Author Archives: Administrator

At the start of Passover one week before Jesus was crucified, he and his disciples traveled to Jerusalem, approaching the city from the east. When they arrived at the village of Bethphage, Jesus mounted a donkey and rode down the Mount of Olives as a humble king entering his capital city. Along the way, many […]

The Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, where all Israelite males were commanded to offer sacrifices to the Lord, underwent several stages of reconstruction and development over hundreds of years. The first Temple was built by King Solomon to replace the aging Tabernacle, and it was constructed on a threshing floor on high ground on […]

Though the Old Testament never directly mentions Crete (shown in inset), this island had a significant impact on the history of Israel. Crete was home to the ancient city of Knossos and the great Minoan civilization, the first advanced society in Europe, which flourished from before the time of Abraham until around the time of […]

The region commonly called Mesopotamia (“between the rivers”) was home to some of the oldest civilizations in the world, and it was the birthplace of Abraham, the ancestor of the Israelite people. Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Mesopotamia is often speculated to be the location of the Garden of Eden, and it gave […]

Sometime after ministering at the church in Jerusalem the apostle John moved his ministry to Ephesus, one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire. From Ephesus John ministered to several other churches in the province of Asia. Later, however, John was exiled to the island of Patmos, and there he recorded visions of the […]

The land of Judah in southern Israel was home to many important leaders throughout Israel’s history. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all lived in the hill town of Hebron for a time, and later several of them were buried in the family tomb there. Likewise, David was born in the Judean town of Bethlehem, and […]

The mountainous region of Phoenicia (corresponding roughly to modern Lebanon) lay along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, just north of ancient Israel. Throughout most of their history the Phoenicians enjoyed a peaceful relationship with the people of Israel. They were renowned for their abundant supply of cedar, which was resistant to termites, and for […]

During their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas traveled to several cities in the Roman provinces of Lycia and Galatia in southern Turkey. Over the previous centuries many Jews had been scattered to distant locations like southern Turkey, so this is why Paul and Barnabas were able to find audiences for their message about the […]

The scenic and spacious Jezreel Valley is located just north of ancient Samaria. This fertile plain served (and still serves) as the breadbasket of Israel–and the site of numerous bloody battles throughout Bible times. From Gideon to Deborah to Saul to Josiah, various commanders have recognized the importance of maintaining control over this prolific farmland, […]

Though the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Chinnereth and the Sea of Gennesaret) is hardly mentioned in the Old Testament, by the time of the New Testament the freshwater lake boasted a thriving fishing industry and several noteworthy towns along its shores. The lake is nestled among the lush hills of Galilee […]