Truth Magazine

By Jim Gabbard

Philip of Macedon might never have been heard of in history and his illustrious son, Alexander the Great, might have gone as an unknown but to a few except for the discovery of much gold in the area of Thessalonica, with which Philip built an army that eventually defeated the Medes, and if they had not lived in proximity to the life of Jesus Christ. Alexander was tutored by Aristotle and be-came a high genius, especially in terms of military strategy. He marched through Palestine in 332 and took it all.

The Maccabees

The Hasmonean family of Jewish patriots, Mattathias and his sons, Judas (The Hammer), Jonathan, Simon, and John, challenged the Greeks in 168 B.C., at which time one of the Greek officials, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, offered a pig on the altar in Jerusalem. The Maccabees fought for and won their independence and established a Jewish state which would last until 63 B.C., at which time the Roman General, Pompey, marched in with his army. The Jews were defeated, many killed, many carted off to Rome as prisoners to be displayed before the public.

From Christ to the Gulf War

The Romans continued to rule Palestine and oppress the Jews until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Herod the Great ruled as king from 37 to 4 B.C., during the latter end of which rule Jesus Christ was born (Matt. 2: 1). Herod’s son, Archelius, ruled as Tetrarch (governor of the fourth part of a region) to 6 A.D., from which time governors called Procurators ruled until 70 A.D. There was a short exception in their rule, Herod Agrippa ruled as king from 41 to his death in 44; God killed him for claiming God’s glory for himself (Acts 12:23). Among the procurators were Pontius Pilate (26-36 A.D.), Antonius Felix (52-58 A.D.), and Portius Festus (58-62 A.D.).

Jesus came into the world in the fullness of time for the purpose of saving fallen man (a continuous part of God’s scheme of human redemption). He was rejected by the Jews for a number of reasons just as many of the prophets be-fore him had been rejected and as the apostles who followed him would be rejected. For their rejection God totally destroyed the city of Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. using the Roman army as agency.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

There was a constant uproar between the Jews and the Romans during the entire period 63 to 68 A.D., at which time Nero, shortly before he himself would commit suicide, ordered a Roman army under the command of Vespasian into Palestine with instructions to solve the Jewish problem. After Nero died, Vespasican had to go back to Rome to settle the uproar there, but sent in his son, Titus to finish off the Jews. The prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24, that not one stone of the temple would be left upon another had come to pass.

Hadrian Banishes Jews from Jerusalem

In 132 A.D. the Roman Emperor Hadrian banned the practice of circumcision and Jewish Sabbath keeping. He rebuilt the city of Jerusalem but renamed it Aelia Capitolina. He was attacked by an uprising of Jews led by a false Messiah named Simon bar Kohba, who tried to bring about a revolt that failed. No Jew was allowed in Aelia Capitolina on the pain of death for the next five hundred years.

The Byzantine Period

Constantine became emperor of Rome in 324 A.D. In 330 the capital was moved from Rome to Byzantium, which was renamed Constantinople (presently Istanbul, Turkey) in Constantine’s honor. Constantine is said to have been converted to Christianity (actually he gradually adopted his new religion from paganism from 312 to 324 A D.). He proclaimed Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, which had a very great effect on history.

Helena, the mother of Constantine, wanted Jerusalem restored and made a Christian city. She built many shrines and religious buildings, including the church of the Holy Sepulcher, on the site where many believed that Jesus had been buried.

By the fifth century the Roman Empire divided and the eastern half became the Byzantine Empire, with its capital in Constantinople, and Rome becoming the capital of the western Roman Empire. The Jews were permitted to enter Jerusalem and pray on the Temple Mount on the anniversary of the destruction of the temple. By the middle of the fifth century Jerusalem was recognized as a patriarchate equal in status to Constantinople, Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch. In 614 A.D. the Persians conquered the land, massacred the people, and destroyed the church buildings. In 629 A.D. the Byzantine emperor Heraclius reconquered Jerusalem.

