The Greek Olympics 

The ancient Greek Olympics were big sports events held to honor Zeus and other gods. It also glorified the skills of men. They started in 776 BCE in a place called Olympia, in Greece. The Olympics were part of a big religious festival for Zeus and were held in a large temple dedicated to Zeus. 

Athletes from different parts of Greece would come to compete. These many athletes came from different city-states like Athens, Sparta, and Corinth. They competed in events like running races, wrestling, boxing, and horse races. One event, called the pentathlon, had five sports: running, jumping, throwing the javelin, and wrestling. The winners of the games were given a crown made of olive leaves, which was a huge honor. The first Olympic event was just a foot race, which was about 192 meters long. As the years passed, more events were added. The athletes competed without clothes, which was meant to celebrate their strength and bodies. Only men could compete in the games, and women weren’t allowed to participate or even watch most of the events. However, women did have their own smaller games called the “Heraea Games” in Olympia, where they ran races. 

The Olympics were important for more than just sports. They were a way to show off strength and skill. Winners became heroes in their hometowns and sometimes got big rewards, like free food for life or statues made for them. The games also helped bring peace between city-states. During the Olympics, all fighting stopped so athletes and visitors could travel safely to Olympia. This was called the Olympic Truce. The Olympics happen every four years and went on for about 1,200 years, until 393 CE when the Roman Emperor stopped them. Although it had ended, it was not forgotten. In 1896, a man named Pierre de Coubertin from France started the modern Olympics, bringing back the idea of the Olympic games and was the inspiration for the Olympics we watch today.

The Odyssey

The Odyssey is an ancient epic tale about Odysseus, a Greek hero, trying to return to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Epic is a narrative, poem, or song. He faced many different creatures such as the Cyclops and the Sirens. Cyclops is a member of a race of one-eyed giants and Sirens were birds with the heads of women, whose songs were so beautiful that none could resist. Odysseus found dangers such as Scylla, Charybdis, and the wrath of the gods due to his men’s disobedience. Scylla is a legendary, human-eating monster who lives on one side of a narrow body of water on the opposite side with her partner, Charybdis. Charybdis is a giant whirlpool located beneath a fig tree on the opposite shore from her partner, Scylla. Odysseus finally reunites with his wife Penelope, murdering suitors with his son Telemachus. The epic concludes with Odysseus ending his journey.

History Of Israel

Israel’s ancient history goes back to Abraham, the father of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Descendants, who were enslaved by Egyptians, settled in Canaan. King David and King Solomon built the first holy temple in ancient Jerusalem. The region split into Israel and Judah around 931 B.C., with the Assyrians and Babylonians destroying Israel in 722 BC, and that was the start of the fall of Israel. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and exiled the Israelites to Halah, the Harbor, the river of Gozan, and the cities of the Medes. The Israelites had sinned against God, who had brought them up from Egypt and feared other gods. They built high places in their towns, set up pillars and Asherim, and made offerings on them. They also served idols, which the Lord had warned them not to do. Even though the Lord warned them, the Israelites remained stubborn and disobeyed. They abandoned the commandments of God, made metal images of two calves, worshiped the host of heaven, and served Baal. They burned their sons and daughters as offerings, used divination and omens, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of God. God rejected all descendants of Israel and casted them out of his sight. 

During World War I, the Balfour Declaration supported a Jewish homeland in Palestine, leading to the British invading it. The League of Nations approved the declaration in 1922, but the Arab Palestinians were opposed to it. Israel gained independence in 1947 after the British ruled. Tension between Jews and Arab Muslims have existed since ancient times, with Jerusalem being a sacred city for both religions. The Zionist Movement aimed to settle in a Jewish homeland in Palestine, attracting Jewish immigrants. The United Nations approved a plan to divide Palestine in 1947, leading to Israel being very independent in 1948.

The History of the Kings Of Israel

The first king of Israel was Jeroboam, and he reigned for 22 years. To make sure his kingdom was independent, he introduced a new form of worship and set up idols. Some people moved to Judah but most remained in Israel. The Levites remained faithful to Judah because the religion was centered around Jerusalem. Jeroboam fought against Abijah, second king of Judah, but was defeated and forced to retreat. As punishment from God for disobeying Him, Jeroboam’s son falls ill and he sends him to a prophet who says that all the descendants of Jeroboam will die a violent death for the sins of Jeroboam. 

The next king was Nadab, Jeroboam’s son, who reigned for two years. Nadab and all the other descendants of Jeroboam were killed by Baasha. After Nadab, Baasha became king and he reigned for 24 years. He was a very wicked king. Baasha’s son, Elah, ruled after him, and reigned for only two years because he was murdered by Zimri. Zimri took his throne and he killed all descendants of Baasha. He only reigned for 7 days. He saw that the people did not accept him as king so he burned the king’s house with him inside. Then Zimri’s son, Omri, took his place and he reigned for 12 years. Omri made Samaria the capital of Israel, which has remained the capital to this day. 

