History & Rituals

By the time we get to the Acts of the Apostles we have read about 3 Herods. They were all pretty interesting men, so let’s get them straight.

Jews in Nazareth? Some scholars have wondered why Mary and Joseph, both descendants from the tribe...

Sometimes we see articles that give correction, but they fall short of the whole picture. Here are some facts that help to imagine the birth of Christ.

There are three. But the Bible doesn’t tell us that there were only three wise men, so there could have been more than three (or less). So who were they?

Many people wonder where Mary and Joseph took Jesus when the fled to Egypt.

Jesus was sinless. How often have we judged others for a missed appointment or bungled communication? It’s only human that we sometimes space on an event, leave a few minutes too late, or don’t account for heavy traffic. It’s a relief to hear from this story that to err is human, but it’s not a sin.

The location of Jesus’ baptism was a tributary of the Jordan River near Jericho, just north of the Dead Sea.

So why were so many people attracted to John that they would make this kind of journey to hear him?

When Jesus Turned Water into Wine  Turning water into wine is the first of the miracles of Jesus...

Jerusalem is considered to be “the mountain of the Lord’s house.” Because it is the holy city, people always say they are going “up” to Jerusalem.

Similar to Christian baptism, the Jews had a practice called “mikveh.” A mikveh is a ritual bath that purifies the person entering it.

How Many Languages Did Jesus Speak? In Acts 2 of the Bible we see the apostles speak in many...

Samaria at the time Jesus lived included cities and towns that were Greek and some that were Samaritan.

How to Tell Time in the Bible In the story of the nobleman whose son was dying, Christ healed the...

The Hebrew word kfar means “town.” Nahum is a man’s name and connotes “pleasant.” The two together create the name of the town Capernaum.

The Pool of Siloam The Pool of Siloam was a spring-fed pool cut from rock southeast of the Old...

The word “synagogue” surprisingly comes from Greek, not Hebrew. It refers to gathering together in a group.

The Law of Moses was the Aaronic Priesthood law, that is, it was a lower, school-master law meant to prepare Israel to receive the higher laws of the Priesthood of Christ.

On several occasions in the New Testament, we see Jesus healing lepers. Most people know that lepers were quarantined away from other people and that this was really difficult for them to bear.

Publicans at the time of Christ were basically tax collectors although they could also have roles in supplying the Roman military, managing port contracts, or overseeing building contracts.

Jews believe in personal prayer and may fast at any time when they feel the need. Certain holidays, including the Sabbath, are to be so full of joy that Jews are commanded NOT to fast.

There was no corn in the Holy Land at the time of Jesus. Scientists believe corn originated in Central Mexico about 7,000 years ago.

Keeping the Sabbath is very serious indeed. In ancient times, punishable by death. But the rabbis could declare something a matter of life and death and excuse breaking the Sabbath to save a person or animal.

The Sea of Galilee is actually not a sea but a lake of about 64 square miles ― 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.

If a person was unclean, he or she would not be able to be part of the congregation. Often this meant living outside the community to separate oneself.

Christ miraculously fed thousands by multiplying a few loaves and fishes, which were the staple foods in the Holy Land at the time.

“Corban” or corbona denotes a gift, in this case, a gift to God or to the temple treasury.

It included trial law to protect the accused. Under the Law of Moses the accuser had a lot of responsibility.

How Jesus Upset the Feast of Tabernacles The fall before Jesus was crucified, His friends in...

The Greco-Syrian empire conquered the Holy Land in 175 B.C. The Samaritans denied they were Jews in order to fit in. In Judea, the Maccabees revolted and became the rulers of Judea. Their kingdom was smaller, but they forayed north into Samaria to expand it.

Miraculously, the oil lasted for 8 days. Jews celebrate this miracle every year in December as the holiday of Hanukkah.

This was a very personal, very precious light, and the fuel was also very precious. No one is worthy or prepared to meet the Savior on borrowed light.

Caiaphas’ house was grand enough that a crowd gathered inside and in the courtyard to watch the illegal trial, including Peter, who had just denied Jesus.

Jesus’ trial broke at least 18 of the Mosaic laws in place that were meant to protect the accused.

What is the Higher Law? Some people think that the higher law is to love your neighbor and that...

What is Israel and What Is Israel’s Calling? Today, “Israel” consists of descendants of all the...

What Ancient Jews Thought of Crucifixion In the Law of Moses, many sins were punishable by death....

In Hebrew, the word “Bethlehem” is Beit-Lehem, or “house of bread.” It is a suburb of Jerusalem and was a small town at the time Jesus was born.

John was so important to God’s work that the angel Gabriel announced his pending birth and prophesied his greatness.

Wood is scarce in Israel. Modern Israelis have planted millions of trees, but naturally, trees and wood have been very precious in the country.