The Early Moslem Period (638-1099)

Just nine years hence the Moslems moved back in and took over. They permitted the Jews and those who called themselves Christians to worship as they chose. The Jews were able to return to Jerusalem. In 660 to 750 a Moslem Dynasty called the Umayyad reigned. During this time Mohammed made a journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, he claimed, on his winged horse Al-buraq. His sojourn on the Temple Mount, in their eyes, made it holy. Caliph Abd el-Malik was commissioned to build a mosque, the Dome of the Rock, on the temple mount, which was started in 688 and finished in 691. It still stands there as a great oppression to the Jews. This site is considered by the Moslems to be their third holiest.

The Period of the Crusaders (1099-1244)

Pope Urban II could hardly abide the conditions in the Holy Land and persuaded the Crusaders to go to Palestine to liberate it from the Moslems. In five weeks of siege, they were able to capture Jerusalem, which they called the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Many noblemen and bourgeoisie from Europe settled in Jerusalem and began to turn mosques into church buildings and build new church buildings and monasteries. They would not permit Jews and Moslems to live in Jerusalem but permitted them to visit, for a period of eighty-eight years.

The Ayyubid Arabs Fight Back (1187-1192)

Under the Moslem General Saladin, who founded the Ayyubid dynasty, Jerusalem was recaptured, the cross which had been erected on top of the Dome of the Rock was take down, and many church buildings were turned into mosques. Jews were permitted to return to Jerusalem, and many came in from such places as North Africa, England, France, Russia, and other places.

Not to be outdone, at least for now, the Crusaders also fought back. Richard the Lion-Hearted (1192) and Phillip Auguste of France took the area and the city of Jerusalem back. But Jerusalem was divided with part, including the Temple Mount, remaining in Moslem hands, while the Crusaders ruled the remainder of the city. But they lost the city again in 1244.

The Mumluk Period (1260-1517)

Armies from Central Asia, called Mumluks, moved in 1260 and conquered Jerusalem. These were the new rulers in Egypt also. They held out until 1517.

The Ottoman Turks (1517-1917)

The Ottoman empire had enlarged greatly and became every powerful. It held Constantinople, Asia Minor, parts of Europe and the Balkans, Egypt, Syria, and added Pales-tine to its rule in 1517. Jerusalem was taken from the Mumluks and it was Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent who now called the terms and defined the walls of Jerusalem. When he died the Jews were able to move in and build the Jewish quarter along the Zion Gate. With help from their friends, the Jews established learning centers in Jerusalem and other places.

A sad event occurred beginning in 1832: Mohammed Ali of Egypt cleared all the trees in the region for wood with which to build ships. To his credit, he had a liberal attitude toward other groups and allowed a myriad of activities such as missions, schools, foreign consulates, archeological digs, and generally allowed much western influence into Jerusalem. Zionism, a political movement among the Jews sprang up in Europe sometime in the late 1800s with a goal to create a homeland for Jewish people in Pales-tine. Jews infiltrated in large numbers from Europe and Russia with high hopes of a free state for Jews. The first Zionist Congress was held in 1897 in Basil, Switzerland

The British Mandate (1917-1948)

The great Arab dream of ruling the world came to an end on 9 December 1917 when the British under Field Marshal Edmund H.H. Allenby marched into Jerusalem and pronounced it the capital of the country. The Belfour Declaration raised high hopes for the Jews when it promised them an establishment of a national home. The Jews and Arabs clashed in 1920 and again in 1929, though violently, it was indecisive. Open war broke out in 1936 when the Arabs rebelled and fighting for control of Jerusalem continued until 1939.

Adolph Hitler systematically murdered six million Jews between 1939 and 1945. When World War II ended sentiment was greatly in favor of a Jewish homeland, in every quarter of the world. Tensions mounted greatly between Jews and Arabs so that the United Nations intervened in 1947 and voted thirty-three to thirteen to divide Palestine into two parts west of the Jordan River, one for Jews and one for Arabs. The Jews accepted, but the Arabs rejected the plan.

The State of Israel (14 May 1948)

British and Americans were in agreement for the British to withdraw which they did on 14 May 1948, at which time the Jews declared an independent State of Israel. Israel was immediately attacked by Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. By December, Israel had put them all away and was able to declare victory and independence. Jordan held part of the West Bank and part of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. Egypt held on to the Gaza Strip. A cease fire agreement was reached in January 1949, with Jerusalem being partitioned. Jordan had all the shrines and the old city.

