rb marad, meaning “rebel.” Adding an “n” before the “m” it becomes an infinitive construct, “Nimrod.”

Even in Palestine, tablets have been found with this man’s name on them. He was obviously the most popular hero in the Ancient Near East.This face supposedly represents Huwawa who, according to the Gilgamesh’s Epic, sent the Flood on the earth. According to the story, Huwawa (Humbaba in the Assyrian version) was killed by Gilgamesh and his half man­half beast friend, Enkidu. The author suggests Huwawa is the ancient pagan perspective of Yahweh (YHWH), the God of the Bible. About 3 in (7.5 cm), this mask is dated to around the sixth century BC. Of an unknown provenance, it is now in the British Musuem. The Gilgamesh Epic The person we are referring to found in extra-Biblical literature was Gilgamesh. The first clay tablets naming him were found among the ruins of the temple library of the god Nabu (Biblical Nebo) and the palace library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh. Many others have been found since in a number of excavations. The author of the best treatise on the Gilgamesh Epic says: The date of the composition of the Gilgamesh Epic can therefore be fixed at about 2000 BC. But the material contained on these tablets is undoubtedly much older, as we can infer from the mere fact that the epic consists of numerous originally independent episodes, which, of course, did not spring into existence at the time of the composition of our poem but must have been current long before they were compiled and woven together to form our epic (Heidel 1963: 15).Yet his arrogance, ruthlessness and depravity were a subject of grave concern for the citizens of Uruk (his kingdom). They complained to the great god Anu and Ann instructed the goddess Aruru to create another wild ox, a double of Gilgamesh, who would challenge him and distract his mind from the warrior’s daughter and the noblemen’s spouse, whom it appears he would not leave in peace (Roux 1966: 114).The Epic of Gilgamesh has some very indecent sections. Alexander Heidel, first translater of the epic, had the decency to translate the vilest parts into Latin. Spieser, however, gave it to us “straight” (Pritchard 1955: 72). With this kind of literature in the palace, who needs pornography? Gilgamesh was a vile, filthy, man. Yet the myth says of him that he was “2/3 god and 1/3 man.”The Babylonian Flood Story is told on the 11th tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic, almost 200 lines of poetry on 12 clay tablets inscribed in cuneiform script. A number of different versions of the Gilgamesh Epic have been found around the ancient Near East, most dating to the seventh century BC. The most complete version came from the library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. Commentators agree that the story comes from a much earlier period, not too long after the Flood as described in the story.Gilgamesh is Nimrod How does Gilgamesh compare with “Nimrod?” Josephus says of Nimrod: Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah­a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny­seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his own power. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers! (Ant. I: iv: 2)What Josephus says here is precisely what is found in the Gilgamesh epics. Gilgamesh set up tyranny, he opposed YHWH and did his utmost to get people to forsake Him.Two of the premier commentators on the Bible in Hebrew has this to say about Genesis 10:9: Nimrod was mighty in hunting, and that in opposition to YHWH; not ‘before YHWH’ in the sense of according to the will and purpose of YHWH, still less,...in a simply superlative sense...



The name itself,points to some violent resistance to God...
Nimrod as a mighty hunter founded a powerful kingdom; and the founding of this kingdom is shown by the verb with consecutive to have been the consequence or result of his strength in hunting, so that hunting was intimately connected with the establishing of the kingdom. Hence, if the expression ‘a mighty hunter’ relates primarily to hunting in the literal sense, we must add to the literal meaning the figurative signification of a ‘hunter of men’ (a trapper of men by stratagem and force); Nimrod the hunter became a tyrant, a powerful hunter of men (Keil and Delitzsch 1975: 165).“In the face of YHWH” can only mean ‘in defiance of YHWH’ as Josephus and the Targums understand it (op. cit.: 166).And the proverb must have arisen when other daring and rebellious men followed in Nimrod’s footsteps and must have originated with those who saw in such conduct an act of rebellion against the God of salvation, in other words, with the possessors of the divine promise of grace (loc. cit.).After the Flood there was, at some point, a break-away from YHWH. Only eight people descended from the Ark. Those people worshipped YHWH. But at some point an influential person became opposed to YHWH and gathered others to his side. I suggest that Nimrod is the one who did it. Cain had done similarly before the Flood, founding a new city and religious system.Our English translation of the Hebrew of Genesis 10:8-10 is weak. The author of this passage of Scripture will not call Gilgamesh by his name and honor him, but is going to call him by a derisive name, what he really is­a rebel. Therefore we should translate Genesis 10:8-10 to read: Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a tyrant in the earth. He was a tyrannical hunter in opposition to the Lord. Thus it is said. ‘Nimrod the tyrannical opponent of YHWH.’Likewise, Gilgamesh was a man who took control by his own strength. In Genesis 10 Nimrod is presented as a type of him. Nimrod’s descendents were the ones who began building the tower in Babel where the tongues were changed. Gilgamesh is a type of early city founders. (Page numbers are from Heidel 1963)He is a “shepherd” .............. page 18From Uruk ............................. page 17 (Kramer 1959: 31 calls Uruk Erech.)A giant .................................... page 17 (11 cubits)Builds cities .......................... page 17Vile man “takes women” .... page 18Mighty hunter ......................... page 18Nimrod started his kingdom at Babylon (Gn 10:10). Babylon later reached its zenith under Nebuchadnezzar (sixth century BC). Pictured are mudbrick ruins of Nebuchadnezzar’s city along with ancient wall lines and canals.Gilgamesh Confronts YHWH The name of YHWH rarely appears in extra-Biblical literature in the Ancient Near East. Therefore we would not expect to find it in the Gilgamesh epic. But why should the God of the Jews rarely be mentioned? The Hebrew Bible is replete with the names of other gods.On the other hand, the nations sRosetta Stone Italian

