Five Keys to BETTER HEALTH

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FIVE KEYS TO

BETTER HEALTHALSO: WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT

SMOKING? PAGE 26

!"#2AVERAGE PRINTING 39,913,000PUBLISHED IN 83 LANGUAGES

FIVE KEYS TOBETTER HEALTH

3 You Can Improve Your Health

4 Key 1—Eat Wisely

5 Key 2—Take Care of BasicBody Needs

6 Key 3—Keep Yourself Moving

7 Key 4—Protect Your Health

8 Key 5—Motivate Yourself andYour Family

9 Take Steps to Improve YourHealth

10 The Bible’s ViewpointCan Self-Inflicted Pain Help YouGet Closer to God?

12 Jean Crespin’s Book of Martyrs

14 The Sounds of Music in AncientIsrael

17 A Book You Can TrustPart 5—Greece in Bible History

21 Happy to Be a Shepherd

25 Was It Designed?The Ovipositor of theWood-Boring Wasp

26 Young People AskWhat Should I Know AboutSmoking?

29 Watching the World

30 For Family Review

32 “Thank You for Showing Mea Father of Love”

Awake! March 2011 3

RUSTAM, who lives in Russia, leads a busylife. In the past, he had some un-

healthful habits but came to real-ize that he was paying a price forthem. He stopped smoking andoverindulging in alcohol. Still,long days in front of his comput-er left him feeling lethargic.

Although Rustam startedwork at eight o’clock in the morn-ing, he rarely felt fully awake untilten, and he was often sick. So he madean adjustment to his routine. The result? “Inthe last seven years, I haven’t taken more thantwo sick days a year,” he reports. “I feel great—awake and alert—and I enjoy life!”

Ram, his wife, and their two small childrenlive in Nepal. Sanitation is lacking in theirneighborhood, and the area swarms withmosquitoes and flies. In the past, Ram andhis family frequently suffered from respirato-ry problems as well as eye infections. Theytoo made changes that greatly improved theirhealth.

Take Control of Your Health!

Whether they are rich or poor, many peo-ple fail to see the link between their habitsand their health. They may regard enjoyinggood health as a matter of chance or as some-thing over which they have little control. Sucha fatalistic view holds many back from im-proving their health and leading a more pro-ductive life.

In reality, whatever your financial circum-stances, there are basic steps you can take toprotect and greatly improve your own healthand that of your family. Is doing so worth the

effort? By all means! You can increase thequality of your life and avoid needlessly

shortening it.By word and example, parents

can teach their children to formgood habits, resulting in betterhealth. The extra time and ex-pense involved will be repaid inreduced suffering, less time lost

to illness, and less money spenton medical bills. As the saying goes,

An ounce of prevention is worth apound of cure.

In the following articles, we will considerfive basic keys that have helped Rustam, Ram,and many others. These keys can help youtoo!

YOU CAN IMPROVE

YOUR HEALTH

Rustam

Ram and his family obtainclean drinking water

4 Awake! March 2011

THIS JOURNAL IS PUBLISHED for the enlightenment of theentire family. It shows how to cope with today’s problems. It reportsthe news, tells about people in many lands, examines religionand science. But it does more. It probes beneath the surface andpoints to the real meaning behind current events, yet it alwaysstays politically neutral and does not exalt one race above another.Most important, this magazine builds confidence in the Creator’spromise of a peaceful and secure new world that is about toreplace the present wicked, lawless system of things.

!"#$ This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwideBible educational work supported by voluntary donations. Unless oth-erwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the modern-languageNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References.

Awake! (ISSN 0005-237X) is published monthly by WatchtowerBible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.; M. H. Larson, President;G. F. Simonis, Secretary-Treasurer; 25 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY11201-2483, and by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society ofCanada, PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. PeriodicalsPostage Paid at Brooklyn, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Awake!, 1000 Red MillsRoad, Wallkill, NY 12589-3299. � 2011 Watch Tower Bibleand Tract Society of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. Printed inCanada.

Vol. 92, No. 3 Monthly ENGLISH

M Eat fresh foods. Concentrate on eating“real” food—whole, fresh foods that peoplehave been enjoying for millenniums—ratherthan modern processed foods. Commerciallyprepackaged foods and fast food from chainrestaurants usually contain high levels of sug-ar, salt, and fat, which are associated withheart disease, stroke, cancer, and other se-rious illnesses. When cooking, try steaming,baking, and broiling instead of frying. Try us-ing more herbs and spices to cut down on salt.Make sure meats are properly cooked, andnever eat spoiled food.

M Do not eat too much. The World HealthOrganization reports a dangerous worldwideincrease in overweight and obese people, of-ten the result of overeating. One study foundthat in parts of Africa, “there are more chil-dren who are overweight than malnourished.”Obese children are at risk of present as wellas future health problems, including diabetes.Parents, set a good example for your childrenby limiting your own portions.

M Eat mostly plants. A balanced plate fa-vors a variety of fruits, vegetables, and wholegrains over meats and starches. Once or twicea week, try substituting fish for meat. Reducerefined foods such as pasta, white bread, andwhite rice, which have been stripped of muchof their nutritional value. But avoid potential-ly dangerous fad diets. Parents, protect yourchildren’s health by helping them to acquire ataste for foods that are healthful. For exam-ple, give them nuts and thoroughly washedfresh fruits and vegetables for snacks insteadof chips or candy.

M Drink plenty of fluids. Adults and chil-dren need to drink plenty of water and otherunsweetened liquids every day. Drink moreof these during hot weather and when doingheavy physical work and exercise. Such liq-uids aid digestion, cleanse your body of poi-sons, make for healthier skin, and promoteweight loss. They help you to feel and lookyour best. Avoid drinking excessive amountsof alcohol and too many sweetened drinks.One soft drink a day can add 15 pounds(6.8 kg) to your weight in a year.

In some lands, obtaining clean water canbe hard work and is expensive. Yet, drinkingit is vital. Tainted water needs to be boiledor chemically treated. Dirty water is said tokill more people than wars or earthquakes;it reportedly kills 4,000 children a day. Forinfants, the World Health Organization rec-ommends only breast-feeding for the first sixmonths, then breast-feeding plus some otherfoods until at least the age of two.

KEY1Eat Wisely

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

With these few words, author Michael

Pollan encapsulates simple, time-tested

dietary advice. What does he mean?

Languages: Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian,Bislama, Bulgarian, Cebuano, Chichewa, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese(Traditional)� (audio Mandarin only), Chitonga, Cibemba, Croatian,Czech,� Danish,� Dutch,�� English,�� Estonian, Ewe, Fijian, Finnish,�French,�� Georgian, German,�� Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hiligaynon,Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Iloko, Indonesian, Italian,�� Japa-nese,�� Kannada, Kinyarwanda, Kirghiz, Kirundi, Korean,�� Latvian, Lin-gala, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malagasy, Malayalam, Maltese, Myanmar,Norwegian,�� Polish,�� Portuguese,�� Punjabi, Rarotongan, Roma-nian, Russian,�� Samoan, Sepedi, Serbian, Sesotho, Shona, Silozi, Sin-hala, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish,�� Swahili, Swedish,� Tagalog, Tamil,Thai, Tok Pisin, Tongan, Tsonga, Tswana, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Viet-namese, Xhosa, Yoruba, Zulu

� CD also available.� MP3 CD-ROM also available.� Audio recordings also available at www.jw.org.

Would you welcome more information or a free homeBible study? Please send your request to Jehovah’s Witnesses, us-ing one of the addresses below. For a complete list of addresses, seewww.watchtower.org/address. America, United States of: 25 Columbia Heights,

Brooklyn, NY 11201-2483. Australia: PO Box 280, Ingleburn, NSW 1890. Bahamas: POBox N-1247, Nassau, NP. Britain: The Ridgeway, London NW7 1RN. Canada: PO Box 4100,

Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Germany: Am Steinfels, 65617 Selters. Guam: 143 Jehovah St,Barrigada, GU 96913. Guyana: 352-360 Tyrell St, Republic Park Phase 2 EBD. Jamaica:PO Box 103, Old Harbour, St. Catherine. Japan: 4-7-1 Nakashinden, Ebina City, Kanagawa-Pref, 243-0496. Puerto Rico: PO Box 3980, Guaynabo, PR 00970. South Africa: Private

Bag X2067, Krugersdorp, 1740. Trinidad and Tobago: Lower Rapsey Street & Laxmi Lane,

Curepe.

