Eating area in communal living.
Four views of JudaismIn Jesus' day, there were varying philosophies within the Jewish faith. While some Jews embraced the Roman rulers, others resisted with violence. And whereas some Jewish believers lived a simple, isolated lifestyle, others enj...
The great teachers (rabbis) during Jesus' day used a technique that was later called remez. In their teaching, they would use part of a Scripture passage in a discussion, assuming that their audience's knowledge of the Bible would allow them to de...
A hint; referring to a rabbinic teaching technique in which a rabbi would hint at a meaning without actually coming out and saying it. Example: Jesus saying that the sellers and money changers had made the Temple a "den of robbers," refe...
Flower blossoms develop in the springtime, and olives appear during the summer and ripen in the fall. Olive farmers harvest both green (unripe) olives, for pickling and for eating, and black (ripe) olives, for eating and for oil. A good tree may p...
The beginning of this arch, named after the British explorer who discovered it, still stands on the stones of Herod's retaining wall of the Temple Mount. Herod's distinctive style is demonstrated by the massive stones of the courses below the arch...
One of the largest masonry arches (75 feet tall, more than 45 feet across) in the ancient world; supported a massive staircase that ran from the Tyropean Valley and the Lower City to the Royal Stoa (the place of buying and selling, the location of...
Huge marble columns lie where they fell when an earthquake devastated Beth Shean in AD 749. Note the depth of soil that has covered the remains of the last major settlement on this site.
The second commandment forbade making images. Hellenistic culture glorified the human form. These two world views clashed in the days of Herod as he tried (and largely succeeded) to mold his kingdom into a Hellenistic one. He imported great number...
This aerial view shows the remains of Capernaum, a small village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee ("Capernaum" comes from the Hebrew Kfar Nahum, which means "Nahum's Village"). Jesus chose this place as the hub of hi...
Authority given to a rabbi to proclaim his own interpretation of Torah, rather than simply referring to what other rabbis had said. The crowds were amazed at Jesus' teaching, because he taught like one who had "s'mikheh" (Matt. 7:28%u201...
Temple Sacrifices
The people of ancient Israel made sacrifices to God in the temple. These sacrifices, which involved the shedding of blood (the pouring out of the animal's life), symbolized the atonement made for the people's sins.According to Go...
Means "righteous ones." Wealthy Jewish aristocracy, claiming descent and authority from the high priest Zadok. Oversaw Temple; theology based on the first five books of the Bible; did not believe that God interfered in human lives or in ...
Name of a city and a region, The city was founded by Omri, king of Israel c.a. 880 BC, and Ahab built a magnificent palace there. Samaria became a center for Baal worship. It was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BC. During Jesus' time, it was a d...
Northern part of the central mountain range in Israel.
A person from the country of Samaria (part of Palestine). The Samaritans were hated by the Jews because they had married non-Jews. They also worshiped God differently from the Jews. But Jesus showed his love for the Samaritans by going to them and...
Means "council." Jewish supreme court; highest religious council, composed of 70 members and the high priest. The number 70 traditionally was based on Moses' appointment of 70 elders (Num. 11:16) to administer Israel's affairs. Used by t...
- Sardis stood in the middle of the Hermus River Valley, just over fifty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea in what is now the country of Turkey. The main east-west trade route came through this valley.- On a spur of Mount Tmolus, on the north si...
Elaborately ornamented front of the stage building in a Roman theater.
' A goat let loose in the wilderness on Yom Kippur after the high priest symbolically laid the sins of the people on its head (Lev. 16:8,10,26).'