mabbul, or by the context-defined generic term mayim, “waters.” There are no clear uses of t?howm, “the deep,” where it applies to the Flood. Missing this subtle exegetical detail has made it far too easy for English readers to see a mention of the Flood here, in so doing ignoring clear contextual clues that the whole of Psalm 104:1–9 refers only to the Creation.I also believe the other biblical passages make it clear that the common mentions of boundaries on the waters indicate these are poetic language equivalents for the narrative of Genesis 1:9. Since God obviously created mountains as part of the original antediluvian world (otherwise there would have been none for the Flood to cover, Gn 7:19–20), just mentioning mountains cannot, by itself, place verses 6–9 during the Flood. There must be other persuasive evidence to establish this.I do not think such persuasive evidence exists. The overall theme of the Psalm, its overarching context, is the Lord's care over all His works. The Flood was a judgment upon sin, a theme inconsistent with the dominant theme of praise. When one gets an overview of the structure of the entire Psalm, one notices this praise theme quite clearly. It begins, in verses 1–4, with praise to Him for calling the heavens and earth into being, and from there moves on to praising God for establishing the boundaries of the dry earth and sea (5–9), providing water for the animals to drink (10–13), praise for food for all creatures, for places to live, for all provisions for life.Psalm 104 actually appears to move through Genesis 1 in almost chronological order, starting with the mention of God clothing Himself with light (v. 2a=Gn 1:3), moving on to the stretching out of heaven (2b=Gn 1:6), and “the beams of His upper chambers in the waters” (3a) connects with Genesis 1:7–8. Logically this progression should continue, so we should expect verses 5–9 to be a praise having some direct connection with Genesis 1. I think this is apparent. Psalm 104:5 speaks of establishing the foundations of the earth. Establishing these foundations involved calling the earth into being, initially without form and void, covered “with the deep as with a garment” (6a) by the primeval waters of Creation. (Recall Job 38:9, where the Lord says he made a cloud the “garment” for the primeval waters. There is no place in Genesis 6–8 where the Flood waters are called a “garment,” which is to be understood in the positive sense of a protective covering.)The phrase “the deep” is also a clear reference to the primeval waters of Genesis 1:2. The Flood story in Genesis 6–8 never refers to the waters of the Flood as “the deep”; though it talks about the breakup of “the fountains of the great deep,” whenever the waters of the Flood are specifically referred to (not the fountains, where “of the great deep” is a modifier to make clear WHAT “fountains” are referred to), they are always spoken of as “the flood,” “the water,” or “the waters of the flood,” never as “the deep.” This complete covering of the planet by “the deep” extended even to covering the mountains (6b), a poetic word picture emphasizing that the entire land surface of the world was covered by “the deep” at this point. This is entirely consistent with our observation that Psalm 104 is mirroring Genesis 1, and has nothing to do with the Flood.In Ps. 104:7 the Psalmist moves on to the next stage, mirroring Genesis 1:9–10—the exposing of the dry land. “At thy rebuke they fled” is a poetic way of restating Genesis 1:9, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear.” God commands the primeval waters covering the planet to move so the dry earth can be exposed. To do so, He deepens a hollow on the surface of Planet Earth so the waters have a place to “gather” to. “The mountains rose; the valleys sank down” (8a) is thus best understood as a poetic way of expressing these geophysical changes, with no reference to the judging Flood of Genesis 6–8 intended. The use of the word “establish” in 8b hearkens back to Job 38, where the Lord was portrayed as a master builder doing planning, surveying and foundation-laying for the grand project of constructing the Earth.In addition, as seen in the various English translations above, there are solid contextual reasons to view the mention of mountains and valleys as parenthetical details to a primary emphasis in Psalm 104:6–9 on the moving of the primeval waters. The understanding that the antecedent of the clause in 104:8b, “unto the place which thou hast founded for them,” is not the valleys of 8a, but the fleeing waters of 7a. Verses 7a and 8b together constitute a completed thought—“at Your rebuke, the waters fled...to the place You established for them”—with 7b and 8a serving as minor clauses. Thus, the main focus if verses 6–9 is all about elaborating on Genesis 1:9.Finally, 104:9 has an even closer connection to Job. When the Psalmist wrote, “Thou didst set a boundary that they [the waters] may not pass over; that they may not return to cover the earth,” he parallels God’s words in Job 38:10:And I placed boundaries on it [“it” being the sea, referred to in verse 8],And I set a bolt and doors,And I said, “Thus far you shall come, but no farther;And here shall your proud waves stop.”Altogether, I think we can see that the primarily poetic nature of Psalm 104, its praise theme, plus the clear echoes of Genesis 1 and Job 38, points to Psalm 104 having no reference to the Flood, no mid-course change of context at verse 6. It is entirely a work of praise to God for His provision in Creation, including setting the bounds that kept the sea in its place. The mentions of mountains and valleys are poetic equivalents for the raising of the primordial continent out of the world sea as its waters were “gathered together” into the hollows He established for them.Proverbs 8:29, which speaks of the setting of the boundary of the sea, also sheds tremendous light on the meaning of Psalm 104:9, “Thou didst set a boundary that they may not pass over.” “They” in this verse must refer to the primeval waters of the Creation. The antecedent of “they” in 104:9 is found in 104:6, where the two parts of the verse are an example of Hebrew poetic parallelism. In 6a, the primeval sea is first called “the deep” that covered the earth; in 6b, the same primeval sea is called “the waters [which] were standing above the mountains.” Both parts of verse 6 are saying the same thing, just in different ways. It is because these boundaries are set on the primeval waters of the world sea, that “they may not return to cover the earth.” Verse 9b, although it easily brings to mind God’s promise to never again send a worldwide Flood, IN CONTEXT does not refer to the Flood, but only to the setting of bounds on the sea. So once again, applying the principles of systematic theology and allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture indicates that the poetic language of Psalm 104 is not to be understood as referring to the Flood.Tying it All TogetherIn this study we have observed that the passages in Job 38 and Proverbs 8, as in Jeremiah 5, all speak of “boundaries on the sea” in remarkably similar terms, strengthening the case that they all have the Creation in view. Let’s see all of these verses together:Job 38:10And I placed boundaries [choq] on it [antecedent yam, v. 8],And I set a bolt and doors,And I said, “Thus far you shall come, but no farther;And here shall your proud waves stop.”Prov. 8:29When He set for the sea [yam] its boundary [choq]So that the water would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth...Jeremiah 5:22For I have placed the sand as a boundary [g?buwl] for the sea [yam],



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setting the stage for a subsequent series of plagues

in which Yahweh manifests his power both to pharaoh and to Israel.17 Moses thus avenges pharaoh’s reproach of God by leaving him unnamed.Hoffmeier is certainly correct that Yahweh intended to demonstrate to the Israelites that he is the Lord their God (Exod 6:7), and to show the Egyptians that he is the Lord (Exod 7:5). However, Hoffmeier is not justified in suggesting that the absence of pharaoh’s name is motivated by a desire to exact revenge on pharaoh, since Exod 7:5 clearly states that Yahweh’s “message” was directed not toward pharaoh, but toward the Egyptian people. Moreover, the battle that waged throughout the days of Moses’ audiences with pharaoh was not between Yahweh and pharaoh, but between Yahweh and the gods of Egypt, who—during God’s invoking of the ten plagues—were proven to be powerless. The God of Israel himself said, “And against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgments—I am Yahweh” (Exod 12:12b). This conclusion is supported by the statement of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, who had just heard a first-hand account of all the events: “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; because in the very thing in which they were proud, he proved to be above them” (Exod 18:11). Jethro understood the point: Yahweh resoundingly won “the Battle of the Gods,” proving both to Israel, to Egypt, and to the rest of the Ancient Near East (hereinafter, “ANE”) that he alone is divine. b. Pharaoh’s Throne-Name Omitted in accordance with Contemporary Egyptian Historiography. If Moses did not omit pharaoh’s personal name for theological reasons, then why did he omit it? The answer is found in the historical development of monarchial terms. The dynastic title, “pharaoh,” derives from the word that literally means, “great house.” During Egypt’s Old Kingdom (ca. 2715–2170 BC), the word was used of the royal palace. Not until sometime during the middle of the 18th Dynasty, slightly before the reign of Thutmose III (ca. 1506–1452 BC), the father of Amenhotep II, was it used as an epithet for the Egyptian monarch. However, the standard practice of Thutmose III’s time was to leave enemy kings unnamed on official records. The campaign of Thutmose III against a rebellious coalition at Megiddo, instigated by the Empire of Mitanni, was fomented by the King of Kadesh (on the Orontes River), who—in The Annals of Thutmose III—merely was called, “that wretched enemy of Kadesh.” Moreover, when Egyptian scribes listed the booty that was confiscated after the Battle of Megiddo, they did not name the opposing king whose possessions the Egyptians plundered, referring to him only as “the prince,” or “the Prince of Megiddo.”19 The Amada Stele of Amenhotep II, which boasts of the king’s successful battles against seven Syrian tribes of Takhsi, identifies these foreign rulers only as “seven chieftains,” whose names are all left unrecorded.20 In the Memphis Stele of Amenhotep II, reference is made to his campaigns in Edom, Canaan, and Syria. All of the foreign kings whom he defeated, deposed, or killed also went unnamed in this victory stele. Mention was even made of the chieftains of Naharin (the land to the east of the Euphrates River), Khatti (the Hittites), and Babylon. Despite the prominence of these kings, they nonetheless remain anonymous as well.21 During the Ramesside period (ca. 1300–1100 BC), the singular term “pharaoh” was widely used, continuing to be popular until the late period. As Hoffmeier states, “From its inception until the tenth century [BC], the term ‘Pharaoh’ stood alone, without juxtaposed personal name. In subsequent periods, the name of the monarch was generally added on.”22 Therefore, Moses’ practice of omitting pharaoh’s throne-name next to the dynastic title, “pharaoh,” followed the standard practice of the day in ancient Egypt, not coincidentally the site of his literary training. Moreover, Moses also refrained from writing the names of other pharaohs who are attested in the Pentateuch, including the “good pharaoh” whom Jacob blessed and Joseph faithfully served (Gen 47:7). What theological reason could there be for omitting the name of this blessed pharaoh? Certainly the answer cannot be, “To keep him humble!”, since Moses wrote centuries after both this pharaoh and his dynasty had disappeared from the earth. Therefore, the exodus-pharaoh’s name was neither omitted for theological reasons, nor to discourage the curiosity of modern historians who desire to identify him. Instead, the exodus-pharaoh’s throne-name is absent for one reason alone: a skilled writer named Moses, born in Egypt and trained as a prince in all of the ways of the royal court of Egypt (Acts 7:22), followed the standard practice of his day by leaving unnamed the foreign monarch who assumed the role of a dreaded enemy of his own nation, in this case Israel. 2. Biblical Chronology: Precisely Dating the Exodus. Before proceeding, the exact date of the exodus must be established. The central text for this crucial historical event, 1 Kgs 6:1, connects the exodus to later Israelite history by noting that Solomon began constructing the Temple in the 480th year after the exodus, signifying an elapsed time of 479+ years.23 All but the minimalists agree that the counting of the 479+ years should begin with May of 967 or 966 BC, depending on whether one accepts Young’s or Thiele’s version of Solomon’s regnal dates.24 Thus the 479+ years began either in 1446 or 1445 BC, either of which can be substantiated by the Biblical text and harmonized with the conclusions drawn from the present work. a. The Case for Dating the Exodus to 1446 BC. A compelling argument for choosing 1446 BC is that the Jubilee cycles agree with this date exactly, yet are completely independent of the 479+ years of 1 Kgs 6:1. The Jubilee dates are precise only if the priests began counting years when they entered the land in 1406 BC (cf. Lev 25:2–10). The Talmud (‘Arakin 12b) lists 17 cycles from Israel’s entry into Canaan until the last Jubilee in 574 BC, which is 14 years after Jerusalem’s destruction by using the Tishri calendar, a statement also found in chap. 11 of The Seder ‘Olam, which predates the Talmud.25 Consequently, 1446 BC is preferred over 1445 BC.26 b. The Case for Dating the Exodus to 1267 BC.Some prefer dating the exodus to 1267 BC, interpreting “480th” figuratively. Actually, “Dating the period of the oppression and exodus to the fifteenth century B.C. has largely been replaced in favor of a thirteenth-century date.”27 One reason for this surge is an alleged superior correspondence with the historical and archaeological record, since (1) the earliest extra-biblical attestation to Israel’s presence in Canaan is the Merneptah Stele of ca. 1219 BC, and (2) no evidence of the Israelites in Canaan from ca. 1400–1200 BC even exists. However, late-exodus proponents should remember that there is also an “invisibility of the Israelites in the archaeology of Canaan between ca. 1200 and 1000” BC,28 so the extension of their invisibility by two more centuries should create no additional burden. Moreover, Millard notes by analogy that the Amorites are absent from the archaeology of Babylonia, as only the texts attest to their presence, yet no scholar doubts their impact on Mesopotamia’s history in the early second millennium BC.29 A second reason for this surge is that Rameses, the store-city that the Israelites built (Exod 1:11), is usually identified with Pi-Rameses, which flourished from ca. 1270–1100 BC and was comparable to the largest cities of the ANE, but was built only during the reign of Rameses II (ca. 1290–1223 BC).30 Shea rebuts that “Raamses” was used of the land to which the patriarchs traveled several centuries earlier (Gen 47:11), when no ruler bore the name



