That the World May Know

The Province of Asia MinorThe remains of the towns and villages of Galilee give evidence to the simple lifestyle of the Jewish people of the first century. Few were wealthy but most were hardworking people living comfortable lives as extended fami...

Rabbi and Talmidim

Rabbi and TalmidimThe people of Galilee were the most religious Jews in the world in the time of Jesus. This is quite contrary to the common view that the Galileans were simple, uneducated peasants from an isolated area. This perspective is probab...

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...

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Encyclopedia

Pentecost and Mount Sinai

There are many compelling similarities between the expressions of God's presence on Mount Sinai and his presence among the disciples during Pentecost. - On Mount Sinai, God's presence was accompanied by fire, smoke, and the sound of thunder (Ex. 1...

Pergamum

Pergamum (now Bergama) is located in the northern part of the Roman province of Asia Minor, along the Caicus River about ten miles from the Aegean Sea. From the third century BC until well into the fourth century AD, its kings controlled a major t...

Philosophy

Over 3,800 years ago, God spoke to Abraham: "Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you" (Gen. 13:17). From the outset, God's choice of a Hebrew nomad was linked to the selection of a specific land whe...

Punishment

The biblical reality that God hates sin and will eventually punish it is reinforced in the stories of the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the conquest of Canaan, and the exile of the Israelites.Sabbath Law. God made the Sabbath principle central to his...

Qumran

Qumran served as a study site for the Essenes, a Jewish sect existing in Jesus' day. Located at the edge of the Judea Wilderness, Qumran was an isolated community. The Essenes could live out their beliefs in separation from other religious groups ...

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...

Shepherds

Shepherding was a way of life for biblical people. Abraham, the father of the Jews, was a shepherd, as was Moses, the great lawgiver (Ex. 3:1), and David, the king who established Israel's national identity (1 Sam. 17:28).As the land was settled, ...

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Glossary

Scythopolis (Beth Sean) Definition

One of the oldest Decapolis cities. Originally, Beth Shean, renamed Scythopolis, or "City of Scythians," following Alexander the Great's conquest. Reputation for abundant water and fertile land. Located on the road Galileans walked in th...

Shavuot Definition

Means "weeks"; also known as Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks. It's celebrated 50 days after the Sabbath following Passover.

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