Israel had to make ready for nearly a million immigrants from more than 100 countries during the next decade. The Jews were willing for a trade-off, tough living conditions for a homeland. The land was converted from a desert to an agricultural near-miracle.

More War (1956)

The Sinai campaign was fought in 1956 between Israel and Egypt but didn’t last long. Israel had won, but agreed to pull back for a guarantee of free flow through the Straits of Iran and the Gulf of Elat.

The Six Day War (1967)

On 5 June 1967, the Six-Day war broke out, in which Israel took the Golan Heights, Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Jerusalem was now in Jewish hands and they could again weep at the Wailing Wall.

The Yom Kippur War (1973)

Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement, which is Israel’s highest of holy days, and was the date set for Syria on one end and Egypt on the other (1973) to attack Israel. Israel again made rather short work of the enemy. In three weeks both were defeated and a precarious peace agreement was signed.

Egypt and Israel Come to Terms (1978)

In September 1978, Menahem Beagan of Israel, and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, signed a peace treaty returning the Sinai to Egypt. Israel launched a campaign through Lebanon on 6 June 1982 to root out the forces of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its threat to her territories.

Desert Storm (1991)

Israel was again attacked with missiles during the Middle East Gulf war between Iraq and a coalition of nations headed by the United States. Israel was not part of the coalition and restrained from entering the war, which came to an end in six weeks.

Yitzhak Rabin (1923-1995)

Although the opposition conservative party led by Benjamin Natanyahu strongly resisted it, the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin was making progress negotiating with the Palestine Liberation Organization to return the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to Palestinians. He was cut down on 3 July 1995 by a young law student named Yigal Amir with three close range pistol shots. Shirnon Peres, who once served as Prime Minister and was at the time, Foreign Minister became new Prime Minister and vows to continue the peace process.

Guardian of Truth XL: 6 p. 10-11
March 21, 1996

By Jim Gabbard

Philip of Macedon might never have been heard of in history and his illustrious son, Alexander the Great, might have gone as an unknown but to a few except for the discovery of much gold in the area of Thessalonica, with which Philip built an army that eventually defeated the Medes, and if they had not lived in proximity to the life of Jesus Christ. Alexander was tutored by Aristotle and be-came a high genius, especially in terms of military strategy. He marched through Palestine in 332 and took it all.

The Maccabees

The Hasmonean family of Jewish patriots, Mattathias and his sons, Judas (The Hammer), Jonathan, Simon, and John, challenged the Greeks in 168 B.C., at which time one of the Greek officials, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, offered a pig on the altar in Jerusalem. The Maccabees fought for and won their independence and established a Jewish state which would last until 63 B.C., at which time the Roman General, Pompey, marched in with his army. The Jews were defeated, many killed, many carted off to Rome as prisoners to be displayed before the public.

From Christ to the Gulf War

The Romans continued to rule Palestine and oppress the Jews until the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Herod the Great ruled as king from 37 to 4 B.C., during the latter end of which rule Jesus Christ was born (Matt. 2: 1). Herod’s son, Archelius, ruled as Tetrarch (governor of the fourth part of a region) to 6 A.D., from which time governors called Procurators ruled until 70 A.D. There was a short exception in their rule, Herod Agrippa ruled as king from 41 to his death in 44; God killed him for claiming God’s glory for himself (Acts 12:23). Among the procurators were Pontius Pilate (26-36 A.D.), Antonius Felix (52-58 A.D.), and Portius Festus (58-62 A.D.).

Jesus came into the world in the fullness of time for the purpose of saving fallen man (a continuous part of God’s scheme of human redemption). He was rejected by the Jews for a number of reasons just as many of the prophets be-fore him had been rejected and as the apostles who followed him would be rejected. For their rejection God totally destroyed the city of Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. using the Roman army as agency.

The Destruction of Jerusalem

There was a constant uproar between the Jews and the Romans during the entire period 63 to 68 A.D., at which time Nero, shortly before he himself would commit suicide, ordered a Roman army under the command of Vespasian into Palestine with instructions to solve the Jewish problem. After Nero died, Vespasican had to go back to Rome to settle the uproar there, but sent in his son, Titus to finish off the Jews. The prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24, that not one stone of the temple would be left upon another had come to pass.

