David and Solomon Essay Example for Free

David and Solomon Essay In 1 Kings 9:12-13, Hiram, the king of Tyre, is described as not pleased with the kind of towns that King Solomon has given him. Perhaps expecting for something that would have equaled all the pine, cedar and gold that he gave Solomon, Hiram questioned the King about the towns that he received. On the other hand, 2 Chronicles 8:2 merely mentions that Solomon reconstructed the villages that Hiram had given, after which he settled the Israelites in these villages. Following the passages in 1 Kings 9:10-28, Hiram named the twenty towns in Galilee he received from Solomon as the Land of Cabul. The word â€Å"Cabul† means ‘what does not please’ in Phoenician. The fact that the Hiram named the land Solomon has given him â€Å"Cabul† suggests that, indeed, Hiram was not pleased at all with the gestures of the King. Perhaps the reason to Hiram’s displeased reaction is that he gave all the pine, cedar and gold that Solomon wanted only to get twenty lands which did not suit his taste. It might have been the case that Hiram had high expectations in return of his gestures to Solomon. On the other hand, 2 Chronicles 8:2 suggests that Hiram gave the towns to Solomon instead of Solomon supposedly giving Hiram the twenty towns in Galilee in 1 Kings 9:11. In 2 Chronicles 8:2, it is mentioned that Solomon â€Å"rebuilt† the cities he received, implying that the cities were not in good condition. In the same passage, we are also told that Solomon eventually placed the Israelites to live in those rebuilt cities. The passage appears to point us the idea that Solomon was a king who was out to develop the undeveloped and to expand his dominion through the resources he garnered from his conquests. Moreover, Solomon’s men together with Hiram’s sailors returned home from Ophir delivering four hundred and fifty talents of gold to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 8:17-18. On the contrary, 1 Kings 9:28 narrates the same fleet of men sailing to Ophir but only delivering four hundred and twenty talents of gold to Solomon. The discrepancy in the amount of gold delivered suggests at least two ideas: one is that Solomon was either exceedingly triumphant or not in his exploits and two is that he was either a well-respected ruler or not by his subjects. In essence, the accounts provided in 2 Chronicles 8:1-18 suggest that Solomon was a king who was exceedingly triumphant so much so that Hiram was compelled to give him cities which Solomon then rebuilt. On the other hand, the accounts provided in 1 Kings 9:10-28 suggest that Solomon was a ruler who, in general, did not give the appropriate dues to people who expected much from him insomuch as he was a ruler who the royal subjects can easily steal from due in part to a lack of honesty and respect. I think the two accounts differ with respect to the descriptions of the character and the actions of Solomon because of differing perceptions towards Solomon. I think the inclusion of the displeased reaction of Hiram in 1 Kings 9:12-13 may suggest that some people saw Solomon at the time of his rule as someone who could only care less about how other people may see him and react against his actions. On the contrary, the omission of Hiram’s reaction in 2 Chronicles 8:2 may suggest that how people viewed Solomon with regard to his actions was irrelevant since he may have been seen as a righteous ruler who provided for his subjects their necessities. In general, the description of Solomon’s reign in 1 Kings is not only â€Å"based on a variety of sources with a different provenance† but also â€Å"displays traces of different stages of redaction† (Talshir, p. 233) or the combination of multiple source texts, thereby suggesting that the differences in the accounts can be largely attributed to their respective writers. In both 2 Samuel 8:1-18 and 1 Chronicles 18:1-17, the triumphs of David in all of his wars are narrated. In all of the wars revealed in the two accounts, David is portrayed as an able leader who is very much capable of invading territories and still not forgetting to make offerings to God such as the gold and silver exploits. Both accounts agree that the Lord helped David wherever he went, indicating that the Lord was pleased with the efforts of David. However, one major difference between the two accounts is that, in 2 Samuel 8:2, David is described as having been able to defeat the Moab forces which was followed by the execution the few remaining Moabites. In the selection process, the Moabites were made to lie on the ground in a line and those who were within two lines were put to death while those in the third length were given the chance to live under the rule of David. Apparently, nothing about the process of the execution was mention throughout 1 Chronicles 18:1-17. The inclusion of the description of the execution of the Moabites in 2 Samuel 8:2 gives a rough image of how David was supposedly ruthless towards his conquered subjects. The passage gives us the impression that, although David was kind enough to â€Å"randomly† allow some of the Moabites to live, he was nonetheless a leader and a warrior who showed little mercy towards those who have survived the onslaught of his armies. The seemingly detailed account of the execution of the Moabites creates an eerie mental environment, appearing as a visual reminder that David was a conqueror who displayed his authority and power with little mercy. And yet, David is still portrayed in the same passage as an abiding servant of the Lord who never forgets to provide his offerings to God. It signifies that, since the Lord helped David wherever he went, nothing can stand against the way and the disposition of David. In essence, it appears that the position of the writer in 2 Samuel 8:1-18 is that David was a devout servant of the Lord while being a ruthless conqueror who can easily take the lives of his conquered subjects according to his will. On the other hand, the writer of 1 Chronicles 18:1-17 seems to suggest that David was blessed by the Lord and that he was a leader who piously served and gave offerings to the Lord without the hint of ruthlessness revealed in 2 Samuel 8:2. The two accounts differ primarily because David, I think, was a ruler hated in his time by those who became victims of his military actions. It is therefore not surprising that at least one account pertaining to David’s military advances gave several details about how people were executed depending on the decision of David. However, those who saw David as a righteous ruler and those who benefitted from his triumphs are more inclined to put David on a more positive regard. Roddy L. Braun suggests that the Chronicler—the writer of the book of Chronicles—presents David’s kingship as â€Å"greeted by the mixed multitudes of Israel with immediate and enthusiastic unanimity† (Braun, p. 503) unlike the respective writers of Samuel and Kings. Such variations in writings can hardly be reconciled almost entirely and that the only way to avoid the vicious circle that can commence from the failure to reconcile the accounts, as Sara Japhet suggests, is â€Å"by studying the matter from its positive aspects—not from what is omitted, but from what is existent† (Japhet, p. 206). Thus, it is not necessarily the case that the differences in the accounts mean that one account is true and the other is not. While Solomon may be portrayed in Kings quite differently from Chronicles or while David may be portrayed in Samuel differently from Chronicles, the differences may not essentially signify the truthfulness or falsehood of either one of the accounts. Rather, the presence of additional details in the each account provides more insight into the lives of Kings David and Solomon. Works Cited Braun, Roddy L. â€Å"Solomonic Apologetic in Chronicles. † Journal of Biblical Literature 92. 4 (1973): 503-16. Japhet, Sara. â€Å"Conquest and Settlement in Chronicles. † Journal of Biblical Literature 98. 2 (1979): 205-18. Talshir, Zipora. â€Å"The Reign of Solomon in the Making. † Vetus Testamentum 50. 2 (2000): 233-49