Ahab was the next king after Omri. He reigned for 22 years. Ahab built a temple for Baal to please his wife. Ahab was warned to repent by the prophet Elijan. Twice Ben-hadad, King of Aram, brings an army up against the kingdom of Israel. Both times God tells Ahab that he will fight for the people and conquer the Syrians. The Syrians were defeated in both battles and Israel was freed from the threat of invasion. Ahab had abide by the law just as the people had to. Ahab was jealous of a specific vineyard  in the city that belonged to Naboth. Ahab and Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, both end up murdering Naboth. Ahab claims and takes the vineyard. Ahab’s punishment was that his whole household would be put to death. Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, took his throne and he reigned for 2 years. He fell out of a window and was injured very badly and died a short time after. Elijah, the prophet, warned him that he would die from the fall. 

The next king was Joram, who reigned for 12 years, and was the last king in the line of Zimri. He followed the advice of Elisha, and was not as wicked as his father or brother. Jehu was anointed king by Elisha and was incharge of killing all of Ahab and King Joram of Judah for their crimes. JHe also killed the prophets of Baal. He did not remove the idols of Jeroboam from the land. Jehu’s four sons reigned in Israel four generations after him. Jehoahaz reigned for 17 years, Jehoash reigned for 16 years, Jeroboam II reigned for 41 years, and Zechariah reigned for 6 months. Shallum was the next king who killed Zechariah and reigned for one month because then he was murdered by Menahem. As king, Menahem was cruel to his people and reigned for ten years. When he died, his son, Pekahian, became king. Pekahian reigned for two years and was also murdered by Pekah. Pekah reigned as king for 20 years and during his reign Tiglath-pileser III, King of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, invaded Israel. 

The last king of Israel was Hoshea, murdering Pekah for his throne. He reigned for nine years. During Hoshea’s reign, Shalmaneser III, King of Assyria, forced Hoshea to pay a tribute. When Shalmaneser III heard the plot of Hoshea not paying tribute, he took Hoshea in captivity. It is unknown what happened to Hoshea.

History of David

David was born in 1040 BC into an obscure family in the town of Bethlehem, in the Hebrew the tribe of Judah. He was the great-grandson of Ruth and the youngest of eight sons of Jesse. As a child, David’s father wanted him to keep the family shee. During this time, David developed great skill in music and fighting, since it was his custom to kill any lion or bear that disturbed the flock. The shepherd years were interrupted suddenly when Samuel, the great judge and prophet of Israel, showed up in Bethlehem to offer a sacrifice. Samuel reviewed Jesse’s sons and then called for David, who was declared as a future king of Israel in the presence of his family. Even as David was fighting to recover Ziklag, Saul and the Israelites were defeated in a stunning loss at the Battle of Mount Gilboa. Both Saul and Jonathan were killed, and David mourned when he heard the news. The leaders of the southern Israelite tribe of Judah responded by anointing David as their king. He became king of Judah, 1010 BC, at the age of 30 and reigned for seven years and six months.

Yet it was not a time of peace. To the north, the remaining Israelite tribes select Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, as their king. A civil war broke out between the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. This continued until two men, Rechab and Baanah, assassinated Ishbosheth on his bed. When they brought his head to David, expecting gifts, David accused them of murder and had them executed. Despite his flaws, David was known as “a man after God’s own heart”, the most devout of all Hebrew kings, and set the standard for a Judean king. The prophecy of a David fueled Messianic hopes among the Jews, that which were finally fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, the physical descendant and promised ‘Son of David.

I headed off to the Egyptian desert but little did I know I was in the middle of the second plague. Hello, I am Brendan and I am a wandering traveler, with my camel, Cactus. I was still making my way but the next day I saw a frog. I was confused, but I kept going farther and I finally reached Egypt and I saw a lot of frogs and also the water from the Nile River had become blood. I wondered what happened. Did something evil do this or is the Pharaoh the evil one. There were soldiers everywhere. If I get caught, it is not going to be good. I saw a giant rock over in the distance that I could make my tent. Cactus and I went over to the rock and built the tent behind it. I don’t think the Egyptians will find me here. Then a frog approached me. The frog hopped into the tent. I named it Hopper. I spent the whole night making a secure wall out of logs and a gate. I also made a secret escape place just in case we get caught. Today I will explore Egypt and get some more food and find out what the heck is going on! I left Cactus and Hopper at the tent and I made my way into town. I got some food and found a broken barrel of iron ingots. I took them back to the tent and there were 12 in total. I used eight ingots to make an iron chest plate and two to make a sword. I went back and saw the pharaoh was enslaving the Hebrews. Then I got caught by three guards so I ran. I sprinted back to the tent. Fortunately they did not see me run. All the villagers were in panic and afraid with all the frogs everywhere. The frogs were destroying things and making the whole village slimy. They were hopping everywhere. I took Hopper and rode Cactus back home to escape the madness.