text:
Astronomy Brinson Lectures
Gary Brinson, Brinson Foundation
Gary Brinson earned his B.A. from Seattle University, and M.A. at Washington State University. In 1979 he joined First National Bank of Chicago as the Chief Investment Officer. Brinson and several associates purchased First Chicago Investment Advisors from the bank in 1989 and changed the name to Brinson Partners. They later sold the business to Swiss Bank for $750 million.
Brinson is one of the world's most influential investment managers and was managing more than $1 trillion in assets at one point in his career. Along with George Russell Jr., Warren Buffet, and William Gross, Mr. Brinson was named one of the investment fields' "Living Legends".
After retiring in 2000, Mr. Brinson started his own private investment firm, GP Brinson Investments, and established the nonprofit Brinson Foundation with the mission to support education, public health, and scientific research programs that engage, inform, and inspire committed citizens to confront the challenges that face humanity.
Date Lecture
October 2, 2008 Wendy Freedman, Carnegie Observatories, "Astronomy in the New Millennium: New Windows on the Cosmos"
October 21, 2009 Kip S. Thorne, California Institute of Technology, "The Warped Side of the Universe: From the Big Bang to Black Holes"
April 11, 2011 Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, "From Big Bang to Biospheres"
November 1, 2011 2011-2012 Brinson Lecture: John Mather, Nobel laureate, "History of the universe in a nutshell: from the Big Bang to life and the end of time"
October 2, 2012 2012 Brinson Lecture: David Charbonneau, "The Fast Track to Find an Inhabited Exoplanet"
October 15, 2013 2013 Brinson Lecture: Andrea M. Ghez, "The Monster at the Heart of the Milky Way"
November 5, 2014 2014 Brinson Lecture: Victoria M. Kaspi, "Neutron Stars, a Cosmic Gift"
February 9, 2016 Francis Halzen, "Ice Fishing for Neutrinos"
April 25, 2017 Nergis Mavalvala, "The Warped Universe: the one hundred year quest to discover Einstein's gravitational waves"
May 17, 2018 Richard Ellis, "Let There Be Light: The Observational Quest for the First Galaxies"
April 9, 2019 Sara Seager, "Exoplanets and the Search for Habitable Worlds"
May 14, 2020 Carlos Frenk, University of Durham
Wendy Freedman, Carnegie Observatories, "Astronomy in the New Millennium: New Windows on the Cosmos"
October 2, 2008 | Assembly Hall, Thompson Center 100 W Randolph St | 7:00 PM | Event
Wendy L. Freedman, Carnegie Observatories
Wendy L. Freedman, the Director of the Carnegie Observatories, grew up in Toronto, Canada, and received her BSc (1979), MS (1980), and PhD (1984) in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Toronto. Her early work focused on the formation of stars, and the study of Cepheids, extremely bright stars whose fluctuating luminosity can be used to accurately determine distances between objects in space. This work led to her leadership role with the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale, which used Cepheid stars to measure the rate of the universe's expansion.
In 1984, Freedman joined the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution in Pasadena, California, as a postdoctoral fellow. Three years later, she became a faculty member there - the first woman to join the Observatories' permanent scientific staff. In March 2003, she was named the Crawford H. Greenewalt Chair and Director of the Carnegie Observatories.
Freedman has received many honors for her studies of galactic evolution and the evolution of stellar populations of galaxies, as well as for her leadership in bringing observational cosmology into the 21st century. These awards include the American Philosophical Society's Magellanic Premium Award (2002), the Royal Astronomical Society's George Darwin Lectureship (2001), and the Cosmos Club Foundation's John P. McGovern Award in Science (2000). She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2000, the National Academy of Sciences in 2003 and to the American Philosophical Society in 2007.
2008-2009 Brinson Lecture: "Astronomy in the New Millennium: New Windows on the Cosmos"
Join Dr. Freedman, the inaugural Brinson Lecturer at The University of Chicago, for an exciting evening exploring the forefronts of astronomy, as we prepare to mark the 400th anniversary of when Galileo Galilei first turned a telescope to the sky. In the last few decades alone, we have discovered about 300 new planets outside of those in our own Solar System, detected massive black holes, and observed the entire universe to be expanding at an increasing rate, pulled apart by a cosmic force, unexplained by any of our current physical theories. Dr. Freedman will focus on recent astronomical discoveries, and show how giant new telescopes planned for both the ground and space will address some of the biggest mysteries in astronomy today.
Kip S. Thorne, California Institute of Technology, "The Warped Side of the Universe: From the Big Bang to Black Holes"
October 21, 2009 | Adler Planetarium - Universe Theater | 7:00 PM | Event
Kip S. Thorne, California Institute of Technology
Born in Logan Utah in 1940, Kip Thorne received his B.S. degree from Caltech in 1962 and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1965. He returned to Caltech as an Associate professor in 1967 and became Professor of Theoretical Physics in 1970, The William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor in 1981, The Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics in 1991, and The Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus, in 2009. Thorne's research has focused on Einstein's general theory of relativity and on astrophysics, with emphasis on relativistic stars, black holes and especially gravitational waves. He was cofounder (with R. Weiss and R.W.P. Drever) of the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory) Project, with which he is still associated. He is a member of the LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) International Science Team.
Thorne was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1972, the National Academy of Sciences in 1973, and the Russian Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society in 1999. He has been awarded the Lilienfeld Prize of the American Physical Society, the Karl Schwarzschild Medal of the German Astronomical Society, the Albert Einstein Medal of the Albert Einstein Society in Berne, Switzerland, the UNESCO Niels Bohr Gold Medal from UNESCO, and the Common Wealth Award for Science, and was named California Scientist of the Year in 2004. For his book for nonscientists, Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy (Norton Publishers 1994), Thorne was awarded the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award, the Phi Beta Kappa Science Writing Award, and the (Russian) Priroda Readers' Choice Award. In 1973 Thorne coauthored the textbook Gravitation, from which most of the present generation of scientists have learned general relativity theory. Fifty-two physicists have received the PhD at Caltech under Thorne's personal mentorship.
2009-2010 Brinson Lecture: "The Warped Side of the Universe: From the Big Bang to Black Holes"
Our Universe has a "warped side" -- objects and phenomena, like black holes and the big-bang, that are made not from matter, but rather from warped space and warped time. Thorne will describe this mysterious warped side and the quest to simulate it using supercomputers and observe it using gravitational waves.
This event is co-sponsored by the University of Chicago and the Adler Planetarium.
Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, "From Big Bang to Biospheres"
April 11, 2011 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 112 South Michigan Ave., MacLean Ballroom | 6:00 PM | Event
Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal
The Martin Rees lecture audio (WBEZ)
Martin Rees is Master of Trinity College, Cambridge and holds the honorary title of Astronomer Royal. He was previously Director of the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge, and has lectured widely in the US, Europe and the Far East. His research interests include cosmology, galaxy formation, black holes and 'high energy' phenomena in the universe As well as his research publications, he is the author of eight books, and numerous articles on scientific and general subjects. He is a foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Pontifical Academy, and several other foreign academies. He is a member of the UK's House of Lords, and recently completed a five-year term as President of the Royal Society (the UK's national science academy).
2010-2011 Brinson Lecture: "From Big Bang to Biospheres"
Moderated by Gabriel Spitzer, WBEZ
Astronomers have made astonishing progress in probing our cosmic environment, thanks to advanced technology. We can trace cosmic history back to some mysterious 'beginning' nearly 14 billion years ago, and understand in outline the emergence of atoms, galaxies, stars and planets -- and how, on at least one planet, life developed a complex biosphere of which we are part. But these advances pose new questions: What does the long-range future hold? How widespread is life in our cosmos? Should we be surprised that the physical laws permitted the emergence of complexity? and Is physical reality even more extensive than the domain that our telescopes can probe? This illustrated lecture will address (but not answer!) such questions.
This event is co-sponsored by the University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
This event is made possible by a generous gift from the Brinson Foundation to the University of Chicago.
2011-2012 Brinson Lecture: John Mather, Nobel laureate, "History of the universe in a nutshell: from the Big Bang to life and the end of time"
November 1, 2011 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 112 South Michigan Ave., MacLean Ballroom | 6:00 PM | Event
John C. Mather, 2011-2012 Brinson Lecturer
John C. Mather is an astrophysicist, cosmologist and Nobel laureate. He was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite (COBE). Mather received his Nobel Prize for the precise determination that the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation is that of a thermal source and the first detection and measurement of the anisotropy. These measurements marked the beginning of the era of precision cosmology.
Mather is currently a Senior Astrophysicist at the U.S. space agency's (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and the Senior Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.
2011-2012 Brinson Lecture: "History of the universe in a nutshell: from the Big Bang to life and the end of time"
The history of the universe in a nutshell, from the Big Bang to now, and on to the future - John Mather will tell the story of how we got here, how the Universe began with a Big Bang, how it could have produced an Earth where sentient beings can live, and how those beings are discovering their history. Mather was Project Scientist for NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite, which measured the spectrum (the color) of the heat radiation from the Big Bang, discovered hot and cold spots in that radiation, and hunted for the first objects that formed after the great explosion. He will explain Einstein's biggest mistake, how Edwin Hubble discovered the expansion of the universe, how the COBE mission was built, and how the COBE data support the Big Bang theory. He will also show NASA's plans for the next great telescope in space, the James Webb Space Telescope. It will look even farther back in time than the Hubble Space Telescope, and will peer inside the dusty cocoons where stars and planets are being born today. It is capable of examining Earth-like planets around other stars using the transit technique, and future missions may find signs of life.
2012 Brinson Lecture: David Charbonneau, "The Fast Track to Find an Inhabited Exoplanet"
October 2, 2012 | Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Definiti Theater, 1300 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605 | 6:00 PM | Event
David Charbonneau, 2012 Brinson Lecturer
David Charbonneau is a professor of astronomy at Harvard University. He led the first studies of the compositions of exoplanets and of their atmospheres, and he is a member of the NASA Kepler Mission to find Earth-like planets. Dr. Charbonneau has received numerous awards for his research, including the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, and he was named Scientist of the Year by Discover Magazine.
2012 Brinson Lecture: "The Fast Track to Find an Inhabited Exoplanet"
Are there inhabited worlds other than our own? Although humans have pondered this for generations, this is the first time that we have the technological ability to answer it. In the past year astronomers have found the first Earth-sized worlds orbiting other Suns, and the first exoplanets with the right temperature for liquid water. If we can study the atmospheres of such planets, we can search for the telltale molecular fingerprints of life.
This event is co-sponsored by the University of Chicago and the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum.
2013 Brinson Lecture: Andrea M. Ghez, "The Monster at the Heart of the Milky Way"
October 15, 2013 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 112 South Michigan Ave., MacLean Ballroom | 6:00 PM | Event
Andrea M. Ghez, 2013 Brinson Lecturer
Andrea M. Ghez, a professor of Physics & Astronomy who holds the Lauren B. Leichtman & Arthur E. Levine chair in Astrophysics, is one of the world's leading experts in observational astrophysics and heads UCLA's Galactic Center Group. She earned her B.S in Physics from MIT in 1987, and her PhD from Caltech in 1992 and has been on the faculty at UCLA since 1994. Best known for her ground-breaking work on the center of our Galaxy, which has led to the best evidence to date for the existence of supermassive black holes, she has received numerous honors and awards including the Crafoord Prize in Astronomy (she is the first woman to receive a Crafoord prize in any field), a MacArthur Fellowship, and election to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. Her work can be found in many public outlets including TED, NOVA's Monster of the Milky Way, Discovery's Swallowed by a Black Hole, and Griffith Observatory.
For more information see the UCLA Galactic Center Group website.
2013 Brinson Lecture: "The Monster at the Heart of the Milky Way"
Discover how Andrea Ghez and her team use the world's most powerful telescopes and next-generation imaging technology to peer into the center of our galaxy with more resolving power than ever before. By studying the motions of stars, Professor Ghez provides the best evidence that supermassive black holes exist, challenging our knowledge of fundamental physics and suggesting that most, if not all, galaxies harbor such objects at their cores. Her work has also shown that the environment near a central supermassive black hole looks nothing like what was expected. In the near future, she hopes to test Einstein's theory of relativity, as well as theories of galaxy formation and evolution confronting time-honored hypotheses.
2014 Brinson Lecture: Victoria M. Kaspi, "Neutron Stars, a Cosmic Gift"
Victoria M. Kaspi, 2014 Brinson Lecturer
Astrophysicist Victoria M. Kaspi is a world leader on neutron stars and pulsars, the remarkable objects formed during the death of massive stars. She a Professor in the Department of Physics at McGill University and holds the Lorne Trottier Chair in Astrophysics and Cosmology as well as a Canada Research Chair. She obtained her PhD in Physics from Princeton University and held a Hubble Postdoctoral Fellowship at the California Institute of Technology and MIT where she was also faculty. Her honors include the NSERC John C. Polanyi Award and the Killam Research Fellowship in 2010, and the Rutherford Memorial Medal in Physics in 2007. She is Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Royal Society of London and the US National Academy of Sciences.
2014 Brinson Lecture: "Neutron Stars, a Cosmic Gift"
Although they are thousands of light years away, neutron stars can act as very precise cosmic beacons; a cosmic gift that sheds light on some of the most interesting problems in modern science. We will explore these strange objects, explain how astronomers are using them to study issues ranging from the origins of the Universe to the very nature of matter; and even listen to the cosmic symphony they create.
Francis Halzen, "Ice Fishing for Neutrinos"
February 9, 2016 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 112 South Michigan Ave., MacLean Ballroom | 6:00 PM | Event
Francis Halzen, Principal Investigator for IceCube
Francis Halzen, 2015-2016 Brinson Lecturer
Francis Halzen is a theoretical physicist who works at the interface of particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. He is the Principal Investigator for IceCube, the world's largest neutrino detector, the Director of the Institute for Elementary Particle Physics, and the Hilldale and Gregory Breit Distinguished Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Among his recent honours are the 2015 Balzan Prize, the European Physical Society Prize for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology in 2015; the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for Physical Sciences in 2014; the Physics World Breakthrough of the Year Award for making the first observation of cosmic neutrinos; and the International Hemholtz Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany.
2015-2016 Brinson Lecture: "Ice Fishing for Neutrinos"
IceCube is a strange telescope which looks down rather then up. It is located at the South Pole and it is BIG (a cubic kilometer) with eighty-six holes over 1.5 miles deep melted into the Antarctic icecap. IceCube recently discovered a flux of neutrinos reaching us from deep in the cosmos, with energies more than a million times greater then those humans can produce in accelerators. These energetic neutrinos are astronomical messengers from some of the most violent processes in the universe including: starbursts, giant black holes gobbling up stars in the heart of quasars and gamma-ray bursts, the biggest explosions since the Big Bang. We will explore the IceCube telescope, its recent scientific results, and working at the South Pole.
Nergis Mavalvala, "The Warped Universe: the one hundred year quest to discover Einstein's gravitational waves"
Nergis Mavalvala, 2016-2017 Brinson Lecturer
Nergis Mavalvala is the Marble Professor of Astrophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a 2010 recipient of a MacArthur "genius" award. She is a physicist whose research connects the microscopic quantum world with some of the most powerful forces in the cosmos. She has worked on the detection of gravitational waves for decades, and is a longtime member of the scientific team that announced the first direct detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). Mavalvala has also conducted pioneering experiments on generation and application of squeezed states of light, and on laser cooling and trapping of macroscopic objects to enable observation of quantum phenomena in human-scale systems. Mavalvala received a B.A. from Wellesley College and a Ph.D. from MIT. She was a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist at the California Institute of Technology before joining the Physics faculty at MIT in 2002.
2016-2017 Brinson Lecture: "The Warped Universe: the one hundred year quest to discover Einstein's gravitational waves"
In 2016, scientists announced the first ever detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes, launching a new era of gravitational wave astrophysics. Gravitational waves were predicted by Einstein hundred years earlier. I will describe the scientific and human story behind these discoveries that provide a window into some of the most violent and warped events in the Universe.
Richard Ellis, "Let There Be Light: The Observational Quest for the First Galaxies"
May 17, 2018 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 112 South Michigan Ave., MacLean Ballroom | 6:00 PM | Event
Richard Ellis, 2018 Brinson Lecturer
Richard Ellis is Professor of Astrophysics at the University College London. Until recently he was the Steele Professor of Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He was awarded the 2011 Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. Ellis works primarily in observational cosmology, considering the origin and evolution of galaxies, the evolution of large scale structure in the universe, and the nature and distribution of dark matter. He worked on the Morphs collaboration studying the formation and morphologies of distant galaxies. Particular interests include applications using gravitational lensing and high-redshift supernovae. He was a member of the Supernova Cosmology Project whose leader, Saul Perlmutter, shared the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics for the team's surprising discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe. His most recent discoveries relate to searches for the earliest known galaxies, seen when the Universe was only a few percent of its present age.
2018 Brinson Lecture: "Let There Be Light: The Observational Quest for the First Galaxies"
The first billion years after the Big Bang is widely regarded as the final observational frontier in assembling a complete picture of cosmic history. During this period early stars and galaxies formed and the Universe became bathed in light for the first time. Hydrogen clouds in the space inbetween galaxies transformed from an atomic gas to a fully ionized medium consisting of detached protons and electrons. How and when did this 'cosmic reionization' occurred and were early star-forming galaxies the primary agents? Recent progress has raised the exciting prospect that we will soon be able to directly witness this dramatic period when the Universe emerged from darkness and the first galaxies began to shine. Professor Ellis will review the rapid progress being made with current facilities, and the prospects with upcoming ones, including the James Webb Space Telescope and extremely large ground-based telescopes now under construction. The motivation is fundamental: the origin of starlight begins the process of chemical evolution which ultimately leads to our own existence in this remarkable Universe.
Sara Seager, "Exoplanets and the Search for Habitable Worlds"
April 9, 2019 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 112 South Michigan Ave., MacLean Ballroom | 6:00 PM | Event
Sara Seager, 2019 Brinson Lecturer
Sara Seager is an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at MIT. Her science research focuses on theory, computation, and data analysis of exoplanets. Her research has introduced many new ideas to the field of exoplanet characterization, including work that led to the first detection of an exoplanet atmosphere. She received her Ph.D from Harvard University in 1999. Before joining MIT in 2007, Professor Seager spent four years on the senior research staff at the Carnegie Institution of Washington preceded by three years at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ. Professor Seager is on the advisory board for Planetary Resources. Professor Seager was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2015, is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow, the 2012 recipient of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize in the Physical Sciences, and the 2007 recipient of the American Astronomical Society's Helen B. Warner Prize. She has been recognized in the media, most recently in Time Magazine's 25 Most Influential in Space in 2012.
2019 Brinson Lecture: "Exoplanets and the Search for Habitable Worlds"
For thousands of years people have wondered, "Are there planets like Earth?" "Are such planets common?" "Do any have signs of life?" Today astronomers are poised to answer these ancient questions, having recently found thousands of planets that orbit nearby Sun-like stars, called "exoplanets". Professor Sara Seager will share the latest advances in this revolutionary field.
Carlos Frenk, University of Durham
May 14, 2020 | SAIC MacLean Ballroom | 112 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago | 6:00 PM | Event
Carlos S. Frenk, 2020 Brinson Lecturer
Professor Carlos S. Frenk is Director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University's world-renowned theoretical cosmology research group. Along with collaborators from all over the world, he builds model universes in state-of-the-art supercomputers, trying to understand how the structures in our Universe evolved from simple beginnings to the complex structures composed of stars and galaxies that we see today.


