Exploring the Bible

Jewish Tradition and Beliefs about the Afterlife What did the first century Jewish community believe about the afterlife? Did they believe in eternity, the eternal soul, or was this a later creation of the Christian church? The Jewish beliefs began with Moses when he received God's instructions and laws. The groups or leaders of the day-to-day belief system during the time of Jesus began in approximately 163 B.C.  At the end of the Maccabean Revolt, three separate groups of religious believers, orders, were established. These were the groups of religious leaders Jesus dealt and interacted with. The first of these, which was a minority, were the Sadducee. This group believed in the written law alone. The Sadducee did not believe in the afterlife, nor did they believe in spirits, ghosts, or demons.  They also believed very strongly in free-will. For the Sadducee, God plays no role in how your life turns out, your destiny was entirely up to you and the decisions you make. From ar...

What Can Tiny Weights Reveal About First Temple Period?  Two artifacts, very similar in shape and size have been discovered near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The first artifact was discovered in 2013 and has been dated from the time of the First Temple.  The tiny stone weight was discovered in dirt removed from the area of Robinson’s Arch. The round stone is inscribed in Hebrew with the word Beka. The actual engraving is done in mirror-writing which inverts the text. This is the only example of mirror-writing yet to be found from this time period. Robinson's Arch was a staircase and bridge leading to the Temple Mount Area. Under the arch and along the street there were a number of shops and businesses. Many, if not all, of these shops did business with people visiting the Temple, either as local residents, or people on a pilgrimage  from a distant land. These shops included money changers and shops offering animals for sacrifice in the Temple. Many of these shops would ...

Does Genesis 1 Tell a Different Story of Creation than Genesis 2? Does the story of creation told in Genesis chapter one contradict what is written in Genesis chapter two? For many non-believers, and some people of faith, the two stories of creation recorded in the opening chapters of Genesis are somewhat confusing. Does the Bible contradict itself from the very beginning? Or is there a logical and reasonable explanation for the apparent differences? First we will look at the story and order of creation as told in Genesis chapter one. The process, as most everyone knows, took six days with the seventh day reserved for rest. Day One - Light is created. Day Two - Heaven and earth are separated. Day Three - Dry lands, sea, plants and tress are created. Day Four - The Sun, moon and stars are placed in the sky. Day Five - All creatures that live in the sea and fly in the sky are created. Day Six - Land animals are created and spread across the earth - then man is created. Day Seven - G...