The Fifth Cultural Epoch - 747
B.C. to 1414 A.D. |
747 BC Beginning
of the Cultural Age of Aries 721 BC Assyrians conquer northern kingdom of Israel: The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel in about 721 BC. The Assyrians torture and decapitate many. They force many Jews (10 of the 12 Tribes of Israel) out of Israel and bring in foreigners. History loses track of these 10 tribes. 612 BC Babylon conquers Nineveh (Assyrian Empire): The Assyrian Empire's capital city - Nineveh - is attacked by coalition of Babylonians, Scynthians and Medes. As explained by the prophet Nahum in the Bible, Nineveh was to be destroyed because of the Assyrian Empire's treatment of Jews and other people. 605 BC Babylon exerts influence over Judah: The neo-Babylonian Empire, under the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar, seeks to expand its size and begins forcing Judah into submission. Nebuchadnezzar takes many Jews as captives to Babylon to ensure Judah's obedience. 597 BC Babylon attacks Judah: Babylonian army attacks Judah and takes more Jews as captives to Babylon. Ezekiel, one of the captives, becomes a prophet of God. Ezekiel explains that God is allowing Babylon to punish Judah because the people have been unfaithful to God. 586 BC Babylon destroys Jerusalem and Temple: Babylon attacks Judah again. This time, the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the Temple that Solomon had built. More Jews are taken as captives to Babylon. 586 BC to 573 BC Babylon king Nebuchadnezzar attacks Tyre mainland: Babylon begins a 13-year siege of the mainland of the Phoenician city of Tyre. 550 BC Beginning of the Sun Regency of the Archangel Micheal until 200 B.C. 539 BC Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon: After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Neo-Babylonian Empire begins to lose power. It was conquered in about 539 BC by Cyrus the Great. Cyrus was king of the Medo-Persian Empire. 538 BC Cyrus releases Jews from Babylonian Captivity: Cyrus offers the Jews their freedom to leave Babylon and return to Judah. Cyrus' kingdom rules over Judah and many other parts of the Middle East, but Cyrus allows people more cultural and religious freedom than did the Neo-Babylonian Empire. 536 BC Work begins to rebuild Temple: Some of the Jews in Babylon return to Judah and begin work in about 536 BC to rebuild the Temple, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. 516 BC Second Temple is dedicated: The Temple is consecrated for worship, 70 years after the Babylonians had destroyed it in 586 BC. For the first time in 70 years, the Jews are able to acknowledge God as their ultimate ruler in a way they had been unable to do. 333 BC Greeks begin rule over land of Israel: The Greeks, under the leadership of Alexander the Great, defeat Persian armies in Macedonia in 333 BC. This marks the end of the Persian Empire; the Grecian Empire expands. 331 BC Alexander conquers Tyre (Phoenician Empire): Alexander wars against the island fortress of the Phoenician city of Tyre. He takes rubble from the mainland of Tyre and builds a walkway to the island. Alexander's forces then conquer the island fortress, bringing an end to the Phoenician Empire. 250 BC The Old Testament is translated into Greek: A Greek ruler has the Jews translate the first five books of the Old Testament into the Greek language. (Some scholars say this translation included other books from the Old Testament, not just the first five). The translation is called the Septuagint. 200 BC Beginning of the Saturn Regency of the Archangel Oriphiel until 150 A.D. 175 BC Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes torments the Jews: Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes rules Syria from about 175 BC to about 164 BC. He reigns over Judah and tries to destroy the Jewish religion and copies the Torah (the first five books of the modern Bible). He also defiles the Temple. 166 BC to 63 BC Jews have independence during Hasmonean Period: Maccabean revolt opens way for Jewish independence in Jerusalem and the surrounding area. The revolt is led by Mattathias and his five sons, Judas (Maccabeus), Jonathan, Simon, John and Eleazar. The era of independence runs from about 166-63 BC. 63 BC Romans take over land of Israel: After the death of Alexander the Great, his empire was divided up among four generals. This weakens the empire. Meanwhile, the Roman Empire is becoming increasingly powerful. The Roman general named Pompey takes control of Jerusalem. 