A review of the summer camp experience and how leadership can help and mentor scouts by letting them do for themselves.
A number of the points raised in the video were taken from the BSA Report: A Outcome of summer Camp.
Technical Note: This video is presented out of sequence from the other videos as it was created at summer camp after additional videos were shot and developed for the Scoutmaster Dave series.
Goose Pond Scout Reservation in Pennsylvania is a great camp for summer camp as well as troop camping year round. Check them out at: http://gpsr.nepabsa.org/.


text:
What Are the Recent Awards MAZDA Has Won?
Mazda is an award-winning automotive brand known for creating safe, reliable, and exciting vehicles that come equipped with the latest in convenience, safety, and entertainment technology. But many often wonder if Mazda has won any awards recently. Yes, they have! Learn about the different awards Mazda has won, then be sure to check out our inventory to find the new Mazda for sale that's best suited for your driving needs.
Recent Awards MAZDA Has Won
Wondering what awards the Mazda brand and its vehicles have won? Take a look below!
MAZDA Named Best Car Brand
We're excited to announce that U.S. News & World Report has named Mazda the "Best Car Brand" for the sixth consecutive year! The automotive brand won this car class thanks to the strength of its class-leading MAZDA3, MAZDA5, and MAZDA MX-5 Miata vehicles.
2021 Top Safety Pick+
Murrieta car shoppers want a vehicle that's safe for their growing family, and you'll be impressed to learn how many Mazda vehicles have won the 2021 Top Safety Pick+:
MAZDA3 Sedan and MAZDA3 Hatchback
MAZDA CX-30 (was built after September 2020)
MAZDA CX-5 and MAZDA CX-9
All of these vehicles are winning this award for the second year in a row! You can rest assured that you and your loved ones are safe on the Escondido roads in a new Mazda vehicle.
Car and Driver Award
The 2021 MAZDA CX-5 was also named Car and Driver 10 Best winner for the fourth consecutive year! The MAZDA CX-5 was awarded this honor for its "driving dynamics, design, and value." Also, this compact vehicle had its best sales month ever in October 2020!
Consumer Reports' Annual Report Card
Consumer Reports' Annual Report Card is here! They've compiled their report card by looking at the Overall Score for each model based on four key factors: predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, safety, and road-test. They average those numbers together to get the brand's overall score.
How are the automotive brands ranked in each category?
The predicted reliability score is based on any problems reported by members in 17 trouble areas in Consumer Reports' auto surveys.
Owner satisfaction predictions come from a Consumer Reports survey where members state whether they would purchase the same car again – if given the chance.
The safety score includes several crash-test results, with extra points awarded to vehicles that come with proven safety features as a standard on all of their trims.
For the road-test score, they go through more than 50 evaluations and tests.
There's also the green choice that reflects how many tested vehicles from a brand have earned the Green Choice designation for being some of the lowest-emitting and cleanest passenger vehicles on the market.
Test Drive an Award-Winning Mazda in Temecula!
When you're ready to enhance your driving experience for a more enjoyable Corona commute, visit our Temecula dealership! Our team will work with you one-on-one to make sure you end up behind the driver's seat of the Mazda vehicle that checks off all your boxes. Don't hesitate to reach out to our sales team if you have any questions. Don't forget – we offer an excellent selection of new vehicle specials to help you secure an even better deal.
More from Hello Mazda of Temecula
One of Mazda's guiding principles is Hashiru Yorokobi : "Joy derived from driving" Understanding how a car is going to respond to pedal and steering inputs allows the driver to feel more comfortable behind the wheel. One of Mazda's guiding principles is Hashiru Yorokobi – translated, it means the joy derived from driving. Understanding how a…
How Much Does the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring Cost?
2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata Trim Level Pricing and Features The Mazda MX-5 Miata continues to be one of the most attractive roadsters available on the market today. The MX-5 Miata brings an effortless style that continues to stay in demand throughout the automotive world. Whether you love the MX-5 Miata for daily driving or just…
2021 Mazda CX-30 Earns Top Safety Pick+ Title
2021 Mazda CX-30 Safety Features and Rating The 2021 Mazda CX-30 has been recognized for its incredible safety performance with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's top rating of Top Safety Pick+. This is the highest IIHS award possible and the Mazda CX-30 has now joined the list of Mazda vehicles with this title. The…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The UN: fit for another 75 years…or extinct in 5?
On October 28, the Graduate Institute organised, in partnership with SWI swissinfo.ch, Genève Vision and RTS, a special edition of the podcast Inside Geneva discussing the highs and lows of the United Nations (UN) over 75 years and reflecting on the UN's future.
Imogen Foulkes, Geneva correspondent for SWI swissinfo.ch and host of Inside Geneva, moderated the discussion with Professor Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou, Chair of the Department of International History at the Institute Daniel Warner, Analyst and Political Scientist; and Mallika Goel, master candidate in International Affairs at the Institute.
According to Professor Mohamedou, the COVID-19 crisis "is a challenge of novelty. The United Nations is not necessarily a place where innovation has historically been a place of investment".
In his view, the centrality of states within the UN system "is not necessarily intrinsic of how the world works today" and should include non-state actors, such as civil societies and the corporate world. The UN uses the right language to include the youth, issues of racism and diversity, however, when looking at the facts, he continued: "there is a big gap between something that is declamatory and something performative".
Mallika Goel underlined that "the average age of an MP [member of Parliament] is 53, while half of the global population is less than 30 years old". She claimed that "the UN must strive to create opportunities to bridge this gap. It must strive to move beyond high-minded rhetoric and produce actual results through a bottom up approach, which gives a voice to the people that its decisions will ultimately be affecting".
This episode is available to listen to or download on the SWI swissinfo.ch website, or you can subscribe on iTunes or Spotify.
Dialogue with UN Secretary-General António Guterres
The impact of COVID-19 on multilateralism – join the conversation on 24 April
Solidarity and Self-Interest: The UN at 75
The UN at 75: What's different, what's the same?
United Nations at 75 plagued by new crises and cash crunch


text:
Chošila (Qošila, Kuśala; , , 22. prosince 1300 – 30. srpna 1329) byl od února 1329 císařem říše Jüan a velikým chánem mongolské říše.

Byl nejstarším synem císaře Chajsana (vládl 1307–1311). Za vlády jeho bratra Ajurbarwady emigroval do střední Asie. Po dvanácti letech, koncem roku 1328, vzpoura stoupenců Chajsanových synů vynesla na místo císaře mladšího Chajsanova syna Tug Temüra. Chošila se vrátil ze střední Asie do Mongolska a po abdikaci Tug Temüra se stal císařem. Půl roku po nastoupení na trůn zemřel na cestě do Chánbalyku (Pekingu). Pravděpodobně byl s vědomím Tug Temüra otráven.

Život
Chošila byl nejstarší syn Chajsana, císaře říše Jüan a jeho manželky z kmene Ikeresů. Vzhledem k složitým vztahům mezi Chajsanem, jeho mladším bratrem Ajurbarwadou a jejich matkou Targi, nejmenoval Chajsan následníkem trůnu svého syna, ale Ajurbarwadu. Chošila měl být Ajurbarwadovým nástupcem.

Nicméně po Chajsanově smrti na Ajurbarwadově dvoře získala převahu chongiratská frakce v čele s Targi, která roku 1316 prosadila za následníka Ajurbarwadova syna Šidebalu. Chošila byl obdařen titulem knížete z Čou a odeslán do vzdáleného Jün-nanu. Namísto odjezdu do Jün-nanu však stanul v čele vzpoury v Šen-si. Vzpoura neuspěla a Chošila uprchl do střední Asie, kde ho přivítal chán čagatajského chanátu Esen Buka. V exilu se sblížil s čagatajskými knížaty. Také se oženil s Mailaiti, dcerou karluckého náčelníka Temüdera. Měl s ní syna Togon Temüra. Matkou jeho druhého syna, Rinčinbala, byla Najmanka Babuša. Ve střední Asii zůstal i po zavraždění císaře Šidebaly a nástupu Jesün Temüra roku 1323.

Roku 1328 po úmrtí Jesün Temüra vypukla v říši Jüan občanská válka. Stoupenci zemřelého panovníka v čele s císařovou vdovou Babuchan a Dawlat Šáhem, stojícím v čele administrativy, vybrali v Šang-tu novým vládcem syna zemřelého – osmiletého Ragibaga. V druhém hlavním městě, Chánbalyku (Pekingu), sjednotil El Temür jejich odpůrce a na trůn povolal Chošilova mladšího brata Tug Temüra. Tug Temürova strana dokázala ovládnout většinu říše a v listopadu její vojska dobyla Šang-tu, přičemž zajala nebo zabila vůdce Ragibagovy strany, včetně císaře. Tug Temür poté vyzval svého bratra k návratu.

Chošila s doprovodem čagatajských princů Eldžigideje and Duwy Temüra vytáhl do Mongolska, kde se k němu přidali místní velitelé a knížata z Čingisova rodu. Tug Temür ustoupil staršímu bratru a rezignoval, Chošila se tak mohl 27. února 1329 severně od Karakorumu nechat prohlásit velikým chánem mongolské říše a císařem říše Jüan.

El Temür přivezl císaři imperiální pečeť a ohlásil mu, že hlavní město očekává jeho příchod. Chošila poté jmenoval následníkem trůnu Tug Temüra, ale soulad mezi nimi narušil, když začal své stoupence umisťovat do hlavních úřadů – ústředního sekretariátu, výboru pro vojenské záležitosti a kontrolního úřadu.

V srpnu se vydal do Chánbalyku. Tug Temür a El Temür mu vyjeli vstříc, všichni se setkali 26. srpna 1329. Čtyři dny po setkání Chošila zemřel. Pravděpodobně byl otráven El Temürem se souhlasem Tug Temüra. Motivem byla obava z přesunu moci ve prospěch Chošilových stoupenců ze střední Asie a Mongolska. Na trůn se 8. září 1329 vrátil Tug Temür.

Reference

Externí odkazy

Narození v roce 1300
Úmrtí v roce 1329
Mongolští chánové
Jüanští císaři
Muži
Úmrtí 30. srpna
Narození 22. prosince

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


You are visiting the placeholder page for Jason Johnson. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Jason Johnson. We created this page automatically in hopes Jason Johnson would find it. If you are not Jason Johnson, but are an alumni of George Whittell High School, register on this site for free now.


Sorry about the page delay, only just got internet back today. (finally finally finally) Will get dug into the comments section again soon, just a bit swamped right now!
y'know, i'm starting to think Adrianna has a slight problem with authority figures. although i'm not sure a revolutionary cell count as authority figures. maybe she just has a problem with everyone.
I think she's just a big meanie. No wonder Galak doesn't want to date her, lolz!
Poor Adrianna. Dragged all this way with no answer for them. No wonder she's crabby!


text:
Tomopleura pouloensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Borsoniidae.

Description
The size of the shell varies between 8 mm and 17 mm. The small shell is lanceolate and lurid. It contains ten shouldered and carinate whorls, with elevated revolving lines of which there are ten or twelve on the body whorl. The narrow aperture measures one-third the total length of the shell. The outer lip has a profound, wide sinus. The columella is smooth.

Distribution
This marine species occurs off Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Hong Kong

References

 Liu J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. China Science Press. 1267 pp.