Awake! March 2011 5

M Get enough rest. “Better is a handful ofrest than a double handful of hard work andstriving after the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 4:6)The demands and distractions of modern lifehave whittled away at the time people spendsleeping. But sleep is essential to good health.Studies show that during sleep our body andbrain repair themselves, benefiting memoryand mood.

Sleep reinforces the immune system andreduces our risk of infection, diabetes, stroke,heart disease, cancer, obesity, depression,and perhaps even Alzheimer’s disease. Rath-er than artificially bypassing sleepiness—ournatural “safety device”—with sweets, caffeine,or other stimulants, we should heed it andsimply get some sleep. Most adults need sev-en to eight hours of sleep every night to look,feel, and perform their best. Young people

need more. Sleep-deprived teens are moreprone to have psychological troubles and tofall asleep when driving.

Sleep is especially important when we aresick. Our body can overcome some illnesses,such as a cold, if we simply get extra sleep anddrink plenty of fluids.

M Take care of your teeth. Brushing yourteeth and flossing them after meals, and es-pecially before going to bed, will help wardoff tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss.Without our own teeth, we may not benefitfully from the food we eat. It is reported thatelephants do not die of old age but that theyslowly starve to death after their teeth weardown and they can no longer chew properly.Children who have been taught to brush andfloss their teeth after eating will enjoy betterhealth in youth and throughout life.

M Go to the doctor. Some ailments call forprofessional medical attention. Early diagno-sis usually results in a better outcome and lessexpense. So if you do not feel well, get help tofind and eliminate the cause, instead of mere-ly seeking to relieve the symptoms.

Regular checkups from accredited health-care providers can head off many seriousproblems, as can getting professional medicalattention during pregnancy.� Keep in mind,though, that doctors cannot perform mira-cles. Complete healing of all our ills will takeplace only when God makes “all things new.”—Revelation 21:4, 5.� See the article “Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies,” in the

November 2009 issue of Awake!

KEY2Take Care ofBasic Body Needs

“No one ever hated his own body:

on the contrary, he provides and cares

for it.” (Ephesians 5:29, The New English

Bible) Taking basic steps to care for

yourself can make a world of difference

in your health.

6 Awake! March 2011

M Exert yourself. Leading a physically ac-tive life can help us feel happier, think moreclearly, have more energy, be more produc-tive and, along with proper diet, control ourweight. Exercise need not be painful or ex-treme to be effective. Regular periods of mod-erate exercise several times a week can bevery beneficial.

Jogging, brisk walking, biking, and takingpart in active sports—enough both to get yourheart beating faster and to cause you to breaka sweat—can improve your endurance andhelp to prevent heart attack and stroke. Com-bining such aerobic exercise with moderateweight training and calisthen-ics helps to strengthen yourbones, internal muscles, andlimbs. These activities alsocontribute to maintaining ahigher metabolism, which au-tomatically helps to controlyour weight.

M Use your feet. Exercise isbeneficial for people of allages, and membership in agym is not required to get it.

Simply using your feet instead of a car, bus,or elevator is a good start. Why wait for a ridewhen you can walk to your destination, per-haps even arriving there faster? Parents, en-courage your children to participate in phys-ical play, outdoors whenever possible. Suchactivity strengthens their bodies and helpsthem to develop whole-body coordination inways that sedentary entertainment, such asvideo games, cannot.

No matter how old you are when you start,you can benefit from moderate physical exer-cise. If you are older or have health problemsand have not been exercising, it is wise to con-sult a doctor about how to begin. But do be-gin! Exercise that is started gradually and notoverdone can help even the oldest among usto maintain muscle strength and bone mass.It can also help seniors to avoid falls.

Exercise is what helped Rustam, men-tioned in the first article of this series. Sevenyears ago, he and his wife began jogging a lit-tle each morning, five days a week. “At first,we made excuses not to go,” he relates. “Buthaving a partner helped to motivate both ofus. Now it has become a good, enjoyable hab-it.”

KEY3Keep YourselfMoving

“If exercise were a pill, it would be the

most widely prescribed medication in

the world.” (Emory University School of

Medicine) Of all the things we can do for

our health, few are more generally helpful

than physical exercise.

Exercise can be enjoyable

Awake! March 2011 7

M Keep yourself clean. “Hand washing isthe single most important thing that you cando to help prevent the spread of infection andto stay healthy and well,” reports the U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.As many as 80 percent of infections are saidto be passed on by unclean hands. So washthem often throughout the day. Do so espe-cially before eating, preparing food, or dress-ing or even touching a wound, and do so aftertouching an animal, using the toilet, or chang-ing a baby’s diaper.

Washing with soap and water is more ef-fective than using alcohol-based hand sani-tizers. Children stay healthier when parentstrain them to wash their hands and to keepthem away from their mouth and eyes. Bath-ing every day and keeping your clothes andbed linens fresh and clean also contribute tobetter health.

M Avoid infectious disease. Avoid closephysical contact or the sharing of eating uten-sils with any who have a cold or the flu. Theirsaliva and nasal secretions can pass the ill-ness on to you. Such blood-borne diseases ashepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS are trans-mitted primarily through sexual contact, in-travenous drug use, and transfusion. Vaccina-tion can help to prevent some infections, but

a wise person must still take necessary pre-cautions when with someone who has an in-fectious disease. Avoid insect bites. Do not sitor sleep outdoors unprotected when mosqui-toes or other disease-carrying insects are ac-tive. Use bed nets, especially for children, anduse insect repellents.�

M Keep your home clean. Make whateverextra effort is needed to keep your hometidy and clean, inside and out. Eliminate anyplaces where water can collect and mosqui-toes can breed. Litter, filth, and uncoveredfoods and garbage attract insects and ver-min, all of which can bring in microbes andcause disease. If there is no toilet, build a sim-ple latrine rather than just relieving yourselfin a field. Cover the latrine to keep out flies,which transmit eye infection and other dis-eases.

M Avoid injuring yourself. Obey safety lawswhen working, riding a bicycle or motor-cycle, or driving a car. Make sure your vehi-cle is safe to drive. Use appropriate protectiveequipment and clothing, such as safety glass-es, headgear, and footwear, as well as seatbelts and hearing protection. Avoid exces-sive sun exposure, which causes cancer andpremature aging of the skin. If you smoke,stop. Quitting now will significantly loweryour risk of heart disease, lung cancer, andstroke.�� See the cover series “When Insects Spread Disease,” in the

May 22, 2003, issue of Awake!� See the cover series “How to Quit Smoking,” in the

May 2010 issue of Awake!

KEY4Protect YourHealth

“Shrewd is the one that has seen

the calamity and proceeds to conceal

himself.” (Proverbs 22:3) Taking simple

protective steps can help you avoid much

sickness and misery, as well as loss of

time and money.

1.Wordingontheturban.2.Onyxstonesontheshoulders.3.Bellsonthefringe.4.Theoneontheleft.5.133,000.6.B.

ANSWERSTOPAGES30AND31

8 Awake! March 2011

M Keep learning. Public and private institu-tions in many lands provide educational pro-grams and literature on a wide range of healthtopics. Take advantage of them, and educateyourself about basic ways to improve yourhealth and to avoid endangering it. Keep anopen mind, and be willing to make simple ad-justments.

The good habits you learn and put intopractice may well benefit your children andtheir children after them. When parents set agood example in regard to healthful nutrition,cleanliness, sleep habits, exercise, and dis-ease prevention, their offspring are likelyto benefit.—Proverbs 22:6.

M What more is needed? It takesmore than self-interest to establishand maintain a healthful way oflife. Eliminating long-standingbad habits can be daunting, andmaking even simple adjustmentsoften requires strong motiva-tion. Even the threat of serious

illness and death may not move some to dowhat they know is good for them. What will?Like all of us, they need to keep in mind ahigher purpose, or objective, in life.

Mates need to remain healthy and strongto continue helping each other. Parents desireto go on supporting and training their chil-dren. Grown children need to care for agingrelatives. Add to this the noble desire to be ablessing to the community rather than a bur-den. All of this involves love and concern forothers.

An even stronger motivation derives fromgratitude and devotion to our Maker. Believ-ers in God wish to safeguard his precious giftof life. (Psalm 36:9) If we are healthy, we canserve God more actively. There could be nohigher or more motivating reason totake care of one’s health.

KEY5Motivate Yourselfand Your Family

“Everyone shrewd will act with knowl-

edge.” (Proverbs 13:16) Arming yourself

with basic health information can equip

and help motivate you to make needed

adjustments for better personal and family

health.