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at they were still in Egypt in the 13th century BC. Since we know from the Merenptah, or Israel, Stela that Israel was in Canaan early in the reign of

(Davis 2008: 153; Ray 2005: 99; Steinmann 2005: 499), placing the Conquest at ca. 1400 BC and the Exodus in the mid-15th century BC. The only explanation for Judges 11:26 from the late-date camp that I am aware of is that of Kitchen (2003b: 209), who claims that Jephthah did not know what he was talking about:Brave fellow that he was, Jephthah was a roughneck, an outcast, and not exactly the kind of man who would scruple first to take a Ph.D. in local chronology at some ancient university of the Yarmuk before making strident claims to the Ammonite ruler. What we have is nothing more than the report of a brave but ignorant man’s bold bluster in favor of his people, not a mathematically precise chronological datum.3. 1 Chronicles 6:33–37. As explained above, the genealogy of Heman in 1 Chronicles 6:33–37 results in 19 generations from the time of Moses to the time of Solomon. If we use the rule of thumb of 25 years per generation, we obtain 19 x 25 = 475 years, very close to the more precise figure of 479 years in 1 Kings 6:1. Proponents of the late date have not provided an explanation for 1 Chronicle 6:33–37, as far as I know.4. Ezekiel 40:1. As Rodger Young has pointed out (this issue, 115–17) this verse provides a precise date for a Jubilee year in 574 BC. According to Jewish sources, this was the 17th Jubilee. The first year of this Jubilee cycle was 622 BC (49 inclusive years). Going back 16 Jubilee cycles to when counting began brings us to 622 + (16 x 49) = 1406 BC, the year the Israelites crossed the Jordan and entered Canaan. Since this was exactly 40 years from when the Israelites left Egypt (Dt 1:3; Jos 4:19, 5:10), the date of the Exodus can be precisely fixed at 1446 BC, independently of 1 Kings 6:1. The late-date camp is yet to respond to this precise method of determining the date of the Exodus.Palace of Jabin King of Hazor, massively destroyed by fire in the second half of the 13th century BC. But which Jabin, the one of Joshua 11 or Judges 4? Advocates of a 13th century BC Exodus claim that it was destroyed during the Conquest under Joshua. This cannot be, however, because then there would be no city for Deborah and Barak to conquer in Judges 4 since Hazor was not rebuilt until the time of Solomon.Disagreement with Biblical HistoryA close reading of the context of Exodus 1:11 makes it clear that the 13th century model is incompatible with the Biblical narrative. If Hebrew slaves were involved in the construction of the new capital of Rameses II, the work would have started early in Rameses II’s reign, ca. 1280 BC. Using the 12-generation concept for the 480 years of 1 Kgs 6:1 places the Exodus just 13 years later in 1267 BC. It is not possible to fit the events between the building of the store cities and the Exodus (Ex 1:11–12:36) into a 13-year timespan.• Following the building of Pithom and Rameses the Israelites experienced a growth in population: “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread” (Ex 1:12), which had to have taken place over a considerable period of time.



This was followed by an escalation of the oppression (Ex 1:13–14)
Next, the king decreed that male Hebrew babies should be put to death (Ex 1:15–19). When the midwives ignored the order, “the people increased and became even more numerous” (Ex 1:20), again indicating a long passage of time.• Moses was born during the time of the ban on male babies.• At age 40 (Acts 7:23), Moses fled to Midian, during which time “the king of Egypt died” (Ex 2:23) and those seeking Moses’ life died (Ex 4:19).• After Moses’ return from Midian, the Exodus occurred when Moses was 80 years old (Ex 7:7).Thus, the building of the store cities in Exodus 1:11 had to have occurred over a century prior to the beginning of the construction of Rameses II’s delta capital, long before Rameses II was even born. The appearance of the name Rameses in this passage and in Genesis 47:11 are examples of editorial updating of a name that went out of use. After the construction of Rameses II’s capital, the area came to be known as Rameses from that time forward. Other examples of such updating are Bethel (Gn 12:8; 13:3; 28:19), Dan (Gn 14:14; Dt 34:1; Jgs 18:29) and Samaria (1 Kgs 13:32; 16:24).Plan of the royal precinct from the time of Moses. Within the enclosure wall were three palaces, F, G and J. The largest, G, was undoubtedly the official dwelling of Pharaoh when he was in residence at Perunefer. As the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Hansen 2003), Moses undoubtedly spent much time here, as well as in the capital city of Memphis. Proponents of the 13th century date for the Exodus once said that there was no royal residence in the eastern delta in the mid-15th century BC, so the Exodus must have happened in the 13th century BC when Rameses II had his capital there (e.g., Kitchen 2003b: 310, 319, 344, 353 no. 4, 567 n. 17, 635). Excavations in the 1990s put this objection to rest. (Adapted from Bietak and Forster-Müller 2005: 69.)Another strike against the 13th century scenario is Psalm 136:15, which strongly indicates that the Pharaoh ofRosetta Stone Italian

Israel and Judah until the Revolt of Jehu (931–841 B.C.)