External links

 Jousseaume F. (1883). Description d'espèces et genres nouveaux de mollusques. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France. 8: 186-204, pl. 10.

pouloensis
Gastropods described in 1883


Confirmed last month, the first Pokemon Let's Go update is available to download now. The 1.0.1 patch fixes various bugs but does not include any new content.
The 1.0.1 Pokemon Let's Go update will disappoint some fans. The Pokemon community were optimistic that this patch would bring new content and potentially even new features to the game.
However, with nothing substantial and a download size of just 33.9MB, Pokemon Let's Go players will have to remain hopeful for those type of changes in a future update.
With a reported Pokemon Let's Go sequel coming down the line, it might be the Pokemon Company's strategy to leave big changes until then. Consequently, Pokemon's first appearance on the Nintendo Switch might not receive any new content unless it's in the form of a DLC.
What changes do you think Pokemon Let's Go desperately needs? Let us know on our Pokemon Let's Go Twitter page!


Emergency Glaziers Eltham, SE9. Window Repair & Boarding Up Across London.
We aim to get to your property in Eltham within an hour. Our glaziers have all types of replacement glass in stock ready to fit in an emergency. All our glass fitters are fully insured and our work guaranteed.
It takes a long time to gain the sort of reputation Britannia Glass & Glazing have acquired. We take pride in what we do and have been offering emergency glazing services across London for over 20 years, and we aren't about to let things slip. We now offer a great value service without any sort of call out fee to all our customers. We continuously strive for a prompt and trusted service.
Our services are offered to both residential and commercial customers and we treat each one the same with great customer support, professional work with fully insured glaziers. All our work is guaranteed and police approved so you can rest assure the work is of the very best quality you can find.
We have a vast array of window glass to hand to repair almost any situation, including , frosted glass, patterned glass, toughened glass, double glazing and even specialists shop front window glass for commercial customers.
Britannia Glass & Glazing Ltd aim to get to your Eltham address within the hour. on the very rare occasion we can't repair your window right there and then we will board it up to secure your property and then make a return call to repair as soon as possible.


text:
Brinkwire
North Korea: In rare diplomatic talks, Kim Jong-un says the economic strategy is an almost complete defeat.
By Roberto Silman on January 7, 2021 World
Ruler starts the second congress of the Workers' Party acknowledging that policy has failed in 'almost all fields'
At a rare meeting of the ruling party of the nation, North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un acknowledged that his economic policies had largely failed and vowed to stop repeating the "painful lessons" of the past. Kim told the Workers' Party congress that his five-year economic strategy had failed to achieve its goals "in almost all areas to a great extent," North Korean state media said Wednesday. "We should continue to promote and build on the successes and victories we have achieved through our painstaking efforts, but prevent ourselves from reliving the painful lessons," he said. The congress, the first in five years, opened with Kim facing the toughest challenges of his nine-year rule triggered by what he called "unprecedented" crises. After a year in which natural disasters struck North Korea while battling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs, Congress is being closely watched for signs o "brilliant successes achieved by our party and people,"brilliant successes achieved by our party and individuals.
He added, however, that considering the challenges presented by the corona virus, he had analyzed the errors that occurred in implementing the five-year plan for national economic growth and thanked party workers for maintaining stability. Early in the pandemic, North Korea closed its borders with China and Russia and has since quarantined thousands of individuals suspected of having the virus. No one among the 4,750 delegates and 2,000 spectators appeared to be wearing masks or distancing themselves socially. At the last congress in 2016, Kim strengthened his hold on control, but analysts say the meeting this week is an effort to present a united front as the nation enters another year of political and economic instability.
Previous ArticleAfter runoff elections, Facebook reinstates a ban on political advertisements in Georgia
Next Article Season 5 producers of "This Is Us" justify Kate's fan theory.
We believe that the press release has evolved. Brinkwire is a news hub for blogs, online communities, content affiliates, publishers and members of the connected internet who are interested in commercial news.
Steve Bruce taking pragmatic approach to Newcastle's Premier League battle
'RHOP': Who Is Juan Dixon's Former Lover, Cris Sanchez?
'Score goals and avoid mistakes' – Jose Mourinho has solution for Spurs slip-ups
The Unfortunate Way Carson Daly Found Out Jennifer Love Hewitt Broke up With Him
Impatient O'Sullivan laments lack of practice as his silverware drought continues at Masters
Melissa Gilbert Describes the 'Panic Stricken' Look on Rob Lowe's Face After She Told Him She Was Pregnant With His Child
Red-hot Higgins serves up Friday night treat in classic Masters clash with O'Sullivan
Khloé Kardashian Needs to Break Up With FaceTune — Especially When She Isn't Using It On Her Face
Chelsea match not defining in United's season insists manager Stoney
Mesut Ozil set to leave Arsenal after agreeing to end his Gunners contract
Yan makes Masters history in Milton Keynes – and it's all down to living in Sheffield


A new stable version of axis, 1.1.1, has been released. Except for the version number, it is identical to 1.1.1rc4.
The first alpha version of axis 1.2, 1.2a1, has been released. It has new features, the most important of which is internationalization.


Natural indigo has been used for thousands of years. Every community has its own ritual, recipe, and technique for creating indigo dye.
We're excited to welcome Naomi of flight path designs to explore the magic of indigo dye in a hands-on workshop on Sunday, May 26th at London Fields Shoppe. Participants will utilize clamps, string, and blocks among other materials in combination of various Japanese shibori and resist dyeing methods to create patterns on fabric.
Cost: $65.00 plus tax includes all supplies. TO REGISTER and for more information, please visit our website here. Spaces are limited. Pre-registration required.
note: Workshops are a final sale and are non-refundable. Class dates / times are non-transferable.
Create your own custom gift wrap with the folks at Forest & Waves and be a crafty star at your next holiday get together!
Using ceramic rubber stamps with Forest & Waves' hand drawn illustrations, stamp and screenprint your own custom designs.
$5 drop-in – all supplies and instructions provided ($1.00 each for additional sheets). Both adults and kids (accompanied by an adult) are welcome. To those lucky swag bag attendees, find a workshop coupon inside each tote!
Kellie from Collage Collage will be hosting the do-it-yourself (DIY) workshop at Got Craft? this December! You may recognize Kellie as a past vendor with her line of handmade dolls called The Rice Babies. She's been a part of the Got Craft? community since our days at the Royal Canadian Legion and we couldn't be more excited to have her, and one of our favourite shops, Collage Collage, be a part our 20th event!
Spaces are first come first served. No pre-registration required. *Cost does not include entry to the event.
El Patcha Embroidery will be joining Got Craft? for the first time this spring and we couldn't be more thrilled to have her! Learn how to embroider your own patches to add to your favourite pieces of clothing, bags, and whatever else you want to add a little sassy fun to!
Jackie will be bringing NEW flash sheets, extra goodies to take home, and a cute handmade canvas pouch to stash all your embroidery goodies so you can stitch anywhere anytime. All skill levels welcome.
Cost: $43.00 plus tax includes weekend admission to Got Craft?
For a full course description and to register online, click HERE or visit us in-person at London Fields Shoppe between 11-4pm Wednesday to Sunday.
If you aren't able to make it to the workshop, visit El Patcha Embroidery all weekend long doing on-site chain stitch monograms and flash. Blank patches and pennants will be available for custom requests or bring your own denim jackets, vests, hats, etc.


Physicians' Total Rehab wants to make your scheduled visit with us a smooth and enjoyable one.
These patient forms will prepare you for your next appointment.
Physicians' Total Rehab was developed to provide comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation services for patients with medical diseases and injuries causing temporary or permanent disabilities. The goal of Physicians' Total Rehab is to return the patient to their maximal level of functional independence. A full scope of services, including Physical Therapy and Physiatry are provided. All services are performed under the supervision of a physician who is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. All patients requiring intensive, outpatient rehabilitation services will be treated by a team of health care professionals, who will provide an Individual Treatment Plan for each patient.
Physical Therapy strives to improve functional mobility through exercises to enhance the balance and stability of the body and to coordinate body movements.
Aquatic Therapy utilizes the aquatic environment as a treatment modality to improve coordination, endurance, increase range of motion (ROM) and strength.
Electrodiagnostic medicine studies diseases of the nerves and muscles. The results of the tests help the doctor decide which method of treatment is best suited for you.
Epidural Steroid Injections are used to alleviate chronic low back pain. Injections deliver steroids into the epidural space of the spine and nerve roots.


FORSPORTS offers two core products for speed strength and reaction speed exercises. Firstly the strengt measuring plate and secondly the popular reaction buttons. These products can either be used together or separately and combined add up to a great buddy for your exercises.
The strength measuring plate includes many diffrent exercises and methods of measurement. The acquired data is immediately uploaded during your training session and gets presented to you in several lively graphs. Furthermore the uploaded data gets deposited with even more information. The exciting part is, that you can compare your results with colleagues from all over the world and use the given reference value as a competition. This does not only make the training more professional, but also provides you with extra motivation.
The reaction buttons are placed on specific points, depenting on the chosen exercise. The information about how the exercise is executed and what exactly it is good for, gets explained in the web application which was specifically programmed for that purpose. As soon as an exercise has been selected, the buttons light up or give off an acoustic signal in a random order and define the sequence in which to move in. Depending on the user's skill level there are different difficulty levels to choose from, which in return can motivate the athlete to constantly improve their skills. The collected data is evaluated and loaded onto the comparison platform.
You can either compete directly with your training partners or athletes from the other side of the world on this platfrom as well. Depending on your progress you can collect different trophies and climb up the leaderboards to win attractive prizes.
The reaction kits give For Sports the ability to combine the training device and measuring device.
The reaction kits are placed on specific points depending on the exercise. The information on how the exercise is carried out and what purpose it fulfills can be found out via the specially developed web application. As soon as an exercise has been selected, the buttons light up or emit an acoustic stimulus and thus the sequence of movements.
Depending on your skills, there are different levels of difficulty and levels that help to motivate the athlete to constantly improve. The data obtained are loaded into the comparison platform and evaluated. Again, one can either compete directly with the training colleagues or with athletes on the other side of the world. Depending on your training progress, you can collect trophies and work your way up the leaderboard and win attractive prizes.
The force plate includes various exercises and measurement methods.
The professional version consists of two smaller plates which can also be used independently, each designed for a maximum load of 2000kg.
8 high-precision load cells are used, which also provide information about the force distribution on the plate. So also defects / incorrect loads or "tilting" can be determined during the jump or jump. The data is transmitted wirelessly to the evaluation station, as the first feedback for the subject, there is an LED display.
The amateur version is a high-tech product and is mainly used for diagnostics and evaluation of the data.
Measured are u.a. Jump height, contact time, reaction time, dysbalances during downhill and ascent. The force plate consists of measuring fields and gives an acoustic and visual signal.
The choice of material brings a high level of robustness, low weight, anti-slip and water repellent with it.


