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The Salt of the Earth

The City of SardisLocated on Mount Tmolus in southern Turkey, the city of Sardis stood at the crossroads of Asia Minor, the most prosperous, powerful, fertile, and pagan province of the entire Roman Empire. First-century Sardis had a unique blend ...

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The Time Had Fully Come

Qumran - The SiteThe wilderness community of Qumran served as home for the Essenes, a Jewish sect existing in Jesus' day.Qumran served as a study site for the Essenes, a Jewish sect existing in Jesus' day. Located at the edge of the Judea Wilderne...

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Encyclopedia

The Sea of Galilee

Rabbis of ancient times said, "The Lord has created seven seas, but the Sea of Galilee is his delight." Anyone who sees the Sea of Galilee understands this statement: The blue water, set against a green and brown background of surroundin...

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The Seeds of Revolt

The Seeds of RevoltThe Seeds After the Romans began their occupation of Judea in 64 BC, the Jews became divided on how to respond.The religious leaders, particularly the Pharisees, believed the Messiah would come from the Jewish people and make Is...

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The Shephelah

Shephelah is a Hebrew word meaning "low" and is usually translated "lowlands" or "foothills." The term refers to a twelve to fifteen-mile wide region in Judea, comprised of foothills that are located between the coast...

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The Temple at En Gedi

En Gedi is one of the oases around the Dead Sea. Sodom and Gomorrah would have looked like this oasis. High on the cliff above En Gedi, archaeologists discovered a pagan temple already old at the time of Abraham and Lot. Sodom and Gomorrah probabl...

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The Temple Mount at Jerusalem

God despised the Canaanite high places where pagan worship was carried out. His orders to the Israelites were to destroy them. Yet God communicated with his people through their culture. He allowed them to establish high places where he could meet...

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The Theater at Beth Shean

This spectacular theater was built during the Roman period in the Decapolis city of Beth Shean, known also by its Greek name, Scythopolis. It was more than 360 feet in diameter and seated over 7,000 people. As seen here, one tier of seats remains....

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The Theater at Caesarea

Herods' love of Hellenistic culture and his desire to introduce it to the Jewish nation is illustrated clearly by the theater at Caesarea. Apparently, this structure was built outside the city because its obscene and bawdy performances may have cr...

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The Theater at Ephesus

In the world of the early believers, the theater was a significant institution for communicating the Hellenistic view of the world. Every major city in the Roman world had a theater, and the theater in Ephesus was spectacular. The Greek king Lysim...

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The Theater at Hierapolis

The first-century theater of Hierapolis, one of the best-preserved theaters in Asia, clearly demonstrates the city's sophistication at the time Epaphras founded a church there. The carvings below the stage, which was twelve feet high, are in remar...

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The Upper City

This view of Jerusalem is from the southwest, looking northeast over the Upper City. In the foreground is the Upper City on the Western Hill. Here the wealthy, Hellenistic citizens of Jerusalem lived, including the Sadducees. The section of the ci...

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