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Samuel: Israel under Samuel and Saul
The book of Samuel covers the period from Samuel, the last of the judges, through the reigns of the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David (except for David's death). The division of Samuel and its succeeding book, Kings (Melakhim), into four separate books first appeared in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament from the 3rd to 2nd centuries bce.
Theological and political biases
Containing two primary sources, the book of Samuel is the result of the editorial skill of the Deuteronomic historians of the post-exilic period. The early source, which is pro-monarchical and may have been written by a single author, is found in I Samuel, chapter 9, verse 1, through chapter 10, verse 16, as well as chapter 11 and most of II Samuel. The chapters just noted were probably written by a chronicler during the reign of Solomon; possible authors of these chapters were Abiathar, a priest of the line of Eli (who was Samuel's predecessor at the shrine of Shiloh), or Ahimaaz, a son of Zadok (who originally may have been a priest of the Jebusite city of Jerusalem that David made his capital). The chapters in I Samuel are sometimes called the "Saul" source because it is in them that Saul's charismatic leadership is legitimized in the form of kingship. The chapters of II Samuel, also displaying a pro-monarchical bias—as far as content is concerned—are the "book of David." In the early source, Samuel, a seer, prophetic figure, and priest of the shrine at Shiloh, is viewed mainly as the religious leader who anointed Saul to be king. The later source, which displays a somewhat anti-monarchical bias and shows the marks of disillusionment on the part of the Deuteronomic historians of the post-exilic period, is found in I Samuel, chapter 7, verse 3, to chapter 8, verse 22, chapter 10, verses 17–27, and chapter 12. Sometimes called the Samuel source, the later source interprets the role of Samuel differently; he is viewed as the last and most important judge of the whole nation, whose influence extended to the shrines at Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. The two sources illustrate the two opposing tendencies that lasted for centuries after the conquest of Canaan.
During the period of Samuel, Saul, and David (the 11th–10th century bce), the Israelites were still threatened by various local enemies. The great nations—Egypt, Assyria, and the Hittite Empire—were either involved in domestic crises or concerned with areas other than Palestine in their expansionist policies. Of the various peoples pressing to break up the Israelite confederacy, the Philistines (the "sea peoples") of the Mediterranean coast proved to be the most dangerous. Expanding eastward with their iron-weapon equipped armies, the Philistines threatened the commercial routes running north and south through Israelite territory. If they captured and controlled such areas as the Valley of Jezreel, they would eventually strangle the economic life of the Israelite confederacy.
To meet this threat, the tribal confederacy had four options open to it. First, the tribes could continue as before, loosely held together by charismatic leaders who served only as temporary leaders. Second, they could create a hereditary hierocracy (rule by priests), which the priest of the shrine at Shiloh, Eli, apparently attempted to inaugurate. A third possible course of action was to establish a hereditary judgeship, which was the aspiration of the judge Samuel. But, in either of these two possibilities, the sons of Eli and Samuel were not of the same stature as their fathers; and the apparent hopes of their fathers could not be realized. The fourth alternative was a hereditary monarchy. The book of Samuel is an account of the eventual success of those who supported the monarchical position, along with the Deuteronomic interpretation that pointed out the weaknesses of the monarchy whenever it departed from the concept of Israel as a covenant people and became merely one kingdom among other similar kingdoms.
The book of Samuel may be divided into four sections: (1) the stories of Samuel, the fall of the family of Eli, and the rise of Saul (I Samuel, chapters 1–15), (2) the accounts of the fall of the family of Saul and the rise of David (I Samuel, chapter 16, to II Samuel, chapter 5), (3) the chronicles of David's monarchy (II Samuel, chapter 6, to chapter 20, verse 22), and (4) an appendix of miscellaneous materials containing a copy of Psalm 18, the "last words of David," which is a psalm of praise, a list of heroes and their exploits, an account of David's census, and other miscellaneous materials.
The role of Samuel
The first section (chapters 1–15) begins with the story of Samuel's birth, after his mother Hannah (one of the two wives of the Ephraimite Elkanah) had prayed at the shrine at Shiloh, the centre of the tribal confederacy, for a son. She vowed that, if she bore a son, he would be dedicated to Yahweh for lifetime service as a Nazirite, as indicated by the words "and no razor shall touch his head."
Three years after she had borne a son, whom she named Samuel—which is interpreted "Asked of God," a phrase that fits the meaning of Saul's name but may actually mean "El Has Heard"—Hannah took the boy to the shrine at Shiloh. Hannah's song of exultation (chapter 2, verses 1–10) probably became the basis of the form and content of the Magnificat, the song that Mary, the mother of Jesus, sang in Luke, chapter 1, verses 46–55, in the New Testament. Eli, the priest at Shiloh (who had heard Hannah's vow), trained the boy to serve Yahweh at the shrine, which Samuel's mother and father visited annually. The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, are depicted as corrupt, misusing their positions as servants of the shrine to take offerings the people gave to Yahweh for their own gratification, in contrast to Samuel, who "continued to grow in stature and favour with the Lord and with men." Because the sons of Eli failed to heed the admonition of their father, the house of Eli was condemned by a "man of God," who told Eli that his family was to lose its position of trust and power. This condemnation, an interruption of the later source, is the Deuteronomic historian's answer as to why Abiathar, a priest of the family of Eli at the time of David, was excluded from the priesthood at Jerusalem, which became the central shrine of the monarchy.
While a youth (about 12 years old), Samuel experienced a revelation from Yahweh in the shrine at night. First going to Eli three times after hearing his name called, Samuel responded to Yahweh at Eli's suggestion. What was revealed to him was the fall of the house of Eli, a message that Samuel hesitatingly related to Eli. After this religious experience, Samuel's reputation as a prophet of Yahweh increased.
In chapter 4 is an account of the fall of Shiloh and the loss of the ark of the Covenant to the Philistines. Leaving the ark, the symbol of Yahweh's presence, at Shiloh, the Israelites go out to battle against the Philistines near the Mediterranean coast but are defeated. The Israelites return to Shiloh for the ark; but even though they carry it back to the battleground, they are again defeated at great cost—the sons of Eli are killed, and the ark is captured by the enemy. When Eli, old and blind, hears the news of the disaster, he falls over backward in the chair on which he is sitting, breaks his neck, and dies. The wife of his son Phinehas gives birth to a son at this time; and, upon hearing of what had happened to Israel and her family, names the boy Ichabod, meaning "where is the glory?"—because, as she says, "The glory has departed from Israel."
Though the Philistines had captured the ark, they eventually discovered that it did not bring them good fortune. Their god Dagon, an agricultural fertility deity probably meaning "grain," fell to the ground whenever the ark was placed in close proximity to it; and, even more calamitous to them, the Philistines suffered from "tumours," probably the bubonic plague, wherever they carried the ark. After experiencing such disasters for seven months, the Philistines returned the ark to Beth-shemesh in Israelite territory, along with a guilt offering of five golden tumours and five golden mice carried in a cart drawn by two cows. Because many Israelite men in Beth-shemesh also died—"because they looked into the ark of the Lord"—the ark was taken to Kiriath-jearim (the "forest of martyrs" in modern Israel), where it was placed in the house of Abinadab, whose son Eleazar was consecrated to care for it. The ark was not returned to Shiloh, probably because that shrine centre had been destroyed, along with other Israelite towns, by the Philistines.
In chapter 7, verse 3, to chapter 12, verse 25, the Deuteronomic historian depicts the way in which Samuel assumed leadership as judge and Covenant mediator of Israel. The Philistines continued to oppress Israel, though under Samuel's leadership the Israelites were able to reconquer territory lost to their western enemies. When Samuel grew old, his sons were trained to take his place; but they—like the sons of Eli—were corrupt ("they took bribes and perverted justice"), so that the Israelites demanded another form of government—a monarchy. Samuel attempted to dissuade them, pointing out that if they had a highly centralized form of government (i.e., a monarchy), they would have to give up much of their freedom and would be heavily taxed in goods and services. Samuel obeyed both the elders of the people, who demanded a king, and Yahweh, who said, "make them a king."