in CAH 3.1.445–46; Gershon Galil, The Chronology of the Kings of Israel and Judah (Leiden: Brill, 1996) 14; McFall, “Translation Guide” 12; Eugene H. Merrill, “Fixed Dates in Patriarchal Chronology,” BSac 137 (1980) 241. [27] Rodger C. Young, “Three Verifications of Thiele’s Date for the Beginning of the Divided Kingdom,” AUSS 45 (Fall 2007), forthcoming. For the Tyrian data, see Barnes, “Studies” 29–55. For more on the verification from the Jubilee and Sabbatical cycles, see below, sec. I.3.d. [28] Young, “Tables of Reign Lengths” 232–33, 239–44. See also the discussion in n. 15 above. [29] Umberto Cassuto, The Documentary Hypothesis and the Composition of the Pentateuch (Jerusalem: Magnes, 1961) 52, cited in Wood, “Rise and Fall” 486. Neither Hoffmeier nor Hawkins, in their responses to “Rise and Fall,” deal with the statement that Cassuto’s study shows that the manner in which the 480-year figure in 1 Kgs 6:1 is given shows that it is “to be understood as a precise number according to standard Hebrew usage, not as a schematic or symbolic number as some would have it” (Wood, 486). [30] Young, “Solomon” 599 n. 10. [31] Ibid. 599–603. [32] Steinmann, “Mysterious Numbers of Judges” 491 n. 2. [33]“Tables of Reign Lengths” 246 (Table 2). [34] For the date, see Young, “Jerusalem” 25–28, in which the dates for the fall of Jerusalem in 587 and Ezekiel’s vision in 574 are established by examining all relevant texts, independently of any argument based on the Jubilee cycles. [35] This has been amply demonstrated by historical, textual, and practical considerations. See Young, “The Talmud’s Two Jubilees and their Relevance to the Date of the Exodus,” WTJ 68 (2006) 75–77; idem “Ezekiel 40:1 as a Corrective for Seven Wrong Ideas in biblical Interpretation,” AUSS 44 (2006) 275 n. 15. That the Jubilee was identical to the seventh Sabbatical year is also the conclusion of Jean-François Lefebvre, Le Jubilé Biblique: Lv 25 — Exégèse et Théologie (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2003), 154–66. Lefebvre’s book is the most thorough analysis of the Jubilee legislation that has yet appeared in print. Prior to this, the two most important publications on the Jubilee were Benedict Zuckermann, A Treatise on the Sabbatical Cycle and the Jubilee (New York: Hermon, 1974; German original Ueber Sabbatjahrcyclus und Jobelperiode [Breslau: W.G. Korn, 1857]), and Robert North, Sociology of the biblical Jubilee (Rome: Pontifical biblical Institute, 1954). Zuckermann and North both concluded that the Jubilee cycle was forty-nine years, although their reasoning in this matter differs somewhat from that of Lefebvre. [36] Young, “Solomon” 601. [37] S. Olam 11; b. Arak. 12a. [38] S. Olam 24; b. Meg. 14b; Young, “Talmud’s Two Jubilees” 71–75. [39] Ibid. 77. [40] Rodger C. Young, “Seder Olam and the Sabbaticals Associated with the Two Destructions of Jerusalem: Part II” Jewish Bible Quarterly 34 (2006) 252–54. [41] S. Olam 30; t. Ta‘anit 3.9; y. Ta‘anit 4.5; b. ‘Arakin 11b; b. ‘Arakin 12a; b. Ta‘anit 29a. Some translations of these passages into English mistranslate the passage to say that the burning of the First and Second Temples occurred in the year after a Sabbatical year. For a discussion of the proper translation of the Hebrew of the Seder ‘Olam and the Aramaic of the Talmud, see Rodger C. Young, “Seder Olam and the Sabbaticals Associated with the Two Destructions of Jerusalem: Part I” Jewish Bible Quarterly 34 (2006) 176–78. [42] Young, “Seder Olam and the Sabbaticals, Part II” 256. [43] For the details, which are complicated by the perennial question of whether there were one or two invasions of Sennacherib, see Young, “Seder Olam and the Sabbaticals, Part II” 256–57. Under the one-invasion theory, the invasion would have ended some time after the fall planting in 701 bc and the “second year” of the prophecy would have started in Tishri of 700 bc. Under the two-invasion theory, the invasion would have ended some time after the fall planting of 687 bc and the “second year” of the prophecy would have started in Tishri of 686 bc. [44] Young, “Three Verifications” forthcoming. In 1869, Ferdinand Hitzig (Geschichte des Volkes Israel [Leipzig: S. Hirzel, 1869] 1.9 and 198–99) stated that the occasion for Jehoshaphat’s proclamation was because it was a Jubilee year. [45] In spite of the miraculous deliverance from the Assyrian host, it still would have been a trial of faith for the king and people to believe that, after the difficulties of the siege, they would be able to survive in the following year if there were no sowing or harvest. This would make it very tempting to plant a crop in the coming Sabbatical year. The meaning of the “sign” of Isa 37:30 must be that the people were to keep the Sabbatical year in spite of the perceived difficulty, and their needs would be met. The way the provision was made seems to be indicated in 2 Chr 32:22–23, where the Lord, after the destruction of the Assyrians, “took care of them on every side. Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah” (NIV). Those offerings could have included grain and other food from Egypt, because Egypt had not been ravaged by the Assyrians. Egypt would have been very grateful for the defeat of the Assyrians by the God of Israel; their remembrance of the event persisted, in garbled form, until the days of Herodotus (Hist. ii.141). Gifts of monetary value could have been exchanged for foodstuffs during the Sabbatical year, so that God’s people were provided for “on every side.” [46] “Propositions” 33. [47] Ibid. 34. [48] Which Hawkins alludes to (ibid. 37). [49] William G. Dever, “Cultural Continuity, Ethnicity in the Archaeological Record and the Question of Israelite Origins,” EI 24 (1993) 22*–33*. [50] Amihai Mazar, “The Iron Age I,” in The Archaeology of Ancient Israel (ed. Amnon Ben-Tor; New Haven CT: Yale University Press, 1992) 295. [51] Volkmar Fritz, “Conquest or Settlement? The Early Iron Age in Palestine,” BA 50 (1987) 97. [52] Judg 6. Steinmann dates the Midianite oppression to 1178–1172 bc (“Mysterious Numbers of Judges” 499), while Ray dates it to 1185–1178 bc (“Another Look” 99). [53] This is the period of the transition from the urbanized Late Bronze Age to the small agricultural villages of the Iron Age I. The collapse of urbanism was experienced throughout the Mediterranean, but its cause is not well understood. For a review of the situation in Greece, see Christos G. Doumas, “Aegeans in the Levant: Myth and Reality,” in Mediterranean Peoples in Transition: Thirteenth to Early Tenth Centuries BCE (eds. Seymour Gitin, Amihai Mazar, and Ephraim Stern; Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1998) 129–30. [54] Adam Zertal, “An Early Iron Age Cultic Site on Mount Ebal: Excavation Seasons 1982–1987,” Tel Aviv 13–14 (1986–1987) 157–58; idem, “Has Joshua’s Altar Been Found on Mt. Ebal? BARev 11.1 (1985) 26–43. [55] “Propositions” 37. [56] Adam Zertal, “Ebal, Mount,” OEANE 1.180. [57] Zertal, “Cultic Site” 109–123. [58] “Propositions” 36. [59] Kitchen, for example, dates the exodus to 1260 bc and the conquest to 1220–1210 bc, the end of the Late Bronze Age (On the Reliability 159, 307, 359). James Hoffmeier favors slightly earlier dates, with the exodus at 1270–1260 bc and the entry into Canaan 1230–1220 bc (“Response to Wood” 243). Richard Hess places the entry in the 13th century, sometime prior to 1207 bc (Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary [TOTC; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1996] 139. [60] Bryant G. Wood,

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10 Mar 11 Aamir’s New Avenue

Aamir’s New AvenueBy: Shravan kumar .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet Remember the nimble little boy who played Arjun Rampal’s son in SRK-starrer Don? Rampal’s onscreen son Tanay is now set to do another Bollywood act with none other than Aamir Khan in the latter’s home production Taare Zameen Par.The central character of the film is played by a child named Darsheel Safary, who is a product of Shiamak Davar's dance academy SDIPA. Shiamak, who has choreographed two songs of Taare Zameen Par, is more than thrilled to have his student playing a pivotal role in this film. The songs have been done in a ten-day shoot stint at pleasant locations in Panchgani. His students have earlier been seen in Bollywood flicks like Dhoom 2, Bunty Aur Babli and Dil To Pagal Hai.Taare Zameen Par is a children’s movie directed by debutante Amol Gupte under the Aamir Khan Productions banner. The film talks about the relationship between a teacher and his student. Reportedly, Aamir has put his all into this film, as it will be his only film in 2007.On the other hand, Aamir Khan is also ing in a tri star ceremony. It includes Zayad Khan and Sunil Shetty and Aamir Khan itself. The tri-bination has e together for the first time to participate in the memorative walk with Montessori school children.The event was organized to generate awareness about Montessori method of learning. Eight Montessori schools from Mumbai conducted a walk down Haji Ali. Zayed Khan came with his wife Mallaika. Being nostalgic about his school he shared his childhood memories with kids.Aamir and Suniel Shetty played with kids and enjoyed walking with the tiny tots. Actor Om Puri also participated in the memorative walk.Therefore, despite doing movies, Bollywood super star Aamir Khan, are busy in other activities in his life. Infact, he is searching new avenues for himself.REPRINT RIGHTS statement: This article is free for republishing by visitors provided the Author Bio box is retained as usual so that all links are ActiveLinkable with no syntax changes.Article Source: abcarticledirectoryAuthor Shravan Kumar is associated with Aamir Khan, click here for hot aamir khan pictures.Note: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Shravan kumarRetargeting by ChangoDid You Like This Article? Share It With YourFriends!Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 of Ratings = 1 Rating = 55 Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Movies Film via RSS!Additional Articles From - Home Arts Movies FilmWhy Calibrate your High Definition TV?- By : Robert ShefferSweet Phone - By : Tim Webb.Find out Home Theater Methods! What You have Been Missing in Your TV and Movie Encounter.- By : Joesph MellbergPreparing and Setting up a Home Theater system is Easier Than you Think!- By : Zachariah DivensGrown Ups 2010 Movie In Review- By : Elenor CherryCamera Crew Hire- By : Mark A. WilsonReview of Drive Angry Movie- By : Gursel BatmazReturn Of The Horror Legend: Scream 4- By : Gursel BatmazMovie Review: Clash Of The Titans Leaves Audiences Wanting- By : Elenor CherryRed Riding Hood The Movie- By : Gursel Batmaz Still Searching? Last Chance to find what you're looking for. Try using Bing Search!

