“Who are the various Herods mentioned in the Bible?”……There are several men in the New Testament referred to as "Herod." These men were part of a dynasty, a partly hereditary, partly appointed line of Jewish rulers over Judea during the days of the Roman Empire. Unlike other previous kings of Israel, the Herods were appointed […]

Prophecy fulfilled Judaism and Christianity believe in the authority and divine inspiration of the Hebrew Scriptures. Both faiths believe in one God. Both believe in the coming of a Messiah. And both believe in a judgment before God and life hereafter. Unfortunately, through the centuries, certain interpretations of the Bible, plus the traditions of Judaism […]

Covenant The basic structure of the relationship God has established with His people is the covenant. A covenant is usually thought of as a contract. While there surely are some similarities between covenants and contracts, there are also important differences. Both are binding agreements. Contracts are made from somewhat equal bargaining positions, and both parties […]

“What was the Babylonian captivity/exile?”……Answer: The Babylonian captivity or exile refers to the time period in Israel's history when Jews were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. It is an important period of biblical history because both the captivity/exile and the return and restoration of the Jewish nation were fulfillments of Old Testament […]

“Who was Asherah?”……Answer: Asherah, or Ashtoreth, was the name of the chief female deity worshiped in ancient Syria, Phoenicia, and Canaan. The Phoenicians called her Astarte, the Assyrians worshiped her as Ishtar, and the Philistines had a temple of Asherah (1 Samuel 31:10). Because of Israel's incomplete conquest of the land of Canaan, Asherah-worship survived […]

“Who was Nero?”……Born LuciusDomitiusAhenobarbus in December of 37, Nero became the fifth emperor of Rome. Along with Rome's first four emperors – Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius – these five made up what is called the "Julio-Claudian" dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great uncle Claudius to become his successor, and upon Claudius's death in […]

“Who was Baal?”……Answer: Baal was the name of the supreme god worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. The practice of Baal worship infiltrated Jewish religious life during the time of the Judges (Judges 3:7), became widespread in Israel during the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 16:31-33) and also affected Judah (2 Chronicles 28:1-2). The word […]