The rise and fall of Saul
The man selected to become the first monarchical ruler of Israel was Saul, son of Kish, a wealthy Benjamite landowner. Because Kish had lost some donkeys, Saul was sent in search of them. Unsuccessful in his search, he went to the seer-prophet Samuel at Ramah. In the early source, from which this narrative comes, he did not know Samuel's name. The day before Saul went to Ramah, Samuel the seer (ro'e), who was depicted by the Deuteronomic historian as a prophet (navi' ), received notice from Yahweh that Saul was the man chosen to reign over Israel. At the sacrificial meal, Saul, a tall young man, was given the seat of honour, and the next day Samuel anointed him prince (nagid ) of Israel in a secret ceremony. Before returning home, Saul joined a band of roving ecstatic prophets and prophesied under the influence of the spirit of Yahweh. In chapter 10, verses 17–27, generally accepted as part of the later source, the Deuteronomic historian's views are depicted—Saul was chosen by lot at Mizpah. The early source picks up the story of Saul in chapter 11, which illustrates Saul's military leadership abilities and describes his acclamation as king at Gilgal. Samuel's farewell address, a Deuteronomic reworking of the later source, recapitulates the history of the Israelite tribes from the time of the patriarch Jacob through the period of the judges and forcefully presents the conservative view that the request for a monarchy will bring about adversity to Israel.
The early reign of Saul and his confrontations with Samuel until the last judge's death is the subject of chapters 13–15. Saul's early acts as king centred about battles with the Philistines. Because his son Jonathan had defeated one of their garrisons at Geba, the Philistines mustered an army to counterattack near Beth-aven (probably another name for Bethel). Saul issued a request for volunteers, who gathered together for battle but awaited the performance of the sacrifice before the battle by Samuel. Because Samuel did not come for seven days, Saul, acting on his own, presided at the sacrifice. Immediately after the burnt offering had been completed, Samuel appeared (perhaps waiting for such an opportunity to reassert his leading position) and castigated Saul for overstepping the boundaries of his princely prerogatives—even though Saul had been more than patient. Samuel warned him that this type of act (which Saul, in the early source, and later David and Solomon also often performed) would cost Saul his kingdom. In spite of Samuel's apparent animosity, Saul continued to defend the interests of the newly formed kingdom.
The tragedy of Saul was that he was a transitional figure who had to bear the burden of being the man who was of an old order and at the same time of a new way of life among a people composed of disparate elements and leading figures. Both Samuel, the last judge of Israel, and David, the future builder of the small Israelite empire, opposed him. Saul was more a judge—a charismatic leader—than a monarch. Unlike most kings of his time and area, he levied no taxes, depended on a volunteer army, and had no harem. He did not construct a court bureaucracy but relied rather on the trust of the people in his charismatic leadership and thus did not alter the political boundaries or structure of the tribal confederacy.
The issue between Saul and Samuel came to a head in the events described in chapter 15 (a section from the later source). Samuel requested Saul to avenge the attacks by the Amalekites on the Israelite tribes during their wanderings in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt about 200 years earlier. Saul defeated the Amalekites in a holy war but did not devote everything to destruction as was required by the ban (ḥerem). Because Saul had not killed Agag, the Amalekite king, and had saved sheep and cattle for a sacrifice, Samuel informed Saul that he had disobeyed Yahweh and was thus rejected by God, for "to obey is better than to sacrifice." Samuel then asked that Agag be brought to him, and he hacked the Amalekite king to pieces. After that, Saul and Samuel saw each other no more.
Samuel: the rise and significance of David
The next section contains the account of Saul's fall from power and David's rise to the position of king over all Israel. Samuel, still a charismatic and political power of great consequence, received from Yahweh the message that he was to go to Bethlehem to anoint a new ruler. Because he feared reprisal from Saul, Samuel went to Bethlehem (whose elders had the same fears) under the pretense of presiding at a sacrifice. There he anointed David, son of Jesse, to be future king. David then went to the court of Saul to be the king's armour bearer and court singer.
In I Samuel 17 David is reported to have killed the 10-foot-tall (3-metre-tall) Philistine champion Goliath of Gath in a battle. However, II Samuel 21:19 states that Goliath is killed in a later period by one of David's warriors, Elhanan. Some have claimed that the II Samuel passage may contain a copyist or translator error and that the original Hebrew, properly interpreted, implies that the person killed had kinship with Goliath and was not Goliath himself. This position is supported by the fact that I Chronicles 20:5 states that Elhanan killed Goliath's brother. Other biblical scholars have argued that the name of Goliath may have been inserted for an unnamed Philistine warrior killed by David apparently while he was armour bearer to Saul and was unrecognized by Saul, thus indicating the reworking of more than one source by the Deuteronomic historian.
Chapters 18 through 26 depict the rise of David in the court of Saul, his friendship with Jonathan, the beginning of Saul's jealousy of David, the young David's winning of Saul's daughter Michal in marriage for killing a large number of Philistines, Saul's attempt on David's life, David's escape and formation of an outlaw band in the Judaean hills, his acceptance by the priests of the house of Eli at Nob (all of whom were killed by Saul except Abiathar, who became David's priest), Samuel's death, and other incidents.
Because he feared for his life, David, along with 600 of his men, fled to the Philistine city of Gath, where he became a supposed leader of one of their military contingents against the Israelites. The last four chapters of I Samuel depict the final futile effort of Saul to retain control of his throne and thwart the Philistines: Saul attempted to receive advice from the spirit of the dead Samuel through the necromancer (sometimes called the witch or medium) of Endor, even though he had earlier banned such practices in his realm. Through her mediumship, Samuel foretold the death of Saul and his sons by the Philistines. The armies of the Philistines poured into the Valley of Jezreel. Some of the Philistine leaders distrusted David, who was sent back to his garrison town of Ziklag, which the Amalekites had overrun and in which they had taken many prisoners. Thus, David did not witness the defeat of the Israelites under Saul, who was mortally wounded by the Philistines and whose sons were killed. In an act of heroism so that he, the king of Israel, would not be captured, Saul committed suicide by falling on his own sword. Thus ended the career of the tragic hero who tried to serve Yahweh and Israel but was caught between the old, conservative ways (led by Samuel) and the new, liberal views (championed by David).
Early reign of David
The Second Book of Samuel, as noted earlier, relates the exploits of David and the events of his monarchy. After mourning the death of Saul and executing an Amalekite who claimed to have killed the former king, David began to consolidate his position as the successor to Saul. He was anointed king of Judah at Hebron while Ishbosheth ("man of shame," originally Ishbaal, or "man of Baal"), Saul's son, reigned in the rest of Israel under the guidance of Abner, Saul's general. After seven years, the army of Israel, under Abner, and the army of Judah, under Joab, David's general and nephew, met at Gibeon—each chose 12 champions to fight each other, and all were killed. After the minor battle, a major engagement ensued, with the forces of Judah emerging victorious. A long war of attrition developed between the house of Saul and the house of David. Abner attempted to deliver Israel to David but was killed by Joab to avenge his brother Asahel's death at Abner's hand in the first engagement between the two reigning houses. With Abner dead, Ishbosheth's position became exceedingly insecure, and he was beheaded by two of his own captains, whom David, in turn, executed for murdering the last ruler of the house of Saul.
Because of the course of events, the Israelites asked David to become king over all of Israel, and David made a covenant with the elders of northern Israel. He next engaged in a war with the Jebusite (Canaanite) stronghold of Jerusalem, which he captured. He selected this city as his new capital because it was a neutral site and neither the northerners nor the southerners would be adverse to the selection. From the very beginning of his reign, David showed the political astuteness and acumen that made for him a reputation that has continued for 3,000 years. He built at his new capital a palace, fortified the defenses, and established a harem. The Philistines, concerned about the man whom they had considered a former vassal, decided to move against David, which proved to be their undoing. David effectively contained them in a small area of the Mediterranean coast.
The expansion of the Davidic Empire
The third section of Samuel (II Samuel, chapter 6 through chapter 20, verse 22) contains the account of the reign of David from Jerusalem, ruling over a minor empire that stretched from Egypt in the south to Lebanon in the north and from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Arabian Desert in the east. He thus controlled the crossroads of the great empires of the ancient Near East. His second act of political astuteness was to bring theark of the Covenant to Jerusalem; but because of pressures from conservative elements who wanted to retain the tent that housed the ark (which had symbolic value from the days of the Exodus), David was not able to build a temple. Because the ark was now in Jerusalem, however, the city became both the political and the religious cult centre of his kingdom. In chapter 8 is a summary account of David's extension of his kingdom by military means and of the military, administrative, and priestly leaders of Israel.
II Samuel, chapters 9 through 20, verse 22—together with I Kings, chapters 1 and 2, the so-called Succession History, or the Family History of David, which, according to many scholars, forms the oldest section of historiography in Scripture—contains accounts of the domestic problems of David's reign. Though he showed generosity to Mephibosheth, the sole surviving son of the house of Saul, he showed his weakness for the charms of Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his generals. After ensuring Uriah's death by sending him into the front lines in a battle with the Ammonites, David married Bathsheba, who had become pregnant by the King. When the prophet Nathan came to David and told him of a rich man's unjust actions toward a poor man, David's response was one of anger and a demand for justice, whereupon Nathan said, "You are the man," and that Yahweh would exact retribution by not allowing the child to live. David then repented. He later went to Bathsheba and she conceived and bore another child, Solomon, who was to be the future king of Israel.
