World History Lecture Three - Revision history

Aschlafly: Scribes were sent forth by Jesus to proselytize the world. "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes ...."

2014-01-23T16:48:13Z

Scribes were sent forth by Jesus to proselytize the world. "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes ...."

Aschlafly at 16:45, January 23, 2014

2014-01-23T16:45:44Z

Aschlafly: improved

2014-01-23T16:41:13Z

improved

Show changes

Aschlafly: /* The Rise of Christianity */ improved

2014-01-19T02:36:01Z

The Rise of Christianity: improved

Aschlafly: improved

2014-01-19T00:50:24Z

improved

Aschlafly: /* Imperial China */

2011-10-06T15:44:41Z

Imperial China

Aschlafly: /* Imperial China */ Zheng - also known as Huang-ti

2011-10-06T15:44:21Z

Imperial China: Zheng - also known as Huang-ti

Aschlafly: Protected "World History Lecture Three": lecture is complete ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

2011-09-14T23:10:39Z

Protected "World History Lecture Three": lecture is complete ([edit=sysop] (indefinite) [move=sysop] (indefinite))

Aschlafly: improved

2011-09-14T23:09:53Z

improved

Aschlafly: /* Major Belief Systems Today */

2011-09-14T23:07:53Z

Major Belief Systems Today

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 An error occurred in the dating of our calendar from Christ's birth in the sixth century A.D., when the Roman monk Dionysis the Little changed the calendar to recognize the birth of Christ.  He calculated that Jesus was born the year that King Herod died, and modern historians agree.  However, the monk thought that Herod died 753 years after the founding of Rome, instead of the correct 749 years after the founding of Rome.  (King Herod is the ruler who ordered all babies in Bethlehem younger than 2 to be killed in his unsuccessful attempt to murder Jesus, whose family fled to Egypt to escape this.)  Thus the monk estimated that Jesus was born four years later than He probably was.  What was intended to be A.D. 1 was actually 4 B.C.  Notice that there is no year "0", as the concept of "0" was unknown to the Greeks and not even discovered until the seventh century by mathematicians in India.  The year that followed 1 B.C. is A.D. 1.
-The teachings of Jesus were recorded in the Gospels (the word is from Middle English "god" and "spel" for "news", or "Good News") by three of His Apostles (Matthew, John and also Mark, a scribe for Peter) and by a physician (Luke). The oldest known versions of the Gospels are in Greek, the common ''lingua franca'' (common or commercial language among diverse peoples) of the Roman Orient.  No original Gospels have been found in Aramaic; the only discovered Aramaic Gospels are translations from Greek versions.  Some say that the Gospel according to Matthew was written particularly for Jews, that the Gospel according to Mark was written particularly for Romans, that the Gospel according to Luke was written particularly for Greeks, and that the Gospel according to John was written for everyone.  Matthew and John were part of Jesus's original Apostles, and Mark was probably a boy being homeschooled by his mother as she followed Jesus.  With Mark's better education from being homeschooled, he was later able to serve as the scribe for Peter.  Jesus had emphasized that scribes were part of those He sent forth to proselytize the world.  "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes ...."<ref>Matt 23:34 (NAS).</ref>
+The teachings of Jesus were recorded in the Gospels (the word is from Middle English "god" and "spel" for "news", or "Good News") by three of His Apostles (Matthew, John and also Mark, a scribe for Peter) and by a physician (Luke). The oldest known versions of the Gospels are in Greek, the common ''lingua franca'' (common or commercial language among diverse peoples) of the Roman Orient.  No original Gospels have been found in Aramaic; the only discovered Aramaic Gospels are translations from Greek versions.  Some say that the Gospel according to Matthew was written particularly for Jews, that the Gospel according to Mark was written particularly for Romans, that the Gospel according to Luke was written particularly for Greeks, and that the Gospel according to John was written for everyone.  Matthew and John were part of Jesus's original Apostles, and Mark was probably a boy being homeschooled by his mother as she followed Jesus.  With Mark's better education from being homeschooled, he was later able to serve as the scribe for Peter.  Scribes were sent forth by Jesus to proselytize the world.  "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes ...."<ref>Matt 23:34 (NAS).</ref>
 Luke was a Greek physician (see Col 4:14) who accompanied Paul and also wrote the Acts of the Apostles describing the arrival of the Holy Spirit.  Unlike the firsthand Gospels of Matthew and John, the Gospel of Luke records eyewitness accounts of others, much as a doctor asks a patient for his medical history and then writes it down in the medical file.  Due to Luke's professionalism, his Gospel is comprehensive about Jesus's life and resurrection, and conveys the great sense of joy that Christians felt.  In the Battle of the Bulge in World War II (the surprise Nazi counterattack in Dec. 1944), which was one of the worst military defeats in American history, a minister's son who had memorized Luke's description of the Nativity recited it for his fellow soldiers on Christmas Eve while together in the trenches.  Many of the American soldiers died in battle soon afterward.

