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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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
59 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
36 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
66 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
38 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 ...
0
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1answer
38 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
57 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 ...
8
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5answers
189 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
37 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
197 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?
...
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2answers
186 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
84 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
23 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
101 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
84 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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1answer
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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
83 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, ...
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29 views
Does Deuteronomy 20:10-14 apply to cases where Israel is the aggressor?
When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim
peace unto it. 11And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and
open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people ...
5
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1answer
96 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
63 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
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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
86 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 ...
0
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1answer
69 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
72 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 ...
1
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1answer
29 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
192 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
419 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 ...
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4answers
186 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 ...
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1answer
239 views
In ancient Rome who were the many “lords” (KURIOI)?
Some think that calling Jesus "one KURIOS" in verse 6 that he is referring to the Tetragrammaton (IE: "YHVH"). However, he seems to be saying that the Romans considered many to be KURIOI, so it seems ...
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67 views
History: Might Herod Agrippa have prosecuted Christians as being an illegal religion?
From what I understand Roman law had two very significant statutes regarding religion:
a law requiring that the Roman deities be acknowledged by a periodic sacrifice
a law permitting Judaism to ...
0
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1answer
270 views
History: Per Leviticus 19:27 would the apostles have had side locks? [closed]
[Lev 19:27 ESV] (27) You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard.
Note:
Related article from Jewish Encylopedia.
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2answers
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Where does the second part of the proverb 2 Peter 2:22 come from?
"But it happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." 2 Peter 2:22 (KJV)
The part about the ...
7
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4answers
523 views
What are God's voice, charge, commandments, statutes & laws that Abraham kept?
What are God's voice, charge, commandments, statutes & laws that Abraham obeyed & kept
Genesis 26:4-6 and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of
heaven, and will give unto thy ...
2
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2answers
657 views
Why did the Israelites lose the battles to the Benjamites after receiving the green light from God?
In Judges 20:18,23. The men of Israel enquired and sought counsel from the Lord to fight with the Benjamites because of their wickedness towards the concubine of the Levite(Judges 19:25-26,20:4). The ...
0
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2answers
66 views
Verse Division in 1 Peter 3:15-16 / μετά πραΰτητος καί φόβου in
In 1 Peter 3, the Greek phrase μετά πραΰτητος καί φόβου appears in verse 15 in the Textus Receptus (https://www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/1pe/3/15/t_conc_1154015), but in verse 16 in the GNT (https://...
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1answer
117 views
In 1 Kings 11:43 and 1 Kings 12:1 why was Rehoboam the only one listed as a son of Solomon?
What happened to all of king Solomon’s sons?
Solomon had many wives and concubines:
[1Ki 11:3 ESV] (3) He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.
...
2
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4answers
197 views
How ought we to understand Zeresh's response in Esther 5:14?
Esther 5 describes how Haman was incensed by Mordechai’s arrogance and couldn’t tolerate his existence anymore. V. 10 describes how Haman convened with his cronies to plot and devise a plan how to ...
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1answer
350 views
John the Baptist compared with Samson, Samuel via Nazirite vow
The Bible mentions about three people who were dedicated by their parents to be Nazirites already from birth. These people were Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist. Jesus said:
Mat 11:11 (NIV) "...
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1answer
87 views
Were Roman Soldiers allowed to Marry? The Word παῖς in Matthew 8:5 implies that Roman Centurion had offspring [closed]
Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 mentions a story of Centurion whose servant was healed by Jesus. Matthew in 8:5 uses the word pais which may mean son. However, Luke 7:2 uses the word dulos specifying ...
6
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2answers
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How did authorities know that Paul was really a Roman citizen?
A previous answer to a different question ventured into the territory of my question here, quoting from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (which in turn, cited from some commentaries) that ...
5
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1answer
136 views
What does the sentence “their grapes are filled with poison” in Deu 32:32,33 (NIV) mean?
Sodom is known for having been more decadent than Israel. And judging on the below Bible verses, their decadence seem to have had something to do with their drinking culture. Was their grapes ...
1
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1answer
724 views
Boat's speed in Jesus days
In Mark's gospel we read about Jesus and his disciples moving in a boat from Capernaum to Dekapolis, to a place in the other side of the Sea of Galilee about 20 kilometers away south. They set out in ...
5
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4answers
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Use of leap years in the bible
As we can clearly see, the bible relates to a month as a 30 days period: 150 days of the flood which are five month (genesis 7,8), the feast of Ahasuerus of 180 days that are 6 months and so on. We ...
4
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2answers
428 views
Why was Ishbosheth absent from the battle that killed Saul and his brothers?
1 Samuel 31:6 states that all of Saul's men died:
So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
So Ishbosheth surviving them would suggest he wasn't ...
1
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2answers
902 views
Why are there only four kings of Persia in Daniel 11:2? [closed]
Daniel 11:2,
Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia,
and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he
has gained power by his wealth, he ...
2
votes
2answers
77 views
In 1st Samuel 17:55 how is it that Saul and Abner did not know who David was?
In 1st Samuel 16:13 Samuel anointed David with oil. There is no indication that he said anything upon doing that. Did anyone but Samuel even know it was a Kingly anointing? Why didn't Samuel give ...
2
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5answers
1k views
Did The Amalekites survive?
There seems to be a contradiction is scriptures. 1 Samuel 15:15 says:
And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the
people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to ...
0
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0answers
41 views
Is it possible that the soldiers near Pontius Pilate were less in number than the people in the crowd at Jesus' trial?
Matthew 27:24 KJV — When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but
that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands
before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of ...
2
votes
2answers
87 views
Could Moses's instructions have indirectly lead to the bad report of the ten spies in Numbers 13:17-20?
Numbers 13:17-20 NASB
17 When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up [b]there into the [c]Negev; then go up into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like, and ...
