Some of the dangers in the desert are slow to develop: the build-up of scorching heat from the sun, the slow evaporation of streams, the depletion of food supplies. Others are more sudden; the flash floods of desert wadis can come out of nowhere, ... MORE
It was customary in the Roman world to consider the emperor a divine being. New emperors would claim this status because they believed that when the previous ruler died, he would ascend to heaven to be seated among the gods, making ... MORE
In ancient times, people craved words of counsel and knowledge from their gods. The city of Didyma in what is now modern-day Turkey functioned as one of three main oracles, places where ordinary people would travel to hear advice and predictions o... MORE
The covenant at Sinai is often thought of as a wedding between God and His people, between God and the bride He chose for Himself. This became the picture of God's redemptive plan for humankind, fully realized in Jesus' death and resurrection. In ... MORE
The Passover Sedar employs four symbolic cups to help the Jews remember the miraculous ways that God delivered His people from the hand of Pharaoh. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked the Father to take away the cup placed before Him, a "... MORE
Throughout His ministry, Jesus' compassion for sinners and those considered unclean raised the eyebrows of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. God's word warned His people not to touch any unclean thing, and they could not understand why Je... MORE
There is only one man whom God sends back to Sinai after Moses and the Israelites finished their time there: the prophet Elijah. God's interactions with Moses and Elijah on this mountain not only reveal His character, but also foreshadow the plan ... MORE
THE JOY OF LIVING WATER: JESUS AND THE FEAST OF SUKKOT' With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isa. 12:3)Water was of great importance to the people of the Bible. They lived in a dry country, completely dependent on the season...
A City Fit for the HerodsThere is no biblical record of Jesus teaching in Sepphoris, but we know that he grew up in the nearby village of Nazareth. From his hometown, Jesus could probably see the impressive city, which covered nearly five hundred ...
Light To The WorldIsrael was called "an olive tree, leafy and fair," because they shed light on all. Ancient Jewish Commentary on Jer. 11:16Olive trees and the abundance of oil they produce were significant in the lives of the people of ...
Water in the WildernessThe waters of En Gedi provide a cool and refreshing refuge amidst the barren Judean Wilderness.Barely one hundred feet from the desolate wilderness, the oasis of En Gedi supports lush green growth. Nearby, a spring of water ...
"...the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." (Rev. 17:14)The Christian faith began with antagonism between the Jewish Temple authorities ...
Several Bible stories involve the Jordan River. God often called his followers to cross the Jordan as part of his divine plan. In each case, it was important for God's people to listen to God's calling and stand on the right side of the river. Whe...
Give Us A King
Many Christians have been taught that God did not want his people to have a king. But in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, long before the people asked for a king, God said, "Be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses.&...
Means "valley of Megiddo." A fertile, agricultural valley whose strategic location led to frequent battles for control over the world trade route between the west and Mesopotamia. Used by biblical writers as the symbolic setting of the f...
Means "What is it?" Manna was the name the Israelites gave the special food God provided to them in the desert. It was a white, bread-like, sweet-tasting food that would show up on the ground in the morning (Ex. 16:14-36). Jesus says he ...
The most strategic city in Israel, it guarded a key mountain pass of the international trade route Via Maris. It was one of the cities that Herod fortified. According to Revelation, it represents Armageddon, the final battle between God's people a...
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