June 2023 Edition

Culture & News

Ancient Babylon

The ancient city-state of Babylon was located in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The city was known for wealth, power, and its pursuit of the arts. Their king introduced the world to the Hammurabi Code: a set of written cuneiform laws set in stone for the public to view. After falling into apostasy, the Israelites were punished by the Lord and taken into captivity to Babylon. While Israel was in exile, the divine wisdom of Daniel would elevate him to a position of prominence in this foreign kingdom. Babylon has a reputation in the Christian Bible as a spiritual place of materialism and ungodliness.

According to the short book: Babylon: A History From Beginning to End by Hourly History (2018): the king encouraged higher learning in many areas. The Babylonians were polytheistic, similar to the Assyrians: “[King] Hammurabi encouraged the pursuit of art, science, music, mathematics, literature, and astronomy, and the center of the city was dominated by a mighty ziggurat, a stepped pyramid…” (p. 12). “The Assyrians and Babylonians worshipped many of the same gods, and Marduk, the god who brought order out of chaos, was one of the most revered” (p. 24). ¹

The Israelite exiles in Babylon were to serve a prophetic sentence of seventy years for their apostasy. A young Daniel was among this group of Israelites. He and three other youths (Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego) were chosen by the king to be advisors. Daniel (whose name was changed to Belteshazzar) had the divine wisdom to interpret dreams and Babylonian kings would often seek his counsel on matters of state. Even in a foreign land, that worshipped other gods than the monotheistic Israelites, the Lord allowed Daniel to rise to a position of power. The Bible states: “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm” (Holy Bible KJV Daniel 6:3). Later, jealous rivals would plot against Daniel and have him thrown into a den of lions. The Lord intervenes by sending an angel to protect him from harm.

Babylon began as a small port town and grew into one of the most powerful city-states in the region. It also gained great enemies in the form of other nations, such as: the Assyrians, Hittites, Elamites, Persians and Macedonians (northern Greece). Babylon would eventually be conquered by Cyrus the Great, the King of Persia and Alexander the Great of Macedonia. ²

The polytheistic Babylonians would be introduced to Christianity in the first and second centuries C.E. In the year 638 C.E., Muslim rule would weaken Christianity in the Mesopotamian region. By the mid-seventh century, the Babylon of old no longer existed. It was subjected to the rule of the Rashidun Caliphate. ³ The city’s reputation would live on through Biblical scripture as a spiritual place of materialism and ungodliness.

Bibliography

(1, 2, 3) History, Hourly. Babylon: A History From Beginning to End (Mesopotamia History) Kindle Edition. October 29, 2018.

Art/Film/Literature News

Brave Little Monster

What happens at bedtime when the lights go out in a little monster’s room? Well, little Albert knows why he can’t sleep. Because scary humans are hiding in his room! Brave Little Monster by Ken Baker & Illustrated by Geoffrey Hayes (32 pages, 2014, kindle edition) is a super cute book with a great storyline and nice illustrations.

Business/Non-Profit News

Bobby Q’s BBQ

Bobby Ford is a police detective and owner of Bobby Q’s BBQ restaurant. He wants to bring good food to his community and has seen a loyal customer base, even through the Covid pandemic. He states: “My belief is that soul food is international.” Well said and Bon Appetit!

ABC 7 New York News: Restaurant owner by day, police officer by night – see how Long Island’s Bobby Ford does it (2021)

https://abc7ny.com/bobby-qs-police-officer-new-york-chef/10286658/

*Notice: The article Bobby Q’s BBQ was first published in the June 2022 Edition. To view the full edition click here.

Book Review

The Female Prophets of the Bible

The Female Prophets of the Bible: Who Were They, and What Did They Have to Say? (76 pages, 2018, kindle edition) by Rev. Debra Moody Bass is a short but powerful book. It gives a general overview of eight biblical prophetess: Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Anna, and the four daughters of Philip the evangelist. Their callings are found in both the Old and New Testament.

The writing is approachable and concise with scripture references and bible scholars’ commentary within the text. The author includes a bibliography and endnotes which is beneficial for deeper study. A great read!

Book Quotes:

“She is one of three female characters in God’s plan to deliver the Hebrews from Egyptian oppression…”

“However, after 13 references to Israel’s apostasy, God had no choice but to allow Israel’s enemies to defeat her.”

“Scholars disagree on why Huldah was chosen.”

“Anna was a part of a believing remnant from the northern kingdom…”

“Examples of heroines and anointed women called by God to do God’s bidding continue to reinforce the fact that God is no respector of persons (Ruth, Esther).”

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