That the World May Know

Fertility Cults of CanaanOnly recently have scholars begun to unravel the complex religious rituals of Israel's Canaanite neighbors. Much of our knowledge of the origins and character of these fertility cults remains tentative and widely debated. ...

First Fruits

The City of JerichoAs one of the few gateways into the Judean Mountains, Jericho was a natural place for the Israelites to begin conquering the Promised Land.Jericho has a fascinating location and history. It is the lowest city in the world (more ...

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Encyclopedia

Diagram of a Tel

By cutting through the layers of civilization and examining the artifacts, structures, and even human remains, archaeologists can reconstruct the lifestyle of a community. Pottery styles change over time, and since pottery is virtually imperishabl...

Dionysus Temple and Cult Center

Originally built in the third century before Christ, this small, beautiful temple was remodeled by the Romans. It was approached by a twenty-five-step stairway at the end of a 770-foot terrace. Here, people worshiped Dionysus, the fertility god of...

En Gedi Scenes-Water from the Rock

This small stream literally runs out of the rock. Miles away, rainfall seeps in the cracks in the rock until eventually it emerges like this. Many Bible passages speak of water gushing from the rock (Deuteronomy 8:15; Exodus 17:6; Psalm 105:41).Th...

Feeding the Flock

Both the settled shepherds living along the fringes of the wilderness and the nomadic wilderness shepherds pastured their sheep on barren hillsides unsuitable for farming.Visitors to the Near East wonder how sheep found food on these hillsides. Ye...

Gates of Hell

Hades, originally the Greek god of the underworld, is the namesake for the place where departed spirits live. It was frequently used in the Bible as a synonym for hell or the grave (Psalm 9:17; 55:15; 116:3).As Jesus used it in Matthew 16:18, Hade...

Gates of Hell

City of PagansCaesarea Philippi, which stood in a lush area near the foot of Mount Hermon, was a city dominated by immoral activities and pagan worship.Caesarea Philippi stood only twenty-five miles from the religious communities of Galilee. But t...

Gethsemane and the Olive Press

The word gethsemane is derived from two Hebrew words: gat, which means "a place for pressing oil (or wine)" and shemanim, which means "oils."During Jesus' time, heavy stone slabs were lowered onto olives that had already been c...

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Glossary

Egpyt, Egyptians Definition

Land and civilization south and west of Israel that flourished along the banks of the Nile River. During the time of Moses, home to enslaved Jews. Part of the Roman Empire during the first century. Throughout the Bible, Egypt was economically depe...

Faith Definition

Sure belief and trust. Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of things even if you cannot see them. To have faith in Jesus means to trust him and believe what the Bible says about him.

Feast Definition

A special time of celebration and eating. In the Bible, feasts celebrated the ways God helped his people.

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