Spring of Water International Ministries播種國際事工

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Biblical Archeology 19——Frieze of Archers

This decorative frieze of polychrome glazed brick shows an army. Each archer’s hands are joined together on the shaft of his spear, and hanging from his shoulders is a bow, its ends in the form of duck’s heads, and a quiver. The archers wear the long Persian robe, braided and pleated over the legs. They might represent the royal guards of Darius I, whom Herodotus called “the Immortals.” The exact location of the Frieze of Archers is unknown, countless bricks and fragments having been found more or less all over the place when the Apadena of Susa Palace was excavated. The Frieze of Archers is now displayed in Louvre, Paris.

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Biblical Archeology 18——Daric Gold Coin

The Daric Gold Coin was in circulation during the Persian Empire period, named in Darius I. On the obverse, Darius I's figure was carved, showing the King running to the right, armed with bow and spear.

The Daric Gold Coin was also used as unit weight of gold. One Daric Gold Coin weighs approximately 8.5 gram.

Ezra 2:69 recounts the donation of the Israel people during their return: "according to their ability they gave to the treasury of the work sixty-one thousand darics of gold …" Sixty-one thousand darics of gold is about 500 Kg.

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Biblical Archeology 17——The statue and silver plate of Artaxerxes I

Artaxerxes I was the fifth king of the kings of Persia. He was the son of Xerxes the Great (also known as Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther). Chapter 7 of the Book of Ezra detailed the letter of Araxerxes to Ezra, telling him "to make inquires about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand." The Book of Nehemiah also mentioned that King Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem to rebuild the city wall.

The statue of Artaxerxes I shown was carved on the door frame of the palace in Persepolis, Iran.

The silver plate has cuneiform in old Persian inscription, not only with the name of Artaxerxes I, but also inscribed with "(by the order of) Artaxerxes, the great king, king of kings, king of countries, son of Xerxes the king, Xerxes (who was) son of Darius the king, an Achaemenian, this silver plate (was) made for the royal house." This silver plate is now displayed in the Reza Abbasi Museum in Iran.

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Biblical Archeology 16——Makeup tools, perfume bottles, and necklaces dating back to 1500 BC.

The makeup tools, dating back to 1500 BC, include mirrors with handles, small spoons, and cosmetic boxes. The mirrors are made of copper, and the handles, with different designs, are mostly made of wood or copper. The small spoons and cosmetic boxes, with various shapes, are mainly made of wood or ivory. These artifacts are now displayed in the Louvre, Paris.

The perfume bottles are mainly made of marble. They are now displayed in the Persepolis Museum, Iran.

The necklaces excavated from Susa are made of glass or agate. Though they are artifacts dating back 3000 to 4000 years, some of the colors are still very well preserved. These necklaces are now displayed in the Susa Museum, Iran.

In Esther 2:12, "… this was the regular period of their cosmetic treatment, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics for women." The oil of myrrh and cosmetics might have been kept in these kinds of makeup tools.

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#Taiwan #mission week2 in #Kaohsiung #spreadthegospel

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#springofwater #taiwan mission team1 in #miaoli #spreadthegospel

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#sow #taiwan #mission team2 in #miaoli #spreadthegospel

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Biblical Archeology 15——Foundation charter of the Palace of Darius I, in Old Persian

This tablet inscribed in Old Persian is one of the first texts drawn up by Darius I on his accession to power. It is the foundation charter of his palace at Susa. Found buried under one of the gates into the Apadana, it provides valuable information about the Darius's titles and the construction of his palace.

In Darius' inscription (Dsf) found in Susa's great hall, he notes:

“The materials, ornamentation and artisans for this palace which I built at Susa have come from afar. …” "The cedar timber was brought by the Assyrians to Babylon from a mountain in Lebanon. …” "The gold that was brought from Sardis and from Bakhtrish (Bactria) was wrought here. The precious stone lapis lazuli and carnelian which were crafted here was brought from Suguda (Sogdiana). The precious stone turquoise that was brought from Uvarazmish (Chorasmia) was crafted here. The silver and ebony were brought from Egypt. The ornamentation with which the wall was adorned was brought from Ionia. The ivory which was crafted here, was brought from Ethiopia, Sind and Harauvatish (Arachosia). …”

The entire story of the Book of Esther happened in the Palace at Susa.

-- Explained by Helen Chan.

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#sow #Taiwan mission team2, week1 @Miaoli, . #joy #spreadthegospel

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2016 sow #missionteam will fly to #Taiwan in the next two days. They will have English Bible camps in 3 cities. Please pray for the salvation of the students and the safety of every team member. Thank you!

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#readytogo 整裝待發#sow #Taiwan #missionteam

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2nd Training for #taiwan #shorttermmissions #readytogo

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Biblical Archeology 14——The Inscription of Alexander the Great

This is a stone pillar base of the Susa Palace of the Persian Empire.  Alexander the Great, after conquered Susa in 331 BC, inscribed on this pillar base, stating that he conquered Babylon and Susa and was on his way toward Persepolis …

This stone pillar base is now kept in the Shoosh Castle in the city of Susa.  The Shoosh Castle was built by a group of French archaeologists in 1897 AD, adjacent to the ruin of the Susa Palace.  The purposes of building this castle were to store and protect the artifacts excavated from Susa, especially from the Susa Palace.  The Shoosh Castle is not opened to public anymore.  This picture of the stone pillar base is exclusively available from Spring of Water International Ministries after obtaining special permission to get into the Castle and take pictures.

In the Bible commentary DVD “The Book of Esther Overview – Reversal of Fate” （http://www.sowim.org/Eng/AboutMedia/ProductSample） produced by Spring of Water International Ministries, a detail description of the ruins, the background, and the importance of Susa and Persepolis can be found.

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Biblical Archeology 13——Grain Scoop

This pottery grain scoop, dated back to the 8th century BC, was found during the excavation of the ancient town Lachish in Israel.  It is now displayed in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.  In Ruth 3:15, “Then he said, ‘Bring the cloak you are wearing and hold it out.’ So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley, and put it on her back; then he went into the city.”  Boaz was probably using this kind of scoop to measure the barley.