The sentence of death in this case was not against age and gender, but against disloyalty and betrayal of the true God. Groups that had participated in baiting Israel toward religious diversity (Israel’s paramount stumbling blocks) received the captial sentence, while groups that had not (prepubescent femalse in this case) were spared.
Continue reading WHY WERE INNOCENT WOMEN AND CHILDREN KILLED IN BATTLE AGAINST THE MIDIANITES?
Geographical designation for the land of the Bible, particularly land west of the Jordan River that God allotted to Israel for an inheritance (Josh 13-19). Various terms have been used to designate that small but significant area known in the early OT era as “Canaan” (Gen 12:5) and often referred to as the promised land (Deut 9:28). It was designated “Israel” (home of the
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (PALESTINE PT1)
As the final act of battle, Israel was sometimes required to dedicate everything in a “ban” (herem), which meant that the people and possessions of an entire city would be set apart for God and destroyed (Deut 7:2; 20:17; Josh 8:2; 1 Sam 15:3). Only the metal objects were saved (Josh 6:18-24). Those who transgressed the ban faced dire consequences (Josh 7).
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (HOLY WAR PT2)
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.
It was not possible to separate warfare from religion. The connection of the two was evident in many aspects of military practice. To the Jews, God was the Lord of Hosts who went before them into battle (Exo 15:3; Judg 4:14; 1 Sam 17:45; Isaiah 42:13). There was a sacred “Book of the Wars of the Lord” (Num 21:14). Before going to war, the men had to keep themselves ritually clean, not even engaging in sexual relationships (2 Sam 11:11). Health laws were involved in the commandments concerning ceremonial uncleanliness, but there were other laws in operation as well as those (Deut 13:13-14).
Continue reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN THE BIBLE (WAR AND RELIGION)
This is the longest section of the book of Revelation. It describes the visions of John regarding a series of catastrophic events that God would use to judge the earth before the end of the age and the triumphant second coming of Christ.
Continue reading VISIONS OF SUFFERING (6:1-19: 10)
We may expect that the idea of one person owning another would be strongly censured in the Bible. What we find instead is a general acknowledgment of the existence of slavery, the use of slavery as a metaphor, and a theological trajectory that moved society in the direction of abolition without formally demanding it.
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (SLAVE “TO BECOME OR TO BE FREED” PT 1 OF 2)
When warfare took place it was normally at a time when food was available to live off the land and when weather conditions made war feasible (2 Samuel 11:1). So far as the Jewish army was concerned, the central “administration” unit (Numbers 2:17) was surrounded by four divisions (Numbers 2) and was preceded by an advance guard.
Continue reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE BIBLE (CAMPAIGING)
The prophet Habakkuk was assured by the Lord that He would deal with the Babylonians after He had used them as an agent of punishment against His own people. He would make His bow “naked,” or take it out of its protective case, in order to use it against the Babylonians.
Baring the bow was a symbol of getting ready for war, just like uncovering the shield (read Isa 22:6)
HABAKKUK 3:9 – Thy [God’s] bow was made quite naked.
This verse apparently refers to the practice among the pagan Babylonians of worshiping and offering sacrifices to their weapons of war. The Babylonians were on a mission of world conquest in Habakkuk’s time. Bowing down to these weapons was the Babylonians’ way of strengthening and dedicating themselves for this purpose. Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (WORSHIP OF WEAPONS)