Though David was viewed as a master in the art of governing a nation, he was depicted as an unsuccessful father of his family. One son, Amnon (half-brother to Absalom and his sister Tamar), raped Tamar, for which act Absalom later exacted revenge by having Amnon assassinated at a feast. Absalom then fled to Geshur, stayed there three years, was taken back to Jerusalem by Joab, and two years later was reconciled to his father. Absalom's ambition to succeed his father as king caused him to initiate a revolt so that David had to flee from Jerusalem. Absalom was crowned king at Hebron, went to the concubines of David's harem in the palace, and decided to raise a massive army to defeat David. If he had then heeded the advice of Ahithophel, one of David's former counsellors, and attacked David's forces while they were disorganized, he probably would have been successful in retaining the throne. The forces of David under Joab, however, defeated Absalom's army "in the forest of Ephraim." While in flight on a mule, Absalom caught his head in an oak tree, and when Joab heard of his predicament he killed the hanging son of David. When David heard of the death of his rebellious son, he uttered one of the most poignant laments in literature: "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" David then returned to Jerusalem and settled some of the quarrels that had erupted in his absence. A revolt led by the conservative Benjaminite Sheba, under the old rallying cry "every man to his tents, O Israel," was thwarted by Joab, who had to kill David's newly appointed commander Amasa to accomplish this end.
The appendix (chapter 20, verse 23, through chapter 24) has been noted earlier in this section.
Kings: background and Solomon's reign
The fourth book of the Former Prophets (I and II Kings in the Septuagint) continues the history of the nation Israel from the death of David, the reign of Solomon, and the divided monarchy through the collapse of both Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom). Whereas Samuel was composed primarily of the early and the later sources with some editing on the part of the Deuteronomic historians, the Deuteronomic editors of Kings, in addition to these two sources, used other sources—such as the book of the acts of Solomon, the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, temple archives, and traditions centring on certain major kings and prophets. The Deuteronomic historians wrote from the vantage points of the reign of King Josiah of Judah, who died in 609 bce and was the ruler who accepted the Deuteronomic reform that began in 621 bce, and of the Babylonian Exile, which traditionally lasted 70 years, though it began in 597 bce, the temple was destroyed in 587/586, some exiles returned in 538, and the temple was restored in 516. The Deuteronomic view that national apostasy was the cause of the covenant people's predicament pervades this work.
(The history of the 10th through the early 6th century bce is covered in the article Judaism, and therefore this article will concentrate only on the reigns of important monarchs and their relationships to the rising power of the prophetic movement in Israel.)
The Book of Kings may be divided into four sections: (1) the last years of David and Solomon's succession to the throne (I Kings, chapter 1, to chapter 2, verse 11); (2) the reign of Solomon (I Kings, chapter 2, verse 12, to chapter 11, verse 43); (3) the beginning of the divided monarchy to the fall of Israel (I Kings, chapter 12, to II Kings, chapter 17); and (4) the last years of Judah (II Kings, chapters 18–25).
The succession of Solomon to the throne
I Kings (chapters 1 and 2) continues the story of David and the struggle for the succession of his throne. The sides were drawn between Adonijah, David's eldest living son, and Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba. Supporting Adonijah were the "old guard"—the general Joab and the priest Abiathar—and supporting Solomon were the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and the captain of David's bodyguard, Benaiah. With David close to death, Adonijah prepared to seize control of the kingdom; Nathan, however, requested Bathsheba to go to David and persuade David to proclaim Solomon the next monarch. Following the advice of Nathan, David then appointed Solomon the heir to his throne; and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed the son of Bathsheba king in Gihon.
After David died, however, Adonijah attempted to regain some semblance of prestige by asking Solomon to give him Abishag, a young Shunammite woman who had been given to David in his old age, as his wife. To this request Solomon answered by ordering Adonijah's execution, which Benaiah carried out. Solomon also ordered the execution of the old general Joab for having killed Abner and Amasa years earlier as a loyal supporter of David, an execution again carried out by Benaiah, who also executed Shimei, a man who had cursed David a long time earlier. Prior to these executions, which David—before he had died—had requested of Solomon, the new king banished the priest Abiathar of the house of Eli to Anathoth, an act that confirmed the position of Zadok as the principal priest of Jerusalem.
The reign of Solomon
David had reigned from about 1000 to 962 bce, a period in which he consolidated a federation of tribes that had been united under the charismatic leadership of Saul, who had reigned for about two decades before David began to construct his minor empire. Solomon, who inherited a strong monarchy, reigned for 40 years. His reputation as a monarch centred about his great wisdom (chapter 3), his reorganization of the administrative bureaucracy (chapter 4), and his building of the magnificent Temple (chapters 3–8). Though two sons of the prophet Nathan served Solomon, one as a court official and another as a priest, the prophetic movement apparently was little encouraged by the united monarchy's third king. Solomon is perhaps one of the most overrated figures in the Old Testament, in spite of his achievements in wisdom, construction, and commerce; he is recorded as having 1,000 wives and concubines—some of them merely guarantees of commercial treaties, to be sure—and as building a fleet of ships for a nearly landlocked Israel. To accommodate his desire for a seaport, he built the port of Ezion-geber at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba of the Red Sea. A son of the harem, Solomon had had little contact with the people of his realm, and he used many of them in labour battalions in his vast building programs to the economic disadvantage of Israel. By fostering social discontent in such ventures, Solomon prepared the way for the disintegration of the united kingdom and the resurgence of the prophetic movement that reflected the indigenous covenant concept peculiar to Israel.
Whereas David secured Israel's borders and property by military means, Solomon sought to extend Israel's influence through commercial treaties. To secure diplomatic and commercial treaties, Solomon contracted marriage with various princesses—who brought with them their native deities. This defection from the Covenant obligations to Yahweh is viewed by the Deuteronomic historian as a continuance of Israel's constant flirting with apostasy, which had occurred under the judges, and the beginning of a long process of internal religious and political disintegration under the monarchical system. Solomon's oppressive taxation and commercial expansion also brought about retaliation and rebellion.
Kings: Solomon's successors
The divided monarchy
After Solomon died (922 bce), he was succeeded by Rehoboam, who proved to be unfit for the task of reigning. Prior to Solomon's death, Jeroboam the Ephraimite, a young overseer of the forced labour battalions of the "house of Joseph" in the north, had encountered Ahijah, a prophet from the old shrine of the confederacy at Shiloh, and Ahijah had torn a new garment into 12 pieces, prophesying that 10 pieces (tribes) would be given to Jeroboam and only two pieces (tribal political units) would be retained by the house of David. The dismemberment of the united monarchy was to be brought about by Yahweh because Solomon had "not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my ordinances, as David his father did." Though Solomon had worshipped the Sidonian goddess Ashtoreth, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom, his reign over Israel continued. Jeroboam's initial rebellion proved to be abortive, and he sought political asylum in Egypt under the protection of the pharaoh Sheshonk I (Shishak).
Rehoboam, having been crowned king of the united monarchy in Jerusalem, went north to Shechem, a shrine centre of the 10 northern tribes of the old confederacy, to have his position ratified by the northern units of the kingdom. Using this gathering as an opportune time to present their grievances against Solomon's oppressive domestic policies, the northerners, under the leadership of the returned political fugitive Jeroboam, asked the king from Jerusalem to lighten their load. Requesting three days to take their grievances under advisement, Rehoboam sought counsel from his advisers. The older counsellors advised moderation, the younger, retaliation. Assenting to the latter, Rehoboam returned to the people with an answer that was to lead to the disintegration of the united monarchy that had lasted for only about a century under three kings: "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions." The response of the northerners was the ancient battle cry, "To your tents, O Israel." Rehoboam, ruling from the cities, sent Adoram, the leader of the forced labour battalions, to Israel (the name to be used henceforth for the northern area); but he was stoned to death. The uncrowned king of the north, unable to quell the rebellion, returned to Jerusalem in rapid flight. Heeding the advice of the prophet Shemaiah, Rehoboam allowed the situation to remain that of a stalemate, thus inaugurating the period of the divided monarchy that lasted in Israel in the north from 922–721 bce and in Judah in the south until 586 bce.
