Judith and the Middle East connection.

The Bible and the modern Middle East

The Bible is the best seller book ever writen in human history; it tells us about man and women that lived before our moden world and for a twist of fate, today is the book of actuality. The story of the Bible starts since Abraham and the concepion of Israel, the Jewish nation and it takes us to todays situation of the Middle East, ending a story that repeat herself and sees the beginning of the end unfolding in our modern days.

The Bible is a collection of book of history, cultures, races and languagges and in this Holy Book we can read, in the many that are part of the library of the Holy Bible, the sotry of Judith, a jewish woman that take us right in the heart of the modern conflict of the Middle East- only to discover that- nothing is new under the sun. What happend almost 4000 years ago, its happening today in our modern life.

There is nothing new under the sun of the Middle East, where people lived in the past, like today of wars, killings, rapes, and regional unrest. Nothing that is not repeat today. The tribes and the nations fight themselves, leaving only death and destruction behind. Is there somenthing new?

The Book of Judit presume the same reality that today we can see in the Middle East reagion. Judith was a woman living in Samaria, just like today, that speaks about the situation of the Middle East a long time ago, and her worries about this situation of violence and horror.

The Book of Judith, in a twist of fate, talks about the unrest of many Arab nations, and the fate of Israel and the Jewish people in the midst of this chaotic world. The players is this chaos are just the same as today:

1) The Assyrians
2)The Medo-Persia
3) The Nations around the Tigris and Euphrates River
4) Egypt
5)Israel

In ancient times this was the "known world" and the center of the world; from there Judith takes us to todays news and unrest of the all Middle East. Seems strange but after all this time, the games of war are again bound in the same area of the modern world. Why?

A look into the beginning of Judith Book will make it clear for us to understand; she speaks about a war that started in the Middle East and not because of any Western intervention. This is a war internal to the Middle East, between the Nations of the Arab world.

The War between Nebuchadnezzar and Arphaxad

While King Nebuchadnezzar was ruling over the Assyrians from his capital city of Nineveh, (modern IRAQ) King Arphaxad ruled over the Medes from his capital city of Ecbatana. (modern North Iran-Persia) Around Ecbatana King Arphaxad built a wall 105 feet high and 75 feet thick of cut stones; each stone was 4 1/2 feet thick and 9 feet long. At each gate he built a tower 150 feet high, with a foundation 90 feet thick. Each gateway was 105 feet high and 60 feet wide—wide enough for his whole army to march through, with the infantry in formation.

In the twelfth year of his reign King Nebuchadnezzar went to war against King Arphaxad in the large plain around the city of Rages. Many nations joined forces with King Arphaxad—all the people who lived in the mountains, those who lived along the Tigris, Euphrates, and Hydaspes rivers, as well as those who lived in the plain ruled by King Arioch of Elam. Many nations joined this Chelodite alliance.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Assyria sent a message to the Persians and to the people to the west, in the regions of Cilicia, (modern Turkey) Damascus,(modern Syria) Lebanon, Antilebanon, to those along the coast,  and in the regions of Carmel, Gilead, northern Galilee, and Jezreel Valley.(modern Israel). The message also went to the people living in Samaria and the nearby towns, to those in the area west of the Jordan River as far as the cities of Jerusalem, Bethany, Chelous, and Kadesh, and to the district of Goshen. The message was also taken to the Egyptian cities of Tahpanhes, Rameses, Tanis, and Memphis, and the district up the Nile River to the Ethiopian border.  But everyone in this whole region ignored King Nebuchadnezzar's appeal and refused to take part in the war. They thought that he had no chance of winning the war, so they were not afraid of him and sent his messengers back disgraced and empty-handed.

This made Nebuchadnezzar so furious that he vowed he would risk his entire kingdom to take revenge on all those people. He vowed that he would put to death the entire population of Cilicia, Damascus, Syria, Moab, Ammon, (modern Jordan) Judah, and Egypt—everyone from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf.( all modern Islamic Nations of the Middle East)

In the seventeenth year of his reign King Nebuchadnezzar led his army into battle against King Arphaxad. He defeated all of Arphaxad's forces, including his entire cavalry, and all his charioteers. Then Nebuchadnezzar occupied all the towns in the land of Media and advanced against the city of Ecbatana. He captured the city's towers, looted its markets, and made that beautiful city a ruin.  He captured King Arphaxad in the mountains around Rages and killed him. After Arphaxad's death, Nebuchadnezzar and his entire army returned to Nineveh with all the loot taken in battle. There they relaxed and feasted for four months. Book of Judith chapter 1

From this first chapter of the Book of Judith, we can see that in this war there are 2 players: Iraq and Northen Iran against each other for the supremacy and the control of the Middle East. Something not new for today and modern current reality. Nothing new for us. It's the same war today between Sunnies and Shia muslims, the same two factions butchering each other for the control of modern Middle East.

Who is involved? The same Nations that were involved in the "time of Judith": IRAQ, SYRIA, IRAN, S.ARABIA, LEBANON, TURKEY, JORDAN, ISRAEL. 

