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The Jews of Jesus’ day lived in homes meant to house an entire extended family, with several rooms situated around a common courtyard. A family’s home in that patriarchal society was known as a “beth ab,” which means, &ldqu...
When the disciples arrived with Jesus in Jerusalem, they marveled at the unbelievable beauty of the Lord’s temple. According to the Bible, the original temple built by Solomon was also absolutely stunning. And yet, in both cases it wasn't en...
When the believers began to bring the message of the gospel to the world of the Gentiles, they quickly realized that their faith made them extremely countercultural. How would they explain the good news in places where they couldn't engage in the ...
The apostle Paul was no stranger to the duties of a rabbi, having studied under one of the most famous rabbis in Israel before becoming one himself. He understood exactly what Jesus meant before His ascension, when He commanded the church to go ou...
The Lord defied the gods of Egypt with mighty displays of power so that Israel, Egypt, Pharaoh, and ultimately the entire world would see the strength of the one and only God. Pharaoh hardened his heart, but the Israelites responded to the power o...
God desired a people who would partner with Him in bringing shalom to the chaos of a broken, hurting world. Israel experienced a taste of the peace He brings when He rescued them out of Egypt. In this lesson, you will continue on the road of the e...
Psalm 78 says that God led his people Israel "like sheep through the desert." Their wanderings through the Sinai provide a striking image of God's leading in our lives today. In this lesson, you will follow God's people through this barr...
During their forty years of testing in the desert, God continued to teach and shape the Israelite nation. By the time they entered the Promised Land, a new generation had formed, a people who obeyed and trusted God with all their heart, soul, and ...
The Bible compares those who trust in the word of the Lord to great trees planted by streams of water. What would this image mean to someone living in the desert, where water is scarce and trees are few and far between? Is it possible to live out ...
Sheep and shepherds were so much a part of the Biblical world, it's no wonder Jesus uses the imagery as a metaphor in several of His teachings. The shepherds of His day knew every one of the animals in their flock by sight and spent their lives pr...
The Colosseum in Rome is famous for many reasons, not least of which because it was built by the spoils of war from the destruction of Jerusalem, the military defeat of the Jews. In the Roman world, it was assumed that if Caesar was...
Jesus came with a unique message, preaching to the Jewish people that “the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). But from the beginning, there was another king who hates the shalom that God creates and loves life’...
When the time came for God to choose a people, He didn’t pick the strongest kingdom He could find. He chose the weak, the nobodies – a family that would become the nation of Israel. God rescued them from Egypt and brought them into the...
When questioned about his message, Paul tells the Athenians that the one and only God "does not live in temples made with hands" (Acts 17:24). Naturally, anyone who was curious about Jesus in the Greco-Roman world would ask the early bel...
Means "Praise the LORD!" This word is made by putting together two Hebrew words: Hallelu (meaning "praise") and Yah (for the name of God "Yahweh," or "the LORD").
A major city in northern Israel and one of the key cites on the Via Maris trade route. It was fortified by Solomon.
He Went To The SynagogueThe New Testament records more than 10 occasions on which the ministry of Jesus took place in the synagogue. The Gospels record that "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues." Yet the Christian...
Means "league." Ancient city of Judah at the southern edge of the Hebron Mountains, north of the Negev and approximately 19 miles south of Jerusalem. Abraham lived here and purchased a tomb in this area where he, his wife, Sarah, Isaac, ...
The person who receives or inherits what belongs to a relative. The heir usually inherited these things when the relative died. In the Old Testament, Israel was the heir of God and received the Promised Land as an inheritance from God (Gen. 15). I...
Name for the culture and worldview of the Greeks. It was antithetically opposed to the God-centered worldview of the Jews. Hellenism makes the human being the ultimate reality. The human mind is the basis for truth, the human body is the ultimate ...
Hellenism: Center of the UniverseSatan tempted the first humans in the Garden of Eden in a clever way. "Did God really say...?" (Gen. 3:1) he asked. Adam and Eve were faced with an earthshaking choice. Who or what is the ultimate source ...
Differing MotivationsHerod the Great thought highly of his abilities and power, and spared no effort to impress the world with his greatness. He was a schemer who feared the loss of his power and ruthlessly destroyed all potential rivals with incr...
The Works of a Master BuilderHerod the Great's visionary building programs, ingenious development of trade with other countries, and advancement of his nation's interests were remarkable. He used his magnificent building projects to strengthen his...
Decreed king of Judea by the Romans in 40 BC. Poorly accepted by the Jews because of his questionable heritage as a descendant of Esau and a native of Idumaea (Edom). Most infamous for trying to kill the infant Jesus by ordering the slaughter of a...
The remains of a great arena (or hippodrome-meaning "horse track") are emerging from the sand dunes of the Mediterranean shore. The stone seats show the beginning of the curve of the southern end of the stadium. The Mediterranean Sea has...
Herod's FamilyHerod lay dying in his opulent palace in Jericho. He had been seriously ill for a long time. From the description in Josephus' writings, Herod had gangrene, severe itching, convulsions, and ulcers. His feet were covered with tumors, ...
Herod the Great had tremendous wealth and influence in his day. He controlled major trade routes and constructed buildings and cities that showcased his power. Despite the glory he enjoyed in life, the buildings Herod built for himself now lie in ...
Herod built the fortress-palace of Masada on a huge rock plateau overlooking the Dead Sea in the barren, remote, Judea Wilderness.Protection The top of the plateau, being more than twenty acres in size and nearly 1,300 feet above sea level, provid...
Only recently have these scattered remains been identified as Herod's palace. In the center was a freshwater pool now largely filled with silt and stones from the building itself. In the center is the podium believed to be the base for a large sta...
The Construction of the TempleMade of marble and gold, Herod's temple was taller than a fifteen-story building. Built on the exact location of Solomon's temple and the temple Nehemiah constructed, it could accommodate hundreds of thousands of pilg...
Viewed from the north from more than five miles away, the volcano-shaped mountaintop created by Herod dominates the skyline. The powerful appearance of this fortress is even more amazing when you consider that there was a circular palace coming ou...
Anything pertaining to Herod the Great and the Herodion period; or the political party that dominated Herod Antipas' territory and politically and economically supported Roman overlords.