One of Shakespeare’s greatest works was the story of MacBeth, a tyrannical king of Scotland. However, the real King MacBeth was born in 1005 AD, grandson of Malcolm II. His father was murdered in 1020 AD and in 1034 AD, his cousin Duncan was crowned king of Scotland. Duncan was a power hungry leader who spent most of the next 6 years in battle. In 1040 AD, Duncan died in battle and MacBeth was crowned high king. He was seen as a peaceful and benevolent king, and ruled for 17 years. He died in 1057 AD when Duncan’s son, Malcolm MacDuncan, claimed his right to the throne. He was crowned kind in 1058 AD as Malcolm III. The death of MacBeth is seen as the end of the Celtic way of life in Scotland.

About 18 million years ago, the plains of North America were filled with a wide range of large mammals, including one now called Daeodon. The term means “terrible pig”, and from the fossils found, they probably lived up to their name. Experts have found that from their teeth, these animals were probably omnivores, though they more than likely lived on scavenged meat. They were about the size of modern day bison, and were heavily muscled. From evidence left on fossilized bones, these creatures may have fought over mating rights, territory, or even meals, as many of the skulls found from these beasts show puncture wounds and serious scrapes. Several Daeodon skeletons have been found around a dried up river bed at Agate Springs, Sioux County, Nebraska.

Around 167 BC, the King Antiochus IV forbade the Jewish people from performing their religious ceremonies. A Jewish priest called Mattathias the Hasmonean, refused to accept the Greek gods and with his four sons, began what became known as the Maccabean Revolt. After his death, his son, Judah Maccabee led an army against the reigning Seleucid dynasty, gained victory, and is now celebrated every year at Hanukkah. Judas Maccabee died in a battle in 160 BC and was succeeded by his brother, Jonathan, who already held the office of high priest. Jonathan died in 142 BC, leaving his only surviving brother, Simon. At this same time, Demetrius II of Syria gave the Jewish people political independence. Simon Maccabee founded the Hasmonean dynasty that lasted until 37 BC, when King Herod the Great took the throne.

In the days when the Egyptians and the Hebrews ruled the ancient world, there was a kingdom in the desert that rivaled that of any major civilization. They were known as the Kushite and lived in what we now call Nubia. Archaeological evidence suggests that the first Kushite societies began to take shape before 3100 BC. Most of what we know of these people come from the ancient Egyptians themselves, however, the Kushites are mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the 8^th century BC, a Nubian king by the name of Piye took advantage of the warring rulers of Egypt and conquered the land, becoming the first Kushite Pharaoh of Egypt. Kushite rulers also built pyramids in the desert, but had their own style in doing so. Out of the 220 pyramids built by this amazing culture, 14 were made specifically for their queens.

The ancient Mayan’s were a highly sophisticated people from what is now Guatemala. The Mayans were highly skilled in agriculture, architecture, and astronomy. Though many of the books written by the Mayans were burned by Christian monks in the 1500’s, a few survived, including one known as the Dresden Codex. The Dresden Codex is a Mayan book made from tree bark, detailing astronomical phenomena in their days. The codex is 11.5 feet in length, made up into 39 sheets. One of the biggest problems in modern times with the Dresden codex, is that many scholars have tried to place specific dates in correlation with dates on the Christian calendar. Today, the Dresden codex is housed in a state library in Dresden, Germany. An exact replica is housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Guatemala City.