- Sardis stood in the middle of the Hermus River Valley, just over fifty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea in what is now the country of Turkey. The main east-west trade route came through this valley.

- On a spur of Mount Tmolus, on the north side of the Hermus River Valley, the Lydians' dominant people in the interior of Asia from about 1000-550 BC, built the acropolis of Sardis.

- The capital of the Lydians, Sardis enjoyed half a millennium of artistic, architectural, and economic prosperity. Its most famous king, Croesus, became rich because his subjects discovered a way to pan gold from a nearby river using sheep fleeces that trapped flecks of gold.

-When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Assyria, Sardis became part of his empire. In 586 BC, he conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and exiled many Jews. Apparently, many of them were brought to Sardis, and out of this community of Jews the church of Sardis was later born. It is amazing to see how God prepared things ahead of time for his purpose.

- The Persians made Sardis their western capital, so it remained an important city. Alexander the Great ended the Persian Empire in 334 BC, and Sardis became part of the Greek world.

This stream is one of several that run out of the cliff at Caesarea Philippi. Originally, the springs ran from the cave known as the Grotto of Pan. The presence of a religious cult here is probably due to these springs of fresh water.Peter's confession that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Matt. 16:16) and Jesus' reference to his own "living water" are in stark contrast to the lifeless idols worshiped here. This flowing water is a picture of the life that Jesus alone can give.

These niches originally held statues of the pagan gods worshipped at Caesarea Philippi. The largest is actually an artificial cave that leads to a niche in the cliff itself. This niche apparently held a statue of Pan. Above it is another niche with an inscription indicating that a priest named Victor dedicated the statue of the goddess in the niche to the god Pan. The statue is gone. Other niches are seen in the cliff around the cave. This rock cliff, against which the temples stood, could be viewed as the "rock of the gods.

Jesus' church will replace these gods and their pagan practices, for his community will be built on the rock of Jesus himself, God's Messiah. The temple that stood in front of the niches probably did not have a back wall but opened into the cave, which is to the left of the arched opening.

Against the cliff and in the large cave on the left, in the third century BC, was a cult center to the fertility god Pan. This center probably was built to compete with the high place at Dan, about three miles away.The presence of the spring forming the large stream, called the Banias River, fit well with the belief that the fertility gods provided water. Its sudden emergence from the ground at the floor of the cliff, a long rock face more than 100 feet high, supported the pagan belief that the gods went to the underworld (Hades) and reemerged each year.

Originally, the spring gushed from the large cave, probably persuading the people of the area that the cave provided an entrance to the underworld itself. An earthquake in the nineteenth century collapsed the roof of the cave, and the water now gushes from the cliff below the cave. Josephus described the cave as a deep cavern filled with water, the bottom of which no one had ever reached. The water from the spring may have been collected first in a "sacred lake" before it flowed west, joining with two other spring-fed streams (including one near Dan) to become the Jordan River.

A natural terrace against the cliff was the platform for the temple to Pan. The opening to the right of the cave is cut into the rock and leads to a niche in which an idol stood. This niche was probably in the sacred area and allowed the priests to engage in ritualistic water ceremonies. The entire area covered more than 3,000 square yards.

In the cliff face to the right of the opening are more niches to house the statues of gods. Herod also built a white temple nearby, to honor the Roman emperor Augustus. Because of the worship of Pan, the area was named Paneon, or Panias. It is still known today as Banyas, based on the Arabic pronunciation of Panias. King Herod Philip named the area Caesarea Philippi.

Jesus came here to call his disciples to challenge the gates of hell. Seeing the "living water" rush from the foot of the rock provides a picture of Jesus, the Son of the living God, whose community will be built on the solid rock of God's saving truth.

The reconstructed platform, or podium, near the cave at Caesarea Philippi was originally the base of a temple either to the Roman emperor Augustus or to Pan (or possibly both). The entrance to the Grotto (or cave) of Pan is seen to the left of the Podium.Niches in the cliff face originally held statues of Pan and other gods. The largest arched niche is next to the cave, from which a spring flowed.

