Questions tagged [history]
Events in the Bible, the wider cultural background of those events, and the biblical text itself, all have a historical dimension.
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Is there any interpretative room for considering the prophetic predictions of 2 Peter 3:3-13 as already fulfilled?
2 Peter 3:3-13 (ESV):
3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? ...
2
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2answers
103 views
In what language did Peter most likely preach his sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41)? [closed]
We all know that the apostles and disciples miraculously spoke different tongues at Pentecost, that the foreigners around who were native speakers of those languages could understand:
5 Now there ...
2
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1answer
20 views
The Land of Israel Joshua 21:43-45
I was reading Joshua 21:43-45
43 (A)Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 (B)And the Lord gave ...
3
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2answers
51 views
Was stoning legal under Roman law?
From John 8:
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of ...
4
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1answer
53 views
Is there any evidence to support the “different calendar theory” often invoked to resolve chronological discrepancies in the gospels?
Is there any evidence that there was a confusion of calendars in the first century, such that dates reported within the NT might vary as to the "actual" date of an event, and some authors (...
2
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2answers
59 views
How did the Jewish exorcists of Acts 19:13 cast out demons before they undertook to invoke the name of Jesus?
Acts 19:13 informs us about the existence of iterant Jewish exorcists who, inspired by Paul, decided to undertake the practice of invoking Jesus' name to cast out demons, probably because they wanted ...
3
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1answer
75 views
Can history shed any light on the “secret arts” of the Egyptian magicians who turned their staffs into serpents?
Exodus 7:11-12 (ESV):
11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they ...
2
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3answers
127 views
Is there any interpretative room for considering the prophetic predictions of Matthew 24:29-31 as already fulfilled?
Matthew 24:29-31 (YLT):
29 `And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the ...
3
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3answers
280 views
Why does Matthew 26:17 seem to ignore/contradict the instructions and schedule of Leviticus 23:5-7?
In Leviticus 23, Passover completely precedes the Feast of Unleavened Bread, with the first day being a day of convocation:
[Lev 23:5-8 NLT] (5) "The LORD's Passover begins at sundown on the ...
2
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1answer
48 views
Was Barabbas released from prison temporarily?
It is generally understood that when Barabbas was released from prison, he was not required to return after the Passover festival. Why believe this was the case? Perhaps a more modest temporary ...
5
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1answer
124 views
Why were Pilate and Herod Antipas upset with each other?
In Luke 23 we are told that over the course of Jesus' trial, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod [Antipas], and after questioning & mocking Jesus, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.
Then we are given this ...
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2answers
64 views
What is the meaning of “ten thousands” in Daniel 11:12
Daniel 11:12 KJV
And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it.
Most commentators connect ...
4
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1answer
216 views
Who was Pharaoh in Joseph's time?
In Genesis 40:2
Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
Who was the Pharaoh?
Note: similar question was asked about the Pharaoh of Ezekiel's time and an ...
4
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2answers
131 views
Which Caesar did Paul demand to appear before?
Acts 27:24a
and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar.'
The title "Caesar" was given to a number of Roman rulers. To which Caesar does the text refer?
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Wars of the Jews Book 5 1:5-6 and Luke 14:25-33- are the parallels significant
I posted this question before, but as I noticed, the question looked very vague, so I will try to explain it better now.
The question is about the parallels between the texts mentioned in the title. ...
0
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1answer
148 views
What do we know about tower of Peniel in Judges 8?
The text is:
He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town. - Judges 8:17
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2answers
264 views
Who is the King of Babylon referenced in Isaiah 14:4 and 14:17?
[Isa 14:4, 17 NLT] (4) you will taunt the king of Babylon. You will say, "The mighty man has been destroyed. Yes, your insolence is ended. ... (17) Is this the one who destroyed the world and ...
0
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1answer
65 views
Is Herod in Luke 3:19 the same as Herod in Matthew 2:1? [duplicate]
In Luke 3:19
But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother
Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done
And in Matthew 2:1
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem ...
2
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4answers
125 views
Did Judah go to Babylon for captivity because of the error of Hezekiah or for the sins of Manasseh?
As I study the various accounts of the captivity of Judah, I have begun to encounter some difficulties over the remote cause of Judah's captivity in Babylon. Quite a number of commentators hold the ...
1
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1answer
47 views
How did Elijah know the woman of Zarepthath was a widow?
In 1 Kings 17:9-10 Elijah is commanded by God to go to Zarephath where God had commanded a widow to provide for him. When Elijah got there he saw a woman gathering sticks outside the city gates. How ...
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What evidence is there that boiling a kid in its mother's milk (Exodus 23:19) was a pagan practice?
In Exodus 23:19 (KJV), Jehovah tells the Israelites, "Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk." Searching online for a possible meaning, many suggestions are given, the most ...
3
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2answers
2k views
Were male shrine prostitutes homosexuals?
1 Kings 14:24 (NIV)
There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
Did these ...
6
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2answers
111 views
Who is Jesus in Matthew 11:29?
In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (ESV)
One interpretation I've heard is that Jesus is ...
1
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2answers
122 views
Are the Sea peoples referenced anywhere in the bible?
To better understand this question. And why i feel this is a good, rational question, i will spend a little time below, copying and pasting everything i can find regarding the Sea peoples.
When one ...
3
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1answer
41 views
Why did the Elders tell King Ahab not to agree to Ben-Haddad, King of Syria second command?
1 Kings 20:4
And the king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.”
1 Kings 20:7-8
7 So the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, ...
3
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2answers
144 views
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
People attribute the quote from the Book of Enoch 2:1. My question is how can this book be preserved over the great flood of Noah, span through the period of the Law of Moses, and to the period of the ...