5 Mar 11 10 Effective Ways To Promote Your Affiliate Programs

10 Effective Ways To Promote Your Affiliate ProgramsBy: James Woolley .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet Promoting affiliate programs can undoubtedly produce great financial returns, but unfortunately most people never see these kinds of returns because they never figure out how to effectively promote their affiliate programs. Well this article will hopefully solve this problem as listed below are ten of the best methods you can use to start earning regular affiliate commissions.1. ForumsForums are one NHL Shop
the most effective ways of marketing your affiliate programs if done correctly. By posting in relevant forums that allow sig files (where you can link to your own affiliate site, or directly to the product you are promoting if this is allowed) you can reach a targeted audience quickly and easily. As long as you post constructive comments, then you should see plenty of people clicking on your sig files to learn more about you, and the products you are promoting.2. ArticlesWriting articles is another cost-effective way of reaching your targeted market. By writing quality articles (that contain your resource box where you can link to your affiliate site) and submitting them to the various article directories, you can gain enormous exposure for your offers. A few people will come across your article in the article directories themselves, but it's when website owners and ezine publishers pick up your article that you can really reach a massive target audience.3. Press ReleasesPress releases are similar to articles in that they provide a quick and easy way of reaching a large target audience. They can best be used when you have something newsworthy to say about either your own site or the actual products you are promoting. All you do is write the press release (in a journalistic style) and submit it to one of the larger online (or offline) press agencies.4. Search Engine OptimizationThis is probably the optimal form of promotion, but it's also the most time-consuming, and it can take many months before you start to see any results. Nevertheless, if you can take time to optimize your website, and gain a lot of backlinks to your site using relevant keywords (including long-tail buying keywords) as the anchor text, you can receive a lot of traffic to your website when you start to obtain high search engine rankings.5. Pay Per Click AdvertisingThis is a highly effective way of promoting your affiliate programs, either directly, or by using your own website to pre-sell the visitor. Pay per click advertising gives you the ability to advertise on the first few pages of results of the search engines for the exact keywords that you choose, so it's no wonder that so many affiliates swear by this form of advertising. The main thing to remember is that you have to keep testing as much as possible and make sure you don't spend too much per click on any of your keywords, so you maintain a positive return on your investment.6. Advertising On Other WebsitesYou can buy advertising space or text links from numerous websites in all types of niches, so there's plenty of Philadelphia Flyers jersey
opportunity to advertise your offers on other websites. The only downside is that it can be tricky finding websites that will give you a positive return on your investment, but if you can do this then there's definitely good profits to be made.7. Free Reports And EbooksWriting free reports and ebooks provide an excellent opportunity to access your target market, particularly if you add a viral aspect to them. All you do is write your own content, based around the product you are promoting, and include your affiliate links within this content. If your information is of a high quality, you can get massive exposure for your affiliate links as people pass it on to other people, and share it with their list of subscribers if they have one.8. BlogsPromotional blogs are a modern and extremely effective way of promoting your affiliate programs. Because they often contain fresh content on an ongoing basis, they are loved by the major search engines, and can therefore attract high levels of traffic.9. Email MarketingAdvertising in relevant ezines has traditionally been a good way of promoting affiliate programs. Although not as effective as it once was due to strict spam filters, a well-written solo ad or an attention-grabbing classified ad in a targeted high readership ezine can still get great results. For best results, however, you should aim to build your own list of subscribers so you can send out your emails whenever you want, and can actually build a relationship with your list, which will increase your affiliate sales.10. Offline AdvertisingThis is the final of form of advertising I want to discuss. Most online marketers ignore offline advertising completely, but there's no doubt that offline advertising still works, and can even outperform online advertising in some cases. Business cards, flyers, magazine and newspaper advertising are just some of the ways you can effectively promote products offline.Article Source: http://www.shop-on-sale.com James Woolley is a full-time marketer who runs a number of profitable websites. His latest site is essentially an affiliate program directory that reveals his best high paying affiliate programs.Note: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, James WoolleyRetargeting by ChangoDid You Like This Article? Share It With YourFriends!Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 Not yet Rated Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Affiliate Programs What Cloth Diaper Provides The Top Match For Newborns?- By : mirtagaylWhat is Flyers jersey
Affiliate Marketing and Why You Should Do It?- By : James A AndersonEarning Money Quickly With Email Marketing - True or False?- By : chad buistMoney Creating Tips For Individuals Involved In An Online Affiliate Marketing Home Business- By : Johnny BarrellGlobal Success Club And How To Make Money Online- By : Don SeanMake Cash Over The Internet With Affiliate Marketing- By : Leroy WheelerWhich Affiliate Networks To Look Out For When Promoting ?- By : Elsa Braxton Still Searching? Last Chance to find what you're looking for. Try using Bing Search!

24 Jan 11 Texas Tech-Iowa State: Take Cyclones at Home Over Red Raiders

Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesThe Texas Tech Red Raiders and Iowa State Cyclones will meet for the ninth time this Saturday. Each team is in desperate need of a conference win, as both dropped their openers.Iowa State enters with a 2-2 record, but one of those wins was over FSC member Northern Iowa last week 27-0. Texas Tech has had two weeks to prepare for ISU following a disappointing 10-point loss to rival Texas.The college football lines show that the Red Raiders are a 7.5-point favorite.Texas Tech was showcasing a high-powered Atlanta Falcons jersey
offense once again until the Texas Longhorns defense came along. The Red Raiders were held to just 14 points. They are still averaging nearly 34 points per game, ranking 38th in the country.QB Taylor Potts won the starting job in camp over Steven Sheffield and has played well for the most part. He has passed for 810 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions. Sheffield has attempted just eight passes in three games.The running game could be more productive for Tommy Tubervillebunch. Baron Batch has not produced up to his standards early on. He leads the team in rushing with 121 yards on 32 attempts and two touchdowns. Eric Stephens is second on the team with 88 yards and two scores.The Red Raiders rank 116th in rushing yards per game at 70. Tech has always been known as a passing team, but they do usually have a little more balance.Lyle Leong is having an All-Big 12-caliber year, catching 20 passes for 251 yards and six touchdowns. He should have an opportunity to put up large numbers against a suspect Iowa State secondary. Detron Lewis is another favorite target and has 15 receptions for 165 yards.Austen Arnaud is set to return as the starting quarterback for Iowa State this weekend. Jerome Tiller played against UNI and led the Baltimore Ravens jersey
Cyclones to only 210 total yards.Arnaud has frustrated fans with costly interceptions over the years, but he still is the best option that the team has at this point. The senior quarterback is completing 57 percent of his passes for 590 yards and two touchdowns with five interceptions. Tiller is a better runner but struggles to move the ball through the air.Alexander Robinson is quietly putting together a fine season with 301 yards rushing and three touchdowns. He is averaging close to five yards per carry and is the biggest offensive threat the Cyclones have to offer. Former walk-on Jeff Woody has started to see more action in the backfield and is a good goal line option.TE Collin Franklin is the top target catching the ball. He has snagged 15 passes for 152 yards. Darius Darks leads all receivers with 12 receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown. Darius Reynolds is the big play receiver who is averaging over 14 yards per catch.Iowa State offense ranks near the bottom in the NCAA, and they will need to score some points to stick with a strong Texas Tech squad.Texas Tech has owned Iowa State over the years, winning seven of the eight meetings between these two schools. The Red Raiders have scored no less than 42 points in each of the last three games against the Cyclones. Iowa Statedefense is better than people give them credit for, and while Techoffense is still very good, it is not as good as past years.If the 'Clones want to return to a bowl for a second straight year, they must win this game. Buffalo Bills jersey
Matchups with Utah, Oklahoma, and Texas really place an emphasis on the Texas Tech game. Take the points to the bank.Play: Iowa State +7.5 Get expert football picks from the team at Locksmith Sports. Jimmy Boyd and company provide winners on a consistent basis to help you win money.

