Of all the parables Jesus told, the one we call "The Prodigal Son" is possibly the most famous. In the story, a younger son demands his inheritance from his father and leaves the family behind, taking his riches to a far country. The imp... MORE
It was customary in the Roman world to consider the emperor a divine being. New emperors would claim this status because they believed that when the previous ruler died, he would ascend to heaven to be seated among the gods, making ... MORE
At one point during his ministry, the Apostle Paul was at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. He was accused by some Jews of bringing a Gentile into the courts where only Jews were allowed. He hadn’t, but they thought he did and a riot started. W... MORE
The Jews of Jesus’ day lived together as extended families, sharing the family resources. The task of the father was to use those resources to care for everyone who lived in “the father’s house,” as they called it – r... MORE
In ancient times, people craved words of counsel and knowledge from their gods. The city of Didyma in what is now modern-day Turkey functioned as one of three main oracles, places where ordinary people would travel to hear advice and predictions o... MORE
The covenant at Sinai is often thought of as a wedding between God and His people, between God and the bride He chose for Himself. This became the picture of God's redemptive plan for humankind, fully realized in Jesus' death and resurrection. In ... MORE
The Passover Sedar employs four symbolic cups to help the Jews remember the miraculous ways that God delivered His people from the hand of Pharaoh. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked the Father to take away the cup placed before Him, a "... MORE
Throughout His ministry, Jesus' compassion for sinners and those considered unclean raised the eyebrows of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. God's word warned His people not to touch any unclean thing, and they could not understand why Je... MORE
After His resurrection, Jesus spent about 40 days with His followers in Jerusalem and back in the Galilee region, where they had received much of their training. He explained that after His ascension to heaven, He would send them a ... MORE
Paul’s missionary journeys were generally marked by conflict. Sometimes, his message clashed with the Jews, who were often skeptical about Jesus or jealous of Paul’s success. Even more often, Paul’s teaching angered the governing... MORE
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 confe...
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 wit...
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 formi...
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...
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...
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...
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 pe...
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), ...
Name of a city and a region, The city was founded by Omri, king of Israel c.a. 880 BC, and Ahab built a magnificent palace there. Samaria became a center for Baal worship. It was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BC. During Jesus' time, it was a d...
A person from the country of Samaria (part of Palestine). The Samaritans were hated by the Jews because they had married non-Jews. They also worshiped God differently from the Jews. But Jesus showed his love for the Samaritans by going to them and...
Means "council." Jewish supreme court; highest religious council, composed of 70 members and the high priest. The number 70 traditionally was based on Moses' appointment of 70 elders (Num. 11:16) to administer Israel's affairs. Used by t...
Freshwater lake filled by the Jordan river, located in the Great Rift Valley and site of the first-century commercial fishing industry; significant for a trade route on its northern shore. Jesus spent the majority of his ministry here, including t...
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