Latest news with #Josiah
Epoch Times
21-07-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Edward Penfield: The Father of the American Poster
Edward Penfield (1866–1925) was born shortly after the Civil War in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Josiah, was a bookkeeper and, later, a merchant. His uncle, Henry, owned an engraving studio just a few blocks from where Josiah worked. The proximity was apparently enough to leave an impression on young Penfield. It was the artist, rather than the merchant, whom he would emulate. The Art Students League (ASL) of New York was founded in 1875, when Penfield was just a child. The school quickly became a prominent site for blooming artists and remains one to this day. By the time Penfield reached his early 20s, he began attending classes, where he studied under the renowned artist, George de Forest Brush, who was known for his Native American art. Getting Noticed
Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Massive Biblical battle unearthed as previously unexplored 'Area X' begins to give up its secrets
Previously unexplored 'Area X' unearths new evidence that Josiah, the last great king of Judah, fell at the hands of the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II thousands of years ago Archaeologists have unearthed "incredible" artefacts that suggest a Biblical king was vanquished by a formidable Egyptian army millennia ago. The team of researchers has found remarkable evidence pointing to the defeat of a renowned Biblical monarch by an extensive Egyptian force, as indicated by remnants of Egyptian pottery in the Levant region. Recent findings support the theory that Josiah, Judah's last significant king, met his demise at the hands of Pharaoh Necho II. The fateful battle took place in Megiddo in 609 BCE, casting a shadow over the future of the kingdom of Judah and setting the stage for Armageddon – the prophesied location of the apocalypse in Christian belief. It wasn't until March this year that tangible archaeological proof came to light, with the discovery of a unique collection of ceramics in present-day Israel. Excavations in the ancient city of Megiddo revealed pottery associated with Necho's forces. Among the finds were substantial quantities of Egyptian and Greek pottery, as detailed by Professor Israel Finkelstein from Haifa University, who has led the Megiddo excavations for years, alongside Dr Assaf Kleiman from Ben-Gurion University, reports the Mirror US. In two papers published in January and February in the Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, Kleiman, Finkelstein, and their colleagues discuss their discoveries. They propose that the debris is indicative of Necho's Egyptian troops' presence, potentially including Greek mercenaries as part of the contingent. Around the 10th-9th century BCE, Megiddo was part of the Kingdom of Israel, though there's ongoing debate about whether Megiddo and other territories were earlier part of the so-called David and Solomon and whether the united Israelite monarchy described by the Bible ever truly existed. What we do know is that for at least two centuries, Megiddo was a significant hub. Around 732 BCE, Megiddo was captured and the Israelite capital of Samaria fell shortly after. Renamed Magiddu, it became the capital of a new Assyrian province in the Levant. Years after the fall of the northern kingdom, Assyria faced pressure from emerging powers in Mesopotamia and Iran, namely the Babylonians and the Medes. Around 630 BCE, the Assyrians abandoned Megiddo. In 609 BCE, under Necho's leadership, Egypt marched into the Levant to aid the failing city. In Jerusalem, Josiah had been on the throne for 31 years before he was defeated by Necho at Megiddo. The Book of Kings leaves it unclear why Necho killed Josiah. The Book of Chronicles suggests that Josiah had tried to block Necho's advance and that the ensuing battle was a disastrous affair during which the Judahite king was killed. The bulk of ancient Megiddo was excavated during the 1920s by a University of Chicago expedition, which dug up and carted away most of the upper strata to reach the earlier versions of the settlement beneath. However, one section in the northwest corner of the site, dubbed 'Area X', remained largely undisturbed. It was in this spot that Finklestein's team discovered a stone-paved courtyard area. According to the ceramic evidence, the structure dates back to the mid-seventh century BCE. The discoveries included fragments from local pottery vessels, including traditional cooking pots, alongside serving dishes showing Mesopotamian influence. "Scholars believed Megiddo completely changed socially, that the ratio of the local population was very low or non-existent, but we show it must have been higher than what was previously believed," Kleiman says. "There must have been a significant component of Levantine population in Megiddo at the time, and we see this, for example, in the cooking pots, which are very important cultural and social indicators. The pots we found tell us the population at the site cooked like their parents and grandparents, in the same local traditions." The most significant discovery was the abundance of Egyptian pottery in Area X. "When we opened the boxes of finds from the dig at my lab in Ben-Gurion University, I told my students to put the Egyptian pottery on the tables, and table after table got filled," Kleiman revealed. "The number of Egyptian vessels is double or even triple the amount found in the entire Levant for that period. This is not decorated fine tableware, so it's very hard to argue that someone at Megiddo, a deportee or a surviving Israelite, all of a sudden acquired a taste for sub-par Egyptian pottery and decided to import it into his house."
