Bible History
Bible History
Choose a Category

Background

The Fortress of Antonia

Along the northern side of the temple courtyard stood the massive palace - fortress of Antonia, another of Herod's landmarks. A stairway and an underground passageway connected the Antonia with the Court of the Gentiles, and the 600 soldiers stationed there were always on the alert for disturbances in the temple precincts. The precious ceremonial r...

Read More

THE GREAT DESERT

Geography. Bible History Online....

Read More

Rome - Domestic Life

The family was a strong social unit in Roman civilization. In early centuries, the head of the family (paterfamilias) exercised total control over the whole family. Children were taught to respect the gods, their country, and their parents, in that order. By Julius Caesar's time, Roman women could own property and even influence politics. Girls and...

Read More

THE SYNAGOGUE

The first synagogues may have been built by Jews held captive far from the temple during the Babylonian Exile in the sixth century B.C., but synagogues were important religious and social institutions in the time of Jesus. The original Greek word synagogue means merely "a place of meeting." In the Jewish world synagogues were second only to the tem...

Read More

The Sadducees

The Sadducees were so named because they claimed to be descended from Zadok, the high priest at the time of King David and King Solomon. They consisted of the wealthy aristocratic families who controlled the office of high priest. They rejected belief in angels and the resurrection, but they were not liberal rationalists. Rather, they were staunch ...

Read More

Pontius Pilate

The fifth Roman procurator of Judea (ruled 26-36 AD), who issued the official order sentencing Jesus to death by crucifixion. Bible History Online....

Read More

Rome - The Roman Forum

In early times the "forum" (place outside the door) was just a marsh, where many roads met. Here people could meet outside of town and exchange goods. As Rome grew the forum remained a meeting place and market place. Forum Romanum. Bible History Online....

Read More

The Temple

HEROD'S TEMPLE. Begun in 20 BC, the construction of the temple was one of Herod's most ambitious projects. The old temple mount first had to be cleared and enlarged to about twice its original size. The new area was roughly 1000 by 1500 feet, girded by a massive retaining wall of huge fitted stones, each more than 15 feet long and 13 feet thick. As...

Read More

The Scribes

The scribes were held in great awe and respect throughout the Jewish world. They were thought to possess vast, secret knowledge of the workings of the Lord's power. They could be recognized on the streets by their long, flowing robes, fringed at the corners with very long tassels. When a scribe passed, ordinary people rose as a sign of respect. The...

Read More

The Roman Eagle - Sign of Rome

Roman armies carried this standard wherever they went. When Pompey conquered Jerusalem, his engineers set up these kind of emblems in all public places. The eagle stood for power, and the wreath stood for victory, and the letters SPQR for Senatus Populusque Romanus (The Roman Senate and People). Bible History Online....

Read More

61 Bible Translations

Popular Articles

Explore the Bible Like Never Before!

Bible History Online

Bible Study Tools

Top Tags