The temple next to the cave opened into the cave itself. The opening was probably used for religious ceremonies involving water. The temple may even have covered the entrance to the cave, with the water running beneath the temple floor.

An open-air shrine to Pan was located to the right of the steps to the platform. Another temple was to the right of that shrine, though it has not yet been identified. Some evidence exists that it was a temple to Nemesis, a Phonecian fertility goddess.

The presence of massive temples against this cliff and the fresh water gushing from the cave provide powerful images, as a backdrop to Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and to Jesus' promise to build his church on the rock so that even the gates of hell will not overcome it (Matt. 16:13-19).

En Gedi is the home of desert goats known as ibex. These heavy- horned males and graceful does graze on the sparse grasses in the surrounding desert.

The only available water for miles around is the spring of En Gedi. This photograph doesn?t exactly depict the "deer that pants for water" (Ps. 42:1), but it is clearly the image the psalmist used to describe his need for God. These beautiful animals will come to drink even when there are people nearby because they are so thirsty.

It is the same with us believers. We are so spiritually thirsty that we seek God as an ibex pants after water.

En Gedi is the home of desert goats known as ibex. These heavy- horned males and graceful does graze on the sparse grasses in the surrounding desert.The only available water for miles around is the spring of En Gedi. This photograph doesn?t exactly depict the "deer that pants for water" (Ps. 42:1), but it is clearly the image the psalmist used to describe his need for God. These beautiful animals will come to drink even when there are people nearby because they are so thirsty.

It is the same with us believers. We are so spiritually thirsty that we seek God as an ibex pants after water.

The result living water is clearly seen. The barren wilderness on the background contrasts sharply with the lush growth produced by the water. The sudden appearance of water brings like out of the barrenness of the desert.Many Bible passages describe God's care for his own as providing water, revealing out need to be rooted in "streams of water" (Isa. 49:10) and our call to become living water for others (Isa. 32:2).

The desert around En Gedi is hot, barren, and dry. God's promise to his people was to turn the desert into "pools of water" (Psalm 107:35). Even the barrenness is made fruitful by the living water from God.The water and shade seen in this photograph provide relief and the ability to handle the extreme desert heat. This, too, is a picture of God's care. He is the cool shade that protects the weary from the sun's heat; he is the water that soothes the parched throat of the thirsty.

When we say the words "science" or "technology," we don't usually picture the ancient world. But in biblical times, new advances and discoveries were always being made.In the field of metalworking, the world gradually shifted from the use of bronze to the use of iron. As water systems were developed, people were able to supply their cities with water and withstand sieges by their enemies.

This beautiful wall on one of the Western Hill mansions is decorated with fresco panels painted in red and yellow. This design is typical of those used among the wealthy (probably Sadducees) in the time of Jesus. The blackened areas are the result of the fires the Romans set to destroy Jerusalem after they had torn down the Temple. The captured the area of the Upper City in September of AD 70.

The early writers and readers of the Scriptures viewed their world in concrete, rather than abstract, terms. Because of this, they used word pictures and symbolic actions rather than formal definitions to describe God and his relationship with his people.

For example, in John 6:35, Jesus, the 'bread of life,' offers spiritual food that will completely satisfy our hunger. The word picture of the bread reveals that he alone offers the spiritual truth that provides life.

Psalm 18:2 reveals God and our relationship to him using a number of different word pictures. God is revealed as our 'rock.' He is steadfast,' immovable, a sure place on which to stand and take refuge. God is our 'fortress,' a place of safety. God is our 'deliverer' who saves us. He is our 'shield' who protects us from harm. He is the 'horn,' a symbol of strength, of our salvation.

God is presented as a loving 'shepherd' in Isaiah 40:11. He takes care of his people like a loving shepherd cares for his flock. Even the weak and defenseless are secure in his tender care.

Such word pictures fill the pages of the Bible. As a Jew himself, Jesus also described the kingdom of heaven in concrete terms, often using stories and images to convey truth.

