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PALESTINE

• The Holy Land• The Promised Land• The Land of Israel• The Land of Judah• The Land

FOUR MAJOR TERRAINS OF PALESTINE

• Coastal Plain• Mountain Range• The Great Rift Valley• Transjordan

• www.searchgodsword.org/se/pbm/browse.cgi?st=28

MAJOR PROVINCES• Galilee

– “circle”– Center Jesus’

ministry– Rich & Fertile– Herod Antipas– Mostly Jewish– Cosmopolitan

• Samaria– Once held northern

capital of Israel

• Judea– Dry/Barren– Jews who returned

after Babylonian Exile

– Jerusalem– Dead Sea

LANGUAGE & DIALECT• Aramaic

– Semitic language– Common language Jews 1st century AD– Jesus’ language

• Hebrew– Some in Judaea spoke

• Greek– Koine = “common”– Common language Roman Empire

• Latin– Roman Officials

SYNAGOGUE• Greek word =

“assembly”• Served three main

purposes1. Prayer & Worship2. Legal settlements3. Local school

• The Ark– The Torah & Writings of the

Prophets

• The Sabbath• The Shema

– Dt. 6:4

Hear, O Israel, the Eternal is our God, the Eternal is One.

Blessed be God’s Name and glorious kingdom forever and ever.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I [God] teach you this day, shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder before your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.

TEMPLE• Jerusalem• Sacrifice• Holy Place• Layout of the Temple

– Courtyard for Priests– Courtyard for Israel– Courtyard for Women– Gentiles

• Pilgrimage to the Temple– Three major feasts

• Passover• Pentecost• Tabernacles

• http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Shokel/Preaching/S010501_Jerusalem.html

JEWISH FEASTS

• Passover (Pesah)– Most important– Celebrates liberation from Egypt– The Last Supper

• Pentecost– Held 50 days after Passover– Originally harvest festival– NT times celebrates Covenant at Sinai

• Tabernacles (Booths)– Fall harvest celebration– Recalls time spent in wilderness

1ST CENTURY PALESTINE POLITICS

• The Roman Empire• Pax Romana

– Christian Missionaries• Roman Rule & the Jews• The Maccabean Revolt

• http://www.roman-empire.net/maps/empire/extent/rome-modern-day-nations.html

JEWISH BELIEFS & PRACTICES

• The Messiah– Christos– King of Israel– Political & Military leader– Coming would be apocalyptic

COVENANT & THE TORAH

• TORAH– Instruction or guidance– God’s revelation of Himself &

Expectations– Studying Torah– What did it mean to live apart from the

Law– TANAK

JUDGMENT & RESURRECTION

• Common belief – 2nd century BC• Daniel introduced idea (Daniel

12:2)

RELIGIOUS SECTS• Sadducees

– Sadok– Priest & Aristocrats– Temple practice & worship– Torah Only– Human free will over Divine

Providence– No resurrection

• Sanhedrin

RELIGIOUS SECTS• Pharisees

– Separated one– Hasmonean Dynasty – Strict observance of Law– Resurrection– Judgment of living & dead– Prayer, almsgiving, fasting– Torah – Prophets – Writings

inspired– Oral Interpretation

RELIGIOUS SECTS

• Essenes– Apocalyptic group– “teacher of righteousness”– Commentaries on Jewish scriptures– Lived strict & pure– Qumran

•Dead Sea Scrolls

RELIGIOUS SECTS

• Zealots– Revolutionaries– 66-70AD– Simon the Zealot – apostle of Jesus

• TAX COLLECTORS– Despised

• COMMON PEOPLE• GENTILES

– Proselytes– God-fearers

• Pious Jews• WOMAN