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Volume 3 | Life and Ministry of the Messiah Discovery Guide

This series by Ray Vander Laan illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. The Life & Ministry of the Messiah Discovery Guide focuses on Scripture explored in the videos, and includes sidebars, maps, ph...

Volume 3 | Life and Ministry of the Messiah Discovery Guide

This series by Ray Vander Laan illuminates the historical, geographical, and cultural context of the sacred Scriptures. The Life & Ministry of the Messiah Discovery Guide focuses on Scripture explored in the videos, and includes sidebars, maps, ph...

A Far Country Decapolis

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...

He Went To The Synagogue Part 1

He Went To The Synagogue Part 2

Basalt Crusher

This crusher is found at Capernaum, Jesus' home-base (Matthew 4:13), near the synagogue. The local basalt "a hard, volcanic black rock" made excellent crushers and other types of grinders.Jesus frequently saw crushers and millstones like...

Belvoir Fortress

The fortress of Belvior has both an outer fortification and an inner castle. A moat, hewn out of the same bedrock quarried to build the castle, encircles the structure on three sides. Towers stood in each corner and in the center of the outer wall...

Capernaum

The town of Capernaum stood near the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee, situated along the busy Via Maris trade route, also known as the 'Way of the Sea.'The prophet Isaiah predicted that the Messiah would live by "the way to the sea,&qu...

Cisterns

What was "Cistern Water"In Israel, the rainy season is only five months long, stretching from November through March. Since fresh springs like those at En Gedi are rare, most ancient cities, towns, and even households used cisterns to ca...

City Life

Most cities from the biblical period were fairly small, and people lived in closely knit, well-defined communities. Jerusalem of David's time covered 9-10 acres with a population of 1,500-2,000 persons. Jerusalem during Jesus' time occupied about ...

En Gedi

Barely one hundred feet from the desolate wilderness, the oasis of En Gedi supports lush green growth. Nearby, a spring of water runs from a rock, flowing down a cliff and creating the beautiful waterfall of En Gedi.Surrounding En Gedi, the Judea ...

Bema Definition

Raised platform; the Seat of judgment. Also, place from which scripture is read in the synagogue.

Dereshah Definition

A short sermon offered by the reader of the Torah or Haftarah in the synagogue. Any adult member of the community was eligible to speak the sermon, and it was frequently quite short (Jesus spoke only a few words, Luke 4:21).