A Far Country Decapolis

The Decapolis is mentioned by name only three times in the New Testament. In addition to these three instances, on at least two other occasions, Jesus visited specific locations in the largely pagan league of cities to the east of the Sea of Galil...

A New Tomb

Throughout Bible times, the burial ritual was regarded as very important. Jesus, sharing fully in our humanity (Heb. 2:14), was given a typical, though hurried, burial. Understanding the burial customs and practices of first-century Israel can hel...

The Gates of Hades

A Broken Cistern

The people of the Bible used cisterns regularly for their water supply. Rainfall was limited, coming only five months of the year from November through March. People would dig pits into the rock, sometimes entirely underground (as in the cistern a...

Arad

The town of Arad is not important in the sense of great Bible events, but it does give a sense for the lives of common people during the time of Israel's monarchy. The ruins of a small temple from Hezekiah's time are significant in understanding t...

Arad Temple

The Temple CourtsThe remains of Israel's first temple lie buried beneath the present-day Temple Mount. But at Tel Arad, a city located in the Negev, archaeologists discovered the remains of a temple modeled after Jerusalem's First Temple.Although ...

Artemis of the Ephesians

Who was Artemis The supposed goddess of fertility Who worshipped her? She was probably the most worshiped deity in Asia and perhaps the world during Paul's time. What was worship like? Hundreds of eunuch priests, virgin priestesses, a...

Achish

The king of the Philistine city of Gath, who twice gave refuge to David. (1 Sam. 21:10-15).

Achish Definition

The king of the Philistine city of Gath, who twice gave refuge to David. (1 Sam. 21:10-15).

Ai Definition

City near Bethel, north of Jerusalem, that was destroyed by Joshua. It controlled the approach to the mountain range from the east.

Arad Definition

Town 17 miles north of Beersheba at the edge of the Negev and the Hebron Mountains. It was an important fortress city and protected the southern approaches to Jerusalem.

Ashdod Definition

Philistine city-state on the Mediterranean Sea.