The Jews of Jesus’ day lived in homes meant to house an entire extended family, with several rooms situated around a common courtyard. A family’s home in that patriarchal society was known as a “beth ab,” which means, &ldqu... MORE
When the disciples arrived with Jesus in Jerusalem, they marveled at the unbelievable beauty of the Lord’s temple. According to the Bible, the original temple built by Solomon was also absolutely stunning. And yet, in both cases it wasn't en... MORE
When the believers began to bring the message of the gospel to the world of the Gentiles, they quickly realized that their faith made them extremely countercultural. How would they explain the good news in places where they couldn't engage in the ... MORE
The apostle Paul was no stranger to the duties of a rabbi, having studied under one of the most famous rabbis in Israel before becoming one himself. He understood exactly what Jesus meant before His ascension, when He commanded the church to go ou... MORE
Sheep and shepherds were so much a part of the Biblical world, it's no wonder Jesus uses the imagery as a metaphor in several of His teachings. The shepherds of His day knew every one of the animals in their flock by sight and spent their lives pr... MORE
The Colosseum in Rome is famous for many reasons, not least of which because it was built by the spoils of war from the destruction of Jerusalem, the military defeat of the Jews. In the Roman world, it was assumed that if Caesar was... MORE
Jesus came with a unique message, preaching to the Jewish people that “the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). But from the beginning, there was another king who hates the shalom that God creates and loves life’... MORE
When the time came for God to choose a people, He didn’t pick the strongest kingdom He could find. He chose the weak, the nobodies – a family that would become the nation of Israel. God rescued them from Egypt and brought them into the... MORE
When questioned about his message, Paul tells the Athenians that the one and only God "does not live in temples made with hands" (Acts 17:24). Naturally, anyone who was curious about Jesus in the Greco-Roman world would ask the early bel... MORE
Jesus told His disciples that anyone who wished to follow Him would have to take up his own cross. Many of the early believers did just that, willingly following in their rabbi's footsteps even when it meant certain death. Count their cost as you ... MORE
AzekahAzekah overlooks the Valley of Elah, a strategic passageway from Israel's coastal plain, through the foothills, and into the Judean Mountains beyond.Tel Azekah is a five-acre site overlooking the Valley of Elah%u2014the place where David kil...
People in Galilee often lived in family housing complexes known as insulae (singular: insula). Although not everyone lived this way, many people (particularly extended families) combined living units around an open courtyard.This living arrangemen...
Jericho, which literally means "fragrant place," boasts a pleasant climate with plenty of sunshine and a lush oasis watered by Elisha's Spring. The city is located north of the Dead Sea, 17 miles from Jerusalem.There are actually three c...
David's City
The Jerusalem of David's time, located on a narrow strip of land (Mount Moriah), was about ten acres in size and populated by aprroximately 1,500 people. The city was naturally defended by the Kidron Valley to the east and the Tyropea...
Jerusalem from the Traditional Garden of Gethsemane
The Bible does not actually link the place of Gethsemane with a garden. It is called Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36) and an olive grove (in some versions, a garden). Both names are correct. Gethsemane (which means "oil[s] press") would have bee...
Hinnom Valley
This valley formed the western boundary of the Upper City of Jesus' time; it began along the Western Hill and ended where the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys meet.Just west of Jerusalem, this valley was at one time the city sewage dump, ...
Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley marked the western and southern edges of Jerusalem, beginning along the Western Hill and ending where the Tyropean and Kidron Valleys meet. In the Old Testament, it was often the site where people of Judah sacrificed thei...
The main water supply for the city of Jerusalem was the spring of Gihon, which flowed out of a cave on the eastern side of the hill on which the city stood. The Hebrew word means "gushing out" and was given because the spring does not ha...
This 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 ...
Early Christian believers often used the "fish" symbol. This may be because Jesus called his disciples to be "fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19). Or, perhaps the Greek word for fish, ixthus, was an acrostic for Jesus Christ, Son of G...
Located in the Judea Mountains west of the Dead Sea on the rim of the Great Rift Valley at the edge of the Judea Wilderness. King David captured the mountain spur, and the existing town, Jebus, which became "David's City," the Israelites...
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