Episode 149: What is the ancient Near East?
Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy studying the history of the ancient Near East because it is also the history around the…
Category: New Testament Backgrounds
Episode 85: Hannukah and the Importance of Loyalty
We are taking a break for the next two weeks to talk about the celebration that made the birth of Jesus possible! That’s right—the Feast…
Bible “Insults” and why we shouldn’t use them– “You Pharisee!”
This week we are starting a series on both context and showing good fruit in Biblical discussions. Grown-ups on social media often use what they…
The Judean Governors: Politics in Israel Pt 4
So now we are getting into some cool context. The differences between Galilee, where Yeshua/Jesus grew up and lived as an adult, and Judea to…
The Sons of Herod
Four of Herod’s sons, a grandson, great-grandson, and various granddaughters appear in the Biblical accounts. They all play important roles in the world of first-century…
Who Was Herod the Great?
Herod the Great is one of the most complex and notorious figures in History, and although he is only mentioned briefly in Matthew 2, he…
Who Were the Hasmonean Priest-Kings?
Remember my huge series on the Maccabean Revolt and the first Hannukah? Well, this teaching picks up where that left off – with a new…
Bible Geography #2 – Judea
Welcome to our second Biblical Geography lesson! I hope you caught the last episode on Bethlehem of Judea. This week we are going to do…
Bethlehem – Bible Geography #1
Matthew Chapter 2 is rather unique in the Gospels as it mentions a number of cities and regions: Bethlehem, Judea, the “East,” Jerusalem, Egypt, Israel,…
Nasso – How Did Mary Prove Her Innocence?
Warning, this is a PG-13 teaching and parental guidance is strongly advised. Well, I noticed that I skipped this Torah Portion last year and so…