How it's possible that yesterday wars are todays conflicts? How it's possible that yesterday nations are today's Nations in the same war? What's new under the sun of the Middle East unrest? What's new under the Middle East reason for the war and for this modern multi-National war?

The Bible also tells the say of Solomon, the most well known intelligent man living in the Middle East in ancient time, that fits very well in our modern time:

The words of Solomon the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
    says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
    Everything is meaningless.”

 What do people gain from all their labors
    at which they toil under the sun?
 Generations come and generations go,
    but the earth remains forever.
 The sun rises and the sun sets,
    and hurries back to where it rises.
 The wind blows to the south
    and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
    ever returning on its course.
 All streams flow into the sea,
    yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
    there they return again.
 All things are wearisome,
    more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
    nor the ear its fill of hearing.

 What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun.

 Is there anything of which one can say,
    “Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
    it was here before our time.

This is the story of Judith, that want to send a message to all of us today in the modern world. There is nothing new under the sun and what people did in the past unfortunately, for a twist of fate is reapeating again, without a real reason that triggers the war. 

Today situation of the world is compleatly different from Judith times, nevertheless today we see the same Nations, the same people fighting themself and everybody else. Why? The Book of Judith give us again an answer:

The War against the Nations in the West

In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, on the twenty-second day of the first month of that year, he and his advisers decided to carry out his threat to take revenge on all those countries that had refused to help him. The king called his general staff and senior officers together and reported in detail how those countries had betrayed him. He and his officers agreed that everyone who had refused to help him in the war should be put to death. Then he described to them his plan of attack.

 At the close of the meeting, Nebuchadnezzar gave the following command to Holofernes, who was the general in command of his armies and second in command to the king:

  I, Nebuchadnezzar, the great king and ruler of all the earth, command you to choose some experienced soldiers: 120,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry. Then attack the lands to the west because they refused to respond to my appeal for help. Warn them that they must prepare their offerings of earth and water to show that they have surrendered unconditionally. I will make them feel the full force of my anger and completely destroy them. My armies will march over every foot of their land and plunder it as they go. I will fill the valleys with their dead bodies and will choke up every stream and river with so many corpses that they will all overflow. I will take captive all those who are left alive and carry them off to the ends of the earth.

 But you, Holofernes, are ordered to go ahead of me and occupy all their territories in advance. If they surrender to you, hold them for me until I come to punish them.  But if they resist, do not spare them. Kill them and loot the entire region under your control. I have taken a solemn vow, and at the risk of my life and my royal power I am determined to do what I have vowed to do.  Do not disobey me in any way. I am your king; remember that, and carry out without delay every order that I have given you.

The Campaign of Holofernes

So Holofernes left the king and called together all the commanders, generals, and officers of the Assyrian army.  Just as the king had ordered, he chose 120,000 of the best infantrymen and 12,000 of the best mounted archers  and arranged them in battle formation.  He also took along a very large number of camels, donkeys, and mules to carry the equipment, as well as many sheep, cattle, and goats for food.  Every soldier received plenty of rations and a large payment of gold and silver from the royal treasury.

Then Holofernes and his entire army set out, advancing ahead of King Nebuchadnezzar. The chariots, the cavalry, and the infantry marched out to overrun the entire western region.  Other troops went with them. There were so many that it was impossible to count them—they were like a swarm of locusts or like grains of sand in the desert.

 Three days after they had left the city of Nineveh, they reached the plains around Bectileth near the mountains north of Cilicia, where they set up camp. From there Holofernes advanced into the hill country with his entire army, his infantry, cavalry, and chariots.  He totally destroyed the countries of Libya and Lydia, then plundered all the people of Rassis and the Ishmaelites who lived on the edge of the desert, south of the land of the Chelleans.

Then Holofernes crossed the Euphrates River and marched through the land of Mesopotamia, completely destroying all the walled towns along the Abron River as far as the sea. He seized the territory of Cilicia, (modern Turkey) killing everyone who resisted him, and went as far as the southern borders of the land of Japheth, near Arabia.  He surrounded the Midianites, burned down their tents, and slaughtered their sheep.

 Holofernes went down into the plains around Damascus during the wheat harvest, burned all the fields, slaughtered the flocks and herds, looted the towns, devastated the entire countryside, and killed all the young men. Panic seized all the people who lived along the Mediterranean Sea, and they shook with fear. Everyone in the towns of Tyre, Sidon, Sur, Ocina, Jamnia, Ashdod, and Ashkelon was terrified. Book of Judith 2,1

The Book of Judith tell us a never-spoken truth about the Arabs; the muslims today, like yersterday have always dream to occupay other's peole land, making the Arabs inveders of other Nations with violence.Nothing new, today is just the same greed for worldwide domination. The Arab inveders of the Middle East have a project of invasion of the West, the Far East and the all world, and they proclaim this goal pubblicy and without shame. The means of this occupation and invasion is violence and submission.

The Book of Judith tell us about destruction, violence, death, rape and people butchered for the greed of one man of the Middle East region, that payed no attention to human life, but to power, gold, riches and hostility. All the people and Nations were to submitt to him, a dictactor and a brutal man without Mercy. This story is the perfect copy of the few Islamic Nations that today are waging war between themselves, to gain the total power of the Middle East and be the new and only "Master of the all World" and the "Commander of people lifes" by the means of war, violence, brutality and slavery. 