Irish Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Bible bombshell as previously unexplored area unearths evidence of huge battle
Archaeologists have unearthed "incredible" evidence suggesting a Biblical king was toppled by a vast Egyptian army millennia ago. The team of researchers has stumbled upon remarkable evidence that a massive Egyptian force overcame one of the legendary Biblical kings, with the discovery of Egyptian pottery remnants confirming the presence of Egyptians in the Levant. Recent findings point to Josiah, the last significant monarch of Judah, being vanquished by the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II. The demise of Josiah at Megiddo in 609 BCE posed a dire threat to the broader realm of Judah. These events unfolded at the site of Megiddo – also known as Armageddon, which is synonymous with apocalyptic prophecies in Christianity. No archaeological proof had been found until March this year when a peculiar assortment of ceramic pieces was found in present-day Israel. At the historic site of Megiddo, artefacts were discovered that are associated with Necho's forces, reports the Mirror US. This haul included an unexpected quantity of Egyptian and Greek pottery, as noted by Professor Israel Finkelstein from Haifa University – who has long led the Megiddo excavations – and Dr Assaf Kleiman from Ben-Gurion University. Kleiman and Finkelstein, along with their colleagues, delve into their discoveries in two articles released in January and February in the Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament. They argue that the refuse left behind serves as proof of Necho's Egyptian troops being there, potentially alongside Greek mercenaries. Around the 10th-9th century BCE, Megiddo was part of the Kingdom of Israel - however, there is debate over whether Megiddo and other territories were earlier part of the so-called David and Solomon and whether the united Israelite monarchy described by the Bible ever actually existed. A mosaic was found on the floor of what is thought to be an old Christian church is Megiddo (Image: Getty Images) What we do know is that Megiddo was a significant hub for at least two centuries. Around 732 BCE, Megiddo was captured and the Israelite capital of Samaria fell a few years later. Megiddo, now known as Magiddu, became the capital of a new Assyrian province in the Levant. Years after the fall of the northern kingdom, Assyria was under pressure from rising powers in Mesopotamia and Iran, namely the Babylonians and the Medes. Around 630 BCE, the Assyrians abandoned Megiddo. In 609 BCE, Egypt, under Necho's leadership, marched into the Levant to aid the failing city. In Jerusalem, Josiah had been on the throne for 31 years before he was defeated by Necho at Megiddo. It remains unclear why Necho killed Josiah according to the Book of Kings. The Book of Chronicles suggests that Josiah had attempted to block Necho's advance and that the ensuing battle was a disastrous affair during which the Judahite king was killed. The bulk of ancient Megiddo was dug up during the 1920s by a University of Chicago expedition, which stripped away and carted off most of the upper strata to reach the earlier versions of the settlement beneath. However, a largely undisturbed section in the northwest corner of the site, dubbed 'Area X', remained intact. It was in this spot that Finklestein's team discovered a stone-paved courtyard area. Judging by the pottery discoveries, the structure was built in the mid-seventh century BCE. The discoveries included fragments from local ceramic vessels, including traditional cooking pots, alongside serving dishes showing Mesopotamian influences. "Scholars believed Megiddo completely changed socially, that the ratio of the local population was very low or non-existent, but we show it must have been higher than what was previously believed," Kleiman says. "There must have been a significant component of Levantine population in Megiddo at the time, and we see this, for example, in the cooking pots, which are very important cultural and social indicators. The pots we found tell us the population at the site cooked like their parents and grandparents, in the same local traditions." The most significant discovery was a collection of pottery in Area X, predominantly of Egyptian origin. "When we opened the boxes of finds from the dig at my lab in Ben-Gurion University, I told my students to put the Egyptian pottery on the tables, and table after table got filled," recounted Kleiman. "The number of Egyptian vessels is double or even triple the amount found in the entire Levant for that period. This is not decorated fine tableware, so it's very hard to argue that someone at Megiddo, a deportee or a surviving Israelite, all of a sudden acquired a taste for sub-par Egyptian pottery and decided to import it into his house." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Archaeologists find 'proof' major biblical event happened at Armageddon site