Though the Davidic monarchy continued in Judah until the fall of Jerusalem in 586 bce, the monarchial situation in Israel was one of constant turmoil and confusion, except for the periods of a few dynasties. Jeroboam I of Israel (reigned 922–901 bce) attempted to bring about religious and political reforms. Establishing his capital at Shechem, he set aside two pilgrimage sites (Dan in the north and Bethel in the south) as shrine centres. Though the Deuteronomic historian—with an anti-north prejudice—interpreted Jeroboam's use of golden bulls in the high place sanctuaries as a sin against Yahweh, Jeroboam's actions may have merely been an incorporation of religious symbols similar to the cherubim (winged animals) that guarded the empty throne of Yahweh in the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Jeroboam would not have been so politically and religiously naïve as to introduce polytheistic practices among the conservative-minded tribes of northern Israel. Thus, the golden bulls may have been meant to serve as pedestals for the invisible Yahweh just as the ark (throne) may have been the seat of the invisible Yahweh in the Holy of Holies (inner sanctuary) of the Temple in Jerusalem. Gods (such as the storm god Hadad) of other Syrian and Palestinian religions also were represented as standing on the backs of bulls.
Jeroboam remained true to Yahwistic religion, however, in that the God of the Israelites was not represented iconographically. The first king of the northern kingdom also inaugurated other religious reforms or reinstituted ancient practices that were interpreted as decadent by the Deuteronomic historian of the southern kingdom of Judah. He instituted a harvest thanksgiving festival on the 15th day of the eighth month, a change in the religious calendar that would preclude the journey of many northern Israelites to a similar festival in Jerusalem; he reformed the priesthood by installing non-Levites (the traditional shrine functionaries) to serve Yahweh at the shrines, an action that had been carried out in Jerusalem by David but without the opprobrium inferred by the Deuteronomic historian on a similar action by Jeroboam.
The dynasties of the northern kingdom were shortlived. Jeroboam was succeeded by his son Nadab, who reigned for two years before he was overthrown by Baasha, who decimated the house of Jeroboam. Reigning for 24 years, Baasha (who "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" like all of the northern kings, according to the interpretation of the Deuteronomists) had to concern himself not only with charismatic leaders who were traditionally powerful in the north but also with the rising power of anti-monarchical prophets, such as Jehu—who prophesied the end of the house of Baasha (chapter 16). Elah, Baasha's son, ruled only two years before he was assassinated while in a drunken state by Zimri, a chariot commander, who exterminated all of the members of the house of Baasha. Reigning for the brief period of seven days, Zimri was besieged in the citadel at Tirzah by Omri, commander of the army. Zimri burned to death in the king's house. Much of this political turmoil and confusion in the north occurred during the reign of Asa, king of Judah from about 913 to 873 bce, who inaugurated religious reforms, such as banning male cult prostitutes and the worship of the Canaanite goddess Asherah that had been sponsored by his mother, Maachah, the queen regent.
The significance of Elijah
With the dynasty of Omri (c. 876–842), the prophetic movement begins to assume a position of tremendous importance in Israel and Judah. Omri (reigned c. 876–869) reestablished Israel's economic and military significance among the Syrian and Palestinian minor kingdoms, so much so that years after his death the Assyrians referred to the northern kingdom as "the land of Omri." He is mentioned in the Moabite Stone of King Mesha (9th century bce) as a king who "humbled Moab many years." To strengthen an alliance with the Phoenicians, Omri contracted a marriage between Jezebel, princess of Sidon, and his son Ahab. The marriage proved to be fateful for Israel and was a catalyst that brought the prophetic movement into a course of action and a form that became Israel's contribution to Near Eastern prophecy.
The reign of Omri's son Ahab coincided with the activities of the prophet Elijah, as recorded in I Kings, chapter 16, verse 29, to chapter 22, verse 40. Ahab, under the influence of his queen Jezebel, allowed her to foster the worship of the fertility god Baal in Samaria—the capital that Omri had built—and in all Israel, even though he himself remained a worshipper of Yahweh. A temple was built for Baal in Samaria; Jericho was rebuilt (even though the ban against its existence still remained) by Hiel of Bethel, who sacrificed two of his own sons and placed them in the foundation and the gates of the walls of the city. During these apostate activities the great prophet Elijah the Tishbite appeared. A man of erratic behaviour, wearing a garment of hair with a leather belt around his waist, using uncouth language, and preferring the wilderness areas to the towns, Elijah bore many of the outward signs of social rebels. At odds with the court authorities, he began his prophetic career just prior to a retreat in the wilderness during a drought, which he had announced to Ahab, thus pointing out that Yahweh, rather than Baal, is the Lord of nature. In the desert he performed two miracles: he ensured a widow and her son of continuous food for her act of generosity to him and cured her son, apparently dead, who had stopped breathing, by stretching himself on top of the boy three times. Elijah then went to the court of Ahab at Samaria, after having met one of the leading prophets (Obadiah) who had escaped Jezebel's attempt to destroy the leaders of the cult of Yahweh, and stood before Ahab, accusing the king of being the "troubler of Israel" for having followed the cult of Baal. Elijah hurled a challenge to the Baalists, supported by Jezebel, to meet him in a contest on Mt. Carmel.
The contest between Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal was dramatic. Elijah first taunted the spectators, "How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." Elijah then laid the ground rules: two bulls were to be sacrificed, one each on an altar, on which firewood was to be laid, but no one was to light the fire—only the God "who answers by fire." The prophets of Baal had the first opportunity, and they prayed to Baal loudly for a full half day, until noon. During this time, Elijah, in coarse language, taunted them. Eliminating the euphemisms in most English versions of the Bible, Elijah mocked the Baalists by saying that Baal might not be responding because he was out urinating ("gone aside"), on a trip, or sleeping. The Baalists then attempted to use sympathetic magic. By cutting themselves they hoped that as their life blood flowed on the ground Baal would send rain, the life blood of the Earth.
When the Baalists had failed, Elijah rebuilt an old altar of Yahweh, poured water on the wood three times (perhaps a remnant of an ancient rainmaking ceremony?), and prayed to Yahweh to answer his servant; "the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." Though some authorities explain the action by suggesting that Elijah poured naphtha on the wood, this does not explain the ignition of the wood at that particular time and that particular place even if by a bolt of lightning. The Deuteronomic historian emphasized the miracle wrought by Yahweh. The people, upon witnessing the miracle, cried out, "Yahweh, he is God," and proceeded to annihilate the prophets of Baal.
Elijah told Ahab to complete the festivities while he went to the top of Mt. Carmel to perform another rainmaking ceremony. When the rains came in a cloudburst, Ahab was riding in his chariot in the Valley of Jezreel. Elijah, in fear of retaliation from Jezebel, fled to the southern wilderness. At Mt. Horeb (Sinai) after a storm, wind, and an earthquake, Yahweh spoke to Elijah through silence and then revealed that he should anoint Hazael to be king of Syria, Jehu to be king of Israel, and Elisha to be his successor as prophet. I Kings, chapter 20, records a war between Ben-hadad, king of Syria, and Ahab. Though Ahab was victorious, he did not kill Ben-hadad according to the provisions of the ḥerem (ban); and a prophet then informed Ahab that he would suffer for his inaction.
Upon Ahab's return to Samaria Jezebel attempted to coerce the king into confiscating the vineyards of Naboth of Jezreel, which was a Canaanite centre. Naboth asserted that as an Israelite the land was not his own but was a trust from Yahweh and that he could not sell it. Taken to court on trumped-up charges of blasphemy, Naboth was convicted and stoned to death. Ahab, following Jezebel's advice, then went to Naboth's vineyard and took possession of it. Upon hearing of Ahab's unjust act as king, Elijah proclaimed to him, "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood." The prophet also announced, "The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the bounds of Jezreel."
In I Kings, chapter 22, another prophet, Micaiah, prophesied to Ahab and to King Jehoshaphat of Judah who were preparing for battle against the Syrians that in a vision he saw "all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd." Micaiah was put in prison to test the validity of his vision. It turned out to be true—Ahab, even though he disguised himself, was mortally wounded by an arrow shot by a Syrian archer. In 850 he was succeeded by his son Ahaziah, who reigned for only two years.
Kings: the second book
The Second Book of Kings continues the history of the monarchies of Israel and Judah and of the prophetic movement. Ahaziah fell from an upper chamber of his palace in Samaria and sought help from Baalzebub, the god of Ekron. Elijah met the messengers to castigate them for not seeking aid from Yahweh, the God of Israel, and told a third delegation that had been sent out to return to tell Ahaziah that because of his apostasy he would die. After the death of Ahaziah, Elijah conferred his mantle, the symbol of his prophetic authority, on Elisha, and "Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."
