Shephelah

ShephelahThe Hebrew Bible mentions the Shephelah several times. This word, meaning "low," is usually translated "lowlands" or "foothills." The term refers to a 12- to 15-mile-wide region in Judea. Though the Israelite...

Sons of Light

Sons of LightIn Jesus' time, there were four major religious groups (or "philosophies," as Josephus, the Jewish historian of the time, called them). They were the Zealots, the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes. It is impossible t...

Standing at the Crossroads

GezerTravel to Gezer, and learn what it means to stand at the Crossroads.Gezer is one of the greatest tels in Israel. To stand on this magnificent tel is to stand on a part of history that existed as many as 3,000 years before our Messiah walked t...

Sennacherib's Palace

Shema

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 ans...

Shofar

The Ram's HornUsed 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 t...

Solomon

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 ...

Solomon's Temple

Solomon's TempleConstruction of Solomon's Temple began about 950 BC on the Mount Moriah site chosen by David at God's leading. The temple sat on a high point of the ridge known as David's City, just north of the original city.Construction of this ...

Soreq/Temple Courts

The SoreqThe Soreq was a five-foot-tall stone wall that surrounded the inner courts of the consecrated temple area and was designed to keep Gentiles and other "unacceptable" people out of the inner courts. Gentiles could not pass the Sor...

Sicarri Definition

An extremist sect of the Zealots heavily involved in the First Jewish Revolt. They were named after their short, curved dagger (sica), which they used to assassinate Romans and Jewish collaborators.

Sons of Light Definition

Name the Essenes gave themselves as followers of God. Their enemies (Romans and the apostate priesthood in Jerusalem), in their opinion, were the sons of darkness. The New Testament uses this language also (1 Thess. 5:5).

Standing Stone Definition

Large stone erected as a testimony to a significant act of God (or gods). Standing stones could serve pagan as well as God-honoring purposes.