The term Armageddon has been synonymous with the 'end of times' for many years as it is where the final battle between good and evil is said to take place The concept of Armageddon, widely recognised as the ultimate showdown between good and evil in the 'end times', has been further etched into public consciousness by the 1998 blockbuster starring Bruce Willis. The film depicted a catastrophic asteroid on a collision course with Earth. For centuries there has been talk of an epic battle involving Judaean King Josiah, who some say was a descendant of Jesus and met his end fighting the forces of Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II at a site called Megiddo. While this historic clash is referenced in the Bible, concrete evidence had eluded historians until now. A new study in the Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament presents findings that suggest Ancient Egyptians were indeed present at Tel Megiddo in Northern Israel. Dr Assaf Kleiman, an archaeologist and co-author of the study, revealed: "We have found high quantities of crude and straw-tempered pottery vessels imported from Egypt, as well as a few East Greek vessels." He, along with Dr Israel Finkelstein of the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University, suggests that these Greek pots indicate the presence of mercenaries from that region in the Egyptian military. "This scenario may be linked to the biblical account about the killing of King Josiah of Judah by Pharaoh Necho at Megiddo in 609 BC," Finkelstein remarked. "The Bible recounts the death of Josiah at Megiddo in two places.", reports the Mirror US. "He's killed by Necho during an encounter at Megiddo in the Book of Kings, and killed in a battle with the Egyptians in the Book of Chronicles. On this background, the new evidence for an Egyptian garrison, possibly with Greek mercenaries, at Megiddo in the late seventh century BC, may provide the background to the event." Lad Bible reports that the term Armageddon is mentioned in the Book of Revelation as follows: "And they (demons) gathered the kings and armies of the world together at the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon (Armageddon)." An early Greek Bible translation reveals 'Har-Magedon' as the site where King Josiah is believed to have met his end. His demise is also recorded in the preceding Book of Kings, and over time, Armageddon has become synonymous with cataclysmic battles in common parlance. The clash and subsequent death of King Josiah were monumental at the time and could explain why Tel Megiddo is shrouded in apocalyptic lore. Finkelstein asserted to LiveScience that Josiah was viewed as a devout leader and the notion of an Armageddon event only emerged posthumously. The scientist posits that this naturally progressed into a belief in a climactic showdown between good and evil at the site where the king met his end at the hands of the Egyptians.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mom Surprises Her Son with Their First Apartment After 14 Months in a Shelter, and His Reaction Goes Viral (Exclusive)
After 14 months in a shelter, Casey surprised her son with their first apartment — and his stunned reaction went viral The little boy didn't realize their new home had more than one room, leaving his mom in tears Now, Casey hopes to buy a house one day — so her son will always have a place to call homeWhen Casey opened the door to her new apartment, her heart was racing. After 14 months in a homeless shelter with her young son, she was finally ready to show him the surprise she had been dreaming about for months — and his innocent reaction would soon touch millions of people across the world. 'My son's name is Josiah. He will be 5 in August,' she tells PEOPLE, smiling as she describes her wide-eyed little boy, who finds joy in the simplest things like balloons and makeshift toys crafted from socks and Legos. Casey never imagined that a simple video of Josiah's wonder would go viral. In her TikTok post, she wrote, 'My child and I have been at an amazing homeless shelter for 14 months. Watch his reaction to seeing our new apartment for the first time. I had to encourage him to look around more a few times because he didn't know there was so much more to see than one room.' Before she arrived at Claire House, the shelter that became their safe haven, Casey had faced setbacks that would test any parent's strength. She candidly shares that after her son's father left when Josiah was just a baby, she struggled to manage life on her own. 'I have epilepsy. I can't drive. I couldn't buy diapers or even get him to doctor's appointments,' she tells PEOPLE, recalling the overwhelming challenges she faced in those early days. Eventually, her sister offered her a temporary place to stay while she waited for a spot at Claire House. That wait led to her first stay there, which lasted 10 months, ending with her moving into an apartment and finding hope for a fresh start. But life, as it often does, had other plans. 'He wanted me to be a stay-at-home mom and things were good for a few months,' Casey says of her son's father, noting that she gave up her apartment and job in hopes of building a family together again. When those plans unraveled, Casey found herself back in survival mode, rejoining the waitlist for Claire House. She was determined not to let her son's story end in instability. Moving into their new apartment marked a moment Casey says she will never forget. 'I remember feeling shaky,' she tells PEOPLE, describing the day she packed up her belongings with the help of a shelter staff member, picked Josiah up from daycare and handed him a Happy Meal as a little celebration. She had been telling Josiah for weeks that they were moving soon, though she wasn't sure if he fully understood what it meant. 'He has a provisional autism diagnosis right now. He struggles with comprehension,' she says, explaining why she wasn't sure how much he grasped. As they walked to the new apartment, Casey could barely contain her excitement. 