The Book of Judith tells us that not all Governor of the Middle East were bad and tyrants, but the war of supremacy of the region, was disputed between 2 mayor tyrants and the others were only either allies or enemies. Exactly just like today is the Arab world in competition of the power of only ONE muslim Governor for the whole Middle East. Nothing new under the sun!

We do not really know what made the people of the Middle East so greed about invading and occupy other people land, but for what we can understand, there is no real and just reason for it, except greed, arrogance, and deception. What other reason can ONE MAN ONLY have to submitt and dominate people and the world? What does this man think and feeel in his heart, when he has not humanity?

From the Book of Judith we can realize that many innocent man are involved in this illigal occupation and illigal desire of domination against milion of people and many Nations, in the Middle East.

Today like yesterday, in the same area of the world, some arrogant invaders and nations are arising looking for an excuse to dominate and submitt in the year 2015, people of many nations, races and languages, to annihilate milion of innocent man, women and children, using the excuse of one religion. But in fact the Book of Judith tells us the truth: everytime a man arise in the world, he does not have a real reason for his desire to dominate humanity; his desire comes only from his arrogante desire of greed, evil and illness. The illness of man's heart that has no humanity, no kindness and no love. All other reasons that in our modern world we are looking to justify what is happening today in the Middle East are just miserable lies. 

Judith tell us that what was 4000 years ago, is today, and that the same people that have been at war yeasterday are the same today. And not for any good reason at all. They are just wicked!

The Book of Judith however tell us of "The End" of this war time story; God is in control of the fate of each and everyone and the evil people always find someone that take courage and do not let evil succeed. There is no prosperity and triumph for evil.

The Book of Judith also speaks of Israel and the Galilee and the fate of evil when ance again it will gather many Nations, in the Last attempt to destroy God's land and God's people; All this evil and wicked man and nations, will End forever in the valley of Esdralon, also known as the "Armageddon Valley", where all the armies of the muslims evil nations, will be buryed in Galilee, never to be seen again in the face of the Earth.

Judith was a Jewish prophetess, and like Daniel and Ezekiel tell us in advance to trust in God, the Living God of Israel, the ONE that have already planned the just punishment for all evil and wicked people that have ignored, disregarded and scorn human life.

Photo: the Valley of Esdraelon, Israel.

Even a woman can defeat an arrogant and evil power.

Then Judith sang a song of thanksgiving there with all Israel present, and the people joined in this song of praise.  She sang,

Praise my God and sing to him;
    praise the Lord with drums and cymbals;
    play a new song for him.
Praise him and call on him for help.
 The Lord is a warrior who ends war.
    He rescued me from my pursuers
    and brought me back to his people's camp.
 Down from the mountains of the north came the Assyrians,
    with their tens of thousands of soldiers.
Their troops blocked the rivers in the valleys;
    their cavalry covered the mountains.
 They threatened to set fire to our country,
    slaughter our young men,
    dash our babies to the ground,
    take our children away as captives,
    and carry off all our young women.
 But the Lord Almighty tricked them;
    he used a woman to stop them.
 Their hero was not slain by young soldiers
    or attacked and killed by mighty giants.
It was Judith, the daughter of Merari,
    who brought him down with her beauty.
 She gave victory to the oppressed people of Israel,
    when she took off her widow's clothes,
    and put on a linen dress to entice him.
She put on her rich perfumes
    and tied a ribbon around her hair.
 Her dainty sandal caught his eye;
    her beauty captured his heart.
Then the sword slashed through his neck.
 The Persians trembled at her daring;
    the Medes were amazed at her bravery.
 Then our people shouted in victory.
    They had been weak and oppressed,
    but they forced the enemy to retreat in panic and fear.
 We are the descendants of slaves,
    but our enemies turned and ran;
    we killed them like runaway slaves.
They were destroyed by the army of the Lord.
 I will sing a new song to my God.
    O Lord, you are strong and glorious!
    You have never been defeated.
 Let all your creatures serve you.
    You gave the command,
    and all of them came into being;
    you breathed on them,
    and all of them were created.
    No one can oppose your command.
 The mountains and the seas tremble,
    and rocks melt like wax when you come near.
But there is mercy for all who obey you.
 The Lord is more pleased with those who obey him
    than with all the choice meat on the altar,
    or with all the most fragrant sacrifices.

 The nations who rise up against my people are doomed.
    The Lord Almighty will punish them on Judgment Day.
    He will send fire and worms to devour their bodies,
    and they will weep in pain forever.

God in the Beginning Revealed Himself as the God of Life and told nobody to be evil and wicked; man and women are equal and nobody is allowed to be evil against another human. There are two Godly Commandment for all man of every Nation, race and language; love God and love your fellow man neighbour. And this two teaching of God are easy and applicable for everyone. 

Whoever act in life against this human law, will be part of the list of the evil Nations that will end up in the Armaggeddon Battle, spoken by the prophets since the Beginning of time. This will be the End of all wars.