History, Archaeology, and the Word of God

The Bible, history, archaeology, and (certain) sciences have always fascinated me.  For those of you who wonder what science does not click with me, think along the lines of chemistry...  I think it had something to do with the math that was involved.

When our family began home-educating, we found ourselves exposed to an amazing array of curriculums and resources that we had not realized existed.  Many of these resources, and others like them, are now much more available, it seems, than they used to be, and I am so grateful!  Even though I am no longer "in school," I have greatly enjoyed digging deeper into the subjects that grab my interest and rouse my curiosity. 

I love seeing how the historical records of the Bible and evidences dug up in archaeological finds fit perfectly like the pieces of a giant puzzle!  It never ceases to excite me to see the Word of God confirmed through science and history.

All of that to say: I (Julia) would really like to do a few posts every now and then pertaining to the history and archaeology that I have been studying. 

...

No, no... everyone, please, restrain yourselves... Seriously, I can't handle that much excitement...

So, whether this interests you or not, here is my first post along this line:

Aaaand it starts... now!

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Baalbek, Lebanon

Baalbek, Lebanon is the site of ancient Heliopolis of the Roman Empire that now consists of the great, megalithic ruins of three temples.

The construction of these buildings is a modern day enigma, and an incredible feat that argues for the ingenuity and capability of ancient man.

Three false gods, Jupiter, Venus, and Bacchus, were worshiped here and combined with Hadad and Atargatis, deities revered by the locals.
The planning and layout of the temples vary from classic Roman style, suggesting local influence.

These ruins are composed of a massive platform constructed with more stone that the Great Pyramid of Giza, and are home to three of the largest stones ever cut: the "Trilithon."  The Trilithon are placed end to end on top of a six layer retaining wall; the fifth layer is made up of at least twenty-four stones that weigh 300 tons each, and the lower layers consist of smaller stones that allow for the bottom layers to move with the earth during earthquakes.  Talk about ingeniously built!

Although they each weigh around 800 tons, they are outweighed by two even larger stones located nearby.
These massive stones are estimated to weigh 1,000 tons each and are still attached to the bedrock.

Within the Great Court of the ruins stand six, 65 foot stone columns, all that remains of the original 128 columns.

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Well, I hope you found this interesting.  I am not seeking to give a whole lesson or essay about these things, but rather simply wanting to share a little of the information I have found so fascinating.

Whenever I read about past ancient civilizations and ruins, their kings and idols, the Scripture found in Daniel chapter two comes to mind:

"Let the name of God  be blessed forever

and ever, for wisdom and power belong to

Him.  It is He who changes the times

and the epochs; He removes kings and

establishes kings; He gives wisdom

to wise men, and knowledge to men

of understanding."