The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 49,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 18 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
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Posted by Leon Mauldin
When visiting biblical sites I never tire of seeing sheep and their shepherds. I’m sure that is due in large measure to the frequent references in the Bible, not only to literal shepherds and sheep, but also the metaphorical usage.
Shepherd with sheep in biblical Pamphylia. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Elders of local churches are told: 1 Peter 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly.
Revelation 7:17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Leave a Comment » | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Biblical Interpretation, New Testament, Old Testament, Pamphylia, photography, Sheep, Shepherd, Travel, Turkey | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
The Roman province of Pontus is mentioned three times in the Bible.
Pontus. Map by BibleAtlas.org.
There were residents of Pontus (among many other) present for the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the day on which the Gospel message of salvation through the resurrected Christ was preached for the first time: “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia” (Acts 2:9).
Paul’s dear friend and fellow-tentmaker Apollos, was from Pontus: “And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome” (Acts 18:2).
The Apostle Peter wrote the letter of 1 Peter to Christians in Pontus (and other Roman provinces): “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. . .” (1 Pet. 1:1).
Samsun (also known as Amisus) was a major port city of Pontus located on the Black Sea. This is in Turkey’s territory today.
Samsun, port city of Pontus. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Many scholars believe that the messenger of 1 Peter (& 2 Peter) would have stopped here at Samsun. I concur. See Ferrell Jenkins here and here.
Click image for larger view.
Leave a Comment » | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Biblical Interpretation, New Testament, photography, Roman Empire, Travel, Turkey | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
Judges 16:4 tells us about Samson’s attraction to the Philistine Delilah, the woman who would bring about his downfall: “After this it came about that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.”
You can see the valley of Sorek at distant center in our aerial photo here:
Valley of Sorek. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary has this brief info:
Sorek, Valley of [sôrˊĕk] (Heb. naḥal śōrēq “valley of a choice grape vine”). A valley to be identified with Wâdī eṣ-Ṣarâr, which runs in a northwesterly direction from the vicinity of Beth-shemesh (ca. 20 km. [13 mi.] west-southwest of Jerusalem) to the Mediterranean, meeting the sea about halfway between Ashdod and Tel Aviv. Delilah’s home was in the valley of Sorek, then under Philistine control (Judg. 16:4). (p. 964)
Leave a Comment » | aerial photos, Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, Old Testament, photography, Travel | Tagged: Valley of Sorek | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
In the days when the judges ruled we read of Deborah, the only woman judge, whom God used to deliver Israel from the Canaanites headquartered at Hazor. Barak led Israel’s army. The ensuing battle took place in the vicinity of Mt. Tabor. The biblical text reads:
She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment. Now she sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “Behold, the LORD, the God of Israel, has commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun'” (Judges 4:5-6).
Mt. Tabor in Israel. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary has this info re: Mt. Tabor:
Mountain in the valley of Jezreel. About six miles east of Nazareth, it has played an important role in Israel’s history since the period of the conquest. It served as a boundary point for the tribes of Naphtali, Issachar, and Zebulun (Josh. 19:12, 22), where the tribes worshiped early (Deut. 33:18–19). Barak gathered an army at Tabor to defend against Sisera (Judg. 4:6). Apparently, it was the site of false worship (Hos. 5:1). Tradition holds that Tabor was the site of Jesus’ transfiguration (Mark 9:2), although no evidence exists to validate the claim.
Note the last statement in the above quotation, that no evidence exists that Mt. Tabor was the site of the transfiguration. Contextually the location of Mt. Hermon is to be preferred (Matt. 17:1), as it is situated in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi where Jesus and the disciples were in Mt. 16.
Leave a Comment » | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Israel, New Testament, Old Testament, photography, Travel | Tagged: Mt. Tabor | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
The god Asclepius, the healing god, was widely worshiped in biblical times, especially in Grecian and Roman periods. The Asclepian at Pergamum in Asia Minor was world famous. We’ve previously posted, click here and here on that one.
It may surprise you to know that there was a healing center devoted to this god in Jerusalem, just 100+ yards north of the Herodian temple adjacent to the pool of Bethesda.
Temple to the healing god Asclepius at Pool of Bethesda. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
This temple dates back to Roman times, but after the ministry of Jesus.
We’ve posted on Bethesda here and here.
Asclepius is also associated with the Egyptian god Serapis (see here and here), Serapis having become one of the most popular deities in the Roman Empire. The yellow placard in photo the above photo in Jerusalem names both identifies this site as “Temple de Serapis” as well as “Asclepian Temple.”
Serapis, Egyptian god of healing, assimilated by Romans. Photo by Leon Mauldin. Metro Museum NY.
Paul would write the Corinthians, “For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him” (1 Cor. 8:5-6).
Click images for larger view.
2 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Egypt, Israel, Jerusalem, photography, Travel | Tagged: Asclepius, Serapis | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
On the north end of Jerusalem one can see the ruins of the pool(s) of Bethesda, mentioned in John 5 as the location where Jesus healed a lame man. That was one of seven miracles recorded by divine selection in the Gospel of John to provide reasons for believing in Jesus, evidences for faith in Him as the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:30-31).
While my group was visiting Israel last year, I photographed a statue of Lavigerie, located close by the pools.
Lavigerie in Jerusalem, near Pool of Bethesda. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
I will acknowledge that the name Charles Martial Allemand Lavigerie is not one I was familiar with. But sometimes you shoot (photograph!) first and ask questions later.
