That the World May Know

MasadaHerod the Great built and impressive fortress at Masada to showcase his own power, but it is remembered today as a symbol of the Jewish desire for freedom.' The mountain of Masada stands tall in Israel's Judea Wilderness. On top of this spe...

No Greater Love

Korazin - The CityStudying the ruins of Korazin and other Galilean towns, scholars have pieced together a picture of family life in the first century. Korazin stood in the northwestern corner of the Galilee region, about three miles from the sea. ...

VIEW ALL ARTICLES

Encyclopedia

Misguided faith

Belvoir's FortressBuilt by French Crusaders with a moat, outer walls, and an inner building, Belvoir looks like a European fortress transplanted onto Israel's soilBuilt by a group of French Crusaders, the Belvoir fortress stands in an area of nort...

Mosaic Floor

In a mansion near the burnt house, the opulence of the people of this part of the city (many were Sadducees) is revealed. The beautiful mosaic in the floor, made from thousands of tiny bits of stone of various colors, displays the typical geometri...

Mount Moriah

Today the top of Mount Moriah lies somewhere beneath the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock. Throughout the Bible, this special place played a significant role in many people's lives:Abraham In Gen. 22:1-14, God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac...

Movements of Jesus' Day

Four views of JudaismIn Jesus' day, there were varying philosophies within the Jewish faith. While some Jews embraced the Roman rulers, others resisted with violence. And whereas some Jewish believers lived a simple, isolated lifestyle...

Olive Tree Imagery

The olive tree is one of the plants most frequently mentioned in the Bible. Scripture writers used olive tree imagery to describe Jesus' Jewish roots and the relationship of Jews and Gentiles.When an olive tree gets very old (often hundreds of yea...

Palm Sunday

The Passover For the Jewish people, Passover was more than a religious observance. It was the time of year when they celebrated liberation from Egyptian bondage.During Jesus' time, they also used this opportunity to express their longing for polit...

Passion Week

At the beginning of his last week, Jesus was greeted in Jerusalem as a heroic savior, someone to free the Jews from Roman authority. By the end of the week, Jesus was no longer seen as a hero. He was publicly ridiculed and disgraced as he hung on ...

VIEW ALL ENCYCLOPEDIA

Glossary

Mikveh Definition

A ritual bath containing living water. Observant Jews would wash head, heart, hands, and feet as a symbol of purity before God.

Mount Arbel Definition

Mountain ridge 1,000 feet above the Sea of Galilee. Site of a brutal battle in 38 BC between Galilean Jews and Herod the Great for control of Galilee.

Palestine Definition

Name given to the Promised Land after the Second Jewish Revolt (AD 132-235). It is derived from the word Philistia and was used by the Romans to denigrate the Jews.

VIEW ALL GLOSSARY

Login