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 We take a break this week from Western Civilization and instead turn to the great ancient empires in the East:  India and China.  This requires learning about several new belief systems, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.  Then we conclude by returning to the Middle East and discussing the rise of Christianity.
-Let's ask ourselves at the outset:  why learn about any religion other than Christianity?  Some Christians might conclude that, having found their faith, there is no reason to learn about non-Christian religions that do not provide the same high level of faith.
+Let's ask ourselves at the outset:  why learn about any religion other than Christianity?  Some Christians might conclude that, having found their faith, there is no reason to learn about non-Christian religions that go in a different direction.
 But there are several valid reasons to study other religions.  Christian missionaries, for example, need to understand the religions of the peoples they are attempting to convert.  World leaders and travelers should understand the different religious views of peoples they encounter, even if they are not trying to convert them.  In business it is important to know the values and beliefs of people with whom you deal.
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 China has always been isolated by geographic protections.  The highest mountains in the world, the Himalayas, separate it from India.  The Himalaya Mountain Range is famous for having the world's tallest peaks, including Mount Everest and K2.  Vast amounts of semi-desert land known as the Gobi desert separate China from the Middle East and the area which was Mesopotamia in ancient times.
-In the south of China, the Yangtze river flows for 3000 miles, navigable from the sea for half of its course.  In the north is the Yellow river (now called the Huang He), which runs westward from the Yellow Sea (denoted in the map) and then northward a bit before turning south.  The Yellow river obtained its original name from the murky tan color of its waters.  The Yellow River is known for its tendency to flood surrounding lands, often with disastrous results.  The silt and sand carried in the muddy water builds up on the bottom of the river until it blocks the water's flow and causes the river to divert its course, flooding into another area.  Floods like these make the course of the Yellow River change often.
+In the south of China, the Yangtze river flows for 3000 miles, navigable from the sea for half of its course.  In the north is the Yellow river (now called the Huang He), which runs westward from the Yellow Sea (labeled in the map) and then northward a bit before turning south.  The Yellow river obtained its original name from the murky tan color of its waters.  The Yellow River is known for its tendency to flood surrounding lands, often with disastrous results.  The silt and sand carried in the muddy water builds up on the bottom of the river until it blocks the water's flow and causes the river to divert its course, flooding into another area.  Floods like these make the course of the Yellow River change often.
 === Ancient China ===
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 The ancient Greek, Hebrew and Latin all lacked the modern English letter "J".  The Hebrew initially spelled Jesus as "Yeshua" and "y'hoshua", using two different spellings because of the tradition against pronouncing "the sacred part of Yahweh's name, so they changed the 'Yah', to 'Yeh'."<ref>http://www.plim.org/JesusOrigin.htm</ref>
-The ancient world had several founders of great religions, but only one performed miracles:  Jesus of Nazareth.  His resurrection is the single greatest event in the history of the world.  We can estimate the date of the Resurrection because we know it happened during the reign of Pontius Pilate:, between A.D. 26 and 36.  A Roman historian named Philo described Pilate as inflexible, obstinate and merciless, and Pilate was hated by the Jewish people under his rule.  The Gospels describe the savage retaliation by Pilate against Galileans as follows:  "Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices."<ref>Luke 13:1 (NAS).</ref>  Years after the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Romans (who were themselves known for cruelty) removed Pilate from power for being too cruel even by the harsh Roman standards!
+The ancient world had several founders of great religions, but only one performed miracles:  Jesus of Nazareth.  His resurrection is the single greatest event in the history of the world.  We can estimate the date of the Resurrection because we know it happened during the reign of Pontius Pilate: between A.D. 26 and 36.  A Roman historian named Philo described Pilate as inflexible, obstinate and merciless, and Pilate was hated by the Jewish people under his rule.  The Gospels describe the savage retaliation by Pilate against Galileans as follows:  "Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices."<ref>Luke 13:1 (NAS).</ref>  Years after the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Romans (who were themselves known for cruelty) removed Pilate from power for being too cruel even by the harsh Roman standards!
 A detailed analysis of the Gospel and historical sources places the date of the Crucifixion at Friday, April 3, A.D. 33, although some historians think it occurred in A.D. 29.<ref>http://www.themoorings.org/apologetics/69weeks/weeks4.html</ref>