The significance of Elisha
The stories of Elijah and his successor, Elisha, are of a different literary genre from the historical accounts of the political developments of the 9th century. The historical accounts are based on the viewpoints and biases of the monarchy, nobility, and military leaders. The stories of Elijah and Elisha are legendary, popular accounts, probably having arisen among the common people. They demonstrate the predilection of the common people to accent what appears to them as the miraculous and the supernatural, much as has been the case among many Roman Catholics and Eastern Christians in stories of their saints. Elijah was depicted, in several instances, as a second Moses—e.g., he fled to the wilderness to escape the retaliation of a ruler, and he encountered a theophany (manifestation of a deity) of Yahweh on Mt. Horeb. As Moses appointed Joshua as his successor, so also Elijah passed on his prophetic mantle to Elisha. Elisha is depicted in typical folk story embellishments and legendary motifs. The original beginning and ending of the Elijah story apparently was lost, but the Deuteronomic historian incorporated the popular accounts of Elijah and Elisha into the court history that gives scholars significant insights into the religious movements of the 9th century.
During the reigns of King Jehoshaphat of Judah (c. 873–849 bce) and King Jehoram (Joram) of Israel (c. 849–842), Elisha began his prophetic career. Elisha was unlike his mentor Elijah in many ways: he did not use uncouth language, he did not shun towns, he wore more fashionable clothing, and he used music to bring about the prophetic spirit—much as Saul had done earlier. A cycle of miracle stories arose around Elisha; he was said to have made bitter water sweet, revived the son of a Shunammite woman from death by breathing into his mouth and lying on top of him, helped a woman to avoid giving up her two sons to a creditor who would make them slaves, informed the Syrian captain Naaman how to be cured from his skin disease, and many other similar actions. In addition to being a miracle worker, Elisha was a political power. He prophesied the defeat of the Moabites as a result of a huge rainfall and advised Joram how to defeat Ben-hadad, king of Syria. By performing this last act Elisha instigated a revolt in Syria; Hazael murdered the sick and dying Ben-hadad.
Elisha sent "one of the sons of the prophets" to anoint Jehu, an army commander, to be the future king of Israel. Rushing in his chariot to Jezreel, Jehu exterminated Jehoram, the last king of the Omri dynasty, his nephew Ahaziah (king of Judah), who was visiting him, and the queen mother Jezebel, who "had painted her eyes, and adorned her head" before she was thrown out of the window and so mangled by the trampling of horses that "they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands." Jezebel's end had come about in a manner similar to the way in which Elijah had prophesied.
The revolution of Jehu was not only politically inspired. A driving force behind him was the arch conservative Rechabite faction, led by Jehonadab. Despising the Canaanites and their agricultural way of life, the Rechabites—descendants of the ancient Kenites of Midian where Moses had experienced the theophany of the burning bush—lived in tents, refused to drink wine, and attempted to retain as many of the accoutrements of the "good old life" of ancient nomadism as possible. With excessive revolutionary zeal they helped Jehu to annihilate the worshippers of Baal, who were tricked into coming to their temple and there murdered. To further emphasize their revolutionary intent, the followers of Jehu, in addition to the holocaust, made the site of the temple of Baal a latrine.
Because the king of Judah (Ahaziah) had been killed in the revolution—along with the remaining northern members of the house of Omri—the southern kingdom was ruled over by the queen mother, Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. In her zeal to propagate the faith of her mother, Athaliah seized the opportunity to destroy the line of David that tended to be loyal to Yahweh. Liquidating all the male heirs to the throne of David—except the infant Joash (Jehoash) who received asylum in "the house of the Lord"—Athaliah ruled for six years. With support from the priests led by Jehoiada, the army and "the people of the land" revolted, killing Athaliah and her high priest of Baal, Mattan, and destroying the temple of Baal.
In the north, Jehu was succeeded by his son Jehoahaz (reigned c. 815–c. 801), who, in turn, was followed by his son Joash, or Jehoash. During the latter king's reign, the prophet Elisha died. Though the Deuteronomic historian says little about Israel's next king, Jeroboam II, he was a major monarch, reestablishing the northern kingdom's ancient boundaries and fostering a period of economic prosperity. During the reign of Jeroboam II (c. 786–c. 746 bce), a time of both economic advances and social injustice, Amos, the great prophet of social justice, arose. During Jeroboam's last years another great prophet, Hosea, whose message centred on Covenant love, arose to call an apostate people back to their Covenant responsibilities.
The fall of Israel
After the death of Jeroboam II, however, Israel faced a period of continuous disaster; and no prophetic figure was able to arrest the steady internal decay. From 746–721, when Samaria finally fell to the Assyrians, there were six kings, the last being Hoshea, a conspirator who had assassinated the previous king. The Assyrian king Sargon II deported the leading citizens of Samaria to Persia and imported colonists from other lands to fill their places.
The fall of Judah
The southern kingdom of Judah, under the Davidic monarchy, was able to last about 135 years longer, often only as a weak vassal state. Hezekiah (reigned c. 715–c. 687), with the advice of the prophet Isaiah, managed to avoid conflict with or outlast a siege of the Assyrians. Hezekiah was succeeded by his son Manasseh, an apostate king who stilled any prophetic outcries, reintroduced Canaanite religious practices, and even offered his son as a human sacrificial victim. Soothsaying, augury, sorcery, and necromancy were also reintroduced. The Deuteronomic historian also notes that many innocent persons were killed during his reign. Manasseh was succeeded by his son Amon, who was assassinated in a palace revolution after a reign of only two years. His son Josiah, who succeeded him, reigned from 640 to 609 bce, when he was killed in a battle with the pharaoh Necho II of Egypt. During his reign, one of the most significant events in the history of the Israelite people occurred—the Deuteronomic reform of 621 bce. Occasioned by the discovery of a book of the Law in the Temple during its rebuilding and supported not only by Hilkiah, a high priest, and Huldah, a prophetess, but also by the young prophet Jeremiah, the Deuteronomic Code—or Covenant—as it has been called, became the basis for a far-reaching reform of the social and religious life of Judah. Though the reform was short-lived, because of the pressure of international turmoil, it left an indelible impression on the religious consciousness of the people of the Covenant, Israel, whether they were from the north or the south.
From 609 to 586 Judah felt the coming oppression of Babylon under King Nebuchadrezzar. After the death of Josiah, four kings ruled in Jerusalem, the last being Zedekiah, who failed to heed the advice of the prophet Jeremiah—who had attempted to persuade the king not to trust the Egyptians in a rebellion against Babylon because there would be only one loser, the House of David. Jehoiachin, the predecessor of the puppet king Zedekiah, had been carried off into exile to Babylon in 598; but about 560 he was released from prison, thus leaving a hope that the Davidic line had not become extinct. Despite this small element of hope, the year 586 bce marked the beginning of a tragic period for the people of Judah—the Babylonian Exile. During this period of rethinking Covenant faith, the prophet Ezekiel preached, both in Jerusalem and Babylon, offering the people hope for a restoration of the symbols and cultic acts of their covenant religion.


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College students with special educational needs possessing sturdy desire to study should their help Special Schooling Grants. Collaborative Professional Development (CPD) Project in Rural California Colleges – recruits and selects pre-service teachers who are bilingual and/or from underserved teams, paraprofessionals, and in-service academics to take part in professional improvement in the areas of Science Schooling and English Language Development. Each school certain student ought to make making use of for Federal grants a main a part of their seek for college funding.
As a result of many college students with disabilities spend most of their day in a general training classroom, Brownell said that each one teachers must be accustomed to analysis-based techniques used to teach reading to students with learning disabilities and to manage the conduct of scholars with psychological health issues. This $1.25 million five 12 months award, directed by Dr. Talya Kemper, started Fall 2013 and is funded by the U.S. Department of Training's Office of Particular Training and Rehabilitative Providers.
Fortunately, there are a variety of scholarship opportunities dedicated to serving to motivated faculty students meet the prices of their submit-secondary schooling. Under you will see that data on where to look for grants for a iPad and learn how to apply to them. The American Basis for the Blind has a lot of grants and scholarships for college students who're visually impaired.
To apply, you will need to acquire the Illinois Special Education Trainer Tuition Waiver (SETTW) Application/Instructing Settlement/Master Promissory Note (the applying) by clicking right here , or by requesting it from ISAC , eligible establishments or offices of Regional Superintendents of Schooling in Illinois, or state legislative and federal congressional offices.
When a brand new Illinois SETTW recipient is named, the college should provide ISAC with verification of the student's enrollment and program eligibility. States even have the discretion to supply providers to infants and toddlers who're vulnerable to having substantial developmental delays if they don't obtain applicable early intervention services. Services guaranteed embrace, early intervention, special training and associated services.