text:
from only £18.95 for six issues
Overrated/Underrated
Overrated: Ed Balls
When Vince Cable was acting leader of the Liberal Democrats in 2007 he said of Gordon Brown in an exchange during Prime Minister's Question Time, "The House has noticed in the last few week's the Prime Minister's remarkable transformation from Stalin to Mr Bean." If the early appearances of Ed Balls on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing are anything to go by the comment might even more appropriately have been made of Brown's former consigliere.
In his time at the heart of Labour politics — from joining Brown's shadow chancellor team in 1994, through his election to parliament in 2005 and then ministerial career from 2006 to his Labour leadership run after his party's defeat in 2010 and his own term as shadow chancellor from 2011 to 2015 — Balls has had two malign influences on politics and one achievement for which we should all be thankful.
That achievement was the significant part he played in keeping Britain out of the euro. In 1997 Gordon Brown, by then Chancellor, announced his five economic tests which had to be met before a Labour government would support joining the single currency. Only if the government felt they had been met would a referendum be held and a Yes vote recommended. It is now known that the five tests were dreamt up by Brown and Balls with the specific aim of delaying any decision indefinitely. Balls had never been a supporter of the euro; indeed he had warned of the dangers of the single currency while he was a leader writer at the Financial Times. While others can share some of the credit, Balls is arguably the single most important figure in keeping the UK out. He must take a substantial share of the blame for the economic mess Britain was in by 2010 — but it could have been much worse without him.
But on the debit side, Balls is one of the main culprits in creating a vicious, poisonous atmosphere within the Labour Party and then in British politics more generally since the 1990s. He describes in Speaking Out: Lessons in Life and Politics (Hutchinson, £20), published last month, how during the coalition years he would relish putting Osborne and Cameron off their stride during PMQs: "The microphones pick up only a fraction of what is going on [in the Commons chamber], as do the journalists up in the press gallery. It was perfectly possible, and common, for George Osborne and me to have a whispered chat throughout the PMQs exchanges . . . Of course, Cameron could also hear what I was saying, and would become gradually more and more irate." Such sledging may be common on the sports field, but is it really appropriate for parliament? It certainly does not seem to be something to boast about in one's memoirs. Such conduct explains why Balls's 2015 defeat in his Yorkshire constituency of Morley and Outwood was so warmly greeted by many of his parliamentary colleagues, not all of whom were on the Tory side.
Earlier, Balls was one of the main partisans for Brown in his struggle to wrest the Labour leadership from Blair. He was part of a team, including Charlie Whelan and Damian McBride, notorious for the nastiness of their attacks on anyone who stood in Brown's way. While Ed Miliband, another member of the Brown team, was described as "the ambassador from Planet Fucker" by Blairites for his diplomacy and relative benignness in his dealings with them, Balls was a fully-paid-up Planet Fuckerian.
The culture did not improve once Brown was installed as Prime Minister. In Speaking Out, Balls acknowledges that at times "the atmosphere inside Number Ten was poisonous" and that frequently "Gordon was lashing out". Members of the Brown entourage briefed against each other constantly — although Balls claims he himself was innocent of this. The culture of abuse which now pervades Labour, with the ad hominem attacks on moderate MPs by Corbynistas, has its origins in an era in which Corbyn was just a quaint, isolated backbencher.
Balls can also be blamed for reintroducing the language of class hatred into the Labour lexicon. Blair and Peter Mandelson had done their very best to expunge such attitudes — indeed, Mandelson had famously stated that he was "intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich". Balls believed that making an issue out of Cameron and Osborne being out-of-touch posh boys would have great resonance with the electorate. Balls himself is not from a working-class background — his father is a prominent academic and he and his siblings were educated at fee-paying schools. He seems to have miscalculated here in that the differences between his own background and that of Cameron and Osborne are abundantly clear to himself but may well be lost on much of the electorate, for whom they are all an alien species.
Balls's attacks, however, laid the foundations for what has followed. He may have no sympathy for what the Corbynistas are doing, but his own rhetoric helped to create a fertile environment in which they could flourish — and which is now helping to tear Labour apart.
Underrated: Abroad
The ravenous longing for the infinite possibilities of "otherwhere"
Stephen Bayley
The king of cakes
"Yuletide revels were designed to see you through the dark days — and how dark they seem today"
Carolyn Hart
A tripod in the sky
The view from above
Christian House
Home PageContact UsDisclaimerTerms & ConditionsPrivacySubscriptions
Site built by PAAC IT


Fabulous iconic, substantial book piece cuff from Chanel. It has a goldtone frame with 'CHANEL' in huge goldtone letters written around the cuff. Burgundy red background in semi-transparent acrylic. Chanel also produced this in dark brown and white (the white and dark versions are pictured - taken from Chanel Catwalk p 107). No opening, just slips on to wrist.
Signed 'CHANEL' stamped on top side of goldtone frame. From Spring/Summer 1990 Collection.
Cuff is 1 7/8" deep (5cms), inside circumference is 8" (20cms) so good for most wrist sizes.
There is some minor scuffing to the goldtone finish but this rare cuff is still in great vintage condition.