'Do you want to see your new home?' she recalls asking him, her voice filled with anticipation. His reaction was pure, unfiltered magic. 'His eyes just got really wide and he said yes,' she says. 'Then he started counting. We're in the elevator and I was like, are you excited? He's like, 'Yes.' ' When they reached their door, Josiah paused and began counting aloud — '4, 5, 6' — before the video began rolling. It was a moment of disbelief and excitement all at once. What struck Casey most was how Josiah didn't seem to realize that there could be more than one room just for them. 'That was a gut punch in the stomach,' she says softly. 'I don't think he ever minded just having one room.' Even after they settled into the apartment, it took Josiah months before he felt comfortable sleeping in his own room. 'He was so used to sleeping next to me,' Casey says, sharing that he remained hesitant, unsure whether the other doors in their home really belonged to them. 'He's a very grateful child,' she adds with pride. 'He's not a child who, if they were disappointed, would've had a tantrum or anything. I think he kind of had that reaction because he was confused.' The video quickly struck a chord with viewers worldwide, drawing millions of views and thousands of messages. Casey was inundated with people reaching out. 'I had a lot of people messaging me, asking me if they could send something to him,' she tells PEOPLE. 'Tons have asked for a tour, a video tour.' Others reached out looking for advice on how to navigate their own journeys with homelessness or financial instability. 'The inbox was, 'How can I do this?' ' Casey says. 'Which was difficult, because I want to help, but every situation is different.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. She also encountered misconceptions about her story. 'A lot of people assume that because you're homeless, you must have some addiction issue or felonies,' she says, frustration in her voice. 'But from the people I've met, sometimes things just happen. And sometimes homelessness is actually a step up from where you were.' For Casey, having her own apartment means far more than just having a roof over their heads. 'I would say safe is the closest word, but I don't know if that's the right word,' she says thoughtfully. Though she always felt secure at Claire House, this new apartment brought something different. 'I knew that I had made it and that we would be okay,' she says. 'As long as I do what I need to do, my son's not even going to remember it.' The first week in their new home was filled with simple, joyful moments. Casey remembers ordering furniture and watching it slowly arrive. 'While that was arriving, he was just running around and throwing toys at the wall,' she says with a laugh. Without Internet, they made do with a portable DVD player, watching Finding Nemo every night and eating dinner on a box. 'That was the nightly thing,' Casey says. Staying hopeful during those hard months wasn't easy, but Casey credits the staff at Claire House for their unwavering support. She shares how they opened doors — both literally and figuratively — when she needed help the most. 'There was a time it was the middle of the night. My son was with his dad, and I started panicking,' she recalls. The staff unlocked the doors so she could get fresh air and clear her mind. Her weekly case meetings often became something more. 'Sometimes I just sat there and cried,' she says. 'They would tell me how much I had accomplished and how proud they were of me.' Outside of Claire House, Casey leaned on childcare assistance, her family and her best friend for support. 'Having a community is so special,' she says with gratitude. The experience has forever changed how she views stability and home. 'Things aren't as black and white as they used to be,' she says, reflecting on the lessons she's learned. Casey's dream for the future is beautifully simple — and profound. 'The only thing I'm set on right now is getting a house,' she says, explaining how she hopes to give Josiah the stability she lacked growing up. 'I want something that I can pass down to my son so he won't have to worry about a mortgage,' she says. 'Even if times get hard, he'll have a roof over his head.' Casey recently launched a GoFundMe after receiving an outpouring of support, sharing that her biggest hope is to someday buy a modest home where her son will always have a safe place to land. To others facing similar challenges, Casey offers heartfelt advice. 'Healing isn't linear,' she says firmly. 'Sometimes the process looks different for everyone.' She urges parents to prioritize their family's wellbeing over chasing higher-paying jobs that may pull them away from their children. 'Sometimes the job that pays less is better for your mental health and family time,' she says. Above all, Casey hopes her story helps others release guilt about their struggles. 'Just because something happened doesn't mean it's anyone's fault,' she says. 'Sometimes things just happen, and beating yourself up over it won't change that.' Though she admits she doesn't always feel deserving of the praise she's received, others see something different — a mother's fierce love and quiet resilience. 'Everyone's congratulating me, and I don't feel like I should be congratulated for picking up the pieces of the mess I made,' Casey says. 'But I'm working on it.' Read the original article on People