Hadrian Banishes Jews from Jerusalem

In 132 A.D. the Roman Emperor Hadrian banned the practice of circumcision and Jewish Sabbath keeping. He rebuilt the city of Jerusalem but renamed it Aelia Capitolina. He was attacked by an uprising of Jews led by a false Messiah named Simon bar Kohba, who tried to bring about a revolt that failed. No Jew was allowed in Aelia Capitolina on the pain of death for the next five hundred years.

The Byzantine Period

Constantine became emperor of Rome in 324 A.D. In 330 the capital was moved from Rome to Byzantium, which was renamed Constantinople (presently Istanbul, Turkey) in Constantine’s honor. Constantine is said to have been converted to Christianity (actually he gradually adopted his new religion from paganism from 312 to 324 A D.). He proclaimed Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, which had a very great effect on history.

Helena, the mother of Constantine, wanted Jerusalem restored and made a Christian city. She built many shrines and religious buildings, including the church of the Holy Sepulcher, on the site where many believed that Jesus had been buried.

By the fifth century the Roman Empire divided and the eastern half became the Byzantine Empire, with its capital in Constantinople, and Rome becoming the capital of the western Roman Empire. The Jews were permitted to enter Jerusalem and pray on the Temple Mount on the anniversary of the destruction of the temple. By the middle of the fifth century Jerusalem was recognized as a patriarchate equal in status to Constantinople, Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch. In 614 A.D. the Persians conquered the land, massacred the people, and destroyed the church buildings. In 629 A.D. the Byzantine emperor Heraclius reconquered Jerusalem.

The Early Moslem Period (638-1099)

Just nine years hence the Moslems moved back in and took over. They permitted the Jews and those who called themselves Christians to worship as they chose. The Jews were able to return to Jerusalem. In 660 to 750 a Moslem Dynasty called the Umayyad reigned. During this time Mohammed made a journey from Mecca to Jerusalem, he claimed, on his winged horse Al-buraq. His sojourn on the Temple Mount, in their eyes, made it holy. Caliph Abd el-Malik was commissioned to build a mosque, the Dome of the Rock, on the temple mount, which was started in 688 and finished in 691. It still stands there as a great oppression to the Jews. This site is considered by the Moslems to be their third holiest.

The Period of the Crusaders (1099-1244)

Pope Urban II could hardly abide the conditions in the Holy Land and persuaded the Crusaders to go to Palestine to liberate it from the Moslems. In five weeks of siege, they were able to capture Jerusalem, which they called the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Many noblemen and bourgeoisie from Europe settled in Jerusalem and began to turn mosques into church buildings and build new church buildings and monasteries. They would not permit Jews and Moslems to live in Jerusalem but permitted them to visit, for a period of eighty-eight years.

The Ayyubid Arabs Fight Back (1187-1192)

Under the Moslem General Saladin, who founded the Ayyubid dynasty, Jerusalem was recaptured, the cross which had been erected on top of the Dome of the Rock was take down, and many church buildings were turned into mosques. Jews were permitted to return to Jerusalem, and many came in from such places as North Africa, England, France, Russia, and other places.

Not to be outdone, at least for now, the Crusaders also fought back. Richard the Lion-Hearted (1192) and Phillip Auguste of France took the area and the city of Jerusalem back. But Jerusalem was divided with part, including the Temple Mount, remaining in Moslem hands, while the Crusaders ruled the remainder of the city. But they lost the city again in 1244.

The Mumluk Period (1260-1517)

Armies from Central Asia, called Mumluks, moved in 1260 and conquered Jerusalem. These were the new rulers in Egypt also. They held out until 1517.

The Ottoman Turks (1517-1917)

The Ottoman empire had enlarged greatly and became every powerful. It held Constantinople, Asia Minor, parts of Europe and the Balkans, Egypt, Syria, and added Pales-tine to its rule in 1517. Jerusalem was taken from the Mumluks and it was Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent who now called the terms and defined the walls of Jerusalem. When he died the Jews were able to move in and build the Jewish quarter along the Zion Gate. With help from their friends, the Jews established learning centers in Jerusalem and other places.

