The Iliad

The Iliad

Homer was a Greek bard, also known as a poet, from 8th or 9th century B.C. He was the author of the epic story, the Iliad. This story is about the Trojan War.
Prince Paris of Troy visited King Menelaus and Queen Hellen of Sparta. Paris kidnapped Hellen and brought her back to Troy, this started the Trojan War. Some of the heroes from The Trojan War were Menelaus, Agamemnom, Odysseus, Achilles, Hector, Patroclus and Ajax. The Greeks kept fighting for ten years, and started to run out of men. The Greeks strongest warrior Achilles was killed by Paris, which was a terrible loss for the Greeks. The Greeks came up with an idea that would trick the Trojans. The Greeks gave the Trojan horse as a gift to the Trojans, but they did not know that the Greeks finest warriors were inside. Once night fell, the warriors escaped the horse, opened the gates of Troy, and the Greeks destroyed the land.
The city of Troy is located in modern-day Turkey. There have been many disputes over the date of the war, but most place it as 1194-1184 B.C. Many of the facts from the story are unable to be proven, but many believe they are true.

How to be Healthy

How to be Healthy

Being healthy is a disciplined process which takes a lot of work and commitment. The exercises might drain your energy and the foods might not taste as delicious as unhealthy foods, but it can be simple.
Look for foods that have vitamins and fiber that are good for the body. Be sure to check the labels for beneficial nutrients. The nutrients that you should be on the lookout for are protein and antioxidants. Water is also the best liquid to put in your body, so be sure to get plenty of it. Be sure to avoid sugary liquids.
Before exercising you must stay motivated and be sure to not give up. Running is a great workout that builds up your legs and is good for your heart. Before running do a warm up exercise such as jogging, this will keep you from getting injured. Aerobic exercises help blood flow and take less energy. Swimming is also a fun exercise which works different muscles. There are many more exercises that you can do to benefit your body. Decide what works for you.
Staying healthy can be a painful process. There will be times when you make mistakes, but you will learn from those mistakes. Staying motivated is the key to staying healthy.

The fall of Israel

The fall of Israel

God showed mercy to the kingdom of Israel for over 200 years. He continued to provide for the Israelites and protect them. He even sent prophets to warn them of their coming destruction if they did not repent. The people of Israel never repented of their sins and continued to follow the idols of the land in spite of God’s continual provision.
The fall of Israel began under Pekah, the second to the last king. While Pekah was king, he tried to conquer the king of Juda who asked the Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser the third to rescue him. Tiglath-Pileser the third destroyed parts of Israel conquering the regions of Rueben, Gad, Manasseh, and Naphtali. Hoshea, the last king of Israel, was made a puppet king by the Assyrians. When Hoshea refused to pay tribute to Assyria, Shalmanezer the third invaded Samaria, and after three years, Samaria fell to Assyria. The Israelites were then scattered among Assyria and were no longer a part of God’s people.
There were two main prophets who tried to warn Israel of their coming destruction. Amos warned the people of condemnation and God’s judgement if they did not turn from their immoral and sinful ways to receive God’s mercy. Hosea also tried to warn the Israelites of God’s anger. He wanted them to know that God still loved them even though they were unfaithful.
Only the poorest people were left to inhabit Israel. The religion of the land continued to be dominated by foreign idol worship. Judah looked down on Samaria and the remaining Israelites and treated them as inferior for the rest of history. The Israelites paid for their refusal to repent.