22 Jan 11 RB Mikel Leshoure, Illinois Fighting Illini Defeat Northern Illinois Huskies

LeShoure led the Illini with 180 rushing yards against the Huskies in Week 3.Dilip Vishwanat/Getty ImagesIllinois running back Mikel Leshoure ran for 180 of Illinois 319 rushing yards and one touchdown, leading the Fighting Illini past the Northern Illinois Huskies 28-22 on Saturday. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase also ran for 115 yards and one touchdown, combining with Leshoure to account for 295 of the team319 rushing yards and two of the teamthree rushing touchdowns. The junioris living up to the hype he received in the offseason, showing potential toReebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
become one of the best running backs in the Big Ten. Northern Illinois, led by quarterback Chandler Harnish117 rushing yards and 208 passing yards, fell to 1-2 on the season after the loss. The Illini opened the scoring when Scheelhaase leaped into the end zone during a rushing attempt,putting the Illini ahead early in the first quarter. The Huskies stormed back scoring 12 unanswered points, having one PAT blocked and missing the other. This was also the last time the Huskies led on Saturday. The Illini responded, with a field goal from kicker Derek Dimke and a touchdown by running back Jason Ford followed by a two-point conversion from Scheelhaase, to take an 18-12 lead into halftime. The crowd was silenced in the third quarter when sophomore guard Hugh Thornton lay motionless on the field after taking a helmet to the back of his neck.The 6'5" Thornton had to be carted off the field and taken to the hospital. It was reported after the game that all tests came back negative and he was able to move his extremities. The Illini defense, despite giving up 390 yards of Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
offense, stepped up and made stops when they needed them. Ron Zook put his job on the line, going for a 4th-and-1 at the Ilini's own 46, aftera Huskies' touchdown cut Illinois leadby two, 21-19. Leshoure not only converted the fourth down, but also capped off the drive with a touchdown runto put Illinois ahead late in the fourth quarter. Northern Illinois kicked a field goal to make it a one score game, but the Illini defense held strong and stopped the Huskies' final drive, giving Illinois the victory.

18 Jan 11 NC State at Georgia Tech: Lay the Points with the Yellow Jackets

Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesACC play will begin for the upstart North Carolina State Wolfpack this weekend when they travel to Georgia Tech and take on the Yellow Jackets.Georgia Tech got back on the winning side of things with a 30-24 road win over a depleted North Carolina team. The Wolfpack controlled the entire game Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
against Cincinnati last Thursday and were never seriously challenged in a 30-19 win. Tom OBrienteam has started 3-0 for the first time in his four year tenure.The Yellow Jackets are an eight point favorite according the college football odds makers.North Carolina State has been the surprise team of the ACC to this point. The conference as a whole has taken a beating by analysts for their lack of impressive non conference wins this season.Russell Wilson has thrown his name into the dark horse Heisman contender list. The multi-sport athlete at NC State has thrown for 744 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions. Wilson is coming off a season in which he threw 31 touchdown passes and is one of the top players in the nation that not many have heard about.True freshman Mustafa Greene has been a nice addition to the backfield, gaining 174 yards and scoring three times. He has been used with Dean Haynes to give the Wolfpack offense some balance. Five players have at least eight catches in this spread offense.George Bryan leads the team with 10 receptions and has one touchdown. Jarvis Williams is the big play threat with eight catches for 163 yards. TE TJ Graham is effective running routes over the middle and is tied for the team lead with two touchdown catches.Wilson is veryReebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
good at getting all his offensive players involved and not keying on one or two particular players. The defense has been especially strong against the run, holding all three opponents to under 100 yards on the ground. That streak will end this weekend, but containing the run will be vital if the Pack want to pick up a win.Paul Johnsonteam rebounded nicely against North Carolina after their upset loss at Kansas as a heavy favorite.Granted, they werenplaying the full Tar Heel squad thought to be sent out on the field each Saturday but it was still a nice win. QB Josh Nesbitt has been a man on a mission with eight total touchdowns and nearly 500 yards accounted for. He has completed just nine passes in 25 attempts, but is averaging over 20-yards-per completion.Tech thrives on the triple option giving multiple backs the opportunity to carry the ball. Anthony Allen is second on the team in rushing behind Nesbitt with 232 yards on the ground. Roddy Jones is another key part of this offense and has gained 97 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns. The Jackets as a team average more than six yards per attempt and have already gained more than 1000 yards rushing.Defensively, Georgia Tech has looked suspect at times against average offenses. They will get their first taste of a high-powered passing attack that will test their secondary.The home team has dropped three straight games in this series, but this will be the first time they meet since 2006. Georgia Tech is 7-0 the last two years against Atlantic Division members of the ACC Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
and NC State has just two wins in twelve tries versus the Jackets.This is an interesting match-up due to contrasting styles on offense and will likely be decided on the defensive side of the ball. NC State has historically struggled to run the ball against Tech, which could result in their front four teeing off on Wilson.I expect a Yellow Jacket double digit victory.Play: Georgia Tech -8Sign up for a premium package at Locksmith and start getting expert football picks immediately. No site has a better track record giving out winners.

15 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams Preseason Struggles Marc Bulger

Merriam-Webster defines the word "lackluster" as: n. 1. lacking in sheen, brilliance or vitality. 2. St. Louis Rams 2006 preseason football. Those able to maintain consciousness through this year's round of Rams preseason games will notice the following disturbing trends: The Rams, as a team, have appeared inept on offense, evidenced by nary a single first-unit touchdown being scored. Not to be outdone, the Rams' starting defenders have been torched by the first-teamers of the Colts and Chiefs, respectively. To compound the issue, Rams coaches and players seem utterly Detroit Lions
unconcerned. Following the Kansas City game, when asked about the first team's inability to score, quarterback Marc Bulger responded, "I'm not worried about it, and I don't think the rest of the guys are." Head coach Scott Linehan seemed equally dismissive of the Rams' poor performances, evidenced by his decision to bench nearly the entirety of his starting offense and defense for the preseason finale at Miami.Granted, preseason football in the NFL is, by definition, a toned-down, yawn-inducing affair and coaches do not want to have players on injured reserve to begin the season. Linehan has undoubtedly been playing it safe in this regard, but at what point does the ineptitude of the team's play cause you to rethink the safety angle and attempt to tune up the starters one last time against the Dolphins, even if for a single series? Rams coaches have maintained that the players have appeared sharp throughout training camp and that they're ready for the season. However, are there any NFL coaches who would respond to such a line of questioning with, "We've appeared quite dull Green Bay Packers jersey
in training camp," or "I just don't think we're ready for opening day?" "Appeared sharp in training camp," now deserves a place in the pantheon of football clichés, alongside, "we're going to give 110 percent," and "we've got to overcome adversity." I'll add to the aforementioned clichés with yet another, as the Rams have displayed a complete "lack of urgency" this preseason. All teams practice well. The only way to truly gauge a team's performance is to square off against another team who's only concern is defeating you. Yes, you don't want to get your guys hurt, but if it's at the Houston Texans jersey
expense of having a bunch of ill-prepared players trotting on the field on opening day, it's not worth having no listings on Wednesday's injury report. "The big picture is I think we're as healthy as we could possibly ask to be," Linehan said. "I think we're in as good a condition as I've been around a team at this point. I would be surprised if we don't come out and put on a good performance in the beginning of the year."No one else would be.Get more original St. Louis Rams insights (3)