A sad event occurred beginning in 1832: Mohammed Ali of Egypt cleared all the trees in the region for wood with which to build ships. To his credit, he had a liberal attitude toward other groups and allowed a myriad of activities such as missions, schools, foreign consulates, archeological digs, and generally allowed much western influence into Jerusalem. Zionism, a political movement among the Jews sprang up in Europe sometime in the late 1800s with a goal to create a homeland for Jewish people in Pales-tine. Jews infiltrated in large numbers from Europe and Russia with high hopes of a free state for Jews. The first Zionist Congress was held in 1897 in Basil, Switzerland

The British Mandate (1917-1948)

The great Arab dream of ruling the world came to an end on 9 December 1917 when the British under Field Marshal Edmund H.H. Allenby marched into Jerusalem and pronounced it the capital of the country. The Belfour Declaration raised high hopes for the Jews when it promised them an establishment of a national home. The Jews and Arabs clashed in 1920 and again in 1929, though violently, it was indecisive. Open war broke out in 1936 when the Arabs rebelled and fighting for control of Jerusalem continued until 1939.

Adolph Hitler systematically murdered six million Jews between 1939 and 1945. When World War II ended sentiment was greatly in favor of a Jewish homeland, in every quarter of the world. Tensions mounted greatly between Jews and Arabs so that the United Nations intervened in 1947 and voted thirty-three to thirteen to divide Palestine into two parts west of the Jordan River, one for Jews and one for Arabs. The Jews accepted, but the Arabs rejected the plan.

The State of Israel (14 May 1948)

British and Americans were in agreement for the British to withdraw which they did on 14 May 1948, at which time the Jews declared an independent State of Israel. Israel was immediately attacked by Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. By December, Israel had put them all away and was able to declare victory and independence. Jordan held part of the West Bank and part of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. Egypt held on to the Gaza Strip. A cease fire agreement was reached in January 1949, with Jerusalem being partitioned. Jordan had all the shrines and the old city.

Israel had to make ready for nearly a million immigrants from more than 100 countries during the next decade. The Jews were willing for a trade-off, tough living conditions for a homeland. The land was converted from a desert to an agricultural near-miracle.

More War (1956)

The Sinai campaign was fought in 1956 between Israel and Egypt but didn’t last long. Israel had won, but agreed to pull back for a guarantee of free flow through the Straits of Iran and the Gulf of Elat.

The Six Day War (1967)

On 5 June 1967, the Six-Day war broke out, in which Israel took the Golan Heights, Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Jerusalem was now in Jewish hands and they could again weep at the Wailing Wall.

The Yom Kippur War (1973)

Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement, which is Israel’s highest of holy days, and was the date set for Syria on one end and Egypt on the other (1973) to attack Israel. Israel again made rather short work of the enemy. In three weeks both were defeated and a precarious peace agreement was signed.

Egypt and Israel Come to Terms (1978)

In September 1978, Menahem Beagan of Israel, and Anwar Sadat of Egypt, signed a peace treaty returning the Sinai to Egypt. Israel launched a campaign through Lebanon on 6 June 1982 to root out the forces of the Palestine Liberation Organization and its threat to her territories.

Desert Storm (1991)

Israel was again attacked with missiles during the Middle East Gulf war between Iraq and a coalition of nations headed by the United States. Israel was not part of the coalition and restrained from entering the war, which came to an end in six weeks.

Yitzhak Rabin (1923-1995)

Although the opposition conservative party led by Benjamin Natanyahu strongly resisted it, the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin was making progress negotiating with the Palestine Liberation Organization to return the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to Palestinians. He was cut down on 3 July 1995 by a young law student named Yigal Amir with three close range pistol shots. Shirnon Peres, who once served as Prime Minister and was at the time, Foreign Minister became new Prime Minister and vows to continue the peace process.

Guardian of Truth XL: 6 p. 10-11
March 21, 1996

By Ferrell Jenkins

The new road between Adana and Gaziantep was as good as any super highway one might find in the United States or Europe. Shortly before arriving at Gaziantep we reached an elevation of about 3600 feet above sea level, passing through beautiful mountains and valleys. Turkey is blessed with an abundance of grain fields in the valleys and on the hillsides which make up the country. We had to drive slower when we came to a stretch of the older two-lane road. Trucks, so vital to the movement of the produce of the country, seem to outnumber cars about 10 to 1 in eastern Turkey. This road was designated as a TIR road. Trucks with this tag are able to transport goods from Europe, across Turkey, to Syria, Iraq, Iran, and further east.

