“Who was Philo of Alexandria?”……Answer: Philo of Alexandria, sometimes known as Philo Judaeus, was a first century philosopher who was born sometime between 15-30 BC in Alexandria, Egypt. A member of the Jewish Diaspora, he was raised with a Jewish and Greek education, giving him an impressive status in a non-Jewish city like Egypt. Biblical […]

“Who were the Philistines?”……The Philistines were an aggressive, warmongering people who occupied a part of southwest Palestine between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The name "Philistine" comes from the Hebrew word Philistia, and the Greek rendering of the name, palaistinei, gives us the modern name "Palestine." The Philistines are first recorded in Scripture […]

“Who were the Samaritans?”……Answer: The Samaritans occupied the country formerly belonging to the tribe of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The capital of the country was Samaria, formerly a large and splendid city. When the ten tribes were carried away into captivity to Assyria, the king of Assyria sent people from Cutha, Ava, Hamath, […]

“Why did God use a lying spirit to deceive Ahab?”……In 1 Kings 22:19-23, there is a troubling passage in which we are told that God used a lying spirit to deceive Ahab. Does God really use evil, lying spirits to do His bidding? Why would God do such a thing? To find the answer to […]

“Why did God kill Ananias and Sapphira for lying?”……The story of Ananias and Sapphira is found in Acts 5, and it is a sad story indeed. It actually begins at the end of chapter 4 with the description of the early church in Jerusalem, a group of believers so filled with the Holy Spirit that […]

“Who were the Moabites?”……Answer: The Moabites were a tribe descended from Moab, the son of Lot, born of an incestuous relationship with his oldest daughter (Genesis 19:37). From Zoar, the cradle of this tribe, on the south-eastern border of the Dead Sea, they gradually spread over the region on the east of Jordan. Shortly before […]

“Who were the Knights Templar?”……Answer: The Knights Templar, also known as the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, were an order of Christian knights that was formed in approximately 1119 A.D., following the First Crusade. The stated responsibility of the Knights Templar was to protect Christian pilgrims who were traveling to […]