The Bible frequently mentions spices and perfumes. Find out what each spice was used for and where it was referenced in the Bible. In the ancient Near East, most spices were considered to be a valuable luxury (1 Kgs 10.10,25; Ezek 27.17-22), especially those that had to be… Read More

It was the center of life in biblical times. What did it look like? What took place there? Read more to find out. The market place was a focal point for ancient society. Much like today’s malls, people not only shopped in them, but also socialized there. See why… Read More

The invention of money transformed the ancient world. Find out how the emergence of the monetary system influenced the biblical world. As trade increased in Israel during the time of Solomon, so did the use of gold and silver to pay for goods. Around this time, merchants and a… Read More

Biblical characters couldn’t use trains, planes or buses, but they did use camels, chariots, sailing boats and the occasional giant fish. Means of Travel Distances Examples Walking about 20 miles per day Peter walks 40 miles from Joppa to Caesarea in two days (Acts 10.23-25) Camels As a pack… Read More

How should we understand the role of women in Mark’s Gospel? Check out one view on this subject. by Seong Hee Kim, PhD. Postcolonial feminist biblical interpretation is a new brand of hermeneutics that brings into feminist biblical studies the postcolonial theory of thinkers like Edward Said, Homi Bhabha,… Read More

Divorce affects millions of individuals. Read more to see what the Bible says about divorce and learn how Christians can approach the issue today. In an age when marriage, once considered the bedrock of society, has tumbled from its position of moral prominence, and the divorce rate (among Christians… Read More

They weren’t priests, but they weren’t commoners. So who were the Pharisees and what was their role in Jewish life? Find out here. By Jesus’ day, it was common for Jewish people to meet in private homes for worship and to study the Scriptures. This practice… Read More

They were the rebels of Palestine. Read about who they were and what they believed in. The Maccabees, as discussed earlier, insisted that the Jewish people have their own king. They were defeated when the Romans took over the land in 63 B.C. Later attempts to win freedom and… Read More

In ancient Rome, social class was everything. It determined a person’s rights, privileges and opportunities. The Roman Empire had a class structure based on wealth, birth, and citizenship. At the very top of Roman society was the emperor, who was considered the empire’s “first citizen.” Some emperors even… Read More

Two things never change – death and taxes. The Roman Empire was not an exception. Read about what taxes financed and who collected taxes in the Roman Empire. Though many peoples and cultures contributed to the cultural life in Palestine in Jesus’ day, the Romans were by far… Read More