Carchemish: Where Neco Met His Match

Near Gaziantep we turned north toward Adiyaman. We would like to have continued east and south to visit the site of Carchemish, but we did not have the time and we might not have been allowed to make the visit. Carchemish is located on the west bank of the Euphrates along the border with Syria.

Carchemish is mentioned three times in the Old Testament. The city came under Assyrian control during the reign of Sargon II (717 B.C.), a fact noted in Isaiah 10:9. Pharaoh Neco of Egypt was on his way “to make war (against Babylon) at Carchemish on the Euphrates” when Josiah, king of Judah, went out to engage him at Megiddo (2 Chron. 35:20; 609 B.C.). Josiah was slain on the plain of Megiddo. Neco used Carchemish as a base from which, along with a remnant of Assyrian forces, to harass the Babylonians, but in 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar led the Neo-Babylonian army in a surprise attack in which the Egyptians were defeated. Details of the battle are given in the Babylonian Chronicle. See the biblical account in Jeremiah 46:1-26. Youngblood reminds us that “605 B.C. was a decisive year in ancient Near Eastern history” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia 1:617). Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, had fallen to the Babylonians and Medes in 612 B.C., but the government held out at Harran when the city fell to the Babylonians and Scythians. Wiseman says, “Assyria ceased to exist and her territory was taken over by the Babylonians” (New Bible Dictionary, 101).

Nemrut Dagi: Megalomania to the Extreme Occasionally in the region south of Adiyaman we saw boys herding beautiful black angora goats. Goats seemed to outnumber sheep in this region. We observed that when-ever we saw flocks of only sheep the shepherd would be an older man. It takes a lot of experience to be a good shepherd; we remembered Jesus (John 10:14). We made a number of pictures of shepherds with sheep throughout the trip. I find it impossible to describe the mountains and valleys because the scene changes every few miles. I can say that they are beautiful beyond description. Agriculture is in abundance.

By 4:00 p.m. we reached Adiyaman which has a population of about 100,000. After stopping at the Hotel Antiochus in Adiyaman we decided to continue to Katha and Mount Nemrut (or Nemrud). When one looks at the map of Turkey this appears to be a nice, little drive  a distance of about 60 miles. Looks can be deceiving, how-ever. At Katha we turned north and continued to climb the mountains toward Nemrut. We passed through an oil field and some streams which flow into the Euphrates below. At Karadut we were greeted by smiling children, some of whom ran along side the car as we drove slowly through the village. There are many springs and water flows beside the road and across it. Each of these contribute to the Euphrates river. We were amused at the understatement of the phrase in the British produced Turkey: The Rough Guide: “Above Karadut the road deteriorates noticeably.” For the last eight miles before Nemrut Dagi the road was paved with basalt stones. The severe winter weather had left the road in such bad condition that it was very difficult to negotiate the hill and avoid the potholes. It would have been a long drop if we had gone over the side; guard rails are a rarity in Turkey! The scenery was magnificent, but the climb was too much for our little Fiat. At one point we had to stop for a while and allow it to cool. Eventually Curtis and Kyle walked the last few hundred feet to the parking area and I backed the car to the top. Several mini-buses loaded with a dozen or so tourists each passed us on their way to the top in time for the sunset.

What is here and why had we come so far with such difficulty? Nemrut Dagi is the resting place of King Antiochus I Epiphanes. Don’t confuse this man with the infamous Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.), one of 14 Seleucid kings, most of them bearing the name Antiochus, who ruled Syria after the death of Alexander the Great. On coins he was designated “Theos Epiphanes” guish on the Jews and prompted the Maccabean revolt.