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Sea of Galilee Climate and LifeSeveral hot mineral springs surround the Sea of Galilee. The largest of these springs is located near the ancient capital city of Tiberias, where Herod Antipas once included it in his hot baths. The number of sick people mentioned in the vicinity of the sea (see Matt. 14:35-36) may be due in part to the hot mineral springs and public baths in the area.

When these springs and baths did not provide cures, people sought the Rabbi from Capernaum, who had a reputation for being able to heal. Ten of Jesus' thirty-three recorded miracles "including a majority of his healing miracles" happened near the lake.

The Sea of Galilee contains fresh water. It is fed primarily by the Jordan River from the north and several wadis on the east that carry rain and melted snow from the Golan Heights.

Just as it does today, the Sea of Galilee teemed with fish in Jesus' time. There was a prosperous commercial fishing industry in the many small villages and larger towns along its shore. Among these was Bethsaida, which means "house of fishermen." Jesus' choice of this location for his ministry, along with his selection of several fishermen as his disciples, made fishing imagery a natural illustration for some of his teachings (Matt. 4:19).

The climate of Galilee is quite tropical, with fertile soil. The most productive areas surround the sea. In Jesus' time, wheat, barley, figs, grapes, and olives were produced in large quantities. The fertile fields often gave Jesus opportunities to illustrate his teaching (Matt. 12:1; 13:1-43; John 12:24). Jesus' messages about wealth and earthly treasures were easily understood by the inhabitants of the prosperous lake communities ( Matt. 6:19-21; 16:26; Luke 12:16-21).

Sea of Galilee GeographyAlthough it has many names, most New Testament readers recognize "the Sea of Galilee" as its common designation. It is also called the Sea of Kinnereth (Num. 34:11; Josh. 12:3), the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1), the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1; 21:1), and sometimes simply "the lake" (John 6:16).

Set in the hills of northern Israel, the Sea of Galilee is nearly 700 feet below sea level. It is nearly eight miles wide at its widest point, and more than 12 miles long from north to south. In places, the sea plunges to depths of 200 feet.

Many first-time visitors are surprised to see that from any point on the rocky shore, all other locations along the shoreline are visible. Around the sea, the hills of Galilee reach nearly 1,400 feet above sea level, and the mountains of the Golan Heights (called the Decapolis in Jesus' time) reach more than 2,500 feet.

Much of the sea's beauty comes from being nestled among the hills;green in the spring, brown during the dry season, which contrast with the deep blue of the water. The slopes of the Golan Heights on the east and Mount Arbel on the west drop sharply down to the sea.

The sea's location makes it subject to sudden and violent storms as the wind comes over the eastern mountains and drops suddenly onto the sea. Storms are especially likely when an east wind blows cool air over the warm air that covers the sea. The cold air (being heavier) drops as the warm air rises. This sudden change can produce surprisingly furious storms in a short time, as it did in Jesus' day (Matt. 8:24).

This closeup shows the somewhat decayed and broken seating stone on the left. The fine craftsmanship of the tekton (i.e., carpenter) who carved it is seen along the bottom.The care with which thousands of these stones were cut for this structure highlights the theater's importance in Jesus' world.

The Marriage Cup

During Biblical times, a young man who wanted to marry would go with his father to the chosen woman's house to meet her and her father. They'd negotiate a steep "bride price", the money or physical items that the woman's father would ask for in exchange for giving up his valuable daughter.

Then, the young man's father would hand his son a cup of wine. The son, in turn, would offer it to the woman and say, "This cup I offer to you." In effect he was saying, "I love you and I offer you my life. Will you marry me"? If she drank it (sealing their engagement), she accepted his life and gave him hers. If not, she simply declined.

The Passover Cup

During the Passover liturgy of Jesus' day, participants would drink from four cups of wine at different times. The third cup was called the cup of salvation.

While celebrating the Passover with his disciples in the Upper Room, Jesus offered them the cup of salvation and said, "This cup is a new covenant in my blood." He was saying, in effect, "I love you. I give you my life. Will you marry me?"