subset: commoncrawl


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We know what you're thinking, "It's already the 2nd week of the year! You're late!"
We think we're right on time. The holidays are REALLY over now. There are no more holiday leftovers in the fridge, the Christmas trees have been taken down, and the twinkly lights are all in storage (for some of us).
This second week of the year is when you dig in. It's back to work and back to school for most of us.
In that regard, we won't waste your time with a ridiculously long list of New Year's resolutions that you won't ever do. Instead, we thought a few mantras and motivational words would be more helpful in making 2015 your best year ever. We've also included a couple of desktop calendar wallpapers to keep you inspired all year long.
- Know that you might fail at a few things this year. However, you might also get everything you've ever wanted. Take that risk and find out.
- Work towards achieving balance in everything you do.
- Trust your instincts. It only feels stupid until you make it work. Then you become a genius.
- Stop waiting for "it" to happen. "It" is waiting for you to happen.
- Invest your energy, time, and money in new experiences. That is where inspiration comes from.
- You do not need permission to be successful.
- Don't hold anything back.
- Doubt is the cancer of ideas. If you don't fight it, your ideas will die before you can even work on them.
- Make your mistakes, ctrl/cmd-z, then make it better.
- Don't waste time not making/creating something good.
- Stop punishing yourself for things you can't control. Just learn and be better next time.
- Make your own fun.
Download B/W 4k (3840 x 2160px)


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Beautiful 1st Birthday Cake Pops images
Beautiful 1st Birthday Cake Pops illustrations or photos.
Crank out a sponge batter: Battle egg whites stiff, insert the sugar, then the egg yolks and produce the foam. Ultimately, gently stir the flour combined with baking powder. The dough is poured into a greased and sprinkled with flour pie design and style or tooth pan. Bake to begin with at A hundred ninety ° C. While the cake rises and is baked, the temperature should really be lowered to 175 ° C and baked for one more Twenty minutes. The cooled cake 2 times reduce towards give a few levels. The top layer on the tray and flip it utilized 50 % product cheese filling (good soil wholesale) in Two,Five dl milk lady prepare dinner sugar and vanilla. Although it boils, Cook the pudding blended with three tablespoons of chilly milk. Through cooling add rum or liqueur and stir from time to time.


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Wood Five Pocket Wall Mount Literature Display - Medium Oak
In Stock. Usually ships in 2 - 3 days
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Detailshttps://www.churchchairs4less.com/4330MO-SAF.html Wood Five Pocket Wall Mount Literature Display - Medium Oak
Item # 4330MO-SAF
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About Product
Almost too E-Z! Effortless organizing at your fingertips will be a great addition to any mail room, office, school or store Use compartments as a mailbox, material holder or stationary sorter The sturdy .75'' furniture grade compressed wood construction assures maximum strength and stability Hardboard shelves form twenty-four letter size compartments which hold up to 750 sheets Individual compartment shelves remove to expand compartment size Black plastic label holders complement finish Quick and easy assembly with precision engineered cam lock system.
Product Features
- Maximum visibility from scoop front pockets
- Durable with hardboard dividers and back
- Solid wood construction
- Mounted hardware included for set up
- Manufacturer's Limited Lifetime Warranty
Product Specs
- Width 11.25"
- Depth 3.75"
- Height 23.75"
- Weight 8 lbs
- Color Medium Oak
- Material Wood
- Brand Safco
- Manufacturer Part Number 4330MO
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I recently discovered a new breed of nail polish: UV-light cured gel polish that promises to last 3 weeks minimum AND allows busy-bees to run off into the wild with almost instantaneously dry nails!!! Where have I died in the last couple of years??? How did I not discover such a trend that has the entire world of nail fanatics buzzing??? Well, it's never too late to try them. I was not sure of how these manicures work, so I decided to go have a manicure and pedicure first before making my initial investments. I asked my local nail salon to do Bio Seaweed in Coral Reef gel polish on my toes and a mix of Shellac 02+17 colors on my nails (see 3rd pic below).
So obviously these new gel polishes got me hooked. I did my research and bada bing, bada boom I bought the whole "Basix" set of full size Gelish polishes which includes "pH Bond," "Foundation," and "Top It Off." I also bought 4 very popular colors in Ambiance, Forever Beauty, Gossip Girl, and Passion. Of course, gel manicures are not complete without a UV lamp. I even went to consult my dad as to whether UV lamps or LED-UV lamps are better in terms of limiting exposure to harmful UV rays. We've come to conclude that LED lamps are indeed better and I was able to buy this lamp at a decent price. Other accessories that you need are acetone, alcohol, buffers, cuticle pushers, nail clippers/file, wooden sticks, lint free wipes, and any other usual manicure supply.
The LED-UV lamp shown below is by USpicy and has 3 pre-set timers of 30, 60, or 90 seconds. There's also a count down timer. The device can be left on continuously, or can be activated using the "Start" button, or by motion detection which is phenomenal! lol The lamp is also spacious enough for me to spread my fingers completely including my thumb. It also comes with a manual and complimentary nail file.
Here is my Shellac gel manicure at 2 weeks. The photo is not edited other than for brightness, shadows, and exposure. You see how the nail polish grows out more. It's not that shiny anymore, but given that it's been 2 weeks, it's still not bad. Shellac has a problem of minimal color selection and they encourage users to mix polishes to make more novel colors… I don't really get this concept and the polish does not look even with 2 different colors because you can see that there are blotches of copper undertones.
Excuse my yucky dry cuticles from constantly washing my hands and sanitizing them with alcohol due to the nature of my work.
The above picture illustrates how Shellac gel polish comes off after 10 minutes of soaking in acetone. The polish becomes flakey and you can use a cuticle pusher or even your own nails to gently scrap off the residue.
After I washed my hands, you see that my nails are now really dried out from the acetone. There's also tiny little specks of polish left over, but no worries, we'll get rid of them later.
Next, clean, file/cut, buff, and push back cuticles as you normally would with any manicure. Apply a good hand cream, preferably with SPF to protect you hands from UV rays, and it will also keep them moisturized when you put on your protective gloves. I bought these moisturizing gloves and cut off the tips so that I can continue to work on my nails while the gloves protect the rest of my hand from UV light.
There are many tutorials on Youtube or just google "Gelish" which will give you step by step instructions on how to do your own DIY gel polish. Basically here is what I did:
1. Starting with clean nails, use "pH Bond" to dehydate nails. No need to cure* under UV/LED light.
2. Apply thin layer of "Foundation" and cure.
3. Remove tacky residue with lint free brush or wipe (I get mine from work – medical grade lint free gauze lol).
4. Apply thin layer of Gelish polish of choice (I used Forever Beauty) and cure.
5. Apply second layer of Gelish polish of choice and cure.
6. Apply "Top It Off" and cure.
7. Wipe off final tacky layer with alcohol (I use Quo by Orly Gels Cleanser)
8. Moisturize with cuticle oil (I use GraSPA's Tea Tree cuticle oil).
*Cure is a term used in pottery and it's been adapted to mean setting your polish under UV/LED light. Based on your lamp's wattage and type, your curing time may differ from others. If you're not sure, just set your timer for an extra cure. Supposedly, Gelish's products cure 10-30 seconds with LED light, but I just make it simple for myself and cure with 30s each time, and I give a final boost of 30s extra at the end.
Lastly, here is my Gelish polish in Forever Beauty!!! SUCCESS with my first DIY gel manicure! Remember to always keep your layers thin, if you mess up and there are pieces of hair or lint, don't worry, just continue on… the next layer will cover up everything! lol Just make sure you don't mess up the last 2 layers which are probably the most important to give that flawless look. You also want to make sure you don't go over the cuticles or get any of this stuff on the skin, so always scrape off excess with a wooden stick. The picture below really doesn't show the details of the polish, but it's a gorgeous peachy nude with shimmer!
Your polish has set! Now you're all done and carry on with the rest of your day with no worries of your manicure smudging or chipping!!! 😀


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FOR SALE - Alistair Brookman - THE 1961 PHILL HILL No.2 MONZA RACED FERRARI 156 SHARKNOSE.
THE 1961 PHILL HILL No.2 MONZA RACED FERRARI 156 SHARKNOSE.
Phil Hill, born in Miami Florida in 1927, became Americas first Formula One world champion in 1961. That year a new one and a half litre formula was introduced and Ferrari contested the championship with their new 156 sharknose. The team claimed five victories out of eight races of the season including the spectacular Ferrari 1-2-3-4 finish in the Belgium Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps with Phil Hill driving the winning car from pole position. The World Championship battle was fought that season between Phil Hill and team mate Wolfgang von Tripp but Hills three victories provided him the winning margin.