2
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2answers
65 views
Was this a common practice for parents to leave their children in the temple as Hannah did when she dedicated Samuel by bringing him to the temple?
I Samuel 1:27,28 27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the ...
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1answer
145 views
What is the significance that Jacob offered to work for Laban ,seven years for Rachel ?: Genesis 29:18
Genesis 29:18 (NASB)
18 "Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years
for your younger daughter Rachel.”
And why not fewer years?
4
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3answers
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Isaiah14:12 truth of translation
Was Isaiah 14:12 not even about the devil, but just a king , when referencing the Torah but that early church council supplemented the devil for the king in the Christian bible based on motives of ...
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2answers
76 views
Were the “scribes” also clearly partisan as were the Pharisees and Sadducees?
IE: If we knew that someone was a "scribe" would we automatically know their religious bent as we do with Pharisees and Sadducees?:
[Act 23:8 NLT] (8) for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection ...
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5answers
224 views
When did the Levites say to their father and mother “I have not seen him” as mentioned in Deuteronomy 33:9?
When did the Levites say to their father and mother "I have not seen him" as mentioned in Deuteronomy 33:9 ?
And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom ...
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1answer
43 views
Who tore down the walls of Jerusalem in Nehemiah?
This is the verse in question:
"And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken ...
0
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1answer
606 views
In Esther 2:8-18, what would Ahashuerus' “harem” been like during the time of Esther's confinement?
I'm trying to understand the nature of the Harem's during the time period of the Persian and Median empire.
I'm Not trying to be uncouth/brash/offensive but was said Harem like some kind of sex ring?
...
1
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3answers
355 views
Wise Men from the East…but not Sheba and Tarshish?
So the two main Old Testament prophecies surrounding the wise men seem to be Psalm 72:10-11 and Isaiah 60:6:
Both of these passages state the kings will come from Sheba, and Psalms mentions Tarshish ...
4
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1answer
129 views
Were the trumpets in the NT actually shofars?
This is from the Jewish Encyclopedia article on "trumpets":
In Shab. 36a (comp. Suk. 34a) it is noted that since the destruction of the Temple the names for the shofar and the trumpet had been ...
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0answers
26 views
Does Exodus 34:12-17 suggest that erecting sacred structures to idols and eating their meals created a kind of political alliance?
[Exo 34:11-17 NLT] (11) But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (12) "...
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3answers
383 views
What was Jesus asking and answering the teachers at the temple?
I have often thought about the exchange that passed between Jesus and the doctors at the temple in Jerusalem. It looks like Jesus was asking questions that were so perspicacious as to astonish the ...
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3answers
97 views
Are Jesus' words in Matthew 23:37 regarding Jerusalem killing prophets historic or predictive?
Are Jesus' words in Matthew 23:37 regarding Jerusalem killing prophets about past murders (which are not documented in history prior to the first century) or to the persecution that he and his ...
7
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2answers
3k views
Why was Goliath's sword kept in the tabernacle at Nob?
Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand
here? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me,
because the king’s business was urgent.”
9The priest ...
2
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1answer
128 views
In the culture of Corinth in Paul's time, what does being “engaged” mean?
1 Corinthians 7:36-38, NIV: "36 If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, ...
5
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1answer
220 views
Which king of Tyre is mentioned in Ezekiel 28?
This is the chapter in question.
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to the ruler of
Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘In the pride of your heart
you say, “...
0
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1answer
66 views
In Galatians 2:11 what is meant by “I opposed him to his face”?
[Gal 2:11 NASB] (11) But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
[Gal 2:11 MGNT] (11) ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν Κηφᾶς εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτῷ ἀντέστην ὅτι ...
3
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2answers
170 views
Is what Laban said in Genesis 29:26 true?
In Genesis 29:26, after Jacob asks why Laban deceived him, Laban responds:
"And Laban said, 'It must not be done so in our country, to give the
younger before the firstborn.'"
I've tried ...
1
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3answers
108 views
What was the time gap between the event Abraham justified by Faith in James 2:23 a and later Abraham justified by works in James 2:21?
What was the time gap between the event Abraham justified by Faith in
James 2:23 Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the ...
1
vote
1answer
88 views
In Matthew 3:6 was Jesus' interview with John the baptizer modeled after rabbinic protocols for proselyte baptism?
I notice that 2nd temple period Jewish water ablution/baptism for proselytes involved certain protocols, such as:
..Our Rabbis taught: If at the present time a man desires42 to become a proselyte, he ...
1
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1answer
76 views
What's the basis for the Book of Job being history and not a parable?
And in addition, what is the basis behind the popular notion that it was set in the 2000s BC, also the same time period that Abraham allegedly lived in according to a conservative model of the Bible's ...
2
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2answers
48 views
Was it the fathers or sons of the rebels who were being addressed by Moses in Deuteronomy 11:1-7?
When they came into the wilderness of Arabah Moses addresses the descendants of the rebels.Most of the things he makes reference to were actually seen and experienced by the rebels rather than their ...
0
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1answer
301 views
Looks or keeps looking at a woman: Matthew 5:28
ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΝ 5:27-28 1881 (WHNU)
28 εγω δε λεγω υμιν οτι πας ο βλεπων γυναικα προς το επιθυμησαι
[αυτην] ηδη εμοιχευσεν αυτην εν τη καρδια αυτου
English translations usually render the verse as ...
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1answer
774 views
How were scrolls sealed in the time of Revelation?
In Revelation 5:1, John introduces a scroll with seven seals:
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
The Lamb is ...
1
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4answers
216 views
In Hebrews 12:23, what does it mean that the firstborn (plural) are “enrolled”?
[Heb 12:23 ESV] (23) and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
[Heb 12:23 MGNT] (23) καὶ ἐκκλησίᾳ ...