text:
1 Chronicles 19-20: The Case of the Missing Wife
Marlowe	11. 1-2 Chronicles, Bible, Old Testament	1 Chronicles, Abishai, Ammonite, Arammaacah, Bible, David, Elhanan, Euphrates, Gath, Gezer, Gittite, Goliath, Hadadezer, Hanun, Hushathite, Israel, Jair, Jericho, Jerusalem, Joab, Jonathan, Jordan, Lahmi, Maacah, Medeba, Mesopotamia, Nahash, Old Testament, Philistine, Rabbah, Shimea, Shophach, Sibbecai, Sippai, Syrian, Zobah	Leave a comment
Chapter 19 parallels 2 Samuel 10, skipping the story of David finding Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son. The author of Samuel seemed to be trying to lessen the perception of David as a usurper by emphasizing his positive relationship with Saul's heir, his rival. And so the love David and Jonathan shared is emphasized, and David is shown to extend great kindness to Jonathan's son (even though Mephibosheth, and his descendants, could easily become David's rivals – whether or not Mephibosheth was being kept in David's court as a prisoner/hostage is a different discussion).
The Chronicler, however, simply is not interested in Saul's failed dynasty. As far as he is concerned, it was a false start, lacking in the legitimacy of David's true dynasty. Given this, portraying David's relationships with his rival Saulides becomes unimportant, and the Chronicler merely skips over those details.
At War Again
King Nahash of the Ammonites has died, and is succeeded by his son, Hanun. As in 2 Sam. 10, the text tells us that Nahash had been good to David, so David wishes to be good to his son in return. Though both versions of the story mention this, Nahash's actual faithful dealings are not recorded. All we hear about him prior to this episode is that he was harassing the citizens of Jabesh-gilead in 1 Sam. 11. This provides an opportunity for Saul to achieve his first military victory.
In any case, David decides to send messengers to console Hanun in his mourning. At least, that's what the text tells us. Hanun and his court immediately suspect that the messengers are actually spies, scouting out their lands in preparation for an invasion. This isn't an unreasonable assumption, given all the aggressive wars David has been fighting in the last few chapters. And since we have no record of Nahash's faithful dealings with David, only his history of antagonism toward Israel under Saul, it's hard not to side with the new king.
Hanun mistreats David's messengers, from 'Speculum humanae salvationis', c.1450
There is a further strike against David's story: Deut. 23:3-6 forbids such kindnesses toward the Ammonites (and Moabites). James Pate discusses some possible loopholes, and of course we can always argue that this story comes from a different tradition than the prohibition in Deuteronomy and therefore cannot legitimately be applied. Still, I'm siding with Hanun's suspicion on this one.
Unfortunately, Hanun's retaliation seems rather ill-considered, as he shaves and partially disrobes the messengers before sending them back to David. The men are so humiliated that David tells them to stay in Jericho until their bears have grown back in (in many cultures, particularly around the middle east, facial hair is seen as a sign of adulthood – often not allowed to grow in until a man is married; in shaving the messengers' beards, Hanun was emasculating them, symbolically removing their status as the patriarchs of their families).
The text tells us that the Ammonites quickly realize their mistake, that they've made an enemy out of a potential friend, and that it is for this reason that they gather up an army. It seems more likely, however, than the shaving of the messengers was, in itself, a declaration of war. I realize that Hanun was new to his crown, and that new kings can sometimes be a little overzealous in trying to establish their power (and with good reason, since factions often use the occasion of a new and inexperienced king to reshuffle power structures), yet the act seems far too pointed and hostile to be explained as a simple miscalculation.
In any case, they spend 1,000 talents of silver on mercenary chariots (32,000 of them) and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aramaacah, and Zobah. For comparison, Amaziah will later hire 100,000 men for a mere 100 talents in 2 Chron. 25:6. The numbers are a little different in 2 Sam. 10:6, however, where the Ammonites hire 20,000 infantry, plus 1,000 men with the king of Maacah, and 12,000 men of Tob (suggesting that the figure for the number of chariots in this chapter is the sum of the total number of men – charioteers or no – listed in 2 Sam. 10; the king of Maacah, and presumably his 1,000 men, are listed separately in 1 Chron. 19:7).
When David learns that the Ammonites are mustering, he sends Joab out to deal with them.
The battle doesn't go well for Joab, however, and he is surrounded. Thankfully, Joab comes up with the amazing, clever, and totally realistically likely to win strategy of splitting his army in half so he can focus on each front separately. He keeps command of the half fighting the Syrians, while he puts his brother Abishai in charge of fighting the Ammonites. The idea is that they will divide and conquer, helping each other out if either half becomes overwhelmed.
When Joab advances on the Syrians, they flee before him. When the Ammonites see that their allies are fleeing, they, too, flee, and Joab returns to Jerusalem victorious.
Having been defeated, the Syrians send out messengers to the other half of the Syrian army, led by Shophach, which was located on the other side of the Euphrates.
Realizing that the Syrian forces are about to return in force, David gathers up a large army and crosses the Jordan to meet them. The Syrians are routed, and the commander, Shophach, is killed. The Israelites also kill 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 infantry (1 Chron. 19:18), whereas 2 Sam. 10:18 has them kill 700 charioteers and 40,000 horsemen.
Chapter 20 begins as 2 Samuel 11 did, in the springtime, when kings are wont to make war. As in the case of 2 Samuel 11, it is Joab who leads the army out to harass Ammonites and besiege Rabbah, while David remains in Jerusalem.
The Chronicler keeps the verse, though it reflects poorly on David (kings are meant to go to war in the spring, so what is David doing staying behind?). He does not, however, keep the story that follows. In fact, Bathsheba is mentioned only once in all of Chronicles, and that is as the mother of Solomon in 1 Chron. 3:5, where she is referred to as Bathshua.
And so instead of using the opportunity of his staying behind to rape the wife of Uriah (a loyal member of David's inner circle) and then cover up the crime by arranging for Uriah to be killed in battle, the Chronicler's David is merely staying behind in Jerusalem until Joab is victorious.
Skipping forward to 2 Sam. 12:30-21, once Joab takes the city of Rabbah, David comes up to collect its king's crown – a huge honking thing weighing a whole talent of gold (I am assured that this is a lot, and James Pate discusses some of the theories that have been proposed to allow David to wear such a heavy thing).
In addition to the crown, David returns from the war in which he did not participate with quite a lot of booty, including an enslaved population. It seems that they didn't stop at Rabbah – though it is the only city mentioned – but instead went on to take the rest of the Ammonite cities before returning to Jerusalem.
Skipping over many of the less utopic episodes of David's career – including the incestuous rape of his daughter, his son's rebellion, David's flight from Jerusalem, the execution of more of Saul's descendants, and the general disgruntlement of the northern tribes – the Chronicler takes us all the way to 2 Sam. 21:18-22, when the Israelites are again at war with the Philistines.
This time, they are to fight at Gezer (which is God in 2 Sam. 21:18). It is here that Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai (called Saph in 2 Sam. 21:18), who was descended from giants. After that, the Philistines were subdued for a while.
But not a long while. In another war, Elhanan son of Jair slew Lahmi, who was the brother of Goliath. Yes, that Goliath. In the corresponding passage, Elhanan slew Goliath himself, and no mention is made of Lahmi (2 Sam. 21:19 – which the KJV alters to bring into alignment with 1 Chron. 20:5 and to avoid contradiction with 1 Sam. 17:49-51).
In yet another war, there was a tall, six-fingered, six-toed man who was also descended from giants, and who was defeated by Jonathan, David's nephew through Shimea.
Regarding Goliath, Paul Davidson has a really great deconstruction of the "so who actually killed Goliath?" problem on his blog, Is That In The Bible? Over at Remnants of Giants, Dr. Deane Galbraith looks at efforts to diagnose Goliath's gigantism and why that may or may not (mostly not) be supportable by the text.
1 Chronicles 18: A Nation At War
Marlowe	11. 1-2 Chronicles, Bible, Old Testament	1 Chronicles, Abiathar, Abishai, Ahilud, Ahimelech, Ahitub, Amalek, Ammonite, Benaiah, Bible, Cherethite, Cun, Damascus, David, Edom, Edomite, Euphrates, Gath, Hadadezer, Hadoram, Hamath, Jehoiada, Jehoshaphat, Jerusalem, Joab, Moab, Moabite, Old Testament, Pelethite, Philistine, Shavsha, Solomon, Syrian, Tibhath, Tou, Valley of Salt, Zadok, Zeruiah, Zobah	2 Comments
This chapter very closely resembles 2 Samuel 8. In fact, they are (very nearly) identical in their descriptions of David's military exploits.
We encounter our first difference in the very first verse. After defeating the Philistines, David takes control of Gath and its villages. In 2 Sam. 8:1, David takes control of Methegammah, instead. This could be a correction on the Chronicler's part, as Biblehub suggests that the name is, actually, no name at all, and should have been translated to read that David "took control of the mother city" rather than rendering the phrase as a proper noun. To complicate matters, the Septuagint version of 2 Sam. 8:1 reads that David took tribute from Philistia, with no mention of a city at all.
David's next exploits are against Moab, whom he defeats and makes his vassals. The 2 Sam. 8:2 version is far more gruesome, reading: "He also defeated the Moabites and, making them lie down on the ground, measured them off with a cord; he measured two lengths of cord for those who were to be put to death, and one length for those who were to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute." It seems that the Chronicler kept the first and last parts of the verse, but struck out that nasty middle bit.
But why? Why was David so cruel toward Moab (particularly as his own ancestress, Ruth, was a Moabite, and the Moabite king sheltered David's parents while he was on the run from Saul (1 Sam. 22:3-4)? And why did the Chronicler omit the detail? I think it likely that the second question is answered by the fact that the first can be asked.
As for the first, James Pate mentions an answer given by Rashi: "According to Rashi, the reason that David had an ax to grind against Moab was that, when his family was there taking refuge, the Moabites slaughtered all but one of David's brothers (the one survivor being Elihu, who is mentioned in I Chronicles 27:18)."
The Hadadezer Chronicles
The next section of the chapter focuses on King Hadadezer of Zobah, who came to the Euphrates to build a monument (1 Chron. 18:3), or perhaps to restore his power (2 Sam. 8:3). This sounds like a possible contradiction, but really isn't. It's the flag principle of ownership, where planting a flag or building a monument is a statement of ownership over the surrounding area.
David defeats the Philistines, by master of Otto van Moerdrecht, c.1430
