The Jewish people originally came from the land of Israel, but as time passed they spread throughout the earth. This movement is called the Diaspora. Learn more about it here. Diaspora is a Greek term that means “widely scattered.” It is a term used to describe the widespread settlement… Read More
What do the exodus and Jesus’ death have in common? The Passover. Find out more about the significance of this Jewish holiday and how it was celebrated. These two special spring festivals were brought together in the Jewish calendar long before the time of Jesus. Passover was celebrated to… Read More
Rome was one of the great powers of the ancient world and it was a powerful factor in the spread of Christianity. Find out more about the history of this mighty empire. In 700 B.C., Rome was a small city in Italy that controlled only the area close around… Read More
As Hellenism spread through the ancient world, literacy increased and people began to value stories, especially romance fiction. This popular genre even influenced religious writings. Read more here. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C., Greek culture continued to spread through the areas his armies had… Read More
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
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 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
