloping goat, but to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who is our horn of Salvation. When all other horns have come and gone, we still have our horn of salvation in Him. When all the rams and goats have crossed the stage of history, God has His Lamb (Rev 5:12-13). All through the Bible, and all history as we know it, there have been dominions and powers that have lasted only a short passage of time. The kingdom of Jesus, however, is not a passing fad or temporary kingdom but an everlasting one with Jesus Himself as the Lamb and Horn of Salvation. That is why we can take Jesus into our place of work and study and into our cities with power. Even if all our friends and family reject Jesus, we should still identify with Him. All other powers are simply passing in the wind. No other power will prevail, and His peace will rule upon earth. All that harms His people will come to nothing, and we will live forever with Jesus as our Horn of Salvation. Fifthly and lastly, we need to deal with the 'little horns' of sin within our lives. Horns, throughout the Bible and history have been symbolic of power. Whatever sins are hidden in our hearts, we need to get rid of them and repent of them. For the longer any individual sin is within us, the more power it tries to control us with, if we do not hand it over to the Lord in prayer and action. The less we repent of sins, the less we grow in spiritual maturity and personal holiness. Let each one of us destroy the power of the 'little horns' of sin, by repenting and turning away from them, and allowing our Horn of salvation, destroy them by continuing to hand them over to Him. You may not be yet a follower, so I would urge you most strongly to accept His call upon you.  You may not get another chance.  This Jesus Christ said he was coming back again.  Not as a baby next time, but in full glory, power and majesty.  He will be coming back to gather those who are in relationship with Him and to wipe the tears of suffering and joy from their eyes.  Those who are found not to be in relationship with Him will spend eternity without Him.  He gives each of us, innumerable opportunities to enter into relationship with Him.   This Jesus wants to connect with you in an intimate, spiritual relationship - His eyes wander the earth looking for those willing to submit themselves to His authority.  If that is you, then please do let us know, so that we can help you to start this relationship with the Living God, Jesus Christ. He calls you by name. Right mouse click or tap here to save this Podcast as a MP3. Click on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

These twelve holy Martyrs suffered in the reign of Diocletian.   "The first of these, Pamphilius, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. He himself copied this saving Book and gave it to any who desired it. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. When asked their names, they replied: 'We have cast away the pagan names given us by our mother, and are called Elias, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and Daniel.' when asked where they were from, they replied: 'From Jerusalem that is above.' They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the greater, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308." (Prologue)   The Synaxarion concludes, "After the martyrdom of Pamphilius, the leader of the glorious cohort, the impious governor gave orders that his body and those of his companions should be left where they lay as food for carnivorous animals. However by God's Providence, no animal came near their holy relics, which the Christians were able to lay to rest with due honour." The account of these Martyrs was written by Eusebius of Caeserea, Pamphilius' disciple.

Synopsis: Seleucus I Nicator forges the Seleucid Empire, and his descendants spend the next century struggling to preserve his legacy. “In Asia, after the defeat of Demetrius at Gaza in Syria, Seleucus, receiving from Ptolemy no more than eight hundred foot soldiers and about two […] The post Episode T1 – Nicator first appeared on THE ANCIENT WORLD.

Synopsis: Seleucus I Nicator forges the Seleucid Empire, and his descendants spend the next century struggling to preserve his legacy. “In Asia, after the defeat of Demetrius at Gaza in Syria, Seleucus, receiving from Ptolemy no more than eight hundred foot soldiers and about two […] The post Episode T1 – Nicator first appeared on THE ANCIENT WORLD.

The 3rd War of the Diadochi and the Babylonian War are covered between 316-309 B.C. We see ambitious Antigonos try to conquer the Macedonian empire, Demetrios following in his father's footsteps, Seleucus' rise to power from underdog to empire builder, and the final tragic end of the Argead house and the line of Alexander the Great. History of Ancient Greece Podcast: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/ Title Theme by Lina Palera: https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473 iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hellenistic-age-podcast/id1377920930?mt=2 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-103425037? Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/s?fid=225541&refid=stpr Twitter: https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod Website: https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2018/11/16/016-to-the-strongest-the-3rd-war-of-the-diadochi-the-babylonian-war/