Enjoy the benefits ofa healthy lifestyle

Awake! March 2011 9

DO YOU remember Ram, mentioned in thefirst article of this series? Like many oth-

ers around the world, Ram was unaware ofhow important proper eating and other dai-ly practices are to health. He relates: “TheAwake! article ‘Nutritious Foods Within YourReach’ (May 8, 2002) helped me to under-stand why we should be aware of nutrition.”

Ram explains: “As a family, we tried to ap-ply what we learned from the article. Aftera while, we found that our immune systemswere strengthened. Before we began payingattention to our nutrition, we used to catchcolds quite often, but now we seldom do. Wealso learned about economical and easy waysto obtain clean drinking water, thanks to theAwake! article ‘Six Ways to Safeguard YourHealth.’ ”—September 22, 2003.

“Another Awake! article helped me toimprove the health of my family.

It was entitled ‘Soap—A “Do-It-Yourself Vaccine,” ’ in the No-

vember 22, 2003, issue. We

tried the suggestions in this article as soon aswe read it. Now we no longer suffer from eyeinfections as before.

“Where we live, people are unconcernedabout the huge swarms of flies and mosqui-toes. But from the video The Bible—Its Pow-er in Your Life,� our family learned that weshould keep away from such insects. Thisknowledge too helps us to remain in goodhealth.”

Do not give up! Whatever adjustments youneed to make, you may experience more suc-cess by starting gradually and not setting un-reachable goals for yourself. For example, trycutting down on less-healthful foods, ratherthan cutting them out. Try going to bed a littleearlier and getting a little more exercise. Do-ing something is better than doing nothing.It normally takes time—weeks or months—be-fore a new good habit becomes second na-ture. In the meantime, if you do not see im-mediate benefits from your extra efforts, donot despair. If you persist, despite setbacks,your health is likely to improve.

In this imperfect world, it is impossible foranyone to attain perfect health. When you getsick, it may be the result, not of negligenceon your part, but of inherent human frailty.Therefore, do not let health concerns, or any-thing else, cause you undue stress and anxi-ety. “Who of you by being anxious can add acubit to his life span?” asked Jesus. (Luke 12:25) Instead, simply try to avoid things thatneedlessly shorten life and impair its quali-ty. Doing so can help you to enjoy the besthealth possible until that day in God’s newworld when “no resident will say: ‘I am sick.’ ”—Isaiah 33:24.� Produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

TAKE STEPS TO IMPROVE

YOUR HEALTH

10 Awake! March 2011

MOST people recoil at the idea of self-inflicted pain. Yet, worshippers who

have tormented their bodies with such prac-tices as self-flagellation, extreme fasting, andwearing coarse hair shirts that irritate theirskin have been celebrated as examples for theGod-fearing. Those practices are not merelyvestiges of the medieval past. According to re-cent news reports, even prominent modern-day religious leaders have engaged in self-flagellation.

What motivates people to worship in sucha manner? In the words of one spokesmanfor a professed Christian organization, “vol-untarily accepted discomfort is a way of join-ing oneself to Jesus Christ and the sufferingshe voluntarily accepted in order to redeem usfrom sin.” Notwithstanding the claims of reli-gious leaders, what does the Bible say on thissubject?

Cherish Your Body

The Bible neither recommends nor con-dones worshipping God with self-inflictedpain. In fact, the Bible actively encouragesGod-fearing people to care for their body. Ex-amine the way the Bible describes the affec-tion between a husband and wife. Alluding tothe way a man would naturally treat his ownbody, it exhorts: “Husbands ought to be lov-ing their wives as their own bodies . . . Noman ever hated his own flesh; but he feedsand cherishes it, as the Christ also does thecongregation.”—Ephesians 5:28, 29.

Would the injunction to love one’s wife asone’s own body have much meaning if wor-shippers were expected to brutalize theirbody during worship? It is obvious that lov-ers of Scriptural principles are expected to

cherish and even have a measure of love fortheir own body, and this wholesome love foroneself should be extended to one’s marriagemate.

Fittingly, the Bible contains many princi-ples that help its readers cherish their body.For example, the Bible speaks of the benefitof moderate exercise. (1 Timothy 4:8) It re-veals the medicinal value of certain foods and

THEBIBLE’SVIEWPOINT Can Self-Inflicted

Pain Help You GetCloser to God?

A pilgrim crawlspainfully towarda church

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Awake! March 2011 11

alludes to the ill effects of a poor diet. (Prov-erbs 23:20, 21; 1 Timothy 5:23) The Scrip-tures encourage people to stay healthy be-cause doing so allows them to be as activeas possible. (Ecclesiastes 9:4) If Bible read-ers are expected to protect their health inthese ways, how could they also be expectedto harm their body?—2 Corinthians 7:1.

Should Christians ReenactJesus’ Suffering?

Still, some organizations mistakenly focuson the suffering endured by Jesus and his ear-ly followers to encourage self-torment today.But the suffering described by God’s servantsin the Bible was never self-inflicted. WhenChristian Bible writers pointed to Christ’ssuffering, they did so to encourage Christiansto endure persecution, not to cause their ownpersecution. Thus, those who torment theirbody are not imitating Jesus Christ.

To illustrate: Imagine you see an admiredfriend being reviled and struck by an enragedmob. You notice that your friend endures theattack with a calm, peaceful spirit, not strik-ing back or returning insults. If you wanted toimitate your friend, would you start strikingand insulting yourself ? Of course not! Thatwould be imitating the actions of the mob.You would simply try to avoid retaliating ifyou came under a similar attack.

Clearly, then, Christ’s followers are not ex-pected to inflict pain on themselves as if theyneeded to mimic the enraged mobs that tor-mented and sought to kill Jesus. (John 5:18;7:1, 25; 8:40; 11:53) Instead, when they suf-fer persecution, they are to imitate the calm,peaceful way Jesus endured hardship.—John15:20.

An Unscriptural Perversion

Even before the Christian era, the Scrip-tures governing Jewish life and worship pre-vented the Jews from doing anything thatharmed their flesh. For example, the Law ex-plicitly forbade the Jews to cut themselves,a practice that was evidently common in an-

cient non-Jewish nations. (Leviticus 19:28;Deuteronomy 14:1) If God did not want thebody cut, neither would he want it scarred bywhips. The Bible standard is clear—intention-ally harming one’s own flesh in any way is un-acceptable to God.

Just as an artist wants his work to be re-spected, Jehovah God, the Creator, wants hiscreation the human body to be respected.(Psalm 139:14-16) Actually, self-mortificationdoes not bolster one’s relationship with God.Rather, it cripples it and perverts the teach-ings of the Gospels.

The apostle Paul, writing under inspira-tion, stated of such oppressive, man-madedoctrines: “Those very things are, indeed,possessed of an appearance of wisdom in aself-imposed form of worship and mock hu-mility, a severe treatment of the body; butthey are of no value in combating the satis-fying of the flesh.” (Colossians 2:20-23) Thepractice of inflicting oneself with pain is tru-ly of no use at all in helping one get closer toGod. Rather, the requirements of true wor-ship of God are found to be refreshing, kind-ly, and light.—Matthew 11:28-30.

HAVE YOU WONDERED?

˘ How does God view the human body?—Psalm 139:13-16.

˘ Can tormenting your flesh help you tocombat improper desires?—Colossians 2:

20-23.

˘ Is true worship meant to be burdensomeor harsh?—Matthew 11:28-30.

The Bible standard is clear—intentionally harming one’sown flesh in any way isunacceptable to God


IN 1546, 14 men of Meaux, France, werefound guilty of heresy and condemned to

be burned alive. Their crimes? They met inprivate homes, prayed, sang psalms, observedthe Lord’s Supper, and declared that theywould never accept “Papistical idolatries.”

On execution day, the Roman Catholicteacher Francois Picard challenged the con-demned men about their beliefs regardingthe Lord’s Supper. They answered by ques-tioning him about the Catholic teachingof transubstantiation, which claims that thebread and the wine used during that obser-vance change miraculously into Jesus’ fleshand blood. ‘Does the bread,’ the condemnedmen asked, ‘taste like meat? Or the wine likeblood?’

Despite the lack of response, the 14 weretied to stakes and burned alive. The oneswho had not had their tongues removed sangpsalms. Priests who stood around the execu-tion site attempted to drown them out by sing-ing louder than they did. The next day, on thesame spot, Picard proclaimed that the 14 werecondemned to hell forever.