The king who was responsible for the monuments on Mount Nemrut was Antiochus I Epiphanes. He was one of the important rulers of Commagene from 64-38 B.C. It was part of the Seleucid kingdom, having gained independence following a revolt in the first century B.C. Commagene was a small, wealthy kingdom located between the Anti-Taurus range and the Euphrates River. The rulers of Commagene claimed to be descendants of the Persian emperor Darius I on their father’s side and of Alexander the Great on their mother’s side. In inscriptions found at the site, Antiochus claimed to be a friend of Rome and Greece. Commagene served as a buffer kingdom between Rome and the Parthians.

Antiochus left orders for a magnificent funerary monument to be built on the highest mountain in his territory. The mountain is about 6885 feet high. From the time we reached the parking area and the ticket booth, it took an additional 20 minutes of stop-and-go walking to reach the mountain top. At this level one can see the gigantic monuments erected to Antiochus and various “other” gods  Apollo, Tyche, Zeus, Hercules  and lions and eagles. These monuments reminded me of those left by Ramses II at Abu Simbel in Egypt. The heads of the monuments have all toppled from their bodies  the last one fell in 1964 when struck by lightning. The throne and statue of Antiochus weighs approximately 62 tons. The fallen head, which stands proudly looking over his kingdom, is more than seven feet high.

Above the monuments is an artificial tumulus made of smaller than fist size stones which reaches an elevation of 7049 feet. We reached the monument in time to see marvelous views of the Euphrates valley below. National Geographic once described the monument as “Throne Above the Euphrates” (March 1961).The Turkish government has built dams on the Euphrates so that the valley below is flooded. Some books say that one can see for a hundred miles on a clear day. We could see Nemrut Dagi clearly from the Adiyaman-Sanliurfa road (high-way 875) the next morning.

Some have described this monument as the eighth wonder of the world. UNESCO declared the place “an international legacy” in 1987. As the sun sank below the mountains to the west at about 7:45 p.m., I sat motionless snapping photos of the silhouetted Antiochus. Before I had thought of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Ramses II of Egypt as the greatest megalomaniacs, but now I had to admit that Antiochus excelled them. This monument which was built in the first half of the first century B.C. was only rediscovered in the winter of 1881-1882. We remember the beautiful hymn, “The kingdoms of earth pass away one by one, But the kingdom of heaven remains.”

It was windy and cold on Nemrut Dagi even on June 14, 1995. The Blue Guide: Turkey says, “Perhaps the best time of the year to visit Nemrut Dagi is early October, as then the loneliness and isolation of this bizarre funerary monument are very apparent. There are few visitors and the first flakes of snow on the summit herald blizzards that will soon isolate the mountain sanctuary completely. Abandoned by man, only the wild animals and birds that shelter among its ruined stones keep company with the spirit of Antiochus during the long, dark months of winter” (530).

By the time we started our descent it was dark, but we hurried to get ahead of the mini-vans in the event that we had trouble. We arrived back at Hotel Antiochus in Adiyaman about 10 p.m. to a late dinner and some welcomed rest.

The Adventure Continues: In the next parts we will tell you about the Euphrates River, Sanliurfa, Harran, Padan Aram, Mesopotamia, the Tigris River, Urartu (Ararat), and Mount Ararat.

Guardian of Truth XL: 6 p. 8-9
March 21, 1996

By Julia Eckhardt

This story is written in memory of Terry Eckhardt to encourage Christians to persevere in teaching alien sinners and praying for their repentance. Sometimes, teaching alien sinners can seem hopeless, and their repentance and conversion an impossibility. However, Jesus said, “… with God all things are possible” Matt. 19:26).

In the early 1980s, Todd Eckhardt of Thermopolis, Wyoming was dating someone who told him he had to be baptized for forgiveness of sins. Having never heard of the Lord’s church, he began searching for answers to prove her wrong. He asked his mother what she thought; she said that she did not believe baptism was necessary. He called Billy Graham’s toll free number and was given the same answer.

Todd bought a Bible at the college where he attended and began reading. Not knowing anything about the Scriptures, he began to read in Genesis. He met with an elder in Cheyenne who studied with him for one and one-half days and answered all of his questions. Todd obeyed the gospel at this time as he realized there was no reason to wait. He began attending every service and absorbing as much knowledge of the Bible as he could. His repentance took some self discipline because Todd grew up, as many young American boys, sowing “wild oats.” He had participated in many sinful social activities, and now he was ridiculed for not doing so. He had attended a Methodist church with his family while very young, but they stopped going on a regular basis when he was nine. At-tending every service of the Lord’s church took some effort at first for a babe in Christ.