My Future in The Intelligence Community of the U.S. Navy Essay

Introduction As a student and a midshipman at University, my college life has been divided into two responsibilities; one, being a student majoring in Mathematics and two, a midshipman training to become an officer in the U.S. Navy. During my freshman year here in University, having these two roles put me in a very difficult situation. It was difficult, in the beginning, because I was torn between wanting to become a Mathematics teacher someday and wanting to be a part of the military. However, after three years of training and learning more about the military, it became easier for me to decide as to where I want to be; and that is, to serve in the military. The more I learn about the U.S. Navy, the more I want to become a part of it. There are many different communities in the Navy, and the community that I am hoping to become a part of is the intelligence community. Technology and Intelligence Community of the U.S. Navy Technology plays a big role in the military. One of the primary reasons technology changed and became so advanced in the military, nowadays, is because of the role that the wars played in the past and the tragic events that have occurred recently such as the attacks in 2001. Wars in the past changed the military’s technology because the military had to adapt and learn from the mistakes from the past to find better ways to protect the nation’s and everyone’s safety. For instance, during the War of 1812, the U.S. Navy used certain technological advances that made it difficult for the Royal Navy to attack. ("War of 1812:," ). â€Å"In the 200 years since the war of 1812, technological innovation has been an essential component in the ships, aircraft, sensors, and weapons that have contributed to victories by America... ...sourcing affect workforce stability. Retrieved from http://www.afcea.org/signal/articles/templates/Signal_Article_Template.asp?articleid=1440&zoneid=222 Pappas, A., & Simon, J. (June). Central intelligence agency. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol46no1/article05.html Stanovov, A. (2010, May 05). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20100505/158882709.html War of 1812: The navy & technology. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ourflagwasstillthere.org/why-commemorate/the-navy-a-technology.html Image/Video (2010). Navy reserve intelligence officer. (2010). [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEW2EVFrtec (n.d.). WWII: The war that changed the world. [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://en.rian.ru/images/15888/28/158882814.jpg