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 An error occurred in the dating of our calendar from Christ's birth in the sixth century A.D., when the Roman monk Dionysis the Little changed the calendar to recognize the birth of Christ.  He calculated that Jesus was born the year that King Herod died, and modern historians agree.  However, the monk thought that Herod died 753 years after the founding of Rome, instead of the correct 749 years after the founding of Rome.  (King Herod is the ruler who ordered all babies in Bethlehem younger than 2 to be killed in his unsuccessful attempt to murder Jesus, whose family fled to Egypt to escape this.)  Thus the monk estimated that Jesus was born four years later than He probably was.  What was intended to be A.D. 1 was actually 4 B.C.  Note that there is no year "0", as the concept of "0" was unknown to the Greeks and not even discovered until the seventh century by mathematicians in India.  The year that followed 1 B.C. is A.D. 1.
-The teachings of Jesus were recorded in the Gospels (the word is from Middle English "god" and "spel" for "news", or "Good News") by three of His Apostles (Matthew, John and also Mark, a scribe for Peter) and by a physician (Luke). The oldest known versions of the Gospels are in Greek, the common ''lingua franca'' (common or commercial language among diverse peoples) of the Roman Orient.  No original Gospels have been found in Aramaic; the only discovered Aramaic Gospels are translations from Greek versions.  The general consensus is that the Gospel according to Matthew was written particularly for Jews; the Gospel according to Mark was written particularly for Romans; the Gospel according to Luke was written particularly for Greeks; and the Gospel according to John was written for everyone.  Matthew and John were part of Jesus's original Apostles, and Mark was probably a boy being homeschooled by his mother as she followed Jesus.  With Mark's better education from being homeschooled, he was later able to serve as the scribe for Peter.  Jesus had emphasized that scribes were part of those He sent forth to proselytize the world.  "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes ...."<ref>Matt 23:34 (NAS).</ref>
+The teachings of Jesus were recorded in the Gospels (the word is from Middle English "god" and "spel" for "news", or "Good News") by three of His Apostles (Matthew, John and also Mark, a scribe for Peter) and by a physician (Luke). The oldest known versions of the Gospels are in Greek, the common ''lingua franca'' (common or commercial language among diverse peoples) of the Roman Orient.  No original Gospels have been found in Aramaic; the only discovered Aramaic Gospels are translations from Greek versions.  The Gospel according to Matthew was written particularly for Jews; the Gospel according to Mark was written particularly for Romans; the Gospel according to Luke was written particularly for Greeks; and the Gospel according to John was written for everyone.  Matthew and John were part of Jesus's original Apostles, and Mark was probably a boy being homeschooled by his mother as she followed Jesus.  With Mark's better education from being homeschooled, he was later able to serve as the scribe for Peter.  Jesus had emphasized that scribes were part of those He sent forth to proselytize the world.  "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes ...."<ref>Matt 23:34 (NAS).</ref>
 Luke was a Greek physician (see Col 4:14) who accompanied Paul and also wrote the Acts of the Apostles describing the arrival of the Holy Spirit.  Unlike the firsthand Gospels of Matthew and John, the Gospel of Luke records eyewitness accounts of others, much as a doctor asks a patient for his medical history and then writes it down in the medical file.  Due to Luke's professionalism, his Gospel is comprehensive about Jesus's life and resurrection, and conveys the great sense of joy that Christians felt.  In the Battle of the Bulge in World War II (the surprise Nazi counterattack in Dec. 1944), which was one of the worst military defeats in American history, a minister's son who had memorized Luke's description of the Nativity recited it for his fellow soldiers on Christmas Eve while together in the trenches.  Many of the American soldiers died in battle soon afterward.