In the 1500’s, Europe was a dangerousplace for religious dissenters. Many who chal-

lenged the accepted church doctrines un-derwent horrific experiences at the hands oftheir religious opposers. One source of infor-mation about such sufferings is Jean Cres-pin’s Le Livre des martyrs (Book of Martyrs),published in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1554. Itis also known as Histoire des martyrs.�

A Lawyer Joins the Reformation

Born about 1520, in Arras, in what is nownorthern France, Crespin studied law at Lou-vain, Belgium. It was likely while he was therethat he was for the first time exposed to Re-formist ideas. In 1541, Crespin went to Par-is to work as the secretary of a noted jurist.About the same time, he witnessed in PlaceMaubert, Paris, the burning of Claude LePainctre, who had been condemned as a her-etic. Crespin was deeply impressed by thefaith of this young goldsmith, whowas execut-ed for what Crespin called “announcing thetruth to his parents and friends.”

About this time, Crespin began practicinglaw in Arras. Soon, however, his newfoundbeliefs led to his being accused of heresy.To escape prosecution, he fled to Strasbourg,France, and later settled in Geneva, Switzer-land. There, Crespin associated with support-ers of the Reformation. He gave up his legalcareer and became a printer.

Crespin published religious works of Re-formers, such as John Calvin, Martin Luther,� A translation of one title of Crespin’s work is Book of Mar-

tyrs, That Is, a Collection of Several Martyrs Who Endured Deathin the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, From Jan Hus Until ThisYear, 1554. Several revised and enlarged editions with various ti-tles and content were published during Crespin’s lifetime; andothers, after his death.

Jean Crespin’s

Book of Martyrs

Title pageof Crespin’s“Book ofMartyrs”(1564Edition)


John Knox, and Theodore Beza. He printedthe Greek text of the part of the Bible com-monly called the New Testament and the Bi-ble—in whole or in part—in English, French,Italian, Latin, and Spanish. Crespin becamefamous, however, for his Book of Martyrs. Init he listed many who had been executed forheresy between 1415 and 1554.

The Purpose of a Martyrology

Much of the literature produced by Re-formers denounced the brutality of the Cath-olic authorities. It encouraged the people bypresenting the “heroism” of Protestant mar-tyrs as a continuation of the sufferings facedby God’s servants in earlier times, includingChristians in the first century. To provide fel-low Protestants with examples to be imitated,Crespin compiled a catalog of those who hadsuffered death for their faith.�

Crespin’s book is a compilation of recordsof trials, inquisitorial proceedings, and eye-witness accounts, as well as testimonies writ-ten by the accused while they were in prison.Included, too, were letters of encouragementwritten to those in prison, some of whichare filled with quotations from the Bible. Thefaith of the writers, Crespin believed, was“worthy of perpetual memory.”

Much of the doctrinal material covered inCrespin’s book centers on well-known dis-putes between Catholics and Protestants. Thepersecutors and the persecuted argued, for� Two other martyrologies were published in 1554—the same

year that Crespin published his Book of Martyrs—one in Ger-man, by Ludwig Rabus, and the other in Latin, by John Foxe.

example, over such issues as the use of im-ages in worship, purgatory, and prayers forthe dead, as well as whether Jesus’ sacrificewas repeated during the Catholic Mass andwhether the pope was God’s representative.

The Book of Martyrs is a testimony to thecontroversy and intolerance that charac-terized those violent times. While Crespinfocused on the Catholic persecution of Prot-estants, it should not be forgotten that Protes-tants have at times also persecuted Catholicswith much the same ferocity.

Throughout history, false religion hasstained itself with “the blood of prophetsand of holy ones and of all those who havebeen slaughtered on the earth.” Certainly,the blood of those whom God recognizes ashis faithful martyrs cries out for vengeance.(Revelation 6:9, 10; 18:24) Likely some ofthose who suffered and died for their faithback in Jean Crespin’s day were searching inall sincerity for religious truth.

Execution of Protestants before theFrench King Henry II and his court

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MUSIC formed an integral part of the cul-ture of ancient Israel. Trumpets and

horns were blown to call people to worshipand to signal momentous events. Harps andlyres were plucked and strummed to paci-fy royalty. (1 Samuel 16:14-23) Drums, cym-bals, and rattles were beaten and shakento celebrate a joyful occasion.—2 Samuel 6:5;1 Chronicles 13:8.

Jubal, a descendant of Cain, is mentionedin the Bible as “the founder of all those whohandle the harp and the pipe.” (Genesis 4:21)He may have invented both stringed and windinstruments.

The Bible describes many events in whichmusic played a part. Yet, it says very littleabout the instruments themselves. By meansof archaeological discoveries and ancientwritings, however, scholars have tried to de-termine the appearance and sounds of an-cient musical instruments. Some conclusionsare conjectural, but let’s look at a few well-documented examples.

Tambourines, Sistrums, and Cymbals

After God miraculously led Moses and theIsraelites through the Red Sea, Moses’ sister,Miriam, accompanied by “all the women,”went out “with tambourines and in dances.”(Exodus 15:20) Although no tambourines aswe know them today have been recoveredfrom the Biblical era, ancient pottery figu-rines of women with small handheld drumshave been found in Israel in places such asAchzib, Megiddo, and Beth-shean. This in-

strument, often referred to as a tambourinein Bible translations, was probably a simplewooden hoop with an animal skin stretchedacross it.

In patriarchal times, tambourines wereplayed by women on festive occasions, andthey were accompanied by singing and danc-ing. The Bible explains that when the Israel-ite leader Jephthah returned home after animportant victory in battle, his daughter ranto meet him “with tambourine playing anddancing.” On one occasion, women cele-brated David’s achievements “with song anddances” and “with tambourines.”—Judges 11:34; 1 Samuel 18:6, 7.

When David, as king, brought the ark ofthe covenant to Jerusalem, the people “werecelebrating before Jehovah with all sorts ofinstruments of juniper wood and with harpsand with stringed instruments and with tam-bourines and with sistrums and with cym-bals.” (2 Samuel 6:5) Later, the temple inJerusalem had its own orchestra, which in-cluded trained musicians who played cym-bals, trumpets, and harps, as well as otherstringed instruments.

Although we have an idea of what tambou-rines looked like, what were sistrums? Theywere evidently musical rattles that had asmall oval metal frame with a handle. Shak-ing one would produce sharp, ringing sounds.The Bible mentions sistrums only once. Thatwas on the occasion when the ark of the cov-enant was brought to Jerusalem. Jewish tradi-

The Sounds of Musicin Ancient Israel

tion, however, holds that the sistrum was alsoplayed during sad events.

What about ancient cymbals? You maythink of them as large metal disks that wereclashed together. Some cymbals from an-cient Israel, however, were only a few inches(some 10 cm) in diameter, being similar tocastanets, and produced a tinkling sound.

Harps and Stringed Instruments

The kinnor, most often referred to as a“harp” or “lyre,” was an instrument common-ly used in ancient Israel. David played it tosoothe King Saul. (1 Samuel 16:16, 23) Schol-ars have at least 30 representations of thelyre from depictions found on ancient rockwalls, coins, mosaics, plaques, and seals. Theform of the instrument varied through thecenturies. The player held it in his arms andstrummed or plucked the strings with his fin-gers or with a plectrum.

The nebel was similar to the kinnor. Thereis uncertainty as to how many strings the ne-bel had, how large it was, and whether it wasplucked or strummed. Most scholars, how-ever, are of the opinion that both the nebeland the kinnor could be carried about by themusician.

Trumpets and Horns

Moses was instructed by God to make twotrumpets. They were to be made of ham-mered, or beaten, silver. (Numbers 10:2) The

A sistrum wasshaken like arattle

King Davidwas skilledat playingthe harp

The tambourine hasbeen used sincepatriarchal times

The trumpet was usedto announce manyevents


priests used them to announce many eventsassociated with the temple and various fes-tivals. Different sounds were produced de-pending on the purpose, including a loudand sustained sound or a shorter blast. Theactual physical appearance of these trumpetsis still unknown, since no trumpet from Bi-ble times has been recovered. We have onlyartists’ interpretations, such as the one foundcarved on a bas-relief on the Arch of Titus inRome.

The horn, or shofar, is mentioned in theHebrew Scriptures over 70 times. A hornfrom either a goat or a ram was used to fash-ion this instrument. According to Jewishsources, the horn had two forms—one straightwith a gold mouthpiece and the other curvedand decorated with silver. The horn was of-ten used as a signaling instrument because itcould produce a far-reaching, hollow sound oftwo or three tones.

In ancient Israel the horn was used to sig-nal certain religious events, such as the begin-ning and the end of the Sabbath. But it wasalso used in other ways—for example, in timesof war. We can just imagine the frighteningblasts that issued from the 300 horns im-mediately before Gideon’s army made theirsurprise nighttime attack on the Midianites.—Judges 7:15-22.