Greek Mythology Essay

Odysseus was considered to be the epitome of what a Greek man should strive to be. He was a courageous and clever warrior who earned arete through his feats during the Trojan War. The ancient Achaean male modeled themselves after great men like Odysseus, but the real question is who do Greek woman model themselves after. Clytemnestra’s plight and eventual death is a perfect example of how married women were expected act compared to married men. Also, women like Penelope in The Odyssey were criticized for being untruthful, but men like Odysseus were praised for exceptional cunning in the same epic poem. Calypso is a goddess who is aware of these double standards and makes an eloquent plea to the gods of Olympus, but her speech falls on deaf ears. Essentially Ancient Greek culture had staggering gender inequalities that led to females being confined to the whims of males. Many tales demonstrate how differently married women were expected to act compared to men. When King Agamemnon departed from Mycenae to siege Troy he tricked his wife, Clytemnestra, into sacrificing their daughter to the gods. During the ten years Agamemnon was gone Clytemnestra plotted with her lover, Aegisthus, revenge. Once King Agamemnon returned, he was murdered by the duo, but the gods deemed this act unacceptable. If Clytemnestra were a man the tale would have most likely ended here. But Apollo and Athena hid Orestes until he was of age and convinced that he should follow with the worst crime any Greek could ever commit, matricide. After the murdering his mother, Orestes was haunted by the Furies (who were known for pursuing particularly heinous criminals and exacting revenge, Chiekova, 10/23) until nearly succumbing to madness. Eventually Orestes was given trial, and Athena’s deciding vote expunged his horrible deed. A woman taking a lover was disgraceful in Achaean culture, and a women killing her husband simply unheard of. Women were viewed as objects than could be possessed or traded like Helen of Troy was, and so Clytemnestra needed to be punished. On the other hand married men like Zeus had dozens of affairs (including deceiving Clytemnestra’s mother Leda by appearing as a swan Chiekova, 10/23) while Hera remained faithful to him. The tale of Aphrodite and Hephaestus is another prime example, in which Aphrodite was shamed before all the gods for laying with Ares. The examples of similar myths can be listed ad nauseam, but essentially Greek women were forced to be loyal and obedient while the men took whatever lovers they so desired. Another example of gender inequalities in ancient Greek Culture can be seen in Penelope’s tribulations with the suitors. As Odysseus left for the Trojan War and did not return with Nestor and Menelaus, some assumed he was dead. Under the pretext of courting Penelope, the suitors proceed to spend their days at Odysseus house and feasting on the livestock. They disrespected and abused the traditional host-traveler relationship and yet still Penelope was left to be the antagonist (Chiekova, 10/26). If she agreed to marry a suitor, she would be dishonoring Odysseus but the longer she did not pick a suitor the more damage they caused. In Richmond Lattimore’s translation of The Odyssey the suitors verbally attack Penelope, â€Å"For she holds out great hope to all, and makes promises to each man, sending us messages but her mind has other intentions. And here is here is another stratagem of her heart’s devising (The Odyssey, Book 2, page 41, lines 90-93). † The suitor goes on to describe her cleverness; Penelope declares she will marry a suitor once she finished knitting a funeral shall, but every night she would secretly un-wind the threads, effectively stalling the suitors. These suitors claim that Penelope is being disrespectful for not choosing one of them to marry and call her a liar for supposedly leading them on but never choosing a man. In the same epic poem commended Odysseus for outsmarting and escaping the Cyclops, evading the sirens, and eventually killing the suitors. Both Odysseus and Penelope were incredibly intelligent but because of Achaean double standards, Penelope was portrayed as a liar (at least to the suitors) and Odysseus a hero. Calypso seems to be the only individual aware of, or at least concerned with the mistreatment of Greek women. When Odysseus retells his time spent with Calypso, he adjusts the story to give the perception that he was held prisoner and bemoaned every moment on the island. However, Homer gives insight of how Odysseus actually felt and writes, â€Å"the nymph was no longer  pleasing to him, (The Odyssey, Book 9, page 92, line 150). † This statement implies that at some point Odysseus did enjoy himself with the goddess on the island, but has become bored with her. After seven years Odysseus finally decides that he should return home, but Calypso insists that he should stay and enjoy the extravagance of immortality with her. This is against the ideals of Homeric Greek women as she displays a dominant and manipulative side, which threatens male supremacy. Eventually Zeus sends Hermes as a messenger to command Calypso to allow Odysseus to return home. Calypso retaliates by making a passionate plea, â€Å" You are hard-hearted, you gods, and jealous beyond all creatures beside, when you are resentful toward the goddesses for sleeping openly with such men as each has made her true husband, (The Odyssey, Book 9, page 91, lines 118-120). † Calypso continues to give three examples of past goddesses being chastised for taking a lover, but ultimately her speech does nothing. She is forced to yield Odysseus or risk angering the all mighty Zeus. Calypso embodied the struggle of Homeric women and pleas with the gods to see the double standard Greek culture imposed. Ultimately she is viewed as an object of physical pleasure and must yield to Zeus and Odysseus’s wishes, further stigmatizing women as being inferior. Analyzing Homeric culture through the lens of a woman provides a stark contrast to the life of a man. Women were subjugated to the commands of men, with little or no personal freedom. The females who broke the culture mold, paid the price. Clytemnestra eventually was murdered by her own son for exacting revenge on her deceitful husband, Penelope was ridiculed for using intelligence to navigate her way through a difficult situation, and Calypso was bullied into giving up the man she loved. Ultimately Achaean women were meant to be objects of desire that exist to satisfy men and the Homeric myths only propagated this idea. Works Cited Chiekova, Professor â€Å"Introduction to Greek Mythology† Lecture. Bliss Hall. Ewing. 10/23, 10/26, . Oral. Lattimore, Richmond, trans. The Odyssey. New York: Harper and Row Books, 1967.