47 BC Implementation of the Julian Year: Every culture had their own personal system to begin the new year and all nations, except for the Essenes, used a lunar calender consisting of 13 months and between 354 and 364 days. Enter Julius Caesar. With the help of an initiate named Sosigenes, the first calender reformation occurred. Taking the year 47 BC, at which time our January 1st would have fallen on October 13, he inserted two new months of 33 and 34 days between November and December. Then, he added an intercalary period of 23 days near February for a total length of 445 days. Macrobius called this long year, the last year of confusion. Beginning the next year, he started a new year of 365 days with a leap year every fourth year of 366 days. Had he asked, or maybe Sosigenes told him, but he could not wait, the Ancient Wisdom would have told him to begin the new year at a new moon on an equinox or solstice. Since the Julian calendar is 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the tropical year of the seasons, by 1583 the year was about 10 days behind the seasons (one day in 128 years). Pope Gregory XIII introduced a reform to delete a leap year every century mark except the fourth. 5 BC Approx. Jesus is born in Bethlehem: Jesus is born in the town of Bethlehem. The Apostle Matthew later points out that Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfilled a prophecy delivered by the prophet Micah, about 700 years beforehand. (see Micah 5:2). Year 0 25 AD Approx. Jesus begins His ministry: Jesus begins His ministry. He is about 30 years old. He probably began preaching around 25 AD. 28 AD Jesus is crucified: Jesus is falsely accused of being an anti-government rebel. He is sent to Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler of the land of the Jews, to be crucified. 70 AD Romans destroy Jerusalem and Temple: In 70 AD, the Roman Army, under Titus, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, to suppress an uprising of the Jews. According to the historian Josephus, about 1.1 million Jews were killed. Others were taken as slaves. 135 AD Romans destroy and plow Jerusalem: In 135 AD, the Romans, under Hadrian, kill an estimated 580,000 Jews to suppress the Bar Kochva uprising. The Romans ran a plow over Jerusalem to completely destroy the Holy City. The Romans ban the Jews from living in Jerusalem. 150 AD Beginning of the Venus Regency of the Archangel Aneal until 500 A.D. 215 AD End of the Astronomical Age of Aries 215 AD Beginning of the Astronomical Age of Pisces 325 AD The second change in the Julian Calendar occurred at that famous Council of Nicea held by Constantine the Great. Then the good church fathers decreed that the months be forever fixed, so that on whatever day the vernal equinox occurred, it would arbitrarily be called March 21st and the remainder of the year to adjust accordingly. Since then, instead of the equinoctial point moving steadily thru one month to another to reflect the precession, the first day of spring and Aries is fixed and the months move slowly away backwards. 431 AD The 3rd Ecumenical Council of Ephesus declares heretic the Duophysite (two natures) doctrine of Nestorius. Nestorius, being learned in the great Aristotelian tradition written down in DE ANIMA, knew that the spirit (nous) descended into the body (soma) and is a nature completely separate from the body. The (Holy) spirit would enter (thyrathen) the body from the outside, both for Mary at the Annunciation and for Jesus at the Baptism. This act of the church fathers, of course, laid the mind set for the later 8th Ecumenical Council held in 869 Ad in Constantine wherein the trichotomy of body-soul-spirit was also declared heretic. 500 AD Beginning of the Jupiter Regency of the Archangel Zachariel (until 850A.D.) 850 AD Beginning of the Mercury Regency of the Archangel Raphael (until 1190 A.D.) 869 AD 8th Ecumenical Council held in Constantinople wherein the trichotomy of body-soul-spirit was declared heretic. 1181 or 1182 St Francis of Assissi is born at Assisi in Umbria. 1190 AD Beginning of the Mars Regency of the Archangel Samael (until 1510 A.D.) 1225-1227 St. Thomas Aquinas born at Rocca Secca in the Kingdom of Naples. 1226 Oct 3, St Francis of Assisi dies in Assisi. It was Saturday evening, 3 October, 1226, Francis being then in the forty-fifth year of his age, and the twentieth from his perfect conversion to Christ. 1260 Meister Eckhart (c. 1260 - 1327/8) is one of the great Christian mystics. He was born near Erfurt in Thuringia and in his distinguished career became a Parisian Professor of Theology and took a leading pastoral and organisational role in the Dominican Order. 1274 March 7, St. Thmas Aquinas dies at Fossa Nuova. 1327 Meister Eckhart, Christian Mystic, dies. |