All Sorts of Musical Instruments

Such instruments as bells, flutes, and luteswere also used in Bible times. Jehovah’sprophet Daniel, who was exiled in ancientBabylon, wrote of the orchestra of Babylon’sKing Nebuchadnezzar. It included the zither,the pipe, and the bagpipe.—Daniel 3:5, 7.

This brief look at a few of the instrumentsmentioned in the Scriptures confirms the factthat music was part of everyday life in ancientIsrael and probably in other ancient civiliza-tions as well. The sounds of music were heardin the royal court and places of worship, aswell as in villages and homes.

Figurine of a womanholding a percussioninstrument, eighthcentury B.C.E.

Coin depicting astringed instrument,second century C.E.

This stone from thetemple enclosure inJerusalem is inscribedwith the words “to theplace of trumpeting,”from the firstcentury B.C.E.

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IN THE fourth century B.C.E., a youngMacedonian named Alexander propelled

Greece� onto the world stage. In fact, hemade Greece the fifth world power in Biblehistory and eventually came to be called Alex-ander the Great. The preceding empires wereEgypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia.

After Alexander’s death, his empire frag-mented and began to wane. However,Greece’s influence by way of its culture, lan-guage, religion, and philosophy endured longafter the political empire ceased.

Trustworthy History

The Bible record does not mention thatany prophets of God were active during theera of Greek supremacy, nor were any in-spired Bible books written then. Neverthe-less, Greece is featured in Bible prophecy.Additionally, the Christian Greek Scriptures,commonly called the New Testament, of-ten refer to Greek influence. In fact, mainlyin Israel there was a group of ten Hellenis-tic cities called the Decapolis, from a Greek� The references to Greece in this article are to ancient

Greece before the first century and do not relate to anymodern-day national boundaries.

word meaning “ten cities.” (Matthew 4:25;Mark 5:20; 7:31) The Bible mentions thisregion several times, and secular history andthe impressive remains of theaters, amphi-theaters, temples, and baths verify its exis-tence.

The Bible also makes many references toGreek culture and religion, especially in the

A BOOK YOU CAN TRUST

Part 5

Greece in Bible HistoryThis is the fifth in a series of seven articles in consecutive issues of “Awake!” thatdiscuss the seven world powers of Bible history. The objective is to show that theBible is trustworthy and inspired of God and that its message is one of hope foran end to the suffering caused by man’s cruel domination of his fellow man.

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About 200 yearsin advance, Bibleprophecy pointedto Alexander theGreat

17


book of Acts, which was written by the physi-cian Luke. Consider a few examples:

Describing events that occurred during theapostle Paul’s visit to Athens in 50 C.E., theBible states that the city was “full of idols.”(Acts 17:16) Historical evidence confirmsthat Athens and its suburbs were filled withreligious idols and shrines.

Acts 17:21 says that “all Athenians and theforeigners sojourning there would spend theirleisure time at nothing but telling somethingor listening to something new.” The writingsof Thucydides and Demosthenes attest to theAthenian preoccupation with conversationand debate.

The Bible specifically states that “the Ep-icurean and the Stoic philosophers took toconversing with [Paul] controversially,” eventaking him to the Areopagus to hear more ofwhat he had to say. (Acts 17:18, 19) Athenswas known for its many philosophers, includ-ing Epicureans and Stoics.

Paul refers to an Athenian altar inscribed“To an Unknown God.” (Acts 17:23) Altarsdedicated to an unknown god were possiblyerected by Epimenides of Crete.

In his speech to the Athenians, Paul quotesthe words, “for we are also his progeny,” at-tributing the words, not to a single poet, butto “certain ones of the poets among you.”(Acts 17:28) These Greek poets evidentlywere Aratus and Cleanthes.

For good reason, one scholar concluded:“The account of Paul’s visit in Athens seemsto me to have the flavor of an eye-witness ac-count.” The same could be said of the Bible’sdescription of Paul’s experiences in Ephesusof Asia Minor. In the first century C.E., thiscity still retained its affinity for pagan Greekreligion, most notably the worship of the god-dess Artemis.

The temple of Artemis, one of the sevenwonders of the ancient world, is mentioneda number of times in the book of Acts. For

GREECE

EGYPT

MEDIA

PERSIA

INDIA

THE GRECIAN EMPIRE

The Bible accurately foretold the conquests of Alexanderthe Great and the breakup of his empire


example, we are told that Paul’s ministry inEphesus angered a silversmith named Deme-trius, who had a flourishing business makingsilver shrines of Artemis. “This Paul,” saidan angry Demetrius, “has persuaded a con-siderable crowd and turned them to anotheropinion, saying that the ones that are made byhands are not gods.” (Acts 19:23-28) Deme-trius then stirred up an angry mob, who be-gan to shout: “Great is Artemis of the Ephe-sians!”

Today you can visit the ruins of Ephesusand the site of the temple of Artemis. More-over, ancient inscriptions from Ephesus veri-fy that idols were made in honor of the god-dess and that a guild of silversmiths wasactive in the city.

Trustworthy Prophecy

About 200 years before the time of Alexan-der the Great, Jehovah God’s prophet Danielwrote concerning world domination: “Look!there was a male of the goats coming fromthe sunset upon the surface of the wholeearth, and it was not touching the earth. And

as regards the he-goat, there was a conspicu-ous horn between its eyes. And it kept com-ing all the way to the ram possessing the twohorns, . . . and it came running toward it in itspowerful rage. And . . . it proceeded to strikedown the ram and to break its two horns, andthere proved to be no power in the ram tostand before it. So it threw it to the earth andtrampled it down . . . And the male of thegoats, for its part, put on great airs to an ex-treme; but as soon as it became mighty, thegreat horn was broken, and there proceededto come up conspicuously four instead of it,toward the four winds of the heavens.”—Dan-iel 8:5-8.

To whom did those words apply? Danielhimself answers: “The ram that you saw pos-sessing the two horns stands for the kingsof Media and Persia. And the hairy he-goatstands for the king of Greece; and as for thegreat horn that was between its eyes, it standsfor the first king.”—Daniel 8:20-22.

Think about that! During the time of theBabylonian world power, the Bible foretoldthat the succeeding powers would be Medo-Persia and Greece. Moreover, as noted earli-er, the Bible specifically stated that “as soonas it became mighty, the great horn”—Alex-ander—would be “broken” and would be re-placed by four others, adding further thatnone of them would be Alexander’s posterity.—Daniel 11:4.

That prophecy was fulfilled in detail. Alex-ander became king in 336 B.C.E., and with-in seven years he defeated the mighty PersianKing Darius III. Thereafter, Alexander con-tinued to expand his empire until his prema-ture death in 323 B.C.E., at the age of 32. Nosingle individual succeeded Alexander as ab-solute ruler, nor did any of his offspring. Rath-er, his four leading generals—Lysimachus,Cassander, Seleucus, and Ptolemy—“pro-claimed themselves kings” and took overthe empire, states the book The HellenisticAge.

Statue of the Ephesiangoddess Artemis

An altar dedicatedto an unknown god


During his campaigns, Alexander alsofulfilled other Bible prophecies. For exam-ple, the prophets Ezekiel and Zechariah,who lived in the seventh and sixth centu-ries B.C.E., foretold the destruction of thecity of Tyre. (Ezekiel 26:3-5, 12; 27:32-36;Zechariah 9:3, 4) Ezekiel even wrote that herstones and dust would be placed “in the verymidst of the water.” Were those words ful-filled?

Consider what Alexander’s troops did dur-ing their siege of Tyre in 332 B.C.E. Theyscraped up the ruins of the earlier mainlandcity of Tyre and cast the debris into the sea tobuild a causeway to the island city of Tyre.The strategy succeeded, and Tyre fell. “Theprophecies against Tyre have been accom-plished, even to the minutest details,” said a19th-century explorer of the site.�

A Hope You Can Trust

Alexander’s conquests did not bring abouta peaceful, secure world. After reviewing theancient Greek period of rule, one scholar ob-served: “The essential condition of the com-mon people . . . had changed little.” This sit-uation is often repeated throughout history� As foretold by Ezekiel, the first conquest of Tyre occurred

at the hands of Babylonian King Nebuchadrezzar. (Ezekiel26:7) Thereafter, the city was rebuilt. This rebuilt city was theone destroyed by Alexander, fulfilling in every detail the wordsof the prophets.

and confirms yet again the Bible statementthat “man has dominated man to his injury.”—Ecclesiastes 8:9.

