Babylon was a powerful kingdom in the Ancient Near Eastern world that conquered Judah and sent the people into exile. But Babylon is also an important image that appears in the New Testament. Read more about the significance of Babylon here. What does this ancient city have to do with… Read More

From the Israelite’s exodus to Joseph and Mary’s flight from Herod the Great, Egypt has been an important factor in biblical history. Find out more about this country and its role in the Bible. Why was Egypt such a significant country during biblical times? How does that fact… Read More

What was slavery like in Jesus’ time? Could slaves ever earn their freedom? Read more to find out. The word in the New Testament usually translated as “servant” actually means “slave,” and referred to someone who was owned or controlled by someone else, not just a servant hired to… Read More

First century Judaism revolved around the temple. So did the Sadducees. Read about what these Jewish leaders believed and why they eventually disappeared. This group’s name may come from Zadok, the high priest of Israel at the time of King David. The Sadducees may have also been descendants… Read More

Perfection. The Essenes would settle for nothing less. See what role this disciplined and secluded sect of Judaism played in the New Testament world. The Essenes may have been formed as a group at about the same time as the Sadducees. Instead of trying to influence the priesthood… Read More

Literacy was low in the biblical world, so people who could read and write held important roles in government and religion. Those Jews who filled jobs set up by the Romans to help run the government in the land were called “scribes.” Because they could read and write in… Read More

The Hasmoneans began a revolt that changed the shape of Palestine between the New and Old Testaments. Read more about this influential family. “Maccabees,” the family nickname of the Jewish dynasty that ruled Judea from the time of the Maccabean Revolt (167 B.C.) until the Roman conquest of Palestine… Read More