Posts Tagged ‘history’
The Ancestry of Caleb
by Doy Moyer One interesting rabbit hole is found in this little conundrum: Was Caleb of the tribe of Judah, or was he a descendant of the Edomites? Hang on because there is an important point to be made here that is more than just a question of interest. Caleb is known for his strong…
Read MoreIn His Footsteps
by Steve Roe via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 4, December 31, 1990 I was recently given the opportunity to go “on a pilgrimage” to the Bible lands. It was one of the benefits of being a member of the world’s second-largest fleet. I accepted the opportunity and opted for the longer, but still too short,…
Read MoreThe Fall of Zedekiah
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/The-Fall-of-Zedekiah.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 52:1-11 I. The fall of Jerusalem and the end of the kingdom of Judah was a sad time period. A. Josiah was the last good king of Israel, but the kings that ruled after him did evil in the sight of God. B. King Jehoiachin began his reign at the…
Read MoreThe Dead Sea Scrolls
by Terry Wane Benton Dead Sea Scrolls – 250BC to AD70 Photo by Lux Moundi. https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathanjj/8246948498 The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 980 Hebrew documents found in the Qumran limestone caves between 1947 and 2017. Most of the texts are written on parchment. About 40% were copies from the Old Testament. Before the…
Read MoreWasn’t Babel the city of Eridu
Question: Hi there. I used to be a member of the Church and a devout Christian. I recently found something on your website that deeply disappointed me. I am specifically referring to the following answer you gave to “Where is the Tower of Babel?” In that answer, you state that Babel is most likely Babylon,…
Read MoreWhen was the church established?
Question: Hello, I have a question about what year the church was established. Some are saying AD 30 but when I was converted into the church what I was taught is that the church started in Jerusalem in AD 33. Were we wrong as a church on the AD 33 date? And if we’re not…
Read MoreThe Other Side of Church History
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/The-Other-Side-of-Church-History.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: I Timothy 4:1-3 I. When we study the history of the church since its beginnings, we tend to follow the paths of the major divisions. A. Thus we see the rise of Catholicism as innovation after innovation is accepted, the splits over those innovations which led to the…
Read MoreThe Fullness of Time
by Jefferson David Tant In two passages, the apostle Paul uses the expression “the fullness of the time,” and this expression is very “full” in its meaning. Among other things, it shows God’s wisdom in preparing the world for the coming of his Son, and as we look at the condition of the world in…
Read MoreWho was the King of Tyre in Ezekiel 28?
Question: Who was the King of Tyre in Ezekiel chapter 28? Thank you for maintaining your site it has been most helpful to me. God bless. Answer: The king of Tyre at the time Ezekiel was written was Ithobaal III (sometimes spelled Ethbaal III) who reigned from 591–573 BC. His name connects him with the…
Read MoreOrigins of the Philistines
“Mizraim became the father of Ludim and Anamim and Lehabim and Naphtuhim and Pathrusim and Casluhim (from which came the Philistines) and Caphtorim” (Genesis 10:13-14). [Mizraim is the founder of ancient Egypt.] “Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?” declares the LORD. “Have I not brought up Israel from…
Read MoreHistorians Don’t Doubt Jesus’ Existence
Source: John Dickson, “Most Australians may doubt that Jesus existed, but historians don’t,” ABC Religion and Ethics, 23 December 2021. “When you apply the normal rules of history to Jesus of Nazareth, this figure is plainly a historical one not a mythical one. The early and diverse sources we have put his existence (and much…
Read MorePeople Paul Knew
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/People-Paul-Knew.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 16:1-15 I. Certain sections of the Bible are difficult to read, such as the genealogies with all the unfamiliar names A. The beginning of Romans 16 is similar, even though it is a list of personal greetings to people Paul knew in Rome B. Too often we skim right through…
Read MoreReligion that Lives in the Past
Author Unknown Sentry Magazine, December 2001 (Editor’s note: I would love to give credit to the author of this excellent piece but there was no name attached to the article. There may have been one on the envelope but when it was detached from the article it became impossible to give proper credit. I wish…
Read MoreWhat physical evidence is there that Solomon existed?
Question: Hello, I’d like to know if there’s any physical or scientific evidence of his existence. Thank you. Answer: Isn’t it amazing that people will cite historical documents and accept that someone like Julius Caesar or Sargon existed, but the Bible is skipped even though it is an ancient document? Now, if you are asking…
Read MoreWhat is successionist baptism?
