The Zealots

The Zealots, also known as the “radical party,” were an organized political movement during the Second Temple period. They advocated for armed resistance against the Roman Empire’s rule over the Jewish people in Israel, with the goal of expelling all foreigners from the land. In 6 AD, the Roman Empire forced the Jews to pay […]

The Cross

The cross was an ancient instrument of capital punishment used in places like Babylonia, the Persian Empire, Aram, Israel, Carthage, and ancient Rome. It was typically used to execute rebels, heretics, slaves, and people without citizenship. The instrument consisted of two logs arranged in a cross shape. Before the execution, the condemned person would be […]

The Five Major Factions of Jewish Society in Jesus’ Time

The message preached by John the Baptist created a great stir in Jewish society. “Pharisees and Sadducees also came to be baptized,” but they were not truly repentant. Instead, they believed that by simply receiving John’s baptism, they could escape God’s judgment. Later, Jesus Himself would condemn the Pharisees as a “brood of vipers” (Matthew […]

Jerusalem

Jerusalem is one of the world’s oldest cities, considered a holy site by the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The city is currently under the control of the state of Israel. The Bible’s book of Genesis (14:17-18) mentions Melchizedek, king of Salem, blessing Abraham. Scholars agree that Mount Moriah, where Abraham offered Isaac […]

The Healing of the Leper

In Luke 5:12-13, “While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I […]

The Lord of the Sabbath

The Sabbath (Hebrew: שַׁבָּת‎, shabbat, meaning “rest, cessation of all work”) is one of the main holidays in Judaism. The Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between the Israelites and the Lord God, and it is explicitly commanded in the Ten Commandments. The Israelites were required to observe the Sabbath every seven days, during […]

Two Advocates

The word “Advocate” comes from the Greek word Parakletos, which is a compound of pará (“from the side of”) and kaléō (“to call”). In the original biblical text, it is a legal term referring to someone who comes alongside a person on trial to handle all matters related to the case. Their job is to […]

Ephraim

[Jeremiah 31:9] For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Ephraim was the second son of Joseph (the firstborn was Manasseh) and the grandson of Jacob (later renamed Israel). In his old age, Jacob moved to Egypt with his family to join his son Joseph, who was by then the prime […]

The Tax Collector Among the Twelve Apostles

Among the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus, there was a very unique man named Matthew, also known as Levi (Mark 2:14). He was also the author of the Gospel of Matthew. One day in Capernaum, Jesus saw Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth and said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew got up and […]

The Synagogue

The word “synagogue” literally means “a place of assembly.” Synagogues began after the Jewish people were exiled to Babylon. When the Temple was destroyed, Jews established synagogues to gather for prayer and to study the Law. The initial purpose of synagogues was to provide a place for at least ten adult Jewish men to gather […]