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Ripening Olives
Flower blossoms develop in the springtime, and olives appear during the summer and ripen in the fall. Olive farmers harvest both green (unripe) olives, for pickling and for eating, and black (ripe) olives, for eating and for oil. A good tree may p...
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Robinson's Arch
The beginning of this arch, named after the British explorer who discovered it, still stands on the stones of Herod's retaining wall of the Temple Mount. Herod's distinctive style is demonstrated by the massive stones of the courses below the arch...
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Ruins of Capernaum
This aerial view shows the remains of Capernaum, a small village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee ("Capernaum" comes from the Hebrew Kfar Nahum, which means "Nahum's Village"). Jesus chose this place as the hub of hi...
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Sacrifices
Temple Sacrifices The people of ancient Israel made sacrifices to God in the temple. These sacrifices, which involved the shedding of blood (the pouring out of the animal's life), symbolized the atonement made for the people's sins.According to Go...
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Sardis Definition
- Sardis stood in the middle of the Hermus River Valley, just over fifty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea in what is now the country of Turkey. The main east-west trade route came through this valley.- On a spur of Mount Tmolus, on the north si...
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Scenes from Caesarea Philippi: Niches
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...
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Scenes from Caesarea Philippi: The Grotto of Pan
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...
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Robinson's Arch Definition
One of the largest masonry arches (75 feet tall, more than 45 feet across) in the ancient world; supported a massive staircase that ran from the Tyropean Valley and the Lower City to the Royal Stoa (the place of buying and selling, the location of...
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Sadduccees Definition
Means "righteous ones." Wealthy Jewish aristocracy, claiming descent and authority from the high priest Zadok. Oversaw Temple; theology based on the first five books of the Bible; did not believe that God interfered in human lives or in ...
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Samaria Definition
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...
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Sanhedrin Definition
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...
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