The Ten Horned BeastB. Keith Chadwell, 7.2018 update If an area is dark and we need to see into that area, it makes sense that we would not spend time arguing about the darkness, just flood the area with light.   So… lets shine some light on Daniel, chapter 7:  Daniel 7: v23: "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.                     Enters: Alexander the great  24a: "And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:…"      Enters: The Diadochi (Alexanders’ ten immediate successors) 24b: "…and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings;"     Enters:  Rome 25: "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.      Enters: Roman occupation of Israel (the Saints of the Most High)Enters:  Jesus the Christ; time is divided; BC/AD                            see blog teaching: The dividing of time                     26: "But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end."        27:  "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."         Enters: The promise of the Father and the new creation (Luke 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Matthew 5:3  Blessed arethe poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.) 28: "Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart." Exit:  The old creation (Eph_3:5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; ) Now just a bit of factual historical background: 1st  Kingdom…………………Babylonian followed by………………… Mede’s followed by.................…Persian’s  followed by………………… Alexander the Great followed by................... The Diadochi; who were          10 generals who became kings and were from Alexander’s Kingdom; eventually all to be taken over & becoming a part of the Roman Empire.  This is the set up right after Alexander dies;  1.  Ptolemy  …………….......in   Egypt 2.  Lysimachos *………... in   Thrace 3.  Leonnatus     ………....in   Hellespontine & Phrygia 4.  Eumenes………….…......in   Cappadocia 5.  Peithon…………............in   South half of Media 6.  Astropates………….....in   North half of Media 7.   Antigonus…………....in  Lycia, Pomphylia & Pisidia 8.   Menander…………....in  Lydia 9.   Asandrus………… ....in  Caria 10. Laomedon  …………. in  Syria * “Lysimachos was just as successful as his rivals in playing in the role of a new style king” (pg 51) The Greek World After Alexander 323-30 BC The History of these Kings & these Kingdoms and those formed at their expense extends over the 3rd  and 2nd  centuries BC. It is this that constitutes the Hellenistic period proper…… "Hellenistic Period : Following the death of Alexander, the Macedonian generals began to partition his vast empire among themselves. The disagreements arising from this division resulted in a series of wars from 322 to 275 BC, many of which took place in Greece. Thus, one of the characteristics of the Hellenistic period, which lasted from the death of Alexander until the acquisition of Greece as a Roman province in 146 BC, was the deterioration of the Greek city-states as political entities and the gradual decline of Greek political independence as a whole. Nevertheless, the Hellenistic period was marked by the triumph of Greece as the fountainhead of culture, and its way of life was adopted, as a result of Alexander’s conquests, throughout most of the ancient world." Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.             “ The capital of Ptolemaic Egypt, Alexandria, which had been founded by Alexander in 332 BC, developed into a center of Greek learning rivaling and occasionally surpassing Athens. Every part of the Hellenistic world devoted itself to the cultivation of art and intellect. Such men as the mathematicians Euclid and Archimedes, the philosophers Epicurus and Zeno of Citium, and the poets Apollonius of Rhodes and Theocritus were characteristic of the age. So strongly was Hellenistic culture implanted that it became one of the most important elements in early Christianity.""Ancient Greek ideas about art, architecture, drama, philosophy, and mathematics greatly influenced Western civilization. Among the most influential of Greek cultural achievements is the Parthenon in Athens, an outstanding example of classical architecture. The Greek teacher and philosopher Socrates affected Western speculative thought and philosophy with his emphasis on dialogue and rational argument. Greek scientists developed methods of reasoning to demonstrate mathematic principles. Greek dramas set structural and thematic styles emulated by great Western playwrights such as William Shakespeare. " "In Alexandria the Jews came into contact with Greek learning, which profoundly influenced the later religious thought of the world; here the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the   Septuagint, was made before AD 100". Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."…….As the Hellenistic monarchies declined in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, the Romans gradually extended their control over Greece and the Middle East. The Roman civilization that subsequently became dominant was in many ways a continuation of Hellenistic culture.”Rome:   “Another King will arise & will subdue 3 Kings”   (Daniel 7:24b)  ” Alexanders’ chief officers, all Macedonians, included Antigonus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus.During the winter of 280-281 BC Seleucus, the last of the “Diadochi” (Alexanders companions to have participated in Alexanders conquest & subsequently shared the inheritance.)  The empire of Alexander was by now finally divided into 3 Kingdoms.”    1.  Egypt:The Ptolemies reign would last until the death of Cleopatra in 30 BC and then would be taken over by Rome  (ROMAN CONQUEST)2.  Syria Asia minor & upper Satraps: The Seleucidreign  would last until after the long conflict with Rome and finally disappear in 64 BC when Pompey & Syria were made into a province.  (ROMAN CONQUEST) 3.  Macedon:The Antigonids lost their Kingdom at the battle of Pydna before the (Rome) legions of Aemilius Paullus in 168 BC (ROMAN CONQUEST)."Hellenistic Age (4th-1st century BC), period between the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great and the establishment of Roman supremacy, in which Greek culture and learning were preeminent in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.” It is called Hellenistic (Greek Hellas, "Greece") to distinguish it from the Hellenic culture of classical Greece. The Hellenistic world was dominated by three great monarchies founded by the successors of Alexander:  Egypt,under the Ptolemies; Syria, ruled by the Seleucids;  and Macedonia,under the Antigonids.” As the Hellenistic monarchies declined in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, the Romans gradually extended their control over Greece and the Middle East. The Roman civilization that subsequently became dominant was in many ways a continuation of Hellenistic culture.“Greek rule (which itself meant a variety of things) came to an end, generally in favor of Roman rule, at different dates, in different places between 168 B.C. and AD 72;  even then the distinctive city-based culture of the Greeks, modified by centuries of interaction with non-Greek cultures, continued to evolve in new ways for many more centuries.”  (pg.2) The above is a quote from the book; “THE GREEK WORLD AFTER ALEXANDER 323-30 BC”, by Graham Shipley, published by Routledge an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, London and New York, copy write by Graham Shipley 2000.  (Keith’s library)     Other direct quoted excerpts used in this article, unless otherwise noted, are taken from; Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.~ ~ ~

