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Burial Practices

Ancient Jewish Laws Concerning the Burial of the Dead. In ancient Israel, burial practices were a sacred tradition that reflected the significance of death in Judaism. Ancient Jewish burial practices sought to celebrate the life of the individual while commemorating the deceased's death. Death in the Jewish religion is central because it is consi...

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Musical Instruments in Ancient Israel

Music permeates the culture of ancient Israel. In the Iron Age, the place of music in the life of the Israelites cannot be overestimated. The Bible is rich with references to music and the role that music played in the social, political, and religious aspects of ancient Israel. Festive choruses enriched marriage ceremonies with music and dancing, a...

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Education in Biblical Times

Education In Ancient Israel: Across the Deadening Silence. Going to school takes on a whole new meaning in this detailed study of education in biblical times. In this groundbreaking new book, distinguished scholar James L. Crenshaw investigates both the pragmatic hoes and the philisophical whys of education in ancient Israel and its surroundings. ...

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Ancient Israelite Marriage Customs

Though there are some cultures in the Ancient Near East which were matriarchal in structure, Israel's was not one of them. Israel's family life was dominated by the husband (Pedersen, p. 61). When a marriage occurred the husband took his wife from her home and "ruled" over her, following the pattern of Genesis 3:16: To the woman he said, "I will gr...

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The Teacher in Ancient Israel

By Carl Schultz, Ph.D. Houghton College, Houghton, NY. My interest this morning is the role of the teacher in ancient Israel. Here the picture is not as clear as we might hope. The data are too limited, scholarly views too varied and what does emerge from all this is strange to our western, twentieth century educational models. But by incorporating...

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Women And The Law In Ancient Israel

The importance of marriage to the Ancient Israelites is clear enough in the Bible, but nowhere is there any information on the ceremony itself and it is likely that custom varied from one locale to another. In Leviticus 18 there is a list of prohibited relationships (a man cannot marry his sister, etc.). These appear less concerned with the dangers...

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Schools and Literacy in Ancient Israel

Schools and Literacy in Ancient Israel and Early Judaism. As a literary corpus, the birth and the transmission of the Hebrew Bible are directly linked to the use and the spread of writing among the people from whom it is born. The study of the role of writing, as well as that of the function and training of scribes in the society of ancient Israel...

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