This seems to have been too close for comfort, as David went on the attack. The blow was devastating, with the Israelites heading home with 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 infantry that had recently belonged to Zobah. The number is a little scaled down in 2 Sam. 8:4, where only 700 horsemen are taken (though the Septuagint translation agrees with Chronicles, perhaps indicating that the inflated figure was the original one). Having little use for chariots in the Israelite terrain, David hamstrung all the horses, saving only enough to power 100 chariots.
The Syrians (or Arameans, if you prefer) try to help Hadadezer, but David killed 22,000 of them, defeating them so completely that he was able to place Israelite garrisons in Syria and it his vassal.
We also learn that David was able to capture a number of golden shields that had been carried by Hadadezer's servants, bringing them to Jerusalem. A golden shield is a purely decorative item (a metal as soft as gold has very few practical uses), and I wonder if they had been brought as part of some sort of ceremony to consecrate Hadadezer's intended monument. In any case, they ended up in Jerusalem.
David was also able to take a great deal of bronze from Tibhath and Cun, two of Hadadezer's cities. In 2 Sam. 8:8, the two cities are named Betah and Berothai. The 2 Sam. 8 reference ends here, with David acquiring the bronze. Here, however, the Chronicler adds a detail: That this bronze would later be used by Solomon in making the bronze sea, pillars, and vessels for his temple.
The final chapter in the Hadadezer saga involves Tou, king of Hamath – who appears as Toi in 2 Sam. 8:9, while the Septuagint version of the same verse agrees with the Chronicler. It seems that Tou and Hadadezer had been butting heads quite a bit lately, so Tou is quite pleased at David's success. To thank him, he sends his own son, Hadoram (or Joram, as 2 Sam. 8:10 would have it) to David along with a large gift of gold, silver, and bronze.
Along with Tou's gift, David dedicates all of the gold and silver he has managed to carry off from his wars to God (his wars against Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek are all listed).
Of the Edomites, we learn that they were defeated by Abishai son of Zeruiah, who managed to kill 18,000 of them in the Valley of Salt. After this defeat, David was able to place garrisons in Edom and the Edomites became his vassals. Interestingly, the verses (1 Chron. 18:12-13) are identical, word for word, to those found in 2 Sam. 8:13-14, with one little exception: 2 Sam. 8 gives the victory to David, not to Abishai (Abishai is not mentioned at all in 2 Sam. 8).
This isn't a contradiction, since we commonly attribute victories to particular generals or, going a step higher, to monarchs, rather than to the individuals that make up the army. The contradiction disappears as soon as we acknowledge that everyone higher up the chain of command from grunts gets a claim to credit in our silly hierarchical systems.
What's interesting about the passage is that it is the author of Samuel who credits David, while the Chronicler hands the victory over to Abishai instead. Given the Chronicler's fawning over David, it just seems rather odd that he would take this one little deed away from him.
We are told that "David reigned over all Israel; and he administered justice and equity to all his people" (1 Chron. 18:14). James Pate rightly wonders if this justice and equity was applied to the conquered lands as well, given that it comes at the close of a list of conquests. To resolve the issue, he posits that "maybe the point of v 14 is that David could finally devote his energies to reigning now that he had subdued any external threats to Israel's security."
I suspect that's probably what was meant, though I would expand it a little. I think that David's conquests (and the bringing of riches into Jerusalem) were seen as part of David's administering of justice and equity. By winning his wars, he brought honour and riches to the nation, elevating it and its people.
The chapter closes with a list of David's cabinet:
Joab son of Zeruiah had control of the army;
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests (Abiathar is named as Ahimelech's son, not his father, in 1 Sam. 22:20 and 1 Sam. 23:6, though it's not inconceivable that a grandson might share a name with his grandfather);
Shavsha was the secretary (Shavsha's name seems to vary quite a bit. He appears as Shisha in 1 Kgs. 4:3, Seraiah in 2 Sam. 8:17, and Sheva in 2 Sam. 20:25. My New Bible Commentary explains this with the possibility that he was a foreigner, with a name that Hebrew scribes weren't quite sure what to do with (p.379));
Benaiah son of Jehoiada had control over the Cherethites and the Pelethites;
And David's sons were the king's chief officials (a change from being priests in 2 Sam. 8:18, undoubtedly due to the Chronicler's discomfort with the idea of Judahite priests).
1 Kings 11: Mistakes were made
Marlowe	10. 1-2 Kings, Bible, Old Testament	1 Kings, Ahijah, Ammonite, Ashtoreth, Bible, Chemosh, Damascus, David, Edom, Edomite, Egypt, Eliada, Ephraimite, Genubath, Hadad, Hadadezer, Hittite, Israel, Jeroboam, Jerusalem, Joab, Midian, Milcom, Millo, Moab, Moabite, Molech, Nebat, Old Testament, Paran, Pharaoh, Rehoboam, Rezon, Shilonite, Sidonian, Solomon, Syria, Tahpenes, Zeredah, Zeruah, Zobah	1 Comment
When it comes to women, Solomon has gotta catch them all – or at least a multi-national representative sample. Over his lifetime, he manages to accumulate 700 wives and 300 concubines (almost certainly hyperbole, though such numbers – and higher – are not unheard of for kings), brought in from many nations, including some that God specifically forbade (a reference to passages like Deut. 7:1-4).
The passage is clearly meant to be a shock, an indication of just how far Solomon had fallen, though it's the sin seems more to be the foreignness of the women than their number.
Solomon led astray, by Giovanni Battista Venanzi, 1668
As Solomon ages, we are told that his wives began to steer him toward their foreign gods, even though God had specifically told Solomon not to stray! Solomon builds a "high place" dedicated to Chemosh (the Moabite god) and Molech (the Ammonite god), and his wives build some high places of their own.
At first reading, I assumed that this meant that Solomon was a polytheist (or at least taking Pascal's Wager to its logical conclusion), but now I'm wondering if accommodating his wives' faiths might not simply have been part of the marriage deal. The women are described as princesses, and the marriages are diplomatic. Dogmatically cutting off the women from something as deeply meaningful as the worship of their natal lands could have caused trouble. It's entirely possible, then, that Solomon remained personally faithful to YHWH, but provided accommodations for the other faiths in his household.
Regardless, God is a jealous god, and he decides that he will give Israel to Solomon's "servant" (1 Kgs 11:11). Only, for David's sake, he will wait until after Solomon has died before doing it. The use of Israel here refers to the northern tribes, as will be made clear later on. Once again, it seems rather clear that Deut. 17:14-20 was written specifically with Solomon in mind.
As punishment for Solomon tolerating other gods, God raises up three adversaries to make trouble for David's dynasty.
The first is Hadad of Edom. We're told that David campaigned in Edom, and that Joab slaughtered every male Edomite (it's not clear whether this was at David's command or just another example of Joab being Joab). Either way, it's clearly hyperbole.
Hadad was only a child (or perhaps a young man) when this happened, and he fled with a small retinue to Egypt, where he was given shelter and the Pharaoh's sister-in-law for a wife. He seems to have had a fairly close relationship with the Pharaoh, as his son, Genubath, was weaned by the queen and raised alongside the princes. He asked to return to Israel once he hears that David has died.
Incidentally, the queen is named Tahpenes. My New Bible Commentary claims that this is "believed to be an Egyptian title meaning 'the wife of the king'" (p.336), making it the equivalent of "Pharaoh," rather than a personal name. However, I didn't find very much support for this online. Instead, sources like this one seem to agree that Tahpenes seems related to the name of a city, and that both mean "Head of the Age."
The second adversary is Rezon, the son of Eliada. The grammar is a little fuddled, but either Rezon or Eliada fled from King Hadadezer of Zobah, and Rezon became a bandit leader. With his band, he returned to Damascus and was made the king of Syria. The trajectory of fleeing a court, raising an army, and returning to take power is eerily similar to David's own rise. Incidentally, it seems that we may have some independent attestations for King Hadadezer.
The final adversary is internal, and this one has God's backing. Jeroboam, son of Nebat and Zeruah, was an Ephraimite and a servant of Solomon. Remember back in 1 Kgs 11:11, where God said he would give Israel to one of Solomon's servants? Yeah, the author just stuck a big neon sign pointing directly at Jeroboam.
Jeroboam was put in charge of the forced labour raised from "the house of Joseph" (1 Kgs 11:29), meaning from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, during the construction of the Millo. One day, he left Jerusalem and met the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite. It seems that Shiloh was not destroyed as implied by 1 Samuel 6, and was still a location of sufficient cultic significance to still be producing prophets.
Ahijah tore his robe (which we are told was new, so we can know that he really meant it) into twelve pieces in some rather obvious symbolism. He handed Jeroboam ten of those pieces, indicating that God would grant Jeroboam leadership of ten tribes (the northern tribes). One piece of the robe is to belong to Solomon, for David's sake. The twelfth piece is never mentioned – there are several theories circulating for why this might be the case, but nothing seems particularly definitive.
If he is faithful, Jeroboam will get his dynasty (albeit only a temporary one) once Solomon has died.
It seems that Jeroboam was not quite willing to wait that long, or perhaps had thought to get a head start at winning the support of the northern tribes, because Solomon tried to kill him. In a story that feels rather similar to David's escape from Saul to the court of a foreign king, Jeroboam flees to Egypt and the court of King Shishak – the first Pharaoh to be mentioned by name. He remains there until Solomon's death.
King Shishak is thought to be Sheshonk I, the founder of the Kushite dynasty in Egypt. He is known to have lead a campaign into Canaan, which might explain why two out of our three adversaries found protection and support in Egypt. A great strategy for winning military campaigns is to destabilize a country by stirring up and supporting internal dissent.
Finishing up the chapter, we are directed to the book of the acts of Solomon if we'd like to know more details about Solomon's reign. But for text itself, the author is content to simply tell us that he reigned forty years, died, and was succeeded by his son, Rehoboam.
2 Samuel 10: By half measures
Marlowe	09. 1-2 Samuel, Bible, Old Testament	2 Samuel, Abishai, Ammonite, Aramean, Bethrehob, Bible, David, Euphrates, Hadadezer, Hanun, Helam, Jericho, Jerusalem, Joab, Jordan, Maacah, Nahash, Old Testament, Rehob, Shobach, Syrian, Tob, Zobah	Leave a comment
This chapter appears to be an expansion of the summary given in 2 Sam. 8, with far more details.
To start with, we find out how the war started. Nahash, the Ammonite kind, has died and been succeeded by his son, Hanun. Hearing of his fellow king's loss, David sends some consolers up to help console him.