14 Jan 11 Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft team needs

One for four. That's what the Seattle Seahawks batted in the opening month of free agency. Entering the offseason, the Seahawks' top needs were a tight end, right guard, free safety and run-stopping defensive tackle. They aimed high at guard and tight end and struck out swinging on Kris Dielman and Daniel Graham. And they probably lost Graham because they focused so intently on getting defensive end Patrick Kerney, a luxury addition who comes as-is, with no guarantee.The Hawks finally filled a hole when they doubled up at safety with Deon Grant and New York Jets jersey
Brian Russell. They also eventually found a tight end and are crossing their fingers that age (35) won't catch up to Marcus Pollard and that Pollard can still catch a few passes. They're also hoping for a miracle from Floyd "Pork Chopped Liver" Womack, the injury-prone guard who probably should start spelling his last name "Woe-mack." That said, the Seahawks currently are counting on Pork Chop to remain healthy for once and start at right guard in 2007. If it isn't him, it will probably be Chris Gray, the 36-year-old graybeard who was recently re-signed.So of their four major needs, the Hawks satisfactorily addressed only one and then found Band-Aids for two others. They still might add a free agent or two, but they otherwise will have to try to fill a few needs in the draft at the end of the month. They must come out of the college selection meeting with more options along the interior line, as well as a young tight end and that run-stuffing tackle. They also could use a fourth defensive end, another backup linebacker and perhaps another cornerback.The Seahawks' first pick is scheduled to be at No. 55. The ideal guy there would seem to be Arizona State tight end Zach Miller, who in the past month has slipped out of the first round almost within reach of the Seahawks. Miller, who starred at Arizona State for three seasons, is well versed in the passing game. At 6-foot-5, 256 pounds, Miller runs very good routes and has excellent hands, having averaged 48 catches per season at ASU. They might have to go up a few spots to get him, but Miller would seem to be one of the best matches of need and value for the Seahawks.Another good option in the second round - if he were available - would be USC center Ryan Kalil, whom the Seahawks could convert to guard and also use as a backup center. However, Kalil's stock apparently has risen to the edge of the first round, so the Hawks might not be able to stretch high enough to get him.If the Seahawks cannot get Miller, Kalil or another good guard prospect (Ben Grubbs, Justin Blalock, Arron Sears), they could add Oakland Raiders jersey
another Marcus to a team that already has three (Tubbs, Trufant, Pollard).DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler, a 6-2, 306-pound defensive tackle from N.C. State, seems to be the kind of plugger the Seahawks could use in their tackle rotation, and he figures to be available at 55. Then there is Fresno State's Marcus McCauley, a big (6-1), fast (4.39) cornerback who could supplant Kelly Herndon as the No. 3 guy and provide insurance in the unlikely event the team does not re-sign Trufant after the season. If the Seahawks can't get Miller in the second round, they might be able to secure a tight end in the third round, when they select 85th overall. Ben Patrick, a 6-3, 252-pound senior from Delaware, is a great receiving tight end who could be a nice fit in Seattle's West Coast scheme. Another option in the third round could be Ohio State defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock, a 6-2, 299-pound run stopper, or Boston College guard Josh Beekman (6-2, 313).In the end, the Seahawks can consider the first day a success if they come out of it with two of the top needs - tight end, guard, defensive tackle. The perfect scenario would involve trading receiver Darrell Jackson to get another first-day pick and then filling all three major needs.The second day could offer future help, too. Over the past six years, the Seahawks usually have hit on a guy in the fourth or fifth round. Rob Sims, the projected starter at left guard this year, was a fourth-round pick last year. D.J. Hackett, who played like a starting receiver last season, was a fifth-round choice in 2004. Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace was a fourth-rounder in 2003. Defensive tackle Rocky Bernard was a fifth-rounder in 2002. And Womack was a fourth-rounder in 2001, when the Hawks also got former special-teams ace Alex Bannister in the fifth round.So even if the SeahawksPhiladelphia Eagles jersey
ignore need for value in the second or third round and end up with, say, a cornerback and linebacker, they still could get some help at key spots on the second day. However they do it, they have to come out of the draft with the positions they struck out on in free agency, or they will be stuck trying to find a tight end, guard and defensive tackle again in 2008.Hard-hitting Seattle Seahawks draft analysis

13 Jan 11 Deadend Blazers? Or Not? Blazers Fighting Through Injuries.

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesThe Portland Trailblazers are in desperate need of a center. The NBA has granted the Blazers with two slots to sign who they would like, due to the unethical disadvantage of the Blazers injuries. The Blazers have used one of their slots as they re-signed Forward Shavlic Randolph.ReturnsReebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
Although the Blazers are most likely going to have a few players returning from injury after the all-star break (Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw and Nicolas Batum), the Blazers will still be lacking players due to the fact that BOTH of their centers are out for season(with almost identical injuries). I know what your thinking...Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla out for theseason? Yes, BOTH of them.How are the Blazers Succeeding? All-star Brandon Roy, Juwan Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Miller, Jerryd Bayless and the Rookies. They arethe reason whythe Blazers are succeeding.After suffering two early center losses in the season, the Blazers still managed to take a two game road trip to Texas and come out with tough wins over Dallas and San Antonio. Then later in the season, the Blazers whooped up the Lakers at the Rose Garden. But along the way they did suffer a home loss to the Zach Randolph led Memphis Grizzlies.But over all the Blazers are still proving that they are a sky rocketing team looking forward to only one thing, the Playoffs.How can the Blazers Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
make the Playoffs? Keep doing what they are doing. Andre Miller is doing an outstanding job of taking over for the inconsistent Steve Blake, while Blake was doing a great job of leading the Blazers down hill, Andre jumped in and led the team as Point Guard even though Brandon Roy (MVP and leader of the team) and himself had differences (Andre Miller and Coach Nate McMillan also havehad their differences).Whatshould weexpect from Portland? Two words. Greatness and Strength.The Portland Trailblazers will make the Playoffs. I believe the Blazers canbe placedfrom the fifth seed in the west to the eighth seed.The Blazers will be a tough matchup in the first round, but will not make it all the way(second or third round at the most). With the lack of size i expect teams to take advantage of the post and go to the basket Reebok Minnesota Vikings #69 Jared Allen Realtree camo Jersey
and tear the Blazers up inside. The Blazers will fight with their goodshooting and ability to drive for the lay-in. The thing that is noticeable about Portland's success is that they are not selfish, they all care about the team and will do what it takes to be the best.

12 Jan 11 Gilbert Arenas, Javaris Crittendon Deserve To Be Suspended

Brendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesMany people are of the belief that guns don't have a place in our societyat least not for those not at war or working in security.Some are for greater gun control, and some cite the Constitution and their right to bear arms. But wherever you stand on that debate, one thing canOakland Raiders jersey
certainly be agreed upon: Guns have no place in an NBA locker room. Or any locker room, arena, or sports facility. Especially when players' lives are so vulnerable to public scrutiny. Especially when tensions escalate to dangerous levels. Especially when athletes are looked up to as role models. It's one thing to say the right thing in front of the lights and microphones. It's quite another to do the right thing behind the scenes, when adoring fans and sponsors aren't watching.You would think that a guy like Gilbert Arenas would have figured that out. After all, he is one of the NBA's most entertaining players: a frequent blogger and an exceptional player who is always good for a quote, nickname, or smile off the court. If anyone knows PR, it's him. So why would he do something so stupidand yes, this was truly idioticlike bringing a set of guns , unloaded or not, into a locker room?Apparently, it was, in his words, a jokethe extension of a previous disagreement with Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittendon. But Crittendon didn't find it so funny, actually fearing for his personal safety.In fact, he was reportedly so afraid that he brought an unloaded gun with him to the locker room for protection. Crittendon is clearly in the wrong, as well. It is easy to sympathize with the young player who feared reprimand (or worse) from the franchise's star player. Perhaps his fears were legitimate, and it's hard to get on him too much for protecting himself.But bringing a gun into an NBA arena is so clearly a violation of the rules that he should have Philadelphia Eagles jersey
known he would get in trouble. Guns result in nothing but trouble, like alcohol or daytime talk shows. The strange case of former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burresswho now sits in jail for his massive brain cramp of bringing a loaded weapon into a nightclubshould have taught usand all athletesthat by now.But apparently, Arenas believed that because of his star power and franchise player status, he was somehow above the fray. In fact, he mocked the outcry on his Twitter page days after the incident was made public, and he took very questionable photos before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers satirizing the incident. Mr. Arenas, Mr. Crittendon: Guns aren't cute. They aren't funny. They kill and maim and destroy and tear and ruin people. Happiness isn't a warm gun. This isn't some minor thing you can twist around with a public apology and a PR stunt, a blog entry, or a 40-point game. In fact, you won't be playing any games for a long time. Arenas and Crittendon have been suspended for the entire season. NBA Commissioner David Stern got this one right.Firearms have no place in an NBA arena. It's bad for the league, it's bad for the fans, and above all, it's dangerous. Stern's words did the best job summing it all up:"We mean what we say when we say that guns are prohibited from being in our buildings and on team business...You will be dealt with harshly, because it's very potentially dangerous to our players, to the other players, and to anyone else who might be involved."I felt that I should do something to keep Arenas Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
from doing even further damage to himself, and I told him that." Hopefully, this punishment will set a precedent for future athletes who believe that they are outside and above the law. Otherwise, we could end up with an even worse incident on our hands.This article is also featured onSports Shakes