The Dictionary of African Christian Biography relates this info regarding Lavigerie (1825-1892):
Cardinal Archbishop of Algiers and Carthage, Primate of Africa, missionary founder and anti-slavery campaigner, was born near Bayonne in the Basque region of southern France. After his schooling, he studied theology at Saint Sulpice in Paris. In 1854, after priestly ordination and further studies, he was appointed professor of church history in the university of the Sorbonne, Paris. In 1860, as director of the work for oriental schools, he travelled to Lebanon and Syria to administer relief to Christians there, following the massacre by the Druses. . .
In 1863 he was appointed Bishop of Nancy, France and was placed in line for the important archiepiscopal see of Lyons. However, he declined this prestigious appointment, and asked instead for the colonial see of Algiers, to which he was appointed archbishop in 1867. Algeria had become a French colony in 1830, and under Napoleon III was designated an “Arab Kingdom.” . . .
From 1878 his missionaries established themselves in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa and, after his death, in the French territories of West Africa. Created a Cardinal in 1882, Lavigerie revived the ancient see of Carthage, with the title Primate of Africa, when the French annexed Tunisia. Throughout 1888 Lavigerie conducted a personal campaign against slavery in the capitals of Europe. In this campaign he made known the heart-rending experiences of slavery witnessed by his missionaries in equatorial Africa. The campaign resulted in the anti-slavery conferences of Brussels and Paris. . .
Click image for larger view.
3 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Israel, Jerusalem, photography, Travel | Tagged: Lavigerie, Pool of Bethesda | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
In ancient times, city walls were essential for defense and security. An unwalled city was defenseless.
The concept of a city without walls is used metaphorically in Proverbs 25:28: “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.”
Here is a view of Jerusalem’s eastern old city wall, as you look to the south.
Jerusalem’s Eastern Wall. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
A close up of Jerusalem’s Eastern Gate:
Eastern Gate in Jerusalem. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Today a Muslim cemetery is located at the front of the gate.
Click image for larger view.
2 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Jerusalem, photography, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
After studying the book of Judges, especially with the material recorded in chapters 17-21, the book of Ruth is so refreshing, like a breath of fresh air! This 4 chapter book tells how Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons left Bethlehem in time of famine for the fields of Moab, sojourning there for ten years. The sons married women of Moab, Ruth and Orpah. Elimelech and both sons died. When Naomi determined to return to Bethlehem, Ruth made the choice to go with her. She said,
Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me (Ruth 1:16-17).
The text narrates how Ruth met and married Boaz, describing Ruth as a hard worker, showing kindness to her mother-in-law, and known throughout the town as a virtuous woman, and depicting Boaz as equally magnanimous, walking in the fear of the LORD. But the real reason Ruth is in the Bible does not become apparent until the closing verses. Starting with Judah’s son Perez as his beginning point, the writer informs us:
Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron. 19 Hezron fathered Ram, who fathered Amminadab. Amminadab fathered Nahshon, who fathered Salmon. Salmon fathered Boaz, who fathered Obed. And Obed fathered Jesse, who fathered David (Ruth 4:18-22).
Ruth is thus seen in the lineage of the Messiah! Her story is one link in the chain of God’s Old Testament promise to bring Christ into the world to accomplish His great redemptive work. Matthew begins his gospel record with the genealogy of Christ, including Ruth: “Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse” (1:5).
Our photo, taken on the NW shore of the Dead Sea, looks across to the mountains of Moab, Ruth’s home.
View across Dead Sea, mountains of Moab in distance. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
OT Moab is today the territory of Jordan.
Click image for larger view.
Leave a Comment » | Bethlehem, Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Friendship, Israel, Old Testament, photography, Theme of the Bible, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
From an entry entitled, “Weapons” in the Harper’s Bible Dictionary we read:
As in the modern world, advancements in ancient technology were quickly adapted for use in instruments of war. One of the most important steps in the history of weapons was the development of carburized iron, a phenomenon that occurred in the eastern Mediterranean toward the end of the second millennium B.C., but earlier improvements in metallurgy (i.e., the production of copper and bronze) had been applied to arms production for nearly two thousand years before the Iron Age. Naturally, the shape, size, and overall durability of dagger and sword blades and spearheads and arrowheads were affected by such improvements in copper, bronze, and iron technology. Another important weapon that improved over time was the chariot, whose speed and maneuverability were increased by changes in design and construction materials, including metals. Other major steps in the development of ancient weaponry include the invention of the composite bow, piercing battle-ax, “Corinthian” helmet, and siege engines (pp. 1123-1124).
The Metropolitan Museum in NY has several such helmets on display.
Corinthian Style Helmet. Photo by Leon Mauldin. Metropolitan Museum, NY.
This Grecian helmet, made of bronze and dating back to 7th-6th century BC, put me in mind of some biblical texts:
–Isaiah 59:17: He put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. (Reference here is to the Lord, YHWH).
–Ephesians 6:17: And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The above Isaiah text provides background for this Ephesians passage. The New American Standard Bible uses all caps to indicate a quotation from the OT. The helmet is a vital part of the Christian’s armor listed in Eph. 6:10-17.
–1 Thessalonians 5:8: But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. A helmet protects the head. Here the hope of salvation possessed by Christians is said to be a helmet. Keep your helmet on. Keeping the hope of salvation constantly in the forefront of the mind serves to protect one against Satan’s devices.
I believe I’ll keep my helmet on!
2 Comments | Bible History and Geography, Bible Study, Biblical Interpretation, Corinth, Greece, New Testament, Old Testament, photography, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Leon Mauldin
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