David, you see, wishes to be nice to Hanun, "as his father dealt loyally with me" (2 Sam. 10:2). Whatever the story of this loyalty, it's clearly been lost. The only story we have involving Nahash takes place in 1 Sam. 11, where he was harassing Jabesh-gilead and gave Saul the opportunity to achieve his first military victory.
Ammonite kings can be rather scary.
So unless by "dealt loyally with me," David means that they opposed Saul, we must assume that the verse references a lost story. Or, perhaps, the explanation was added to explain David's actions.
Either way, the explanation fails to convince the Ammonite princes, who suspect that the consolers are actually spies, sent to suss out information behind enemy lines. Hanun is swayed by their concerns and, when the consolers arrive, he shaves off half their beards (that is, half a beard from each man) and cuts their clothes in half so that they are naked below the hips. It is like this that he tosses them back toward Israel.
Symbolically, the consolers have been "unmanned" (beards being a symbol of manliness through much of the Middle East even today). The consolers are too ashamed to return home, so David tells them to wait in Jericho until their beards have grown back in – Jericho being "on the road between Ammon and Jerusalem, and was a frontier city before David's conquest of Ammon" (New Bible Commentary, p.306).
It's unclear what the consolers really were, or what their function might have been. I got a kick out of imagining David sending a squad of therapists up to Ammon, though I suspect that they were really just messengers meant to convey David's condolences and perhaps bring gifts of some sort. It could also be that they were professional mourners, though this seems less likely.
War, war never changes
Whether or not David's motives were as pure as the narrative tells us, there's no question that Hanun has delivered a fairly major insult. It would be extremely difficult for David not to respond and still save face. The Ammonites seem to realize that they've made a mistake right quick, because they call out to the Syrians (or Arameans) for help (the word "hire" is used – 2 Sam. 10:6 – so it could be a mercenary situation rather than an ally one).
You'll remember that the Syrians were the other major enemy in 2 Sam. 8, though that summary hadn't explained that they were brought into conflict with David through the Ammonites.
The Syrians of Bethrehob and Zobah sent 20,000 footsoldiers (presumably the same 20,000 footsoldiers who joined David's side in 2 Sam. 8:3-4, though the cavalry and charioteers aren't mentioned here), the king of Maacah sent 1,000 men, and the city of Tob sent 12,000 men.
The narrative places David in a retaliatory position. The Ammonites amass their army because they know that "they had become odious to David" (2 Sam. 10:6), yet David does not act against them until he hears that they have been amassing an army (2 Sam. 10:7). It's a little confused and, once again, has the feel of pro-David propaganda.
For unstated reasons, David does not go himself. Rather, he sends Joab to command the army in his place.
The Ammonites take a defensive position at their city gates (even though the narrative tells us that they are the aggressors), while the Syrians are scattered throughout the surrounding countryside. This means that when Joab and the Israelite army arrive, they are surrounded – the Ammonites ahead of them, the Syrians behind.
Joab's brilliant tactic is to split his army in two, commanding his own portion against the Syrians while the second half, led by his brother Abishai, focuses on the Ammonites. If either side struggles, he says, the other is to come to its aid.
This turns out to be unnecessary because the Syrians flee as soon as Joab advances. Seeing their allies/mercenaries leave, the Ammonites also flee, hiding inside their city. With that, Joab returns to Jerusalem.
Sore losers
Upset by their defeat at the hands of Joab, the Syrians re-muster. Their king, Hadadezer, sends for the Syrians on the other side of the Euphrates to help him (whereas in 2 Sam. 8, the impression was that he was trying to consolidate power by uniting the two banks of the Syrian culture group).The Far Shore Syrians are led by Shobach, Hadadezer's commander.
This time, it seems that David heads out to take care of business personally, and he meets Hadadezer's army at Helam. The Syrians are once again routed, and David kills 700 chariots and 40,000 horsemen (if this is meant to be the same campaign as the one in 2 Sam. 8:3-6, the numbers are quite different), and Shobach is mortally wounded.
In the aftermath, it seems that the Syrian vassals abandoned Hadadezer and pledged their allegiance to David instead, and the Syrians decided to stop helping the Ammonites.
It's clear that there are similarities to the battles of 2 Sam. 8, and many of the same players are apparently involved, though the details are sufficiently different to allow for the possibility that different campaigns are being described.
2 Samuel 8: Israel's Board of Directors
Marlowe	09. 1-2 Samuel, Bible, Old Testament	2 Samuel, Abiathar, Ahilud, Ahimelech, Ahitub, Amalek, Ammonite, Benaiah, Berothai, Betah, Bible, Cherethite, Damascus, David, Edom, Edomite, Hadadezer, Hamath, Jehoiada, Jehoshaphat, Jerusalem, Joram, Methegammah, Moab, Moabite, Old Testament, Pelethite, Philistine, Rehob, Seraiah, Syrian, Toi, Valley of Salt, Zadok, Zeruiah, Zobah	Leave a comment
In this chapter, we get what appears to be a summary of David's reign, focusing mostly on his military exploits. We find out, for example, that he captured Methegammah after finally defeating the Philistines. If you're anything like me, you probably sighed with relief, glad that the intense suspense over the fate of Methegammah is finally over.
Or perhaps you looked online and found that the correlating passage in 1 Chronicles 18:1 replaces Methegammah with "Gath and its villages." Depending on chronological order, this may help to explain how a Githite – someone from Gath – like Obededom came to be trusted with the ark of the covenant in 2 Samuel 6.
David them defeated Moab. As I learned in reading World War Z by Max Brooks, to decimate means to kill one in every ten, usually as a punishment for the group. If that sounds terrible, gird your loins. David has the Moabites lie on the ground in three lines. He then kills two of the lines and makes the third his vassals.
This strays quite far from the prescribed rule in Deut. 2:9 – "Do not harass Moab or engage them in battle, for I will not give you any of its land as a possession, since I have given Ar as a possession to the descendants of Lot." It's also a little odd given David's own apparent connection to the Moabite Ruth, as given in Ruth 4:17, and his trust in the Moabites to keep his family safe in 1 Sam. 22:3-4.
Of course, it's not too far off from Judges 3:28-30, and Saul's own enmity in 1 Sam. 14:47.
King David In Prayer, by Pieter de Grebber, c.1635-1640
Next, David defeats Hadadezer, son of Rehob and king of Zobah, the only named individual enemy in this chapter. We are told that he had attempted to restore his power at the Euphrates (though we don't know how or why or when he lost it). David met him there and took 1700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers, who apparently willingly join the Israelites.
He also keeps enough horses for 100 chariots, but hamstrings the rest. The Israelite antipathy toward chariots from Joshua 11:6 is clearly still live and well. I've read but not confirmed that much of ancient Palestine's terrain, being rather hilly, was unsuitable for chariots. This would also have meant that the Israelites would not necessarily know how to use them effectively. Ultimately, it clearly wouldn't have made sense for David to keep the chariot horses, and leaving them would have place them back into the hands of his enemies, so I understand the logic behind disposing of the horses in some way, though hamstringing seems a little cruel.
After David defeats Hadadezer, the Syrians of Damascus come to his defense. Of course, David beats them as well, slaying 22,000 Syrians.He then puts garrisons in Aram (where the Syrians were from), making the Syrians his vassals.
We also find out that David took several golden shields from Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem, which immediately made me think of Pontius Pilate's golden shields, though I suppose the tone of the event was likely quite different. David also pillaged a lot of bronze from Hadadezer's cities, Betah and Berothai.
But it wasn't all conquering and bloodshed! When King Toi of Hamath heard about David's exploits, he sent his son, Joram, to David as an emissary. Joram greets and congratulates David, because Toi and Hadadezer had been at war, and the enemy of my enemy is apparently my friend. Joram brought with him gifts of silver, gold, and bronze, which David dedicated to God along with all gold and silver he'd pillaged from the subdued nations, listed here as Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and Hadadezer (who continues to be, inexplicably, a personal enemy).
According to my New Bible Commentary, the mention of Edom here may be in error, as the Hebrew reads "Aram"/Syria (p.305).
We find out that David is making a name for himself, that he slew 18,000 Edomites, and that he put garrisons in Edom and made them his vassals.
David's Cabinet
To close off the chapter, we find out about some of the key players in David's administration:
Joab so of Zerniah was in charge of David's army.
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was David's recorder.
Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were his high priests.
Seraiah was secretary.
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of the Cherethites and Pelethites (possibly a foreign mercenary contingent).
David's sons served as priests.
The mention of Ahimelech here may be an error, since paternity is reversed in all previous mentions. This isn't definitive, though, since it's always possible that Abiathar had a son, named after the child's grandfather, who succeeded him.
Zadok's paternity is interesting, since Ahitub is named in 1 Sam. 22:20 as the father of Ahimelech. While it's completely plausible that this is just a coincidence, it may indicate that Zadok and Ahimelech are related to each other in some way, possibly brothers or cousins. Or it could be that records were kept well enough that names were remembered, but not so well that anyone could recall who was supposed to fit where, so that multiple authors arranged them in different combinations to construct conflicting genealogies.
The mention of David's sons serving as priests is an interesting one, since David is so explicitly not a Levite. In combination with David taking a central role in the cultic procession of 2 Samuel 6, Abinadab's charge of the ark and the naming of his son, Eleazar, as its caretaker in 1 Samuel 7, we can see clear evidence of how the priesthood evolved over time in ancient Palestine. Assuming, of course, that David's sons were priests of YHWH.
As for Zadok and why there should be two high priests, my New Bible Companion presents the following theories:
It has been widely conjectured, however, that Zadok was not even a Levite; he may in that case have been priest in Jerusalem to 'God Most High' (Gn. 14:18) before David's capture of the city (as H. H. Rowley suggested). But an equally attractive possibility, which accepts the biblical genealogies, is that Saul had made Zadok high priest after the Nob slaughter. It seems considerably more likely that David should have tried to placate the followers of Saul, by uniting Saul's high priest with his own, that that he should have accepted the pre-Israelite (?Jebusite) priest of Jerusalem. One might add that since David himself seems to have become in some sense a priest-king, 'after the order of Melchizedek' (Ps. 110:4), there will scarcely have been any place in the hierarchy for an existing Jerusalem priest. (p.305-306)