Every time we drink from the communion cup and hear the words, "This cup is a new covenant of my blood," God is saying to us, "I love you. I invite you to be my spiritual bride." And every time we drink it, we are in effect saying to him, "I accept your gift, and I give you my life in return."

The Cup that Jesus DrankJesus asked his Father the night before he died, "If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me" (Matt. 26:39). He knew the high price he would have to pay to purchase his bride and become our spiritual husband.

Assyrians

Assyria's kings were committed to more than military conquest. As part of their religious duty, they also constructed massive public buildings.

Sennacherib, for example, built a new palace that he named the Palace Without a Rival. His records indicate that the labor force that built it was composed of deportees from many conquered nations (probably including Israel).

This palace, which was discovered during the late nineteenth century, contained more than seventy halls and chambers, all of them lined with stone panels (called reliefs) that depicted Sennacherib's accomplishments.

Enormous statues of winged bulls guarded the doors of the hallway that led to the main chamber. Hallway walls were lined with panels commemorating the destruction of the cities of Judah, including the siege of Lachish.

Just three miles from the small town of Nazareth where Jesus grew up, archeologists are unearthing the sophisticated city of Sepphoris, the city Herod Antipas constructed as his administrative capital.

Crowned by Herod's elaborate palace, Sepphoris was home to one of the largest theaters of the first century. The city was laid out in the latest Roman pattern with a colonnaded street leading to the forum. It also featured a gymnasium, an elaborate water system, and probably a bathing complex. Beautiful mosaics filled several of Sepphoris's buildings.

The beauty and excitement of Sepphoris, with its Hellenistic ideas, wealth, and power, certainly impacted Nazareth and exposed Jesus to secular culture at a relatively young age.

Furthermore, Sepphoris probably provided opportunities for Jesus to study the culture of his world and interact with the highly sophisticated people of his day. A masterful teacher, Jesus used his understanding of culture to teach in relevant terms that both Jews and non-Jews could understand.

One day a student came to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what is the greatest commandment?"

You might recall that Jesus included "Love God" and "Love your neighbor" in his response. Do you remember, however, that Jesus answered by quoting a portion of the "Shema" ("Shema" means "Listen" or "Hear"). Shema is found in the Torah of the Hebrew Bible (Deut. 6:4-9). Jesus' answer to the student's question begins, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God! The Lord alone!"(Deut. 6:4 (NIV footnote;)

In Jesus' day, reciting Shema meant renewing your relationship with God. This was done regularly, perhaps several times a day. Whenever a person recited the Shema, she celebrated God's covenant or promise of grace. Shema firmly acknowledges allegiance to God alone. To recite Shema is to whole-heartedly accept the Kingdom or Reign of God in life. Again and again and again.

When the student asked Jesus his question, he asked Jesus in the language of their culture, "Rabbi, what is your yoke?" or "Rabbi, what is your interpretation of Torah?" The student wanted to know Jesus' "bottom line," his summary of Torah.

And so the greatest commandment is the answer to questions like, "What is the Bible all about? What is God all about? Who is the Christian, and what is she doing here?"

The greatest commandment also underlines that a loving relationship with God is absolutely essential for God's people! Loving others is meaningless if that love is not in response to a loving, covenantal relationship with Almighty God. A loving relationship with God must be set and nurtured first; only then will love for others flow out in response.

Life itself is all about loving God with all of every part of you in response to God's covenant of grace. And love for God is best expressed in loving others.

The Shema expresses the foundation of Christian living. Jesus obeyed and loved God, and he loved others, perfectly. If we are to be like Jesus, the desperate desire of our hearts is to do the same. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the community of faith expresses unconditional love of God through obedience and through loving others.

Finally, at a minimum, the Shema included Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them to your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

God desires believers to live his commandments. The intense and constant meditation on God's Word is the legacy and obvious witness of those who love God and love others. Loving God and loving others springs out of a deep passion for and commitment to the Text.