Poor rulership, however, will not continueindefinitely, for God has established a govern-ment that is far superior to any conceived byman. Called the Kingdom of God, it will re-place all human rulerships, and its subjectswill enjoy true and lasting peace and security.—Isaiah 25:6; 65:21, 22; Daniel 2:35, 44; Rev-elation 11:15.

The King of God’s Kingdom is none otherthan Jesus Christ. In contrast with power-hungry, aloof human rulers, Jesus is motivat-ed by love for God and humankind. Concern-ing him, a psalmist foretold: “He will deliverthe poor one crying for help, also the afflictedone and whoever has no helper. He will feelsorry for the lowly one and the poor one, andthe souls of the poor ones he will save. Fromoppression and from violence he will redeemtheir soul.”—Psalm 72:12-14.

Is he the kind of Ruler you want? If so, youwill do well to consider the sixth world powerof Bible history—Rome. Indeed, it was duringthe Roman era that the foretold Savior wasborn and made his indelible imprint on hu-man history. Please read the sixth article inthis series, which you will find in the next is-sue of this magazine.

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IWAS born in 1972. My large Kirghiz fami-ly lived in the village of Chyrpykty, on the

shores of beautiful Lake Issyk Kul. The areaaround the lake is a popular tourist attractionfor those who visit Kyrgyzstan, which was for-merly a republic of the Soviet Union. NowI live with my wife, Gulmira, in Bishkek,Kyrgyzstan’s capital city, located about 125miles (200 km) from where I grew up.

A Shepherd and Sheep

When I was a child, we would lead thesheep to high mountain pastures in thespring. This involved a climb of more than9,000 feet (3,000 m), which would take usseveral days. Some other shepherds chose ashorter route and reached the pastures faster.But the way they went was near gorges andravines, and sheep that strayed a little weresometimes injured—or even killed.

On such routes wolves were often knownto frighten or attack the sheep, dividing themoff from the flock and killing them. So myuncle chose a path that was easier and less

dangerous, even though going that way tookan extra day or more. Sometimes I wanted tohurry, but my uncle would stop me. “Alym-bek,” he would say, “think about the sheep,not about yourself.”

In the beautiful high mountain pastures,temporary corrals, or enclosures, were madefor the protection of the sheep during thenight. Some shepherds loved to sleep in andwould not get the sheep to pasture until longafter sunrise. By the time the sheep began tograze, the day was already hot.

The sheep would soon stand together withtheir heads bowed, breathing with mucheffort. Unable to eat their fill, they becameweak and thin. On the other hand, my un-cle was up before daylight—by four in themorning—and he would have the sheep un-der his care out in a good pasture by sun-rise. There they had time to graze in the re-freshing early morning air. As people oftensaid, “Looking at the sheep, you see the shep-herd.”

Happy to Bea Shepherd

AS TOLD BY ALYMBEK BEKMANOV

At the age of three, I began tending sheep, and

I came to love caring for them. By age 17, I was

an experienced shepherd. Later, I learned about

another kind of shepherd, a spiritual one. Let me

explain why serving as such has brought me even

greater joy.

A good time for checking and treatingsheep is when they are taking a rest after graz-ing. One of the biggest problems our sheephad was with flies that lay eggs in the sheep’snavel. When this happens, the navel becomesinflamed and swells. If the problem is notfound in time, the pain can become so in-tense that a sheep may wander off and die.We checked our sheep almost daily so that wecould treat them. Although this took time andeffort, our reward was that the sheep werehealthy and content.

Every evening when we returned to the cor-ral from the pasture, we counted the sheep.They entered a pen through a narrow gate—sometimes up to three or four at a time.Our flock numbered into the hundreds, yetwe became so skilled at the procedure that wecould count up to 800 sheep within 15 or 20minutes. That took a lot of practice, but wedid it!

If we found that a sheep was missing, myuncle would take a gun and a staff and go outlooking for the lost one—even going out whenit was raining and dark to search for just onelamb. He would call loudly. His voice wouldscare off wild animals. When a sheep heardthat voice, you could just see that it felt safe.

We gave a name to every sheep, accordingto differences in their appearance or charac-ter traits. In a flock there always seemed tobe stubborn sheep. For some reason they justdidn’t want to obey the shepherd. At times,other sheep were inclined to follow a dis-obedient one. So the shepherd would try totrain and discipline the stubborn ones. Forexample, he would leave such a sheep in thepen alone. In time, some accepted correctionand followed the shepherd’s directions. Sheepthat remained stubborn ended up on our din-ner table.

A Different Kind of Shepherd

In 1989, I studied martial arts and becamevery skilled in them. The following year, I wasdrafted into the Soviet army. While serv-

ing in Russia, my martial-arts comrades or-ganized their own criminal gang. When I re-turned home to Kyrgyzstan, they told me thatif I joined them, I would have everything. Butat that same time, I became acquainted withJehovah’s Witnesses.

The Witnesses answered questions thathad tormented me from childhood, such asWhy do people die? I came to understandfrom our discussions that death is the resultof the sin of the first man, Adam. (Romans 5:12) I also learned from the Bible that Jeho-vah, the true God, sent his Son Jesus as ourRedeemer and that by putting faith in Jeho-vah and his Son, we could have our inheritedsin covered. This would then put us in line tolive forever in Paradise on earth, in harmo-ny with God’s original purpose for mankind.—Psalm 37:11, 29; 83:18; John 3:16, 36; 17:1-5;Revelation 21:3, 4.

The Scriptural answers that the Witness-es provided to my questions were so clearand understandable that I was moved to ex-claim, “That’s how it should be!” No longerdid I wish to be around my former comrades.A number of times they tried to get me to re-turn to their group. But my desire to learnand practice Bible truths was strong enoughthat it helped me to resist their tempting of-fers and led to my becoming a spiritual shep-herd.

About that time, a faith healer who wasfamous in our area would come to visit mymother. One day, when I arrived home, thewoman conducted a spiritistic seance. Shesaid that I had a special gift and encouragedme to go to the mosque and receive an amu-let, claiming that the amulet would help me.She almost convinced me that by doing this,I would receive the gift of healing.

The next day, I went to the Witnesses withwhom I studied the Bible and told them abouther visit. They showed me in the Bible thatJehovah is opposed to all forms of spirit-ism, as it is connected with evil spirits. (Deu-



teronomy 18:9-13) For a few nights, I couldn’tsleep because of the influence of the demons.When the Witnesses taught me how to pray inharmony with Jehovah’s will, I was soon freeof nightmares. I became convinced that I hadfound the true Shepherd, Jehovah.

I learned that David, the writer of many Bi-ble psalms, had also been a shepherd in hisyouth. He called Jehovah “my Shepherd,” andhis feelings about Him became dear to me.(Psalm 23:1-6) I wanted to imitate Jehovah’sSon, Jesus, who is called the “shepherd of thesheep.” (Hebrews 13:20) At an assembly heldin Bishkek early in 1993, I symbolized my ded-ication to Jehovah by water baptism.

An Important Meeting

A large number of my relatives, as well asneighbors, began to meet for Bible study.About 70 from our village met together nearLake Issyk Kul. A relative of mine, who wasthe head of the village council, was very in-terested. He said that he would arrange for a

large meeting at which we could explain ournewfound faith. But local religious leaders be-gan to incite people in the area to oppose ourpreaching activity. They conspired to use thismeeting to turn people against us.

On the appointed day, about a thousandgathered, including people from three nearbyvillages. A few Witnesses were present, one ofwhom began to explain our Bible-based be-liefs. After less than five minutes, a personstood up and shouted provocative questions.Accusations and threats were hurled, and thecrowd was stirred up to the point of wantingto do us violence.

At that moment, one of my older brothers,who had recently started studying the Bible,stood up in our defense. Everyone feared andavoided him because of his fighting abilities.He bravely stood between the attackers andthe Witnesses, and we left without any vio-lence occurring. During the following years,many of those who had attended that meetingbecame Witnesses. Today, more than 50 fromour village of about 1,000 are Jehovah’s Wit-nesses.

A Shepherd’s Daughter

A few months before the big conventionof Jehovah’s Witnesses in Moscow, Russia,in August 1993, I met Gulmira, a Witness

Our sheep at pasture

We counted the sheep each eveningto make sure that none were missing


from a Kirghiz village. Her family had alsobeen shepherds. In 1988, when the activitiesof the Witnesses were still banned in the So-viet Union, Gulmira’s mother had begun tostudy the Bible with a Witness named Aksa-my. In the 1970’s, Aksamy became the firstKirghiz Witness of Jehovah in the area.

Soon Gulmira joined her mother in the Bi-ble study with Aksamy. In 1990 they bothbecame baptized Witnesses. Gulmira’s heartsoon moved her to take up the full-time min-istry as a pioneer.

I saw Gulmira only occasionally during thenext two years, since I lived about a hundredmiles (160 km) away. In March 1995, I de-cided to get better acquainted with her, soone morning I went to her home with thatin mind. I was shocked to learn that she wasleaving the next day to serve at the Russiabranch office, over 3,500 miles (5,633 km)away!

By that time I had begun to serve as a full-time minister and had started to learn theRussian language, since we did not as yethave any of our literature in the Kirghiz lan-guage. For three years Gulmira and I wrote toeach other and arranged to read the same Bi-ble passages so that we could exchange spiri-tual thoughts. In the meantime, I served inthe first Kirghiz-language congregation, inthe town of Balikchi.

Serving Jehovah With Gulmira

In 1998, Gulmira came to Kyrgyzstan onvacation, and we were married. I was invitedto serve with her at the Russia branch office.How happy I was that I had started to studythe Russian language! In time, I was assignedto work with the Kirghiz translation team,which provided Bible literature in Kirghiz.I prayed to Jehovah and asked for wisdomand patience. And, of course, my coworkerGulmira was a big help to me.

In 2004 our translation team was sent toBishkek, where I was appointed to serve onthe committee that provides oversight for the

work of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kyrgyzstan.There were then seven Kirghiz-language con-gregations and over 30 Russian-language con-gregations in the country. Now there aremore than 20 Kirghiz-language congregationsand many Kirghiz-speaking groups, whichcomprise some 40 percent of the 4,800 Wit-nesses in Kyrgyzstan.

Gulmira and I decided to learn English,since knowledge of it would help us in ourministry. This led to our receiving an invita-tion to the world headquarters of Jehovah’sWitnesses in the United States in 2008. ThereI attended the special school for those whoare taking the lead in the preaching work intheir respective countries.

Gulmira and I now feel more fully able toserve the spiritual interests of the people inKyrgyzstan. Our experiences have helped usto see firsthand that Jehovah is truly a lov-ing shepherd. I have personally felt the ful-fillment of the Bible psalm that states: “Je-hovah is my Shepherd. I shall lack nothing.In grassy pastures he makes me lie down; bywell-watered resting-places he conducts me.My soul he refreshes. He leads me in thetracks of righteousness for his name’s sake.”—Psalm 23:1-3.

With Gulmira today

˘ The female wood-boring wasp depositsits eggs inside pine trees, and its method ofdoing so has inspired scientists to developsafer and more-efficient surgical probes.

Consider: The wood wasp burrows intothe pine tree by means of an ovipositor—a needlelike tube with two interlockingshafts, or “valves,” each of which is coveredwith backward-facing teeth. The teeth ofone valve catch onto the wood, thus provid-ing resistance, while the other valve slidesa small step forward. Then the teeth ofthat valve catch onto the wood, providing re-sistance, while the first valve slides for-ward. By means of rapid oscillation—duringwhich the valves alternate in providing re-sistance and moving forward—the ovipositordrills nearly an inch (up to 20 mm) into sap-wood with minimal force, neither bucklingnor breaking in the process.

Inspired by the ovipositor of the femalewood wasp, scientists have created a proto-type neurosurgical probe that operates ona similar principle. Its silicon needle consistsof two oscillating valves, each with micro-size teeth that can penetrate areas deep inthe brain with minimal damage. However,the instrument is to have an additional fea-ture. “Unlike existing rigid surgical probes,”explains New Scientist magazine, “the de-vice will be flexible enough to move alongthe safest possible route, bypassing high-risk areas of the brain during surgery, for ex-ample.” Such a probe would also reduce thenumber of incisions needed to access hard-to-reach areas.

What do you think? Did the ovipositor ofthe female wood-boring wasp come aboutby chance? Or was it designed?

WAS IT DESIGNED?

The Ovipositorof the

Wood-BoringWasp

Alternating forces

While one valvepushes down andcuts into the wood,the other valve pullsup and its teethprovide resistance

WoodWasp: David R. Lance, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org;diagram: J. F. V. Vincent and M. J. King, (1996). The mechanismof drilling by wood wasp ovipositors. Biomimetics, 3: 187-201


IF YOU checked any of the boxes, thenyou have something in common with your

peers who smoke tobacco or have thoughtabout it.� For example:� Although this article discusses those who smoke ciga-

rettes, the problems and dangers that are highlighted also ap-ply to those who chew tobacco.

Satisfying curiosity. “I wondered what itwas like, so I took a cigarette from a girl atschool and then sneaked out and smoked it.”—Tracy.

Coping with stress and fitting in. “Kids atschool would say, ‘I need a cigarette,’ and thenafterward, ‘Phew, now I can cope!’ Duringstressful times, I wanted that.”—Nikki.

Losing weight. “Some girls smoke to staythin—it’s so much easier than dieting!”—Sa-mantha.

But before you light your first—or yournext—cigarette, stop and think. Don’t belike a fish striking at a baited hook. True,the fish may get a small reward, but whata price it pays! Instead, follow the Bible’sadvice, and use “your clear thinking facul-ties.” (2 Peter 3:1) Answer the following ques-tions.

What Do You Really KnowAbout Smoking?

Mark each statement true or false.a. �� Smoking reduces stress.

b. �� I would exhale almost all of the smoke.

c. �� Smoking won’t affect my health until I getolder.

d. �� Smoking will make me more attractive tothe opposite sex.

e. �� If I smoke, no one is hurt but me.

f. �� It doesn’t matter to God whether I smokeor not.

Answers

a. Smoking reduces stress.—False. Al-though smoking temporarily relieves thestress of withdrawal symptoms, scientists

YOUNGPEOPLEASK

What should I knowabout smoking?

Look at the following options, and puta I in the box beside each item that youfeel describes you.

Q I’m curiousQ I’m dealing with stressQ I want to fit inQ I’m concerned about my weight


have found that nicotine actually increasesyour level of stress hormones.

b. I would exhale almost all of the smoke.—False. Some studies indicate that over80 percent of the cigarette smoke particlesyou inhale stay inside your body.

c. Smoking won’t affect my health untilI get older.—False. While the risks increasewith each cigarette you smoke, a few effectsare immediate. Some people become addict-ed from just one cigarette. Your lung capaci-ty will be reduced, and you’ll likely develop apersistent cough. Your skin will wrinkle moreand prematurely. Smoking increases your riskof sexual dysfunction, panic attacks, and de-pression.

d. Smoking will make me more attractiveto the opposite sex.—False. Researcher LloydJohnston found that teens who smoke are“less attractive to the great majority of the op-posite sex.”

e. If I smoke, no one is hurt but me.—False.Secondhand smoke kills thousands each year;it will harm your family, your friends, andeven your pets.

f. It doesn’t matter to God whether I smokeor not.—False. Those who want to please Godmust cleanse themselves of “every defilementof flesh.” (2 Corinthians 7:1) There is nodoubt that smoking defiles the body. If youchoose to be unclean, harming yourself andothers by using tobacco, you cannot be afriend of God.—Matthew 22:39; Galatians 5:19-21.

How to Resist

So, what will you do if someone offers youa cigarette? A simple but firm response, suchas “No thanks, I don’t smoke,” will oftenwork. If the person persists or even tauntsyou, remember that it is your choice. Youmight say:

˘ “I checked out the risks and decided thatit’s not for me.”

˘ “I have some important future plans thatinvolve breathing.”

Like the youths quoted earlier in this ar-ticle, though, you may find that the greatestpressure comes from inside yourself. If that’sthe case, answer this ‘inner voice’ by reason-ing on questions such as these:

˘ Will I really gain benefits by smoking?For instance, if I decide to smoke just to beaccepted by others, will I somehow fit in de-spite having little else in common with them?Do I even want to fit in with people whowould be happy to see me damage my ownhealth?

˘ How much will smoking cost me in mon-ey, health problems, and loss of others’ re-spect?

˘ Would I be willing to sell out my friend-ship with God for the price of a cigarette?

WHAT YOUR PEERS SAY

“ If someone asked

me why I don’t smoke,

I’d say, ‘Because I don’t

want to blacken my

lungs and shorten my

life span.’

”

“ If someone offered

me a cigarette, I’d say,

‘No.’ If they tried to push

me, I’d say, ‘Are you

denying me my right to

make a personal choice?

That’s pretty shocking in

this day and age!’

”

Benjamin

Heather


What, though, if you’re already hooked?What can you do to break free?

How to Quit

1. Convince yourself. Write down yourreasons for quitting, and review this list

regularly. A desire to beclean before God can bea powerful motive.—Ro-mans 12:1; Ephesians 4:17-19.