text:
MS-13 gang
MS-13 Gang Leader Gets 45 Years In Racketeering Conspiracy To Commit Murders, ExtortionJorge Guerra-Castillo, 40, of Silver Spring, was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for pleading guilty in July to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activities, including two murders and two attempted murders, according to a statement from the Maryland District of the U.S. Attorney's Office.
MS-13 Gang Leader Pleads Guilty To Racketeering Conspiracy To Commit Murders, ExtortionJorge Guerra-Castillo, 40, of Silver Spring, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activities, including two murders and two attempted murders, according to a statement from the Maryland District of the U.S. Attorney's Office.
MS-13 Gang Members Sentenced To Life For 2019 MurderTwo reported members of the MS-13 gang have been sentenced to life without parole for their roles in the murder of a man believed to have been a member of a rival gang, the state's attorney office for Baltimore County said.
Two MS-13 Gang Members Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder Of Daniel CuellarTwo reported members of the MS-13 gang were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in connection to the murder of 21-year-old Daniel Alvarado Cuellar on Tuesday.
MS-13 Member Fermin Gomez Jimenez of Annapolis Sentenced To 38 Years For Conspiracy, MurderA member of the MS-13 gang from Annapolis will spend 38 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise that included assaults, murder, attempted murder, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, robbery, and drug trafficking, the U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced For Kidnapping, Attempted MurderA member of the MS-13 gang was sentenced Friday to more than 16 years in federal prison for participating in a kidnapping and attempted murder, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
MS-13 In Maryland | Gang Known For Its Brutality Targeting, Recruiting In Baltimore, Anne Arundel CountyHundreds of MS-13 gang members are currently active in Maryland. The gang is known for its brutality; using machetes to behead vulnerable, young victims.
How Parents Can Recognize Children Affiliated With MS-13 GangsThe FBI says MS-13 gangs continue to grow their memberships by targeting younger recruits more than ever before.
How Residents, Victims Of MS-13 Gang Violence Can Report Tips AnonymouslyThe MS-13 gang continues to expand its influence in the United States, according to the FBI.
US Attorney Robert Hur Announces Establishment Of MS-13 Information HotlineLaw enforcement is asking for tips about the MS-13 Gang.
Maryland Grand Jury Indicts 4 Teens In MS-13 Gang SlayingFour teens have been indicted on murder charges in what police say was an MS-13 gang-related slaying of a teenage girl.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced To Federal Prison For Murder, Other Criminal ChargesA Maryland MS-13 Gang member was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison for a violent racketeering conspiracy, including murder and extortion.
Federal Jury Indicts 6 Alleged MS-13 Members In MarylandA federal grand jury has indicted six alleged MS-13 gang members in Maryland's capital on charges of murder, conspiracy and racketeering.
MS-13 Gang Member Pleads To Racketeering ChargeA member of the MS-13 street gang has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges that include shooting and killing gang rivals.
Four Alleged MS-13 Members Charged In Deadly Racketeering ConspiracyFederal prosecutors have indicted four alleged members of the MS-13 street gang on racketeering charges that include murder allegations.
12Next »
FIRST LOOK: Transformation Of Left-Field Wall Underway At Oriole Park
The CDC Updated Its Mask Guidelines. What To Know About 'The Highest Level Of Protection'The updated guidelines come after many public health experts have been recommending for months that people wear more effective masks -- particularly N95s -- and that the CDC change its guidelines on mask-wearing.
CDC Moves 22 New Destinations Into Its Highest-Risk Level For Travel
Quit Your Job? Here's What To Do About Health InsuranceWhile it's a hot market for job seekers at the moment, workers should consider the benefits they might be giving up when they leave their jobs.


text:
Q: toLowerCase is not a function How do I make this include words from the array that has uppercase letters?
const array = ["amassment", "amassments", "Amasta", "amasthenic", "amasty", "amastia", "AMAT", "Amata", "amate"]
const word = array.filter(m=> m.includes(args[0]))
const wrd = word.toLowerCase()

if(!wrd) return message.delete()

console.log(`${wrd}`)

When my args[0] is "am", it only sends "amassment", "amassments", "amasthenic", "amasty", "amastia", "amate". It doesn't include words in uppercase at all.
Even though I added the .toLowerCase(), I get an error word.toLowerCase() is not a function. I need help.

A: You have to call toLowerCase() inside filter function.
const word = array.filter(m=> m.toLowerCase().includes(args[0]))

If your args also needs to be lower cased and included, you can use the below approach to check
const word = array.filter(m=> m.match(new RegExp(args[0],"i")));

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange