What was Baal Peor in the Bible?
Baal Peor, or the Baal of Peor, was a local deity worshiped by the Moabites. When the Israelites, following Moses to the Promised Land, were in the vicinity of Peor, some of them fell into idolatry and worshiped Baal Peor. As a result of their sin, the men of Israel were judged by God. The…
What is the significance of Achaia in the Bible?
Achaia, also spelled Achaea, was a Roman province south of Macedonia and consisted of the southern part of what we call “Greece” today. Achaia was originally the name for a narrow strip of land on the northwest side of the Peloponnesus peninsula. Later, the meaning of Achaia was expanded to include Attica, Boeotia, Euboea, the…
What is the significance of Mount Horeb in the Bible?
Mount Horeb in the Bible is another name for Mount Sinai, the mountain where the Hebrew people entered into a covenant with God after escaping from bondage in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:2; 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chronicles 5:10). Mount Horeb is also the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments and the laws, rules, and instructions…
What is the significance of the city of Rome in the Bible?
Rome is not mentioned in the Old Testament but figures prominently in the New Testament. Although the city of Rome is not often directly mentioned, every place and event in the New Testament has Roman rule as its background. Rome came to prominence in what is called the intertestamental period—the roughly 400 years between Old…
What is the significance of Cenchrea in the Bible?
Corinth, the capital of the Roman province of Achaia (modern-day Greece), was a city on the Isthmus of Corinth. It was a large city that controlled two harbors: Cenchrea (or Cenchreae) on the eastern side of the isthmus, and Lechaeumon on the western side. Cenchrea was important for its harbor that allowed goods to move…
What is the significance of Gaza in the Bible?
Gaza, also called Azzah, is first mentioned in Genesis as one of the border cities of Canaan (Genesis 10:15–19). The city was on the border of Israel and Egypt in the southwest part of Israel near the Mediterranean Sea. Gaza is one of the oldest cities in history. The name Gaza means “strong,” which is…
What is the location of the real Mount Sinai?
Where is the real Mount Sinai? No one really knows for sure. For centuries, scholars, explorers, and pilgrims have sought the location of the real Mount Sinai—the mountain where God gave the law to Moses and the people of Israel. To this day, several sites have been proposed, but no one site has been confirmed…
What is the significance of the city of Petra in the Bible?
The city of Petra is not mentioned in the Bible by that name; rather, it is called by its Hebrew name, Sela in Isaiah 16:1 and 2 Kings 14:7. Both Petra and Sela mean “rock,” an appropriate name, since much of the city is carved into sandstone cliffs. Petra is located about fifty miles south…
What was the Areopagus?
Northwest of the city of Athens, Greece, is a small hill covered in stone seats. This area was once used as a forum for the rulers of Athens to hold trials, debate, and discuss important matters. This location was called Areopagus, a combination of the Greek words for “god of war” and “stone”: the Areopagus…
What is the significance of the city of Sidon in the Bible?
Jesus mentioned the city of Sidon in Matthew 11:21–v22: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and…