Methods of Trade

Donkeys or oxen? Rivers or seas? See what the logistics of trade were in biblical times. Throughout the biblical period, trading was usually conducted at the town gate or near the entrance to towns. As trading became more complex, market stalls were set up in central parts of cities. Read More

Local Trading and Local Economies

What did average people bring to the market in biblical times? Find out here. Ancient Palestine was largely an agricultural society. People traded farm products and animals from their flocks in the marketplaces. Farmers brought wheat and barley, grapes and wine, olives and olive oil, figs, dates, and nuts… Read More

Improvements in Transportation

Trading on foot is a tough business – you can only exchange what you carry. See how improved transportation changed the trade landscape. As trading between regions and countries became more important, so did travel. In fact, trade and travel link so completely that discussing one involves discussing the… Read More

Trade

The nation of Israel was a strategic trade location. Check out what they traded and how trading shaped the culture of the Ancient Near East. The earliest Israelites traded in animals, milk, cheese, and wool. Even after they settled in Canaan, the Israelites were farmers and herders, but few… Read More

Early Israelites

Most of the Israelites were nomads. Find out where and how they traveled in the Ancient Near East. Before they settled in Canaan, the earliest ancestors of the Israelites were nomads, which means that they lived by moving herds of sheep and goats from place to place to… Read More

Early Travel

In the beginning . . . human societies interacted with each other. See how they did it. No clear evidence has been found to show how the earliest human beings traveled. Archaeologists date the earliest evidence of any kind of travel from the end of the “Ice Age,” about… Read More

Critical Perspectives: The Anti Christ

Who is the anti-Christ? Where is he mentioned in Scripture? Read more to get a sound biblical perspective of this figure. The decision of the film-making industry to produce a wave of movies with apocalyptic themes has resulted in resurgent interest in the physical nature of the antichrist, his… Read More

Parables (Stories)

During Jesus’ earthly ministry he often communicated through the use of parables, stories used to teach a lesson. Learn about why Jesus used these stories. “Parable” comes from the Greek word which means “to put things together in order to compare them.” Parables are usually short stories told to… Read More

Paradise

The term paradise appears several places throughout the Old and New Testaments. Find out the background of the word and how it relates to heaven. Topics: Heaven, Paradise, Eternal Life The Hebrew word for “paradise” was borrowed from the Persian word which means a wooded park where everything… Read More

Names of God

The Old Testament uses several names for God. Read about the significance of the different names and what this implies about God’s character. Of the many words used to name God in the Bible, the following are especially important. The most common is the general noun Elohim, usually translated… Read More