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The Decapolis is mentioned by name only three times in the New Testament. In addition to these three instances, on at least two other occasions, Jesus visited specific locations in the largely pagan league of cities to the east of the Sea of Galil...
MOREFertility Cults of CanaanOnly recently have scholars begun to unravel the complex religious rituals of Israel's Canaanite neighbors. Much of our knowledge of the origins and character of these fertility cults remains tentative and widely debated. ...
MOREPeople in the ancient world worshipped a multitude of different gods. Each had its own story, its own myth, of the origin, the character, the blessings and curses they offered, and the worship each demanded. These myths often recalled ancient even...
MOREHow Could He?The story of the destruction of Jericho and the conquest of Canaan poses an ethical dilemma for many readers of the Bible. How could the God of love and mercy, the Father of Jesus, display such anger toward the inhabitants of the Prom...
MOREThis olive press is in the Capernaum, Jesus' home-base (Matt. 4:13), near the synagogue. The crushed olive pulp was placed in baskets (about four inches thick and two feet in diameter), which were then stacked several high. These baskets are barel...
MOREMany parts of Israel are extremely rocky, especially in the wilderness. This geographical condition, combined with the Hebrews practice of using concrete images of the world around them to describe spiritual reality, led to the Jews frequent use o...
MOREThe city of AradAs far back as 3,000 BC, a large Canaanite city stood in the Negev, where the small town of Arad sits today. This city probably existed when Abraham and his family lived in Beersheba, a nearby desert region.Arad was eventually dest...
MOREThe Works of a Master BuilderHerod the Great's visionary building programs, ingenious development of trade with other countries, and advancement of his nation's interests were remarkable. He used his magnificent building projects to strengthen his...
MOREGod allowed his people to employ cultural practices and ideas if they had no pagan content and were used only in God's service. Because the people of the ancient Near East honored their gods by worshiping them on high places, God allowed his peopl...
MOREThis tunnel was created by Hezekiah's workmen more than 700 years before Jesus. Working from the spring of Gihon on one side, and the western slope of the ridge of Jerusalem on the other, two teams of workmen created a tunnel by chiseling through ...
MOREOne of the first prophets; name literally means "Yahweh is God." On Mount Carmel, Elijah confronted the pagan prophets and challenged the Israelites to stop wavering between faith in Yahweh and Baal.
MOREMeans "Praise the LORD!" This word is made by putting together two Hebrew words: Hallelu (meaning "praise") and Yah (for the name of God "Yahweh," or "the LORD").
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