Adult Bedouin males usually delegated the care of flocks to young boys and girls. This responsibility was learned early in childhood. The possibility that young boys and girls were in the fields tending flocks forms a startling' contrast to the traditional Western view that the shepherds who came to see baby Jesus were adults (Luke 2:8-16).

Many shepherds tended their flocks deep in the Negev Wilderness, probably several days' travel from home. Located south of Mount Hebron, the arid Negev land (Negev means "dry") has few natural water sources and receives very little rainfall. But the northern region of the Negev, from the Hebron Mountains to the Zin Wilderness, is good sheep country. Its rolling hills surround large, broad valleys.

Many of the biblical shepherds came from villages along the edge of this wilderness. These settled shepherds farmed around their villages and took their sheep onto nearby land that could not be farmed.

Shepherding was difficult for both settled and nomadic shepherds. They faced burning sun and cold winds. Regardless of the conditions, they were responsible for the care of their sheep.

Sometimes a shepherd had a donkey that carried him and his food and water. Other times he simply walked. A camel hair coat and simple head cloth protected him from sunburn while he stayed with the flock for days at a time. He ate what he carried with him: dates, figs, olives, bread, and cheese.

Bears, lions, wolves, and leopards lived in wilderness areas. At night, shepherds put their flocks either in a sheepfold under a house, in a nearby pen, or an enclosure in the wilderness. On occasion, the shepherd laid across the opening of the sheepfold, acting as a gate to protect the sheep and prevent them from straying. It was most likely this image that Jesus was referring to when He described Himself as the gate or door to the sheepfold (John 10:9).

Shepherding was a way of life for biblical people. Abraham, the father of the Jews, was a shepherd, as was Moses, the great lawgiver (Ex. 3:1), and David, the king who established Israel's national identity (1 Sam. 17:28).

As the land was settled, shepherds primarily kept their flocks on the fringe of the wilderness. In many ways, Israel's experience, her identity, and her view of God were based on the wilderness experience of her shepherding past.

The prophets of the Bible saw Israel's turn to idol worship partially as a result of changing from a nomadic to a farming society. God, said Hosea,' " ... will lead [Israel] into the desert and speak tenderly to her" (Hosea 2:14).

The prophets understood the nation's nomadic wandering in the wilderness as a time when their faith in God was strong. They wrote frequently on the theme of an ideal leader who came as a shepherd and returned the people to the faith of the desert experience (Isa. 40:11; Micah 5:4).

To illustrate his relationship with his people, God chose the image of a shepherd and his sheep (Heb. 13:20). Scripture even refers to God as a "shepherd" (Ps. 23).

The shepherd and the sheep knew each other well. Sheep followed only the shepherd they recognized, ignoring all strangers. A simple call from their shepherd was sufficient for an entire flock to follow his lead. The shepherd scouted for new green pastures, quiet water, and danger. These shepherd images helped the Israelites understand their relationship to God and their dependence on him.

The Ram's Horn

Used to intimidate the enemy, to declare war, and to call people to assembly, the shofar is one of the oldest wind instruments in the world.'  The army of Israel marched around Jericho to the signal of the shofar (Josh. 6). Jewish tradition links the ram's horn to the ram caught in the thicket and then sacrificed by Abraham in place of his son, Isaac (Gen. 22).

Symbolism

During biblical times, the shape and type of animal horn used to make a shofar were important. Horns could be taken only from a kosher animal like a sheep or mountain goat. Traditionally, the use of a cow horn was forbidden because of its association with the golden calf. The rounded curves of the shofar symbolized the act of being bent or submissive to God.

Sound

Although no one actually knows, some believe that the three notes played today are the same as those that were played in Jesus' time:

TekiahA long unbroken tone, symbolizes hope and the strength of God.

ShevarimThree shorter, more broken sounds, indicates wailing and sorrow for sin.

TeruahNine staccato notes played very quickly, represents the broken heart of those who come to God.

The physical act of blowing the shofar at a Rosh Hashanah service was so strenuous that a second trained person was available if the first was unable to complete the task. The awesome sound of the shofar reminded the Jewish people of their past, God's great power, and his coming judgment.