The Rebelling Rebu

The Rebelling Rebu

The Rebu had fought many battles and had many injuries. There had been battles where over 50 Rebu had died, but the worst battles were the rebelling people of the Rebu. Amuba never wanted to kill his fellow lads, but they turned against him and his religion. The rebels sacrificed their own to their gods. The people were going against the worship of God, this upset Amuba.
“The people are losing their minds,” said Jethro. “They are killing innocent men, and are spreading this evil to others.”
“What shall we do?” Chebron asked.
Amuba was silent and frightened. The three heard someone running up the stairs. Amuba grabbed his sword but soon realized it was only Ruth.
“The people are planning to invade the kingdom,” Ruth said to Amuba. “They are planning to sacrifice the king to their gods.”
Jethro ordered all of them to hide in the basement. Amuba ran to Mysa and told her what was going to happen. She was frightened by what was said. A loud bang echoed through the castle.
“They are breaking through the door, come now!” ordered Jethro.
They ran as fast as they could and eventually made it to the basement.
“Amuba”, “stay here with the others.” “The guards and I will hold them off,” said Jethro.
Jethro closed the basement door.
“The people are breaking through the doors,” Jethro told the guards. “We must hold them off,” he said.
Eventually the doors broke open and the people ran to attack.
“Protect the king,” yelled one of the guards.
The four heard the clamor outside and were filled with excitement. There were 15 Rebu people who were attacking the kingdom, all were fine warriors. Jethro had killed 3 people and injured 5. The guards killed 1 and injured 3. Three Rebu rebels retreated and the battle was over. The 6 men sustained some injuries, but nothing too serious. Jethro called the four lads to tell them everything was now safe. The four came out of the basement and showed their gratitude to Jethro and the guards. The next day Amuba banished those who went against them and God. Amuba ordered the people to take down the idols. They thanked God for keeping them safe, and never went against Him.

The Cat of Bubastes

The Cat of Bubastes

The Cat of Bubastes is about a little town called Rebu that is over thrown by a formidable enemy, Egypt. Some people escape, but many die or are taken as slaves. The Prince of Rebu named, Amuba, and his friend Jethro, are taken to Egypt as slaves along with many other people. Amuba and Jethro are taken as slaves by an Egyptian priest named Amares. He is a kind man and treats the pair very well. Amuba and Jethro become friends with the family and have many adventures with Chebron, Amare’s son. They hunt hippopotamus and many other creatures. They also save a little girl from a crocodile. The little girl becomes part of their family after her grandfather’s death. Later, at their home, Chebron and Amuba attempted to kill a hawk that has been killing their livestock. Chebron shot his arrow, which hit the cat the Egyptians were going to exalt as a god. Chebron was quite concerned about what would happen to them as a result of their enthusiastic hunting.
I believe the Cat of Bubastes will end with the Egyptians trying to punish Chebron for his evil doing against their religion. The family will all come to the conclusion that there is one and only God.

Kings of Judah

Kings of Judah

All the kings of Judah followed one family line. This was because of the promise to King David that his family would continue to reign over Judah. The success of the kings of Judah was based on how well they adhered to the laws they were given. The kings who obeyed these laws were rewarded, but the kings who disobeyed these laws were punished.
The first king of Judah was Rehoboam, son of Solomon, he was not a good king. He reigned as king of Judah for 17 years. Abijah, son of Rehoboam, was also not a good king. He reigned for three years. Asa, son of Abijah, was the first good king of Judah. He brought the worship of God back and destroyed all of the idols. Asa reigned for 41 years. Jehosaphat, son of Asa, was also a good king. He reigned for 25 years. Jehoram, son of Jehosaphat, was not a good king. He married the daughter of Ahab. She did not believe in God, and she turned Jehoram away from God and into idol worship. Jehoram reigned for 8 years. Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, was also a bad king. He reigned for a short amount of time, 1 year. Athaliah, daughter of Ahab, was the only queen of Judah. She was Ahaziah’s mother and was a bad queen. Athalia killed all of Ahaziah’s sons to become queen, but one son escaped. She reigned for 6 years. Joash, son of Ahaziah, was the only one to escape Ahaziah’s attack. He reigned when he was only 7 years old, and he was a good king. Joash reigned for 4 years. Amaziah, son of Joash, was a good king. He continued the good works of Joash, but was not as faithful. Amaziah reigned for 29 years. Uzziah, son of Amaziah, was also a good king. Like his father, he continued as Joash, but was not as faithful. Uzziah reigned for 52 years. Jotham, son of Azariah, was a good king who continued the good works as his grandfather Joash. He restored some of the worship of God. Jotham reigned for 16 years. Ahaz, son of Jotham, was one of the most wicked kings. He reigned for 16 years. Hezekia was the most righteous king of Judah. He destroyed many idols and brought back the worship of God. Hezekia reigned for 29 years. Manasseh was the most wicked king, but later repented of his sins and restored the worship of God. He reigned for 55 years. Amon, son of Manasseh, was like his father, a wicked king. He reigned for 2 years. Josiah, son of Amon, was the last good king. He turned to the Lord completely. Josiah reigned for 31 years.
Many of Judah’s kings were evil, but some obeyed the laws they were given and turned the nation to God. The kings that did evil were all punished, but those who did good were rewarded by God.