Jesus left heaven to be born in a filthy shepherd’s stable, as if to say, “I’ll leave heaven to enter the brokenness of your world.” Much of His teaching ministry, though, took place in a very different sort ... MORE
The people of the Bible lived in temple-building cultures. Temples provided pagan gods with a place to live, keeping them close to the people who worshiped them. Even Israel did the same – first Solomon, then Nehemiah and Zerubbabel, and eve... MORE
The Jews of Jesus’ day lived in homes meant to house an entire extended family, with several rooms situated around a common courtyard. A family’s home in that patriarchal society was known as a “beth ab,” which means, &ldqu... MORE
In Paul’s day, the city of Corinth was known for two things: drunkenness and sexual decadence of all kinds. The word “Corinthian” was even used in Greek plays to describe someone with poor morals or drunken behavior. And yet in a... MORE
Herod s Magnificent PalaceThe Herodion, third largest palace of its day, stood as a magnificent monument to Herod's wealth and power.The Herodion, third largest palace of its day, was built in the wilderness near Bethlehem. The huge structure was ...
THE JOY OF LIVING WATER: JESUS AND THE FEAST OF SUKKOT' With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isa. 12:3)Water was of great importance to the people of the Bible. They lived in a dry country, completely dependent on the season...
A City Fit for the HerodsThere is no biblical record of Jesus teaching in Sepphoris, but we know that he grew up in the nearby village of Nazareth. From his hometown, Jesus could probably see the impressive city, which covered nearly five hundred ...
"...the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." (Rev. 17:14)The Christian faith began with antagonism between the Jewish Temple authorities ...
MezuzahAttached to the doorpost of every religious Jewish home is a small container called a mezuzah. Inside the mezuzah is a rolled parchment inscribed with verses from the Bible. A Jewish person entering the house touches the mezuzah and then ki...
In Galilee, the ancient village of Qatzrin has been excavated and reconstructed. Although it was populated centuries after Jesus' time, scholars believe that the buildings and artifacts discovered there represent the practices of the first century...
Jerusalem: The Midway Point in Hezekiah's Tunnel Where the Workers Met
The photograph shows the spot where the tunnelers met nearly at midpoint. The ability of these people to cut this small tunnel without modern instruments or tools is astonishing. The fact that they were only 10 feet off horizontally and none at al...
Jesus spent a lot of time in synagogues (Matt. 4:23). He taught in them (Matt. 13:54), healed in them (Luke 4:33'35; Mark 3:1-5), and debated the interpretation of Torah in them (John 6:28-59).His life seems to have followed Jewish education patte...
Korazin stood in the northwestern corner of the Galilee region, about three miles from the Sea. The nearby cities of Capernaum and Bethsaida joined Korazin as part of the "orthodox triangle," an area inhabited primarily by devout J...
Marriage Customs
In ancient Israel, when it was time for a man and woman to marry, both fathers would negotiate the bride price to compensate the bride-to-be's family. After exchanging a glass of wine to conceal the agreement, the couple was form...
What is a Mezuzah?A small container called a mezuzah is attached to the doorpost of every religious Jewish home. This mezuzah contains a small, rolled up piece of paper with Bible verses inscribed on it (the text of Deut. 4:4-9; 11:13-21). Upon en...
Jewish historian named Josephus Flavius, author of four major extra-biblical texts of Jewish life and culture. Born to a preistly family about the time of Jesus' death, he died approximately 100 AD; he was a Galilean commander in the First Jewish ...
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