Exploring the Bible

 Solomon's Temple The Temple of Solomon was completed in 957 B.C. and would stand for an amazing 410 years before it was destroyed in 587 B.C. by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. The Temple would be replaced by the second temple in 516 B.C. Nearly 500 years later, King Herod would build another grand temple on the same location in 37 B.C.  This temple would stand for just over 100 years before being destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans. The original (first) temple was conceived by King David, but God decided David would not be the one to actually construct the Temple. “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in" 1 Chronicles 17:4  The reason for God not allowing King David to build the Temple is explained latter in the book of 1 Chronicles.  " But the word of the  Lord  came to me, saying, ‘ You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because ...

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...

There are many unknowns in archaeology. While these scientists have the ability to reconstruct many elements of ancient life and cultures, it is not an exact science and some definitions still elude them. Biblical lands and the people who inhabited them are no exception to these mysteries. There are a great many unknowns from the lands of the Bible and the areas surrounding them. This is due in large part to the vast amount of time the land has been inhabited and by the number of different cultures that have lived in, shaped, and been a part of the landscape. In this post we will examine just four of these mysteries. The first is from the region of southern Turkey and could be the sight of the earliest organized religious center known to man. Then we will move on to a massive underwater structure in the Sea of Galilee, a mysterious tomb in Pella and strange outlines in the deserts of Jordan. All of these defy an easy or scientific explanation. While not always elaborate in nature, they...