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ANTI-LEBANON ăn’ tə lĕb’ ă nŏn לְּבָנוֹן; LXX Σανἰρ; ̓Αντιλίβανος; Vul. Anti-Libanus; white). A mountain range E of the Lebanon range itself and roughly equal to it in length and height. The...
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lon-jev’-i-ti: In the part of Genesis ascribed to the Priestly Code (P), the names and genealogies of the patriarchs are given (Ge 5; 11). In the three versions which are our chief sources,...
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Translations of the Bible in Latin, antedating the revisory work of Jerome.* Such translation was undertaken for the church in...
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FAUNA. The sources of evidence are surveyed in three sections. (1) Ancient material provided by explorers, archeologists, etc. and textual evidence, including philological. (2) Study of the fauna...
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JABBOK (jăb'ŏk, Heb. yabbōq, flowing). An important river east of the Jordan about halfway between the Dead Sea and the...
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BARUCH, APOCALYPSE OF. The title of a pseudep. work of Jewish origin known only from a 7th cent. Syr. MS. A fragment of a Gr. VS also is known although its date is only speculative.
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ENOCH, BOOKS OF. A collection of apocalyptic literature written by various authors and circulated under the name of Enoch. First Enoch is an Ethiopic version made through the Greek from the original...
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Of the twenty-seven documents making up the NT canon, thirteen are epistles or letters bearing the name of Paul. Possibly the majority of these letters are the oldest writings in the NT. Since Paul...
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Christian education is rooted in Scripture. From its beginning the religion of the Bible has gone hand in hand with teaching. Parental responsibility for youth, the supreme worth of persons, the...
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The Heb. word דּוֹר, H1887, is of broader meaning and includes the thought of an era of time, a period and thence a generation. The word has no reference to begetting. The phrase דוֹר־וָדֹ֖ור “an...
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GREAT SEA (הַיָּם הַגָּדֹ֔ל). A Biblical name for the sea that lies between the European and African continents; better known as the...
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KIDRON. KJV Apoc. form of Kedron.
KIDRON kĭd’ rən (קִדְרֹ֔ון, dark, turbid); CEDRON se’ drən (Κεδρών, G3022, KJV only in John 18:1). Name of a valley E of Jerusalem c. 3 m. in length which lies...
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JORDAN RIVER. The only large flowing body of water in Palestine and, as such, it played a significant part in the history of Israel, as well as in the earlier days of our Lord’s ministry. The word...
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ESSENES (ĕ-sēnz', Gr. Essenoi or Essaioi). The meaning of the name is much debated; possibly it denotes “holy ones.” They constituted a sect of the Jews in Palestine during the time of Christ but are...
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PITHOM (pī'thŏm, Heb. pithōm). A city in Egypt in the valley between the Nile and Lake Timsah; perhaps Tell er-Retabah; dedicated to the sun-god Atum; with Rameses to the north, one of the store...
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GOLIATH (gō-lī'ăth, Heb. golyāth). A gigantic warrior of the Philistine army, probably one of the Anakites (Num.13.33; Josh.11.22). Goliath’s size was extraordinary. If a cubit is twenty-one inches (...
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SAMUEL, BOOKS OF. The books are named after Samuel, the outstanding figure of the early section. Originally there was only one book of Samuel, but the LXX divided it into two. This division was...
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WAR, WARFARE
1. General. War was a constant feature in the history of Israel from its beginnings up to the destruction of the second Temple. Long periods of peace seldom occurred and the Bible...
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JORDAN jôr’ dən (יַּרְדֵּ֔ן, ̓Ιορδάνης, G2674, the descender or water judges). The major river of Pal., which begins at Mt. Hermon in the N, flows through the...
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MOAB, MOABITES mō’ ăb (מﯴאָ֖ב, מּﯴאָב׃֙ LXX Μωαβ; מﯴאָבִ֖י, מֹּ֣אָבִ֔י, or בְּנֵי מﯴאָב). A Trans-Jordanian state with its inhabitants, lying E of the Dead Sea and occupying the plateau between the...
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MENAHEM (mĕn'a-hēm, Heb. menahēm, comforted). Son of Gadi and king of Israel (2Kgs.15.13-2Kgs.15.22). His reign of ten years began by his killing his predecessor Shallum. “He did evil in the eyes of...
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Roman procurator or governor of Judea beween c. a.d. 26-36, appointed by Emperor Tiberius. Jesus's trial and crucifixion took place somewhere in the middle of Pilate's tenure. His attempt to evade...
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Historical background
Sacred places of mankind.
Evidences of the religious outlook of mankind are found wherever man has been able to establish some continuity of habitation. The...
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PAPYRUS (pa-pī'rŭs, Gr. papyros). A plantlike reed or rush that grows in swamps and along rivers or lakes, often to the height of twelve feet (almost four m.) with beautiful flowers at the top. The...
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ROADS. In Palestine the chief south-to-north traverse is the road via Pelusium, Rafia, and Gaza, up the Maritime Plain, the ancient invasion route used by Thutmose, Ramses, Sennacherib, Cambyses,...
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It is certain that the Phoenicians penetrated to Cornwall for tin and to the Canary Islands. They probably used the trireme, the useful vessel with three banks of oars, which was a Phoenician...
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GNOSTICISM (Gr. gnōsis, knowledge). Though sometimes used of false teaching within the period when the NT was written, the word more accurately describes systems of knowledge in opposition to...
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When a city was besieged, the besiegers built up huge mounds of earth against the walls, and from these mounds battering rams were used against the walls (2Sam.20.15; Ezek.4.2). The besieged tried...
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TIBERIAS (tī-bē'rĭ-ăs, Gr. Tiberias). A city of Herod Antipas, built between the years a.d. 16 and 22 on the western shore of the...
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SLAVE, SLAVERY (עֶ֫בֶד֒, H6269, δοῦλος, slave, servant). The ownership of one man by another man so that the former was viewed in most respects as property rather than as a person. It was a deeply...
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I. Authenticity. The authenticity of the Third Gospel has not been successfully challenged. References are frequent in the second century a.d. (Justin, Polycarp, Papias, Hegesippus, Marcion,...
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This article gives an brief overview of Jesus and his life. More detailed discussions of his life, ministry and influence can be found listed to the right.
The Chronology
The leading chronological...
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Water (מַ֫יִם, H4784; ὕδωρ, G5623), a liquid compound of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O) which is convertible by heat to steam and by removal of heat (cold) to ice. Most water is derived directly from the...
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BIRDS. Palestine is the home of some 375 kinds of birds, of which perhaps 25 are peculiar to that region. The Bible mentions about 50, using Hebrew or Greek names that can sometimes be identified...
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ASSHUR ăsh’ ər (אַשּׁ֑וּר, meaning uncertain). Name of the son of Shem, borne also by the patron deity, people, and capital city of Assyria. (See...
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FISH, FISHING (דָּאג, H1794; fish, all Eng. VSS; ιχθύς; fish, all Eng. VSS; Gr. ιχθύδιον; ὀψάριον, G4066, fish; small fishes; little fishes; variously in Eng. VSS. The two latter are non-specific and...