In Chapter 8 Daniel records another vision. This one occurs two years after the one described in Chapter 7.  He sees another picture of the MedoPersian empire -- this time, as a ram. And, he sees another picture of Alexander the Great and the Greek generals that succeeded him.  Of the four military generals, Seleucus held the most territory. 150 or so years later, one of his successors was Antiochus IV Epiphanes.  The horn that rises up among the four horns (Daniel (8:9) is thought to refer to Antiochus IV. And, the events around the desceration of the temple that he led are thought to be the foundation for the Maccabean revolt that occured in the years prior to the coming of Jesus in the Gospels. From the ESV Study Bible (2008, Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, IL): "this horn grew great, even to the host of heaven, and some of the stars it threw down to the ground. . . almost certainly refers to saints who were killed during Antiochus IV's reign. It began the the assassination of the high priest Onias III in 170 BC and continued to the death of Antiochus IV in 164. Within those few years, he executed thousands of Jews." Language in Chapter 8 by Gabriel suggests that, in addition to the prophecy already (from our perspective) fulfilled, the attributes applied to Antiochus IV may also serve as a type (i.e. a foreshadowing) for the Antichrist.   Background commentary excerpts can be found here.      

Ptolemy and Seleucus continue to battle with their neighboring Hellenistic kingdoms. Their empires and Macedon continue on for more than a century, before decline and eventual destruction at the hands of the Romans

Antigonus rules all of Asia, but chasing out Seleucus gives Ptolemy and the others an opportunity to check his power

(www.historyofindiapodcast.com) This week we look at the tall tales about India told by three Greek ambassadors to the courts of Mauryan emperors.

In this episode Angus is joined by Josho Brouwers, Mark McCaffery and Marc DeSantis. We look at Ancient Warfare Magazine volume 8, issue 4 "The ancient world's fragile giant: the Seleucid Empire at war". "Seleucus, who eventually acquired the epithet ‘Nicator' was not a prime candidate to succeed to the largest share of Alexander the Great's empire when the king died in Babylon in 323 BC. He certainly held some rank in Alexander's chain of command, but he was not a member of the inner circle, and a host of men had greater claim to rule. As things turned out, this was a good thing for Seleucus, as an early start in the age of the successors usually meant an early end."  

In this episode Angus is joined by Josho Brouwers, Mark McCaffery and Marc DeSantis. We look at Ancient Warfare Magazine volume 8, issue 4 "The ancient world's fragile giant: the Seleucid Empire at war". "Seleucus, who eventually acquired the epithet ‘Nicator’ was not a prime candidate to succeed to the largest share of Alexander the Great’s empire when the king died in Babylon in 323 BC. He certainly held some rank in Alexander’s chain of command, but he was not a member of the inner circle, and a host of men had greater claim to rule. As things turned out, this was a good thing for Seleucus, as an early start in the age of the successors usually meant an early end."