Ferraris successful season was marred by the tragic death of Wolfgang von Tripp following an incident during the penultimate race of the season at Monza.
The car had a 1,477cc all alloy V6 engine with double overhead camshafts, 2 valves per cylinder. Transmission was via 5 speed transaxle with air cooled clutch. The space frame chassis had inboard brakes and wire wheels.
The stunning build quality of this 1:12th scale model is obvious and the attention to detail sets Alistair Brookman as one of the best model builders in the world. The car comes with fully working suspension and steering and has two removable body sections which reveal the completely replicated interior. Note the use of aluminium, steel, brass and copper to the body and chassis. The cars sits on solid silicon rubber tyres set around steel wired wheels. The gear box sections, cam shaft covers and other parts of the engine are cast from aluminium. Then all parts joining faces are machined and holes are drilled etc. The body panels and seat are aluminium. Parts such as the chassis, suspension, pedals, gear change, radiator and wheels are made of brass. The other numerous small parts are either brass or aluminium. What the original car had, so will this model!
Alistair Brookman's models have been described in magazines as being eagerly sought by connoisseurs and investors alike. These models are serious works of art and wonderful representations of historically important Grand Prix Ferraris. His model making business comes from an obsession with Grand Prix racing, having raced cars himself and due to his work as an engineering draughtsman.
The models take about 6 months to make, on top of having to allow time for the preparations of the drawings, building of the jigs and patterns and so on. However, this example comes from a private source and is naturally already built. It is in excellent condition and is now for sale.


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Plumbing is a world in itself. Plumbing can be a confusing whirl of complicated equipments and laborious repairs. Plumbing can also be a wonderful vehicle for home improvement when you find what works for you. Read the tips below for a few helpful pieces of information to guide you.
If you discover a frozen water pipe, turn on a nearby faucet so that thawed ice has a place to go. This reduces pressure to keep the pipe from bursting, which could prevent a big mess in your home.
To keep your septic tank in good working order, it is advisable to have it pumped out every five years. This keeps the sediment from building in the tank, which can cause septic tank failure or backup into your house. Although having a septic tank pumped costs money, cleaning up sewage backup in your home will ultimately cost much more.
It is important that you do not pay a plumber in full, until all of the work is complete and satisfactory. You may have to put money down before they start working, but avoid paying the total amount until it's done. It will make you feel better knowing that your problem has been solved before parting with a large sum of money.
If your toilet happens to be clogged, and the plunger is not working, you can pour a bucket of hot water down the toilet, but be sure to pour it from a height that is waist level or above so you do not flood the bathroom. If the water goes down to a lower level again, then you should repeat the procedure.
In the plumbing arena, a number of tactics exist that you can use to improve your home plumbing. There is something doable for every home in regards to plumbing, but what could work for you might not for others. Think of these tips as a starting point in acquiring plumbing skills.Copyright 2018 , All rights Reserved.


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Manic Monday! Pinky Heads Back To The 80's After Meeting The Goldbergs Cast! 100th Episode Goodness!
October 30, 2017 Manic Mondays!, Pretty In Pinky
It's Manic Monday and Pinky headed out for The Goldbergs cast at the Paley Center. Sadly, half the cast didn't show, so it was a little disappointing for everyone, but those that did show, were really nice! Check out her recap below! Hello, my lovelies. Pinky


text: On 11/12/06, Fredrik Lundh <fredrik at pythonware.com> wrote: > Guido van Rossum wrote: > > > IMO it was an oversight. Or we were all exhausted. I keep copying > > those three classes from the docs, which is silly. :-) > > I'll whip up a patch. would the "embedded python module" approach I'm > using for _elementtree be okay, or should this go into a support library ? I'll leave that to the 2.6 management; I don't know what you're talking about and would rather keep it that way. :-) -- --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)


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John O'Doherty
John O'Doherty, BBS, was co-founder of Kelleher O'Doherty Solicitors in 1999.
John graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a degree in Business Studies.
He was an apprentice in Terence Lyons & Company Solicitors and was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Ireland in 1997. He holds a Diploma in Financial Services Law from University College Dublin.
John is a highly experienced and well regarded District Court Advocate. He has extensive experience in all aspects of Criminal Law practice and procedure, from minor road traffic offences through to serious indictable offences. He has acted in many high profile cases throughout the State for clients before the District Court, Circuit Court and the Central Criminal Court.
He is noted for his practical and astute approach to dealing with the most complex of issues on behalf of his clients. John brings this wealth of experience to his role as Head of our Business Crime Practice.
John is a Member of the Criminal Law Committee of the Law Society of Ireland, the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association and the Medico-Legal Society of Ireland.


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Samuel Taylor Coleridge quotes (English lyrical Poet, Critic and Philosopher. 1772-1834)
Thomas Jefferson quotes (American 3rd US President (1801-09). Author of the Declaration of Independence. 1762-1826)
Robert Green Ingersoll quotes (American Statesman and Orator, noted for his broad range of culture and his defense of atheism. 1833-1899)
Sam Houston quotes (American General, Lawyer and Politician, 1st president of Texas, (1836-38, 1841-44), 1793-1863)
Hunter S. Thompson quotes (American Journalist and Author, 1937-2005)
Edmund Burke quotes (British Statesman and Philosopher, 1729-1797)
Proverb quotes
Gloria Steinem quotes (American Writer and Activist. b.1935)
Dorothea Dix quotes (American Philanthropist and social reformer, 1802-1887)
Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes (American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)


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New generations of 3D post productions are emerging, using cutting-edge technologies in computer-generated imagery (CGI) and Live Action interaction to create stereoscopic 3D projects in high resolutions and large file formats. These stereo 3D projects are handled as efficiently as possible in post, to encourage program makers to embrace this new medium. Some of the most incredible results of new 3D post production possibilities are exemplified in the new documentaries, "Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough," and "Red Bull Rampage 3D: The Evolution."
On Sight (www.onsight.co.uk),leading UK-based HD and S3D specialists, renowned for using innovative technology, chose NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics solutions and SGO Mistika software for the post production, both in stereo 2D and 3D; - and for its first-ever 3D IMAX production, for the breath-taking documentary, "Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough." Produced by Anthony Geffen at Atlantic Productions and directed by Matt Dyas, a magnificent view of a prehistoric world is brought back to life, for airing on 3D television and the giant IMAX screen. Sir David Attenborough had a clear idea of the story he wanted to tell, but to shoot at a resolution suitable for both 3D television and 3D IMAX was a challenge.
The footage was shot in multiple, worldwide locations by Director of photography Tim Craggs, using the RED ONE camera in 4K.
The challenge was to bring extinct pterosaurs back to life using CGI while conveying the story in stereo 3D.
The location footage and CGI had to be carefully integrated, in particular for one of the final sequences where Sir David glides with a 50ft wingspan pterosaur. Utilizing NVIDIA high performance Quadro graphics processing units (GPUs) to drive Mistika's innovative stereo 3D technology for the many teams working together, the film's project goals were achieved, with striking results.
CGI and Live Action interaction proved to be the main challenges faced initially, as well as the high resolution, large file formats, and enormous scale of the project. The tight broadcast deadlines were overcome due to the remarkable speed and turnaround time of the combined NVIDIA/SGO hardware/software solution, resulting in delivering the highest quality work, and all of it on schedule.
Andy Shelley, COO at On Sight stated: "The Mistika platform powered by NVIDIA GPU technology gives us incredible flexibility, efficiency and speed within our stereo 3D workflow. It enables us to make real-time adjustments and enhancements to pictures, giving our clients the ability to see immediate results in the finishing suite. Mistika's incredible power in stereo 3D, in combination with NVIDIAs Quadro GPUs, has opened opportunities for filmmakers to create exciting content quickly and efficiently."
California-based Hi-Ground Media (www.hi-ground.com), recognized for creating some of the most captivating, immersive 3D content, produced the stunning Red Bull 3D action sports documentary entitled, "Red Bull Rampage 3D: The Evolution." Hi-Ground Media was responsible for the pre-concept, story development, production, and post. In association with Action 3D Productions, the production was directed by Mike McEntire and Wayne Miller, and led by Executive Producer Gregg Katano.
"Red Bull Rampage 3D: The Evolution" is about the story of five top riders from around the world, competing at the world's most extreme freestyle mountain biking event.
The documentary was captured in the rugged mountains of Utah in a variety of challenging weather conditions, including rain and sandstorms. Camera rigs were mounted with a variety of zoom lenses, including very long zooms, and high speed cameras with wide angle lenses.
