Community Bible Study -- LUKE
Photos for Introductory Lesson
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As punishment for failing to follow God, the Jews were conquered and taken to Babylon in captivity. Left: Babylonian Tablet describing conquest of Jerusalem, 606-586 BC
(British Museum, London); Center: "Burnt Room" in Jerusalem, showing evidence of Babylonian conquest; Right: Ishtar Gate of Babylon (Pergamon Museum, Berlin)
Left:
"Cyrus Cylinder," proclaiming liberation of Jews and return to Jerusalem, 538BC (British Museum, London); Right: Column Base from Throne Room of Xerxes (British Museum, London)--where Esther appealed to the king and saved the Jewish people from destruction by the Persians.
Left:
"Bowl of Artaxerxes," which may have been held by his cupbearer, Nehemiah (British Museum, London); Right: Remnants of the wall of Jerusalam built by Nehemiah, allowing development of a Jewish nation in a fortified capital (5th cent BC)
Left:
Alexander the Great (Altes Museum, Berlin); Center: Alexander conquered Israel (4th cent BC) and brought an offensive Hellenistic culture of hedonism and pantheism--represented here by the gods Aphrodite and Hermes (Altes Museum, Berlin); Right: Miracle of Hanukkah occurred when the Jewish Maccabees overthrew the Greeks in 164 BC.
Left:
Roman empire brought roads and the best worldwide communication for 1800 years; Center: Rare portrait of King Herod as a young man. He married into the Maccabean royal family, but his cruelty planted seeds for Jewish revolt--expecting God's Messiah to save them; Right: Gamla, home of false Messiah, Judas the Galilean (Acts 5:37). The Jews supported many false Messiahs before the real one came.