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 The ancient Greek, Hebrew and Latin all lacked the modern English letter "J".  The Hebrew initially spelled Jesus as "Yeshua" and "y'hoshua", using two different spellings because of the tradition against pronouncing "the sacred part of Yahweh's name, so they changed the 'Yah', to 'Yeh'."<ref>http://www.plim.org/JesusOrigin.htm</ref>
-The ancient world had several founders of great religions, but only one performed miracles:  Jesus of Nazareth.  His resurrection is the single greatest event in the history of the world.  Do we know when it occurred?
+The ancient world had several founders of great religions, but only one performed miracles:  Jesus of Nazareth.  His resurrection is the single greatest event in the history of the world.  We can estimate the date of the Resurrection because we know it happened during the reign of Pontius Pilate:, between A.D. 26 and 36.  A Roman historian named Philo described Pilate as inflexible, obstinate and merciless, and Pilate was hated by the Jewish people under his rule.  The Gospels describe the savage retaliation by Pilate against Galileans as follows:  "Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices."<ref>Luke 13:1 (NAS).</ref>  Years after the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Romans (who were themselves known for cruelty) removed Pilate from power for being too cruel even by Roman standards!
 A detailed analysis of the Gospel and historical sources places the date of the Crucifixion at Friday, April 3, A.D. 33, although some historians think it occurred in A.D. 29.<ref>http://www.themoorings.org/apologetics/69weeks/weeks4.html</ref>

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 === Imperial China ===
-'''The first imperial or national Chinese dynasty was the Qin or Ch'in dynasty (221-206 B.C.), which was founded by the ruler of the Zhou vassal state Qin, Prince Zheng''' (also known as Huang-ti).  The Qin dynasty was superb in battle, using chariots and iron weaponry, and that enabled Prince Zheng to conquer all the Chinese states and unify the country.  The Qin dynasty built many internal improvements, such as roads, canals and irrigation, using iron and bronze tools.  It was the Qin dynasty that began to construct the Great Wall, which stretches today for 1,400 miles.  China has always feared and been threatened by foreign invaders, and the wall was a way to defend itself by augmenting the natural protections of geography.  It is from "Qin" that the name "China" is derived.  But the Qin dynasty's highly legalistic approach to governing eventually led to rebellion.
+'''The first imperial or national Chinese dynasty was the Qin or Ch'in dynasty (221-206 B.C.), which was founded by the ruler of the Zhou vassal state Qin, Prince Zheng''' (also known as Shih Huang-ti).  The Qin dynasty was superb in battle, using chariots and iron weaponry, and that enabled Prince Zheng to conquer all the Chinese states and unify the country.  The Qin dynasty built many internal improvements, such as roads, canals and irrigation, using iron and bronze tools.  It was the Qin dynasty that began to construct the Great Wall, which stretches today for 1,400 miles.  China has always feared and been threatened by foreign invaders, and the wall was a way to defend itself by augmenting the natural protections of geography.  It is from "Qin" that the name "China" is derived.  But the Qin dynasty's highly legalistic approach to governing eventually led to rebellion.
 The Han empire or dynasty (206 B.C. to A.D 220, with only a brief interruption from A.D. 6-23) built on the foundation of the Qin dynasty - literally.  The walls and roads were extended and improved during this period.  Liu Bang was the first Han ruler, and he imposed a centralized government that was stable for many years.  Empress Lu was a woman who seized power from 195 until 180 B.C. and then installed her sons as emperors while they were still infants.  Han Wudi (141-87 B.C.) was the longest serving Han ruler.  He was known for appointing efficient provincial administrators.