10 Jan 11 NBA Trade Deadline: Heat Stays Put, Will Dwyane Wade?

Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesWith the Miami Heat failing in their attempts toacquire Amar'e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer, the team now turns back to their original plans of making a majoracquisition in the offseason.While the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, L.A. Clippers, and Sacramento Kings made a plethora of combined trades to give them major cap relief after the season, Miami was caught on the sidelines watching their advantage disappear.Before the trade machine got rolling earlier this week, the Heat and Sacramento KingsReebok Minnesota Vikings #69 Jared Allen Realtree camo Jersey
were the only teams expected to have enough cap space to potentially sign two players to max contracts in the offseason. Now they are joined by all the teams above.This summer's free agent bonanza just got a whole lot more interesting. And it's only February.Chicago and New York were already expected to make a run for Wade, but now they can offer him the chance to possibly play alongside LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire, or Joe Johnson.A team with Derrick Rose and any of those names would have to be enticing for Wade. If Miami isn't able to convince him the team will contend next year, the Chicago native would have a hard time saying no to a Bulls offer like that.Same goes for New York. Would Wade really pass up the chance to play alongside LeBron in The Garden?With so many Reebok New England Patriots #12 Tom Brady Realtree camo Jersey
teams free to enter the bidding for the max free agents, the odds for everyone landing two of these guys became diluted at the deadline. With seven franchises all targeting the same three or four players, it's hard to imagine more than one or two teams walking away with a pair of All-Stars.Pat Riley's chances of bringing in a superstar to pair with Wade aren't looking as good anymore and that's got to be chilling for him. If the Heat don't make a major upgrade, if they don't land any of the big names, how could they expect Wade to stick around.Yes, Wade seems sincere in his desire to remain with the Heat, but he's been vocal about theconditions for doing so. He wants to contend. Miami needs to bring him some serious firepower and not waste yet another year of his prime fighting for one of the bottom seeds in the EasternConferencePlayoffs.You can bet Riley has shared his vision of the 2010-11 season with his perennial All-Star. Wade has no reason not to trust him either; after all, Riley'sdelivereda Championship roster before.But if things don't work out Reebok New Orleans Saints #9 Drew Brees Realtree camo Jersey
how they're supposed to, the franchise will have all but assured Wade walks. Riley has kept him waiting for two years with promises of a dynasty, Wade won't wait another.So while other teams made moves to increase their chances of free agency gold, Miami has fallen back with the rest of the herd. Being able to offer two max deals isn't so special anymore. Instead of Wade recruiting LeBron to the Heat, it may just end up being LeBron recruiting Wade to New York or Chicago.

9 Jan 11 The Verdict:No One Stands a Chance Against The Lakers Except The Lakers.

I think this is the first time in NBA history a team this inconsistent has had a record this good. With all the dilemmas the Lakers have withstood this year, injury to key players, lack of focus, internal frustrations, There's no way they should have the second best record in the NBA right now. Kansas City Chiefs jersey
The credit formost of the success they have had while not playing to their potential goes to The Mamba. His ability to make plays down the stretch of close games has given them six wins off game winning shots.Themark of his murderous fangs were left onmany more occasionswhere his timing when releasing his deadly venom was just enough to swing the momentum back to the Lakers before things got out of hand.Now can you imagine what the Lakers record would look like if they only loss games where the opponents genuinely beat them at their best?With the talent they have the Lakers were projected to have the leagues best record by this time, and they would have it if they played with the hunger of the Cavs.The Lakers are automatically the best team by default because they have Kobe. While who's better between the two depends mainly on who one likes more as a person, the Lakers have the upper hand because Kobe has the ability to rip the opposing teams heart out in the games final moments, Lebron doesn't.That ability as much as it is a gift is the Lakers biggest curse. When analyzing the majority of the Lakers losing efforts the results of the reason they lose came down to A Kobe wasn't there to bail them out, B Kobe was there to bail them out and true to hisFG percentagehe was due for a miss, or C the biggest factor all season a lack of physical interior pressence.Looking deeper into these games I noticed even more kinks the Lakers need to work out, such as Derek Fisher starting.Any Lakers fan will tell you that our most vulnerable spot on the defensive end is the PG spot. I know Fisher is kept around for his veteranleadership, but I don't think he has gotten that memo.He takes way too many shots to only average 7 points a game! Good thing about the Lakers offense it doesn't need a point Miami Dolphins jersey
guard, the triangle is ran through the post so Derek could easily be replaced by Shannon Brown.Shannon is bigger and fast enough to keep up with the leagues younger and quicker point guards. In the vast majority of the Lakers losses the point guard battles were landslides, take the last game the Lakers played against Denver. The majority of Chauncey's points were wide open three pointers!The Lakers might as well have been playing 4 on 5, Derek was late on his switches and was getting beat off the dribble by a point guard that has lost a step or two himself over the years.Another relevation I unearthed was that the Lakers still have yet to noticed that Gasol does not have big games against physical forwards. That will not change, its apart of his DNA.While he is a very skilled big man his heart does not pump the blood of a warrior it pumps the blood of a hair stylist, better yet a animal rights activist.So when L.A plays against intimidating frontlines they need to work Gasol in when he has a size advantage down low,or preferablly when the opposing teams starting big menare out of the game catching a breather.Also too many times the Lakers have had Bynum going the first 5 or 6 posessions of the game just to abruptly shut him out the offense in a attempt to please Gasol.My suggestion is once you get Bynum going ,keep going to him until he runs out of gas. Once Bynum is shut out of the offensive process his focus drifts off completely.Thats when the fouls start piling up and he ends up riding the pine where heoften looks relieved to be out of Minnesota Vikings
the way.Out of the 15 losses L.A has this year, I'm not convinced that any of those teams beatthem at their best.Also, I'm almost certain that neither of those teams can beat L.A in a 7 game series.So my verdict is thatno team in the NBA is good enough to take thetitle from L.Aif they play with the urgency of a champion, but they sure cangive it away if they continue to be inconsistent.

8 Jan 11 Surprising Teams Meet in Charlotte

Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesNCAA basketball betting players are well aware of Oklahoma City, as their rotation is filled with players that could be still participating in the NCAA Tournament, but theyre playing their trade in the NBA, and theyre making a surprising push for homecourt in the playoffs. The Thunder will head to Charlotte on Wednesday, and the Bobcats aren that far behind in their own race for homecourt in the postseason, and theyre excellent on their home floor.Thunder vs Bobcats odds Wednesday, March 17, 7:00 PM ETThe Thunder New York Giants jersey
have won five in a row and eight of their last 10 overall, and they shot a blistering 60% from the field in a 119-11 win over Utah on Sunday. Kevin Durant continued his torrid season with 35 points, while Russell Westbrook had 30 points and 11 assists for the Thunder, who had all of their starters score at least 30 points. Durant (Texas), Westbrook (UCLA), Jeff Green (Georgetown) and James Harden (Arizona State) have all played in the Tournament over the last four years, and they could draw off that experience to raise their game for the stretch run.The Bobcats were further down the online betting scale coming into the season, but after a 96-69 win at Orlando on Sunday, Charlotte was five games behind Boston in the race for homecourt advantage in the playoffs. Stephen Jackson led the way with 28 points for the Bobcats, who won their sixth game in a row, and they outrebounded the Magic 46-34. Defense is what has gotten the Bobcats this far, as theyve held every opponent on this six-game winning streak under 100 points.Charlotte should be favored in this contest according to sportsbook odds (bodog reviews), but theyll have to travel from Charlotte to Indiana to face the Pacers on Tuesday night. These two have met just once this year, with the Thunder coming away with a 96-91 win at home over the Bobcats on Boxing Day. Durant dropped 30 points for the Thunder, who outrebounded the Bobcats 48-36 and shot 47% from the floor. Youll probably see Jackson on Durant in a matchup that will be fun to watch, but the New York Jets jersey
Thunder bench has lost a little as Harden is out with a hamstring injury. But for being such a young team, the Thunder are a very good team on the road, and theyve been off since beating the Jazz on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Bobcats could be fatigued, so look for Oklahoma City to push the pace. Bet on the Thunder away from home before making your March Madness betting picks.