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Be Salt
Salt was very valuable during Jesus' day. It aided in the preservation of meat and enhanced the taste of food. But another less commonly known use of salt plays a key role in our understanding of what it means to be "salt" on our world.D...
Beatitude Definition
Any of the declarations of blessedness pronounced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Bedouins Definition
Nomads who live mainly in the wilderness areas of the Middle East. They speak Arabic and are generally Muslim. They retain a lifestyle much like that of the early biblical characters Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Beelzebub
Who is Beelzebub?Baal-Zebul was the god of the Philistines; the name means "Exalted Baal" or "Prince Baal."In the Greek language of the New Testament, the name becomes Beelzebub. Jesus used the name Beelzebub for Satan, the pri...
Beelzebub Definition
Corruption of the word "Beelzebul," meaning "lord of the flies." It was used by Jesus to refer to the prince of demons, the devil.
Beersheba Definition
City in the central Negev. It was settled before 3000 BC. Abraham and Isaac lived here. Abraham gave it the name Beersheba, which means "well of the oath" or "well of the seven." Often used to refer to the southern end of the P...
Belial Definition
Hebrew meaning "useless." Came to be applied to the devil by the Essenes and the early Christians (2 Cor. 6).
Belvoir Fortress
The fortress of Belvior has both an outer fortification and an inner castle. A moat, hewn out of the same bedrock quarried to build the castle, encircles the structure on three sides. Towers stood in each corner and in the center of the outer wall...
Bema Definition
Raised platform; the Seat of judgment. Also, place from which scripture is read in the synagogue.
Bernice Definition
The great-granddaughter of Herod the Great. She accompanied Agrippa ll and heard Paul's conversion testimony (Acts 25:13,23; 26:1).
Beth Horon Definition
Two cities (Upper and Lower Beth Horon) guarding the Beth Horon pass. The main west-east road from the coastal plain to the mountains to Jericho went through this pass. Here God made the sun stand still for Joshua.
Beth Shean
This view from the Old Testament city of Beth Shean shows the magnitude of the archaeological project and the glory that was Beth Shean in Jesus' time.Note the remains of a theater that seated approximately 7,000 spectators. Jesus is the only pers...
Beth Shean Definition
City at the eastern entrance to the Valley of Jezreel. The Philistines hung Saul's and Jonathan's bodies from its walls.
Beth Shemesh
Beth Shemesh, meaning "house of the sun," ' was a small town on the border between Judah and the Philistines. This is the place where the ark of the covenant came when it was returned by the Philistines (1 Sam. 6).Beth Shemesh stands in...
Beth Shemesh Definition
City in the Soreq Valley near where Samson lived. The Philistines returned the ark of the covenant here.
Bethlehem - Jesus' Birthplace
Today the town of Bethlehem is much larger than it was in Jesus' day. But despite its small size in biblical times, Bethlehem was the location of significant historical events. Discovering its history helps us appreciate why the town was the perf...
Bethlehem Definition
Located at the border between the mountains and the wilderness, its inhabitants benefited from the fertile mountain valleys and pastures the wilderness provided for the shepherds' flock.Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Micah prophesied t...
Bethsaida Definition
One of the three main towns of Jesus' ministry in Galilee. This small, prosperous fishing village on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee was renamed Julias and rebuilt by Herod Philip. Home of apostles Peter, Philip, and Andrew. Near this villag...
Biblical Covenants
Biblical CovenantsSimilar to a business agreement or contract made today, in the ancient Near East, there was a special covenant form in which a greater party (usually a king), established a relationship with a lesser party (a vassal). The greater...
Biblical Names
In biblical times, a good name meant more than a good reputation. People understood that a name expressed the essence or identity of a person.In the Near East, a person's name identified something about their character or circumstances, such as bi...
Bless, blessing Definition
When God blesses someone, he makes things go well for him or her. A blessing is a gift from God. When people bless, they ask God to bring good to someone.
