The Old Testament forms the oldest section of the Christian Bible. This God-inspired collection of texts chronicles the history, laws, and beliefs of the ancient Israelites. The Old Testament contains a variety of genres: stories, poetry, prophesy, and wisdom literature. These ancient texts are central to Christian theology and set context of the life of Jesus Christ.
Hineni in Hebrew: “Here I am” from God and Man
The word “Hineni” literally means “Here I am.” It is generally used as a response to someone who calls for you. In the context of the Old Testament, some people interpret it as a response of total surrender, but it can’t quite ...
Who was Jotham, king of Judah?
To understand Jotham we have to understand his father, Uzziah, and the context of ancient Israel at this time. Both Jotham and Uzziah were Kings of Judah, the southern tribe of Israel. Uzziah took the throne at age 16 and reign...
Who is Esaias in the Bible? Answered by a Christian Scholar
In English the name “Esaias” is usually written as “Isaiah,” which is closer to the original Hebrew spelling, but the spelling “Esaias” is closer to how it would be spelled in ancient Greek (Ἡσαΐας). This matters because Greek ...
What are the prophetic books of the Bible?
Because the Bible is bound in a single volume today, modern people don't always realize that the Bible is not a single book but a library of many different kinds of books written over thousands of years. As such, there are many...
Peor: The Mountain and God of the Moabites
Peor was the name of a mountain in the land of Moab. It is significant as the final place that the prophet Balaam visited when he was being pressured by the king of Moab to curse Israel. The Israelites had recently conquered Si...
Necromancy in the Bible: Fallen Spirits, Ancient Religion
Because of fantasy novels, zombie movies, and games like Dungeons and Dragons, a “necromancer” has come to mean someone who raises and commands the dead. In popular culture, a necromancer is commonly pictured as an evil warlock...
Rachel's Tomb: The Death of an Israelite Matriarch
The Biblical passage that relates Rachel’s death is from Genesis 35: “Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. Now it came...
The Shulamite: Bride of Solomon and Allegorical Woman
The word “Shulamite” (also spelled “Shulammite”) is only used once in the Bible, in the Song of Solomon, chapter 6, verse 13. What does it mean? It’s at least a reference to the bride of Solomon, but the nature of the title is ...