← Older revision	Revision as of 23:10, September 14, 2011
(No difference)

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 === China's Contributions ===
-What inventions do we owe to ancient China?  A great deal: paper, the compass, the umbrella, the fan, spaghetti, acupuncture, bamboo cultivation, harvesting silk, and perhaps the first planetarium.  China invented fireworks and then, in A.D. 850, China invented gunpowder too.
+What inventions do we owe to ancient China?  A great deal: paper, the compass, the umbrella, the fan, spaghetti, acupuncture, bamboo cultivation, harvesting silk, and perhaps the first planetarium.  Chinese invented fireworks and then, in A.D. 850, Chinese invented gunpowder too.
 English philosopher Francis Bacon said this about three Chinese inventions:  "Printing, gunpowder and the compass: These three have changed the whole face and state of things throughout the world; the first in literature, the second in warfare, the third in navigation; whence have followed innumerable changes, in so much that no empire, no sect, no star seems to have exerted greater power and influence in human affairs than these mechanical discoveries."<ref>http://www.bjreview.com.cn/forum/txt/2008-08/26/content_146756_2.htm</ref>  Sometimes historians refer to the "Four Great Inventions":  paper-making, printing, compass and gunpowder, and claim that China deserves credit for all four.
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 Paul of Tarsus (now southern Turkey) was Jewish and converted to Christianity within a year or two of the Crucifixion, while on the road to Damascus (now located in Syria), and afterward spread the Good News far and wide within the Roman empire.  He was both a prolific writer and scholar, and a prodigious missionary who traveled on three great missions throughout the Roman empire before being executed by a beheading in Rome in A.D. 62 (as a Roman citizen, Paul could not be scourged or crucified).  Many of Paul's letters are included in the New Testament, and often quoted to this day.  (For example, in Paul's letter to the Romans, he condemns homosexuality.<ref>Romans 1:27.</ref>)  Peter, who was not a Roman citizen, likewise spread the faith before being crucified in Rome, by his choice upside down out of the utmost respect for Jesus's own Crucifixion.
-One misconception about early Christians is the claim that they could not read or write.  But several several early Christians wrote letters while held in jail by Roman authorities.  Moreover, many of the insights and truths revealed in the Gospels by the Apostles could only have been understood and taught by people of tremendous intelligence and faith.
+One misconception about early Christians is the claim that they could not read or write.  But several early Christians wrote letters while held in jail by Roman authorities.  Moreover, many of the insights and truths revealed in the Gospels by the Apostles could only have been understood and taught by people of tremendous intelligence and faith.
 Mark founded a church in Egypt under the reign of the Roman emperor Nero, first converting Alexandrian Jews such as Theophilus and also converting many native Egyptians who were neither Greek nor Jewish.  It was for Theophilus and the Egyptian community that Luke wrote his Gospel and Acts of the Apostles, addressing Theophilus in the beginning of each.<ref>''See'' Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1.</ref>  The local language in Egypt was Coptic, and translations of the Gospels into that language have been discovered which date from the first half of the second century.  Coptic Christianity remains in Egypt now, although Islam has become the dominant religion there.  Some cite the acceptance of Arabic as a liturgical language by the Pope of Alexandria as aiding the rise to dominance of Islam there.  Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas each year on January 7th.

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 |threat of death if conversion to another religion
 |-
-|Nonreligious
+|Non-religious
 |1.1 billion
 |followers censor school prayer and promote evolution