Aunque estaba rodeada por naciones que habían sido gobernadas por reyes durante muchos años: Asiria, Babilonia, Egipto y las naciones de Canaán, la monarquía y una forma centralizada de gobierno no apareció en Israel hasta cerca del año 1000 a. C. Antes de ese tiempo, las escrituras judías dicen… Read More
Faraón es el título para la más alta figura de gobierno en Egipto y viene de dos palabras egipcias que significan «gran casa». Al nombre del faraón se sumaban otros títulos de honor, como «Hijo de Re» (el dios egipcio del sol) o «rey del alto y bajo Egipto». Read More
Aunque muchos pueblos y culturas contribuyeron a la vida cultural de Palestina en los días de Jesús, los romanos eran los más poderosos. Ellos controlaban la tierra con ejércitos poderosos y bien entrenados. El emperador romano nombraba a un gobernador (procurador) que estaba a cargo de recaudar impuestos e… Read More
La palabra que en el Nuevo Testamento es traducida normalmente como «siervo» significa realmente «esclavo» y se refiere a una persona que era propiedad o era controlada por alguien, y no solamente a un servidor contratado para realizar un determinado trabajo. Algunos esclavos realizaron penosas tareas domésticas. Otros, llamados «mayordomos»,… Read More
In the time of Jesus, the Samaritans were despised by most Jews for two reasons: (1) many of them were following the lifestyle of the Roman world and ignoring the Law of Moses; (2) the Samaritan religious traditions denied that God was present among his people in Jerusalem and scorned… Read More
The Bible explicitly calls us to help those who are economically disadvantaged. The Bible explicitly calls us to help those who are economically disadvantaged. Putting a Face on “The Poor” “The poor” in the Bible are those without land or without the economic, legal, and political resources to be… Read More
Even before the time of Jesus, Jewish teachers had discussed the Law of Moses and whether there were one or more commands that summarized the whole law. This debate is easily seen in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. The debate also seems to be behind Luke’s account, which immediately… Read More
Jews in Jesus’ time believed that God revealed his will not only through the written Torah, but through unwritten traditions as well. The rabbis claimed that the oral law, transmitted by word of mouth, was also given to Moses at Mount Sinai. The term “law” in the English Bible… Read More
As the Israelites entered the Promised Land they faced conflicts with other nations. Throughout these conflicts they learned that relying on God was crucial to their success in battle. Early Israel’s understanding of warfare is closely connected with their conception of God as a mighty warrior (Exod 15:3; Deut… Read More
Israel didn’t always have a king. Find out why the people wanted a king and the struggles and benefits that a monarchy brought to the nation. Although surrounded by nations that had been governed by kings for many years—Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, and the nations of Canaan—kingship and a centralized… Read More