2. Get help. If you’vebeen smoking in se-cret, now is the time tocome clean. Tell thoseyou have been hidingyour smoking from thatyou are quitting, and askfor their support. If youwant to serve God, prayfor his help.—1 John 5:14.

3. Set a quit date.

Give yourself two weeksor less, and mark on yourcalendar the day you are

determined to quit. Tell your family andfriends that you are quitting on that date.

4. Search and destroy. Before you reachyour quit date, scour your room, car, andclothing for any cigarettes. Destroy them. Getrid of lighters, matches, and ashtrays.

5. Deal with withdrawal symptoms. Drinkplenty of fruit juice or water, and allow more

time for sleep. Keep in mind that the discom-fort is temporary, while the benefits are perma-nent!

6. Avoid triggers. Stay away from placesand situations where you would be temptedto smoke. You may also need to cut off so-cial contact with associates who are smokers.—Proverbs 13:20.

7. Avoid rationalizations. Don’t fool your-self by saying, “I’ll only take one puff.” Suchrationalizations often lead to a full relapse.—Jeremiah 17:9.

Don’t Be Duped

Each year, tobacco companies spend bil-lions of dollars on advertising. How can theynot know that many youths will be lured bytheir bait and even become tomorrow’s ad-dicted adults?

Don’t allow tobacco executives to get theirhands into your pockets. Why take their bait?Neither that group nor your peers who smokehave your best interests at heart. Rather thanlisten to them, listen to the advice found inthe Bible and learn “to benefit yourself.”—Isa-iah 48:17.

WHY NOT ASK YOUR PARENTS?

Coping with peer pressure is mucheasier when you are prepared. Why notask your parents to have practice ses-sions with you so that you’ll be ready toreply if someone offers you a cigarette?Have a parent play the part of a pushypeer. Hint: Use the “Peer-Pressure Plan-ner” on pages 132 and 133 of Ques-tions Young People Ask—Answers ThatWork, Volume 2, to get some goodideas on how to respond.

˘ DID YOUKNOW?

Smokeless tobac-co—such as chew-ing tobacco—candeliver more nico-tine than ciga-rettes and con-tains more than25 cancer-causingcompounds thatincrease theuser’s risk of de-veloping cancerof the throat andmouth.

More articles from the “Young People Ask”series can be found at the Web sitewww.watchtower.org/ype

Like a fish strikingat bait, a smokergets a reward butpays a terrible price

Trust in Church Has Plummeted“Most people no longer trust [the Cath-

olic] Church,” says a headline in The IrishTimes. The report places the Catholic Churchin the same category as other institutions inwhich a majority of the Irish have lost confi-dence—the government and the banks. In acountry where loyalty to the church has beenlegendary, over half those interviewed in a re-cent poll said either that they did not trustthe church “at all” (32 percent) or that theydid “not really” trust the church (21 per-cent). Scandals that have recently rocked thechurch are blamed for the fact that publictrust in it has “plummeted.”

Unemployed College GraduatesIs a college education a guarantee of a job?

Not for many, according to the Manila Bul-letin. It quotes Herbert Bautista, mayor ofQuezon City, as saying: “Every year our col-leges and universities are producing millionsof graduates who simply end up among theunemployed because their courses are incom-patible with what jobs are available.” Manyend up working in clerical positions or fast-food restaurants. The government is encour-

aging high school graduates to take shortcourses in practical skills or technical fieldsin which work may be found more easily.

Bridge Corroded by SpitIn Calcutta, India, the 1,500-foot-long

(457 m) Howrah Bridge is being threatenedby pedestrians’ spit. Why? Gutkha—the popu-lar mixture of betel leaf, areca nut, and slakedlime, which many citizens chew and spit—ishighly corrosive. According to the Calcuttanewspaper The Telegraph, “the commuters’collective spit power [has] reduced the thick-ness of the steel hoods protecting the[bridge’s] pillars from six [.24 in] to three[.12 in] millimetre[s] since 2007.” Some 500,-000 pedestrians and 100,000 vehicles use thisriver crossing every day.

WATCHING THE WORLD

Italy held its first divorce fair.Visitors consulted marriage agencies tofind a new partner, travel agencies to orga-nize vacations for singles, and divorce-planning agencies to find lawyers, accoun-tants, psychologists, and family mediators.—CORRIERE DELLA SERA, ITALY.

The “credibility gap” caused by theCatholic Church’s “mismanagement of theclergy sex abuse crisis” has resulted inits “largest institutional crisis in centuries,possibly in church history.”—NATIONAL CATHOLIC

REPORTER, U.S.A.

Scientists who sequenced DNA from thefrozen hair of a Greenlander who died some4,000 years ago found that he “appearsto have originated in Siberia.”—REUTERS NEWS SERVICE, U.S.A.

FOR FAMILY REVIEW

What Is Different?

Can you identify the threedifferences between picture Aand picture B? Write your an-swers on the lines below, andcomplete the pictures by color-ing them. CLUE: Read Exodus28:9-12, 33, 36, 37.

A. B.

1 ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

2 ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

3 ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

4. Which picture is correct, theone on the right or the one onthe left?

˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝ ˝

˘ Answers to pages 30 and 31on page 7

FOR DISCUSSION: Whatdoes the word “holy” mean?Why is it important for wor-shippers of Jehovah to beholy? How can you show thatyou are trying to be holy?CLUE: Read 2 Corinthians 7:1.

FAMILY ACTIVITY: Have each family member research factsabout the role of Israel’s high priest. Then come together andreport what you have learned. For example, what were someof the responsibilities of the high priest? CLUE: Read Leviticus9:7; Deuteronomy 17:9-11. How does Jesus Christ prove to bethe best High Priest? CLUE: Read Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:26-28;9:11-14.


Collect and Learn Cut out, fold in half, and saveR

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3

R U T H

PROFILE A faithful Moabite widow whosupported her aged mother-in-law, Naomi.Ruth’s loyal love for Naomi and herdetermination to worship Jehovah gave herthe strength to leave her homeland andmove to Bethlehem. Others told Naomi,“Your daughter-in-law . . . is better to youthan seven sons.”—Ruth 4:14, 15.

QUESTIONS

A. Complete Ruth’s statement to Naomi:“Your people will be . . .”

B. How is Ruth a good example for thosewho care for the sick and elderly?

C. Fill in the blanks. Ruth married ��and became an ancestress of ��and ��.

ANSWERS

A. “. . . my people, and your God my God.”—Ruth 1:16.

B. Ruth showed a self-sacrificingand industrious spirit.—Ruth 2:7, 10-12, 17;3:11.

C. Boaz, King David, Jesus Christ.—Matthew 1:5, 6, 16.

Peoples and Lands5. My name is Sha

´e. I live in Britain, which is near

the continent of Europe. About how many of Jehovah’sWitnesses live in Britain? Is it 13,300, 133,000,or 333,000?

6. Which dot shows where I live? Circle it, draw a dotwhere you live, and see how close you are to Britain.

Children’sPicture SearchCan you find these pictures inthis issue? In your own words,describe what is happening ineach picture.

40

26

B.C

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Adam

create

dLiv

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circ

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Moved fromMoab toBethlehem MOAB

Bethlehem

A

B

C

D

˘ A 19-year-old girl from the southern United States wrote:“I was raised in a churchgoing family and personally knowChrist as my Savior. Yet, for years I have lived in fear ofGod’s judgmental wrath, of burning in a horrible hell. ThenI began reading your book What Does the Bible ReallyTeach?

“After just a few chapters, I felt a huge amount ofpeace. I felt as if an elephant had climbed off my chest.I now see that Jehovah is a loving, kind, and merciful God.He desires a relationship with me and not one based ona dreadful fear of him. I am planning to visit the KingdomHall of Jehovah’s Witnesses this Sunday! I am so excited.Thank you for showing me a Father of love and not onewho created a fiery hell.”

The Bible Teach book also discusses other importantsubjects. These include the condition of the dead, theresurrection hope, how to improve family life, the identityof God and Jesus Christ, and why God allows suffering.You may request a copy of the book by filling in theaccompanying coupon and mailing it to an appropriateaddress on page 5 of this magazine.

“Thank You for ShowingMe a Father of Love”

Q Without obligation,I request a copy of thebook shown here.

Indicate which language.

��

Q Please contact me con-cerning a free home Biblestudy.

Name ��

Address ��

��

City ��

Province/State �� Postal/ZIP Code ��

www.watchtower.org

WHAT DOESTHE BIBLE

Really TEACH?

g11 03-E

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