Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical times, monuments served as physical reminders of significant events, divine encounters, or covenants between God and His people. These structures or markers were often erected to commemorate God's intervention, guidance, or promises, and they played a crucial role in the spiritual and communal life of the Israelites.
Types of Monuments:1.
Altars: Altars were often constructed as monuments to commemorate divine encounters or covenants. For instance, after God appeared to Abram and promised him the land of Canaan, Abram built an altar to the Lord (
Genesis 12:7). Similarly, Jacob set up a stone pillar at Bethel after his vision of the ladder reaching to heaven, marking the place where God spoke to him (
Genesis 28:18-19).
2.
Stone Pillars: Stone pillars were frequently used as memorials. In
Joshua 4:20-24 , Joshua set up twelve stones taken from the Jordan River as a monument at Gilgal. These stones served as a reminder to future generations of how the Lord dried up the Jordan so the Israelites could cross on dry ground.
3.
Cairns and Heaps of Stones: These were often used to mark significant events or agreements. In
Genesis 31:45-48 , Jacob and Laban set up a heap of stones as a witness to their covenant, calling it Galeed.
4.
Tombs and Memorial Stones: Tombs and memorial stones also served as monuments. The tomb of Rachel, marked by a pillar set by Jacob, is mentioned in
Genesis 35:19-20 as a lasting memorial of her death and burial.
Purpose and Significance:Monuments in the Bible served several purposes:
·
Remembrance: They acted as tangible reminders of God's faithfulness and mighty acts. The stones at Gilgal, for example, were meant to prompt questions from future generations, leading to the retelling of God's miraculous deeds (
Joshua 4:21-22).
·
Covenant and Witness: Monuments often marked covenants or agreements, serving as witnesses to the commitments made between individuals or between God and His people. The heap of stones between Jacob and Laban was a witness to their agreement (
Genesis 31:48).
·
Worship and Sacrifice: Altars, as monuments, were places of worship and sacrifice, acknowledging God's presence and sovereignty. Abram's altars were expressions of his faith and worship (
Genesis 12:7).
·
Identity and Heritage: Monuments helped to establish a sense of identity and continuity for the Israelites. They connected the people to their history and to the acts of God in their midst, reinforcing their identity as God's chosen people.
Theological Implications:Monuments in the biblical narrative underscore the importance of memory in the life of faith. They serve as physical embodiments of spiritual truths and divine actions, encouraging believers to remember and recount God's deeds. The practice of erecting monuments reflects a theology that values the past as a foundation for faith and obedience in the present and future. Through these markers, the biblical text invites believers to reflect on God's unchanging nature and His ongoing relationship with His people.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Something which stands, or remains, to keep in remembrance what is past; a memorial.
2. (n.) A building, pillar, stone, or the like, erected to preserve the remembrance of a person, event, action, etc.; as, the Washington monument; the Bunker Hill monument. Also, a tomb, with memorial inscriptions.
3. (n.) A stone or other permanent object, serving to indicate a limit or to mark a boundary.
4. (n.) A saying, deed, or example, worthy of record.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MONUMENTmon'-u-ment (Isaiah 65:4 the King James Version).
SeeVAULT.
Greek
3419. mnemeion -- a memorial, amonument... a memorial, a
monument. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: mnemeion Phonetic
Spelling: (mnay-mi'-on) Short Definition: a tomb, sepulcher Definition
...3418. mnema -- a memorial, a sepulcher
... a memorial, a sepulcher. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: mnema Phonetic
Spelling: (mnay'-mah) Short Definition: a tomb,monument Definition: a tomb...
Strong's Hebrew
6725. tsiyyun -- a signpost,monument... 6724, 6725. tsiyyun. 6726 . a signpost,
monument. Transliteration: tsiyyun
Phonetic Spelling: (tsee-yoon') Short Definition: marker.
...5341. natsar -- to watch, guard, keep
... besieged, hidden thing, keepermonument, observe, preserver,. A primitive
root; to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey...