ESL Lesson for Creating a New Product

Nowadays, its common to talk about products, their functionality and marketing. In this lesson, students come up with a product idea, mock-up a design for the product and present a marketing strategy. Each student owns a step of the process in the final presentation to the class. Combine this lesson with a lesson on pitching a product and students can practice the essential elements of finding investors.   Aim: Learning vocabulary related to product development, developing team player skills Activity: Develop, design and market a new product Level: Intermediate to advanced level learners Lesson Outline Bring one of your favorite innovative products into class. Ask questions using the vocabulary terms provided in the product vocabulary reference. Give examples for your questions such as: What functionality does this phone have? - You can surf the internet, send email, and download apps. to help students with understanding.Once youve reviewed vocabulary as a class, ask students to provide their own examples of innovative products.  Provide the vocabulary reference and ask students to write five sentence describing a product they like.Have students divide into small groups - three to six students is best.  Ask each group to come up with a new product. They can either invent a new product, or create a variation on a product they know.  Have students answer the worksheet questions about their new product.With the worksheet answered, students should move on to developing a plan for building, designing and marketing their product. Students who feel more comfortable with drawing can design, and business orientated students can take on marketing.  Help students by checking grammar descriptions, asking probing questions about the functionality, logistics of production and marketing, etc.  Students complete the project by giving a presentation to the class. The inventor should provide a product overview, the designer provide a sketch of the product, and the marketer an advertising strategy.  Vote on the best product as a class.   Vocabulary Reference Use these words to discuss, develop and design a new product. functionality (noun) - Functionality describes the purpose of the product. In other words, what does the product do?innovative (adjective) - Products that are innovative are new in some way.aesthetic (noun) - The aesthetics of a product refer to the values (artistic as well as functional)intuitive (adjective) - An intuitive product is self-explanatory. Its easy to know how to use it without having to read a manual.thorough (adjective) - A thorough product is a product that is excellent in every way and well designed.branding (noun) - The branding of a product refers to how a product will be marketed to the public.packaging (noun) - The packaging refers to the container in which the product is sold to the public.marketing (noun) - Marketing refers to how a product will be presented to the public.logo (noun) - The symbol used to identify a product or company.feature (noun) - A feature is a benefit or use of a product.warranty (noun) - The warranty is a guarantee that the product will w ork for a certain period of time. If not, the customer will receive a refund or replacement.component (noun) - A component can be thought of as a part of a product.accessory (noun) - An accessory is something extra that can be bought in order to add functinality to a product.materials (noun) - The materials refer to what a product is made of such as metal, wood, plastic, etc.   Computer Related Products specifications (noun) - The specifications of a product refers to size, construction and materials used.   dimensions (noun) - The size of a product.weight (noun) -  How much something weighs.width (noun) - How wide something is.depth (noun) -  How deep a product is.length (noun) - How long something is.height (noun) - How tall a product is. When developing computer-related products the following specifications are important: display (noun) - The screen used.type (noun) - The type of technology used in a display.size (noun) - How big the display is.resolution (noun) -  How many pixels the display shows. platform (noun) - The type of software / hardware a product uses.OS (noun) - The operating system such as Android or Windows.chipset (noun) - The type of computer chip used.CPU (noun) - Central processing unit - The brain of the product.GPU (noun) - Graphic processing unit - The brain used to display videos, pictures, etc.   memory (noun) - How many gigabytes the product can store.   camera (noun) - The type of camera used to make videos and take photos.   comms (noun) - The different types of communications protocols used such as Bluetooth or WiFi. New Product Questions Answer these questions to help you develop your product.   What functionality does your product provide? Who will use your product? Why will they use it? What problems can your product solve? What advantages does your product present? Why is your product superior to other products? What are the dimensions of your product? How much will your product cost?