The main challenge was the need for post production to adjust each shot with fast eye-matching tools, 3D geometric tweaks, and creative convergence choices. To achieve the depth and other 3D visual aspects, the system allowed for both interocular and convergence changes, which gave the ability to maximize the creative choices in both depth and dimension.
"Our most recent high profile 3D production, 'Red Bull Rampage 3D: The Evolution,' combined the highly functional Mistika system with NVIDIA's powerful GPUs," stated Ajay Relan, Director of Business Development / Partner at Hi-Ground Media. "Using this sophisticated software and hardware combination allows us to continue pioneering the media production industry."
The Mistika post production system is the cornerstone of many post production facilities and broadcasters around the world, providing creative tools for 2D and highly-developed Stereoscopic 3D workflows, and boasts real-time visual effects, color grading, graphics, text, painting and multi-format mastering. Mistika uses NVIDIA Quadro GPUs to accelerate the algorithmic computations involved in several visual effects, such as color corrections, rescaling, blurs, chromas and, of course, stereoscopic 3D representation and adjustments in order to achieve real-time editing grading and compositing. HP Z800 Workstations equipped with NVIDIA Quadro 6000 GPUs are frequently used to accelerate the 3D post production workflows
Miguel Angel Doncel, CEO of SGO states: "SGO's Mistika has been programmed to make maximum use of the GPU for some years now. The result of this is unrivalled speed, with many effects not requiring any rendering whatsoever." Miguel continues:"Mistika is a complete post production system that stands out, owing to its immense power and speed. NVIDIA's Quadro graphic cards, in combination with Mistika's leading-performance toolsets and capabilities, results in a winning formula, enabling Mistika to work at astounding speed without comprising quality, and all in real-time."
The visually stunning "Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough" stereo 3D production aired on SKY's recently launched 3D TV channel last December, with an upcoming 3D IMAX delivery launching this April. "Red Bull Rampage 3D: The Evolution" will be released later this year.
Image Courtesy:Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough, post produced at On Sight using Mistika, Courtesy of Atlantic Productions.
Red Bull Rampage 3D: The Evolution, post produced using Mistika, Courtesy of Hi-Ground Media, LA, US


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Winning Chess
Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld
229 pages
Batsford have increased their output of late and are now releasing vintage classics alongside new books. Both of today's offerings are aimed at improving club players and were written by experts in the field.
I don't know how many books were written by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld. The latter was described as ''Man of a Hundred Books'' by Arnold Denker in his ''The Bobby Fischer I Knew and Other Stories'' book but the real number is probably even higher.
This one is based on the premise that ''the proper use of combination play is the secret of winning chess'' and the authors present a considerable amount of positions, arranged by theme, for the reader to consider.
The examples cover a tactical cornucopia all the way from basic pins and forks to combined operations, surprise moves and, finally, complete illustrative games. In total, there are 332 tactical positions to solve and six full games to study.
Here's a couple of examples to try. Both are White to play and win.
I have deliberately avoided mentioning which chapter the examples have been taken from to make it slightly more difficult to solve them.
Winning Chess is a useful book for juniors and coaches. If the given examples are too easy to solve, then readers are already at a level higher than the book's wisdom can offer and they would be better off studying the Soltis book.
100 Chess Master Trade Secrets
By Andrew Soltis
216 pages
Andrew Soltis is a natural successor to both Reinfeld and Chernev. He already has a number of club player-friendly books out under the Batsford umbrella and this is very much in the same vein. It is aimed at a higher level than Winning Chess
This time, he offers advice in four key areas, split into the following (fairly self-explanatory) chapters:
Twenty Five Key Priyomes
Twenty Five Must-Know Endgame Techniques
Twenty Five Crucial Sacrifices
Twenty Five Exact Endings
Incidentally, priyome is a word from Russian, meaning strategic devices which depend on pawn structure. Here's a famous example, taken from 100 Chess Master Trade Secrets. The quoted notes should give an indication of the general style of the whole book.
Botvinnik vs. Gligoric
Moscow, 1956
''Black has just played ...Nh6. His goal is to occupy d4 with a knight. But there's a drawback: After 1 h4! Black cannot play 1 ...h5. The knight move is a priyome tipoff. When a master sees ...g6 and ...Nh6 he at least looks at h2-h4. It's simple pattern recognition.
There followed 1 ...d6 2 d3 Rb8. Black lacked an easy defense on the kingside because 2 ...Bg4 3 h5! Bxh5? loses a piece (4 Bxh6 Bxh6 5 g4!).
The game went 3 h5 Bd7 and then 4 Bxh6 Bxh6 5 hxg6 hxg6.
White played the dramatic 6 Qc1!. It's based on 6 ...Bxc1?? 7 Rxh8 mate. After the forced 6 ...Bg7 and 7 Rxh8+ Bxh8 8 Qh6 Black could have defended better with 8 ...Bf6 but lost after 8 ...Bxc3+ 9 bxc3 e6? White can mount a strong attack with 10 Kd2 and Rh1/Ng5.'' (1-0, 30 - Botvinnik's sole win with white against Gligoric).
It's good to see Batsford increasing their chess output. They still have a long way to go catch the trade leaders but they are making a determined effort to bridge the gap.
Both of today's books are offer entertainment and instruction and are best read in short bursts, with readers picking out four or five chunks at a time.


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I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and is getting off to a great 2011!
I've been 'off' for almost 2 weeks now and during that time, I've been mostly.....lazy. I have loads of laundry to still do and a couple of rooms and closets to de-clutter, but because I've been a bit under the weather with some whack stomach thing and just burned out from the holidays, I decided to hang back a bit on a few chores. HOWEVAH, I did manage to squeeze in some baking - well more than I intended, some decorating, and some party styling.
Here's how my holiday went:
I helped Thing 1 and Thing 2 make Santa sugary Sugar Cookies.
They did a bang up job.
I even made my Red Velvet Bundt Cake, but didn't get a picture of it in all it's glory - but I tried my best to get a picture of it before it was entirely devoured....
Then I stayed up all night wrappin' gifts!
And making sure that Sant's gifts arrived and were appropriately placed under the tree. I made Special Deliver Tags with the North Pole post mark with a lil' clip art found here
(Please excuse the quality of my photos - it was VERY early in the morning when I took these and I just couldn't.....)
Lucky little Thing 1 got just what she wanted for Christmas....
And insisted that we immediately try it out. Yeah.
So, there I was at 8 am in the morning pushing a teeny weeny cake through a plastic lightbulb oven.
It's been years since I used one of these things, but I don't remember the cakes being this big!
Here's my darling daughter's final product - I caught her before she went overboard on the sprinkles.
Very cute.
Here's a little montage of how I decorated for the holidays....
Our Red & Gold decorated tree (which I'm absolutely over - more on that later)
These were on the fireplace mantel
My coffee filter wreath a la Martha
Noisemakers that we found on the Island of Misfit Toys - not really but they do tend to cause mischief when their buttons are pushed - get it? buttons pushed......????
I don't think I have ever expressed this, but along with the Christmas Tree and it's red & gold color scheme, I'm also over my dining room chairs. They need some help - they're old and they are falling apart. I needed to give them something festive to add to my tablescape. I'd seen a picture in a magazine where they designer hung stockings on the chairs to use as a place card and gift. I decided to do that and then I added a sheer red bow to pretty it up.
This is our holiday table!
I swapped out some of my xmas decorations for a small New Year's Eve Cupcakes & Cocktails Station I set up at my house to toast us into 2011!
We did a very small celebration at home and I have a favorite Pink sparkling wine that I love. I took the idea of Pink Champagne and used that as the inspiration for my toasting station. I added black and gold because I thought they meshed well with the pink. Plus LOTS of gold for prosperity and black because I don't want to be in the red this year! Ha-ha!
I've used this tiered plate stand more times than I can count - but we used it to put Santa's Cookies on! Now, they show off Pink Champagne & Tuxedo Cupcakes. The gold tree was an after Xmas sale clearance find. I made cupcake wrappers using scrapbook paper and cut out shapes to make the tuxedos.
I designed some toppers and signs on my computer for decoration and added pink rhinestones for a bit of sparkle.
I borrowed the gold lace runner from my holiday table and the gold beads and ornaments came off of my Christmas tree!
These Pink Champagne Cupcakes are delicious. I just altered the recipe that I use for my Mimosa cupcakes and with a little dye - made them pink!
Remember how I said I was over the whole Red and Gold theme? I'm thinking that I'll work with these colors come December!
I'm already inspired!!!!