Post by Lee on Aug 23, 2014 3:30:39 GMT
“He shall also break the pillars of Beth-shemesh, that is in Egypt; and the houses of the gods of Egypt shall he burn with fire” (verse 23, R.V.).
Beth-shemesh literally means, House of the Sun, or in Greek, Heliopolis, City of the Sun; and we are told that in the middle ages the place was still called Ain Shems by the Arabs. It is identified with the well known site a few miles north-east of Cairo, where one pillar still stands as a memorial of the vanished glory of the place. It is well known to tourists, and has been described more than once in recent years in these pages. It is the On, or Aven of Old Testament, where anciently Joseph sojourned. After his advancement to power by reason of his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, “Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath Paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potiphera (prince) priest of On” (Gen. 41:45). Of this princess were born Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 46:20). This, of course, was long before Jeremiah’s day, being more than 1800 years B.C. But the national history from Joseph to Jeremiah would be more or less well known; and the contrast between Joseph’s faith and hope and disposition, and that of the remnant of Judah in Jeremiah’s day must have occurred sadly to the prophet.
It is said that a fragmentary inscription of Nebuchadrezzar records his victory over Egypt at this time; and that Josephus tells how he carried back to Babylon the captive Jews that he found in Egypt.
Ministry of the Prophets
Beth-shemesh literally means, House of the Sun, or in Greek, Heliopolis, City of the Sun; and we are told that in the middle ages the place was still called Ain Shems by the Arabs. It is identified with the well known site a few miles north-east of Cairo, where one pillar still stands as a memorial of the vanished glory of the place. It is well known to tourists, and has been described more than once in recent years in these pages. It is the On, or Aven of Old Testament, where anciently Joseph sojourned. After his advancement to power by reason of his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, “Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath Paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potiphera (prince) priest of On” (Gen. 41:45). Of this princess were born Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 46:20). This, of course, was long before Jeremiah’s day, being more than 1800 years B.C. But the national history from Joseph to Jeremiah would be more or less well known; and the contrast between Joseph’s faith and hope and disposition, and that of the remnant of Judah in Jeremiah’s day must have occurred sadly to the prophet.
It is said that a fragmentary inscription of Nebuchadrezzar records his victory over Egypt at this time; and that Josephus tells how he carried back to Babylon the captive Jews that he found in Egypt.
Ministry of the Prophets