This veil, or curtain, separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the Jewish temple at Jerusalem. Only the high priest was allowed behind this curtain, and he could go into the Most Holy Place only once a year-on the Day of Atonement-to offer sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people (Lev 16:34).
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS & CURIOSITIES (EQUAL ACCESS TO GOD)
Zechariah foresaw a future time when all of the nations would worship the one true God. The praise of the Lord would be so widespread that even horses would have “HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD” inscribed on the bells on their harnesses. These are the same words embroidered on the hat worn by the high priest of Israel (Exod 28:36).
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In Ezekiel’s vision, he saw six men from the north arrive in Jerusalem. They probably represented the Babylonian army, whom God had appointed as His instrument of judgement against His people because of their sin and idolatry.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (A MAN WITH AN INKHORN)
This is the first burial recorded in the Bible. Sarah was probably buried soon after she died. In the hot climate of Palestine, a body would quickly begin to decompose.
Continue reading BIBILE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (BURIAL IN CAVES)
The riot inspired by Demetrius spilled over into the entire city. The people gathered at the amphitheater to join in the demonstration.
The Roman theater at Ephesus has been unearthed by archaeologists. Built similar to a modern stadium, it had row upon row of tiered seats built of stone. It could seat about twenty-five thousand people.
Huge amphitheaters like this were built by the Greeks and Roman throughout the ancient world. Others have been discovered at Athens, Corinth, Miletus, Pergamos, and Philippi.
ACTS 19:29 – 29 And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
Psalm 58 declares that wicked people may seem to be flaunting the Lord and getting by with it, but eventually they will pay for their evil deeds.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (THE BITE OF THE WICKED)
It was customary among the Romans to post a sign as the execution site, declaring the crime for which a criminal was being put to death. This sent a message to the people that the same thing would happen to them if they dared to disobey the law.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (A FALSE CHARGE)
This was Haman’s response to the king when he asked how to honor one of his subjects. Haman outlined the highest royal recognition possible because he thought the king intended to honor him.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURISITIES (THE ULTIMATE HONOR)
In Old Testament times, a man’s wealth was measured by the size of his flocks and herds. Job was a rich man by these standards. Female donkeys are mentioned in this passage because they were more valuable than male donkeys. They milk produced by females was a valuable food substance.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (A MAN OF MEANS)
After His birth in a stable in Bethlehem, the baby Jesus was placed in a manger, a feeding trough for livestock. This manger may have been hewed out of rock. Stone mangers about tree feet long, eighteen inches wide, and two feet deep have been discovered in the ruins of King Ahab’s stables at the ancient city of Megiddo.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (A KING IN A STABLE)