Before the King Solomon built the temple, worship in Israel revolved around the Sacred Tent, or Tabernacle. Read about the origin of this tent and its role in the Israelites’ worship practices. When God gave Moses the Law at Mount Sinai, God also gave him instructions for making a sacred… Read More

The covenant defined God’s relationship with his people, and Shavuot celebrates this covenant relationship that appears in Exodus 24. Shavuot (the plural version of the Hebrew word shavuah, or “week”) is the third and last of the annual, weeklong biblical pilgrimage festivals to the holy Temple in Jerusalem, the… Read More

Jews have celebrated this festival for thousands of years. Find out the significance of this celebration and why it has endured. In ancient rabbinic tradition, Sukkot, sometimes called the “Feast of Booths,” is referred to as he-chag, or The Holiday. Today, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are viewed by the… Read More

How many languages were used to write the Bible? Where did these languages come from? Who spoke these languages? This article gives a brief overview of each of the Bible’s major languages. The original language of most of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible). Hebrew appeared first in a written… Read More

Context is important. Find out how the social, religious and political context of Israel influenced biblical events and literature. Ancient Document and Date Language Chief Enemy Gilgamesh Epic around 1700 B.C.; some versions circulated as early as 2100 B.C. Akkadian Gilgamesh, the ruler of Uruk,… Read More

The Bible isn’t the only ancient text with a flood story. Read about the flood stories other flood stories in the ancient world and why these accounts are important. Many ancient Near Eastern stories describe a terrible flood that destroyed much of humankind. Ancient flood stories are also… Read More

The Four-Source Theory suggests that the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, came from four different stories. Learn about the strengths and weaknesses of this theory. By Linda A. Dietch PhD Candidate, Drew University, Madison, NJ Those who read the Bible are sometimes struck by discrepancies… Read More

In Genesis God promised to give Abraham land for his descendents. Although it took hundreds of years, Abraham’s descendents finally returned to the land. Read about the important events that occurred while the Israelites occupied the Promised Land. Moses led the people of Israel in the desert for forty years… Read More

There are more copies of Bibles than any other book in the world. Read about how the Bible was passed down to us through countless generations over thousands of years. The Bible is like a small library that contains many books written by many authors. The word “Bible”… Read More

People are often intimidated by laws. But in the Old Testament, the nation of Israel’s relation to God was based upon the law. It governed their religious practices, their government and the way they lived their daily lives. People Of The Law: The Religion of Israel The faith of… Read More