“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 Flavius Josephus?”……Answer: Since their release in the first century A.D., the writings of Flavius Josephus have become a primary source of Judeo-Christian history. According to The Life of Flavius Josephus, Josephus ÔÇÿwas born to Matthias in the first year of the reign of Caius Caesar' (1:5), being 37 A.D. At ÔÇÿfourteen years of […]

“Who were the Amorites?”……The Amorites were an ancient nation mentioned frequently in the Old Testament. They were descended from one of the sons of Canaan (Genesis 14:7). In early inscriptions, the Amorites were also known as Amurra or Amurri. The "land of the Amorites" included Syria and Palestine. Some of the southern mountains of Judea […]

“Who was Ignatius of Antioch?”……Answer: Ignatius of Antioch was an early church father, and not much is known about him. What we do know is primarily drawn from his own writings. Ignatius was the bishop of the church in Antioch, Syria, and was martyred under Emperor Trajan around 110 AD. He was apparently a disciple […]

“Who were the Ammonites?”……Throughout the early history of Israel, we find references to the Ammonite people. Who were they, where did they come from, and what happened to them? The Ammonites were a Semitic people, closely related to the Israelites. Despite that relationship, they were more often counted enemies than friends.……Lot, Abraham’s nephew, was the […]

“Who were the Herodians?”……Answer: At the time of Jesus, there were certain groups-the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees-that held positions of authority and power over the people. Other groups were the Sanhedrin, the scribes, and the lawyers. Each of these groups held power in either religious or political matters. The Herodians held political power, […]