Mystery of Pella around 750 (Le Mystère de Pella en 750)
Israelites or Judaists who believed in Christ Jesus 2000 years ago fled to Pella in the south of Galilee Lake before the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE).
But, they disappeared from the surface of history, while Christianity was prevailing outside Judaist communities.
Pella
by Wayne Blank
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In one of His most famous prophecies, found in Matthew 24:1-44 and Luke 21:5-36, Jesus Christ warned the apostles, and through them, the early church at Jerusalem, of the coming fall of the city, and what they could do to save themselves:
"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it; for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. Alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! For great distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." (Luke 21:20-24 RSV)
This prophecy was dual. It was partially fulfilled in 70 AD, but it also clearly has an end-time application as well - it's going to happen again, just prior to The Return Of Jesus Christ, as the above verses continue:
"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:25-27 RSV)
The Christians in Jerusalem in 70 AD learned their lessons well. When they saw the Roman onslaught coming, they heeded Jesus' warning:
"Under the reign of Vespasian, Rome declared war against the Jews because of their repeated revolts, and General Titus besieged the city of Jerusalem 70 A.D. It is said that eleven hundred thousand [i.e. one million, one hundred thousand] Jews perished in the six month siege, but the church there escaped the horrors of the siege by following the instruction of Christ in Matthew 24, and fleeing to the mountains beyond the Jordan. This timely retreat was made to the small town of Pella." (Hugh Smith's History)
"In the fall of Jerusalem, few if any Christians perished. From the prophetic utterances of Christ, the Christians received warning, escaped from the doomed city, and found refuge at Pella, in the Jordan valley." (Hurlbut's Story of the Christian Church)
(Click to enlarge.)
Biblical ArchaeologySo, it is also around 750 that one epoch ended with Judaist followers of Christ Jesus gone into obscurity. And, from 750 as I found, 1260 years later as Newton calculated the Second Coming of Christ Jesus started, namely in 2010.
Pella
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Firm archaeological evidence of the refuge in Pella and return to Jerusalem remain inconclusive. The literary accounts are of limited value because of the speculative and highly redacted nature of Josephus, and the remote and hearsay nature of Eusebius and Epiphanius. Moreover, there is no hard evidence suggesting that they reported any more than the unsubstantiated traditions they encountered in the highly superstitious context of Byzantine Christianity.
Due to the influx of refugees to the area, Christianity began to take on a new importance in Pella during the decline of the Roman empire. As a result, the transition from Roman to Byzantine eras saw little change in the prosperity of the city. Pella sent bishops to the Councils in Ephesus, Chalcedon and Jerusalem to represent a population that had grown to over 25,000 by the 6th century CE. The East, West and Civic Center churches all date from this time period, as do a number of houses and shops and a cavalry barracks located on the east summit of Tell Husn.
Although the transition from Byzantine to Muslim rule occurred by a peaceful means -- a covenant agreeing to pay poll and land taxes in CE 635, Pella was already in decline. The late Byzantine period had seen a decrease in water supply, an invasion by the Persians, a devastating earthquake and an epidemic of bubonic plague. Once under Islamic rule, Fihl was once again established as the city’s official name and its influence in trade reduced to a modest regional role. Although the city was still inhabited as late as the tenth Century CE, it was the deadly earthquake of CE 747 that ended its long history as a city of major influence in the region.
http://www.bibarch.com/ArchaeologicalSites/Pella.htm
In addition, the earthquake in 749 that destroyed Pella was called the Seventh Earthquake.
The Seventh Earthquake (Hebrew: Ra'ash Shvi'it, literally "noise of the seventh"), also known as the Golan earthquake of 749, was a devastating Earthquake that struck the Levant on January 18, 749.[1][2] The cities of Tiberias, Beit She'an, Hippos and Pella were largely destroyed while many other cities across the Levant region were heavily damaged. In addition, the earthquake reportedly claimed tens of thousands of victims.Recently some Japanese took pictures of Pella:
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- Pella was completely destroyed.
- The death toll in Jerusalem numbered in the thousands. In addition, many palaces and churches were severely damaged, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A8%D7%A2%D7%A9_%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%AA
So, after the great earthquake around 750, Judaist followers of Christ Jesus lost their base in Pella. When they moved into a Christian region, they would become Christians. When they entered an Islamic domain, they would live as simple Judaists like other Judaists. The last remnant of Judaist followers of Christ Jesus eventually disappeared from the surface of history, though they must have preserved a pure and original style of living and believing in accordance with words Christ Jesus had directly delivered to His own people. So, the year 750 must be the starting point for Newton's calculation of adding 1260 to obtain the year of the Second Advent. Accordingly, we can get 2010 as 750 + 1260 = 2010.
In addition, Pella is a more interesting place, not only because its name was given after a home town of Alexander the Great but also because it has very old remains that could be traced back to the era of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Findings of a city wall and other structures, dating back to 3400BC and as early as 3600BC, show that Pella was a formidable city-state at the same time Sumerian Iraq was taking shape.
Although experts currently turn to Mesopotamia and Egypt when discussing the earliest centres of ancient civilisation, the northern Jordan Valley should also be given a mention, according to Stephen Bourke, University of Sydney professor and Pella project leader.
http://www.jordantimes.com/index.php?news=26973
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As public support for President Mr. Barak Obama is declining, in Japan the ruling DPJ is losing its support base.
It is partly because of inefficiency of the Kan Cabinet in restoration of the tsunami/radiation affected area. It is also partly because of a lack of patriotic feeling among the ruling party DPJ. And decisively, they have shown inability to fix deflation, the higher yen, energy issues, and national finance.
In the U.S., if Mr. Obama should lose the 2012 Presidential Election, it would take a century that a next African American is elected as American President.
In Japan, though Prime Minister Mr. Kan is going to resign in a few weeks, the era of socialistic and pro-Chinese/Korean regimes is going to pass forever.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.