Nine months after Todd obeyed Christ, he moved to Austin, Texas to find work. After locating a job and an apartment, he moved his few things into his new place and went for a walk. On his walk, he found the Wonsley church building only 100 yards from his apartment complex. Since he had not learned the issues of the social gospel, he only knew he was looking for a “church of Christ” to attend. It was the providence of God that Todd found a sound work with which to place his membership.

Todd was joyous that he had found the truth; his life now made sense to him and he no longer felt empty. He had his goal in life now: “Fear God and keep his commandments.” But now, he wanted his biological family to join in his happiness by coming to the Lord. In the beginning, they were in-different to the Scriptures; they would politely decline attending services with Todd when he visited them in Wyoming. However, his mother would talk with him about the Bible and was open to discussion. Todd’s teaching seemed harsh to her because her own parents had been devout Methodists. He asked her, “Did your mother want you to follow God? If you learned God’s precepts differed from Methodist creed, would she not want you to still follow God?” This made sense to his mother and helped her change her thinking.

Todd continued to be an example to his family for several years. He tried to make his light always shine just as Paul told Timothy to do (1 Tim. 4:12). After seven years of prayer and Bible discussions with his mother, she obeyed the gospel. She began attending services regularly and continued Bible discussions with Todd whenever possible. Also, previous to her baptism, she had subscribed to the Guardian of Truth magazine. Through her own reading, she had already learned and accepted many Bible precepts.

Todd now yearned for his father to become a Christian. He always made it possible for Todd’s mother to attend services but would not go with her. Six months after Marial, Todd’s mother, obeyed Christ, Todd’s father was diagnosed with renal cancer. It had progressed to such an extent that the doctors did not think he would live longer than six months. While Terry, Todd’s father, was recovering from surgery in a Denver hospital, he had some hallucinating effects from his medications. He became very depressed, so Marial asked Jim Reingrover, preacher for the Westside congregation in Golden, to come to the hospital. Jim visited with Terry for two hours discussing the Scriptures and answering all of Terry’s questions. Jim baptized Terry the following day after Terry received a pass from the hospital. Although Terry’s body was quite weak from surgery, his heart was now rejuvenated and felt no fear for his soul. The Lord would now be with him through this cancer illness.

Although the outlook for Terry’s physical life looked grim, he now had the hope of eternal salvation. The Denver doctors sent him home to Thermopolis. Terry started interferon treatments with little hope of getting better. However, his mind was positive because he was focused on learning as much as he could about the Scriptures. Eight months after Terry’s diagnosis, he had another medical evaluation; these tests revealed no cancer in Terry’s body  none at all! The Lord’s providence was again at work! Terry was in remission for a year, but he continued to learn and read the Lord’s precepts. He once said that he was sorry that it took cancer to alert him to his soul’s condition. He wished he had obeyed the Lord without having the illness. His example shined as his worldly friends watched him change. He dropped out of his golf club meetings so he could attend Wednesday night Bible studies, and he stopped socializing at the Elks hall. He told his old friends that they needed to come to the Lord.

In the fall of 1994 Terry began having severe pain again which required more surgery. After many medications and hospital stays, Terry never went back into remission. He spent his last six months at home in a hospital bed. Marial took care of him with the help of home health care nurses until December 4, 1995. He passed over the river in his sleep during the early morning hours.

Terry told one friend during his illness that he had no regrets of getting sick. He knew he had the hope of being with Jesus at the end of his earthly life. He told his physical therapist that he had a special son who had helped him find that truth.

Funeral services for Terry were December 8, 1995 in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Jim Everett and Jim Reingrover officiated using the opportunity to teach the gospel. These were Terry’s wishes.

Terry had one young man that he had been talking to about the Lord before he died. This man would not really listen to what Terry had to say. After he attended the funeral, the man’s wife told Marial, “Terry made him listen today.” Through Terry’s death, many seeds of life were planted.

Guardian of Truth XL: 5 p. 6-7
March 7, 1996