226. oth -- a sign
... Probably from 'uwth (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively),
as a flag, beacon,monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc....
3027. yad -- hand
... labor (1), large* (2), leadership (1), left-handed* (2), let go* (1), lose courage*
(1), manhood (1), means (11), means* (3), memorial (1),monument (2), much...
Library
Man's Life hisMonument.
... SERMON XXXVIII. MAN'S LIFE HISMONUMENT.... And yet, I tell you, we shall have ourmonument,
we have it now, and we are building it ourselves each day we live....
He Also Erected his Own SepulchralMonument in this Church.
... Book IV. Chapter LX."He also erected his own SepulchralMonument in this
Church. All these edifices the emperor consecrated with...
Omar and the Sacred vine
... If there were a magic ointment, and we took it to a strong man, and said, "This
will enable you to jump off theMonument," doubtless he would jump off the...
Titus when the Jews were not at all Mollified by his Leaving Off...
... when no signs of peace appeared to come from the Jews, Titus divided his legions,
and began to raise banks, both at the tower of Antonia and at John'smonument...
"She Hath done what She Could. "
... Little did Mary think that she was going to erect amonument which would
outlive empires and kingdoms. She never thought of herself....
In the Dungeon of Giant Discourager
... Oh see, here is amonument by the roadside!... "Just at that place where you
saw themonument, I fought the battle through, and won....
If this be True, Doubtless Also the Providing for the Interment of...
... For both the term Memorial [2726] most plainly shews this, andMonument
is so named from monishing, that is, putting in mind. For...
The Feast of the Lord
... Sometimes a stone has been set up"amonument"but this has not always been
most effective. God, when he would have the children...
Justinian I.
... In Constantinople alone he built twenty-seven"one of these being St. Sophia,
which stands to-day amonument to his enterprise. The St....
The Description of Jerusalem.
... then extended further to a great length, and passed by the sepulchral caverns of
the kings, and bent again at the tower of the corner, at themonument which is...
Thesaurus
Monument (7 Occurrences)... 2. (n.) A building, pillar, stone, or the like, erected to preserve the remembrance
of a person, event, action, etc.; as, the Washington
monument; the Bunker
...Modin
... In Modin Judas and John, the sons of Simon, slept before the battle in which they
defeated Cendebaeus (1 Maccabees 16:4). Of the impressivemonument erected by...
Stone (290 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Something made of stone. Specifically: -. 4. (n.) The glass of a mirror;
a mirror. 5. (n.) Amonument to the dead; a gravestone....
Moabite (13 Occurrences)
... of Moab. This ancientmonument, recording the heroic struggles of King
Mesha with Omri and Ahab, was erected about BC 900. Here...
Chemosh (8 Occurrences)
... Themonument, which is now one of the most precious treasures of the Louvre in Paris,
bears an inscription which is the oldest specimen of Semitic alphabetic...
Dale (2 Occurrences)
... Some have identified it with the southern part of the valley of Jehoshaphat,
where Absalom reared his familymonument (2 Samuel 18:18)....
Pillar (72 Occurrences)
... a building (Judges 16:26, 29); as a trophy or memorial (Genesis 28:18; 35:20; Exodus
24:4; 1 Samuel 15:12, AV, "place, " more correctly "monument, " or "trophy...
Machpelah (6 Occurrences)
... the most excellent manner"; and in another place he writes of Isaac being buried
by his sons with his wife in Hebron where they had amonument belonging to...
Memorial (54 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) Anything intended to preserve the memory of a person or event; something
which serves to keep something else in remembrance; amonument....
Moabites (26 Occurrences)
... This is clear from the inscription on the Moabite Stone, amonument of Mesha, king
of Moab, erected about 850 BC, and discovered among the ruins of Dibon in...
Resources
What is Absalom's Monument? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was the purpose of Stonehenge? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the importance of the Lord's supper / Christian Communion? | GotQuestions.orgMonument: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
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