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Fertility Cults of Canaan
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. ...
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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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From Galilee to Asia
From Galilee to AsiaThe 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 or poor. Most were hardworking people living comfortable lives as extended famil...
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Emperor Worship
The Demands of Emperor WorshipThe demands of Emporer WorshipEvery person in Ephesus and other cities that worshiped the emperor was expected to:- Participate in festivals honoring the emperor(s). This included offering incense on altars carried by...
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En Gedi
Barely one hundred feet from the desolate wilderness, the oasis of En Gedi supports lush green growth. Nearby, a spring of water runs from a rock, flowing down a cliff and creating the beautiful waterfall of En Gedi.Surrounding En Gedi, the Judea ...
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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...
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Ephesus
The port city of Ephesus, located on what is now the western coast of Turkey, was the crown jewel of Asia Minor. It had the population of nearly 250,000 people and was home to more than twenty pagan temples. Artistic beauty, cultural learning, ero...
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Gamla Area
The Zealots were part of a movement completely devoted to serving God. They believed it was impossible to serve the pagan Romans while also being faithful to the law of God. They resisted Rome and anyone who sided with the Roman rulers, often with...
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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...
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Essenes Definition
A highly organized religious group that renounced the priestly establishment and saw themselves as God's soldiers. They strengthened their bodies, minds, and spirits for the battle they believed would usher in the new age. The Dead Sea Scrolls fou...
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Feast Definition
A special time of celebration and eating. In the Bible, feasts celebrated the ways God helped his people.
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First Fruits Definition
The first crops that God's people would collect from their fields and give to God. This was a sign that everything the land produced belonged to God. In the New Testament, firstfruits is the first part of a blessing that is received as a promise o...
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