15.2

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...

16.2

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...

Lesson 1.3

Lesson 2.3

Lesson 3.3

Lesson 4.3

Lesson 5.3

Lesson 6.3

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 ...

Lesson 7.3

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...

Lesson 8.3

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...

Lesson 9.3

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...

Lesson 10.3

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...

Lesson 11.3

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 ...

Lesson 12.3

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 ...

Lesson 13.3

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...

Lesson 14.3

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...

15.3

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’...

16.3

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...

Lesson 1.4

Lesson 2.4

Lesson 3.4

Lesson 4.4

Lesson 5.4

Lesson 6.4

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...

Heroon Definition

Shrine or temple dedicated to a demigod or deified hero.

Hestia Definition

Greek goddess of the hearth and home. Sister of Zeus.

Hezekiah Definition

King of Judah of the 7th and 8th centuries BC (2 Kings 18). When King Hezekiah learned that the dreaded Assyrian army had arrived in Israel, he recognized the threat his exposed water supply posed for Jerusalem's survival. He dug a tunnel through ...

Hierapolis

The Domitian Gate: Hierapolis, known for its healing hot springs, was about six miles from Laodicea. What is left of the entrance to the city?a gate complex of two gigantic towers and three arches that opened onto a paved street about a mile and a...

High Place Definition

Elevated location used in the worship of gods. The God of the Bible also met his people in high places.

High Places

God allowed his people to employ cultural practices and ideas if they had no pagan content and were used only in God's service. Because the people of the ancient Near East honored their gods by worshiping them on high places, God allowed his peopl...

Hill of Moreh Definition

Hill at the intersection of the Valley of Jezreel and the Valley of Harod. Gideon and 300 men defeated the Midianites, the desert people (bedouins), here. Also known as Mount Moreh.

Hinnom Definition

Valley to the west of Jerusalem that was at one time the city sewage dump and the place where Judean kings sacrificed their children. This valley, with its filth, rottenness, and burning flesh, came to symbolize hell.

Hippodrome Definition

Greek, hippus ("horse") and dramas ("course"). Referred to a horse racing course or circus. Herod built hippodromes in Caesarea, Jericho, and Jerusalem, where horse races, chariot races, and Olympic-style games were held as par...

History of Belvoir

Built by the Knights of the Order of the Hospitallers in the twelfth century, this isolated fortress protected the eastern side of the Crusaders' kingdom.Perched on a hill of the Issachar Plateau 1,700 feet above the Jordan Valley, this fortress e...

History of Masada

Masada is a large rock plateau that creates a desert stronghold in the Judea Wilderness. In Old Testament times, David hid from King Saul in this area. We don't know that David ever stayed in Masada, but David had surely seen or heard of its huge ...

Holy Definition

Pure, set apart for God. God is holy. He is perfect. He does not do anything wrong. God also wants his people to be holy. One day, God will make them perfect.

Holy of Holies Definition

Inner part of the tabernacle and/or temple where the ark of the covenant was placed. It was a symbol of God's dwelling.

Holy Place Definition

The Priests' court; a rectangular room between the worship court and the Holy of Holies that contained the table of show bread, golden lamp stand, and the altar of incense.

Holy Spirit Definition

One of the three persons of God. In the Old Testament we see the Holy Spirit active in the creation of the world. The Spirit also filled certain people with power at special times, and worked through men to produce the Scriptures.Because Jesus die...

Holy, Common, and Abominable

The Old Testament view of sin and judgment created a model of reality separated into three different parts.The Holy In the Biblical times, once something was given to God, it belonged to him alone and was considered holy. Anything devoted to God o...

Honoring God

Giving God the Honor He is Due Satan has always wanted to rob God of the credit and honor due to him. Because the deified emperors and gods of Pergamum such as Asclepius, Demeter, Dionysus, and Zeus received credit and honor that was due to God al...

hosha na

Save (hosha) now sense of urgency (na); "save now."

Household Implements

Typical household items from first-century Israel

Household Lamp

The Lamp Below the ladder leading to the sleeping loft is a typical "window" wall that allowed air circulation and more openness between rooms. In the window wall is an oil container made from the skin of a goat. Similar skins were used ...

Household Provisions

Every home provided storage space for harvested food, as well as for additional possessions. Since life depended upon raising, preserving, and storing food, it was essential to store it so it wouldn't spoil or be eaten by rodents or insects.Some f...

How Could He?

How Could He?The story of the destruction of Jericho and the conquest of Canaan poses an ethical dilemma for many readers of the Bible. How could the God of love and mercy, the Father of Jesus, display such anger toward the inhabitants of the Prom...

How to Tell a Tel

Israel is a land of hills and mountains. In fact, the first-time visitor to the country often is amazed at how little flat land there is. After several days, most travelers will notice that Israel is dotted with a certain kind of hill, one that is...

Humanism Definition

Modern worldview based on an evolutionary model that considers human beings the ultimate life form and denies the existence or relevance of God. Right and wrong are determined by human standards, not God's.