That the World May Know

Who is Beelzebub?Baal-Zebul was the god of the Philistines; the name means "Exalted Baal" or "Prince Baal."In the Greek language of the New Testament, the name becomes Beelzebub. Jesus used the name Beelzebub for Satan, the pri...

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...

Beth Shemesh

Beth Shemesh, meaning "house of the sun," ' was a small town on the border between Judah and the Philistines. This is the place where the ark of the covenant came when it was returned by the Philistines (1 Sam. 6).Beth Shemesh stands in...

Bethlehem - Jesus' Birthplace

Today the town of Bethlehem is much larger than it was in Jesus' day. But despite its small size in biblical times, Bethlehem was the location of significant historical events. Discovering its history helps us appreciate why the town was the perf...

Biblical Names

In biblical times, a good name meant more than a good reputation. People understood that a name expressed the essence or identity of a person.In the Near East, a person's name identified something about their character or circumstances, such as bi...

Caesarea

Herod seized an opportunity to control world trade by building a seaport on Israel's coast, where the sea routes and the predominant land route intersected. Caesarea was a glorious city, covered with marble, and symbolizing the vast wealth that He...

Caesarea Philippi

Located in the northeastern part of Israel at the foot of Mount Hermon, lay Caesarea Philippi, a pagan city built by Herod Philip, a son of Herod the Great.For many years, people in this area had worshiped false gods, including Baal (Josh. 11:16-1...

Caesarea: Why was Caesarea built?

Herod built the Seaport at Caesarea for a number of different reasons.- He needed a port on the Mediterranean because existing ones were outside his kingdom or hostile to him.- He recognized Caesarea's strategic location along the Via Maris, the t...

Casting the Net

Casting the NetThis modern-day fisherman demonstrates how to use a cast net, one type of net used in New Testament times (Mark 1:16-18). The net is 18 to 25 feet in diameter. The fisherman arranges it on one arm, stands in the boat, and throws it ...

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Glossary

Beelzebub Definition

Corruption of the word "Beelzebul," meaning "lord of the flies." It was used by Jesus to refer to the prince of demons, the devil.

Bethlehem Definition

Located at the border between the mountains and the wilderness, its inhabitants benefited from the fertile mountain valleys and pastures the wilderness provided for the shepherds' flock.Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Micah prophesied t...

Cistern Definition

Because water in Israel is hard to come by, most ancient cities, towns, and even households used cisterns to catch and store rain runoff from rooftops, courtyards, and even streets.Cisterns were dug by hand out of solid rock and were plastered so ...

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