Uses

In biblical times, the shofar announced the beginning of each new moon or month. The seventh month was announced with longer blasts for the special holy days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Succoth.'  On Rosh Hashanah, the shofar was blown a minimum of one hundred times, including a series of thirty blasts indicating the hope of the Messiah's coming.

In local Galilean villages, the hazzan (synagogue leader) announced the beginning of weekly prayers by blowing the shofar. Sabbath ended with another blast on the ram's horn. At the Temple, priests were trained to blow the shofar from a place called the "Pinnacle Corner," or the pinnacle tower. When nearby people heard the sound, they were reminded to confess their sins and to look to God for forgiveness.

Feasts

Though used in conjunction with all the feasts, the shofar was most directly linked with the beginning of the Feast of Rosh Hashanah (Lev. 23:24). The shofar also called the Jewish community together for a time of remembrance, confession of sin, and preparation for the judgment to come on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), when the high priest went into the Most Holy Place and sought forgiveness for the nation's sins.

On Passover as well, the priest climbed the Pinnacle Corner of the Temple, and blew the shofar. Everybody in hearing distance, certainly in the Temple, heard the shofar and knew that at that moment the lamb was slain for the world. For many years-maybe since the time of Moses-this practice had occurred at exactly three o'clock.

Jesus

Jesus described a coming judgment that will be announced by the blowing of the shofar (Matt. 24:31). Throughout his life, whether in Jerusalem at the Temple or in the synagogues of Galilee, Jesus heeded the shofar's call.During the crucifixion, Jesus hung on the cross, and time moved on. Amazingly, the Bible says at the ninth hour- 3:00 P.M.-at the moment when the Passover lamb was killed for the whole nation, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "It is finished. Into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46)." You can almost picture the whole city busy in its work.

But suddenly the shofar blows, and those who believe in God stop a moment. In the quiet, the Lamb of God dies at the instant of the Temple sacrifice. What a profound way of describing for us what Jesus Christ came to do: He died as our Passover Lamb.

Solomon was the wisest king of all, and he accomplished many great things, including the construction of the temple in Jerusalem.

Yet the Bible judges Solomon by God's standards. The wisest human ruler who ever lived broke almost every command God gave for a king:

- Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horses (compare 2 Chron. 9:25 with Deut. 17:16a).- The king [Solomon] made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones (compare 2 Chron. 9:27 with Deut. 17:17b).- The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents (compare 2 Chron. 9:13 with Deuteronomy 17:17).- He [Solomon] had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines [mistresses] (compare 1 Kings 11:3 with Deut. 17:17a).

On Tel Gezer, archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a huge, six-chambered gate complex, dating to Solomon's time (920 BC). This once huge gate complex stands only 4-5 feet tall today.

With the street pavement partially gone, one can see the exposed sewer channel.' The sewer ran under the street, through the city, and into the valley beyond. It drained seasonal rain and carried away sewage. The sewer emptied into the "swamp," a cesspool of refuse, animal carcasses, and even human bodies.

In Jerusalem, this valley of sewage was called the Hinnon (ge-hinnom in Hebrew, from which the Greek word gehenna comes, which Jesus used to designate hell [Matt. 5:22]). Not only was this valley filled with the city's garbage, but in the Hinnom the worshippers of Baal sacrificed their children by fire (2 Chron. 28:3). To the Hebrews, the valley, with its filth, rottenness, fire, and burning flesh, symbolized a place of torment for those who reject God (hell).

On the right and left of the sewer channel, the remains of each gate chamber can still be distinguished. Based on archaeological remains, the gatehouse at Gezer was over 45 feet wide, nearly 60 feet long, and contained three chambers on each side of the street.

King Solomon fortified the three key cities of Gezer, Hazor, and Megiddo with huge six-chambered gates. Since these cities were at critical places on a major trade route, the Via Maris, Solomon was able to exert significant influence on the nations surrounding Israel at that time.