Question: Hello brother, I had a question about John Smith. Can you please explain to me what successionist baptism is? I saw it in your “Where Do They All Come From” sermon, and I just didn’t understand very well what this baptism is about. Answer: Successionism is the belief that there has to be an…
Read MoreThe Bible in English
by Jefferson David Tant One of the great blessings we have is that we have the Bible, God’s Word, in the language of the common people — English. And we are thankful for those who provided this for us at a high cost. The story behind the translation is an interesting story. The very first…
Read MoreI can’t believe you waste time discussing imagination
Question: I cannot believe that you would waste so much time discussing total bonker imaginings. The fact that none of the persons who wrote about Jesus personally knew him seems to escape your grey cells. They lived three hundred years after he died!! You know nothing of what the leaders of the Sanhedrin said! How could you? You…
Read MoreWhen the Fullness of Time Had Come
by Wayne Chamberlain Sentry Magazine, December 2002 Throughout history, God has used natural events, nations, cultures, individuals, and even beasts to facilitate and accomplish the fulfillment of His will. Evidence is strongly indicative that God used some of these same components in preparation for the corning Messiah and the carrying of His message into all…
Read MoreWhat happened to the tribe of Levi during the captivity?
Question: When the northern kingdom went into Assyrian captivity, that left the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. What happened to the tribe of Levi? Did they go into captivity as well? Answer: The tribe of Levi’s inheritance was scattered among the other tribes. Thus, you would expect the Levites to be taken into captivity along…
Read MoreWhen was Jesus born?
Question: I have known Bible scholars to teach that Jesus was born in the Spring or maybe the month of April!? What say ye? Answer: The day of Jesus’ birth gives rise to endless speculations. Instead of picking a day based on some obscure philosophical argument, let’s list out the markers that we do know.…
Read MoreHomer Sometimes Nodded
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Homer-Sometimes-Nodded.mp3 Text: Numbers 23:18-19 I. Horace (65 – 8 B.C.), a Latin poet, wrote “Sometimes even the noble Homer nods” A. Homer was a blind Greek poet of the eight century B.C. Know for the Illiad and the Odyssey. B. As accomplished as Homer was, he sometimes erred with reference to the facts of the incidents that…
Read MoreDon’t Go Into Egypt
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Do-Not-Go-into-Egypt.mp3 Text: Jeremiah 42:1-6 I. Imagine living during the last days of Judah A. Josiah was a wonderful king – II Kings 23:25 B. But he was killed by the king of Egypt – II Kings 23:28-29 C. But Jehoahaz, the king who succeeded him, only lasted three months – II Kings 23:31-33 D. His brother replaces him as…
Read MoreWhy are David’s children mentioned before they were born in II Samuel?
Question: The account of David and Bathsheba’s affair was outlined in II Samuel 11. So how could II Samuel 5:18 list their second son, Solomon, way before the affair had taken place? Is the book out of sequence? Answer: II Samuel, like many books in the Bible, is a historical account. This does not mean…
Read MoreIs “drive them out” or “cast out” the same as “utterly destroy them”?
Question: Hello, When you read about the second generation (Israelites) possessing Canaan. In Exodus 23:27-31 and Deuteronomy 7:1, 16-23, the language used is “drive them out,” “cast out,” and “utterly destroy them” when speaking of the seven detestable nations who inhabited the land at the time. I question is: is “drive them out” or “cast…
Read MoreSummary of Daniel 11
compiled by Raymond Warfel The Last Vision The Conflict Between Persia and Greece (Daniel 11:1-4) vs 1 – Who strengthened whom? Verse 1 is a continuation of chapter 10, so it is referring to the angel who brings Daniel the message. vs 2 – Three more kings are to come in Persia, then a fourth…
Read MoreThe Lachish Reliefs and Sennacherib’s Annals
by David Wheeler Today we will discuss a rather large archaeological discovery. It is the Lachish Reliefs from the palace of Sennacherib which were unearthed between 1845 and 1847. Sennacherib was the king of Assyria from 705-681 BC and his reign largely overlapped the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. During this period, the kings…
Read MoreMary’s Testimony
by Matthew W. Bassford In Luke 1:1-4, Luke claims to be engaged in the practice of inspired history. He hasn’t accumulated his knowledge of Jesus via direct download from the Holy Spirit, nor is he an eyewitness to the events of the gospels. Instead, he has consulted those who were eyewitnesses and pieced their stories…
Read MoreJesus, the Bible, and History
by Edwin Crozier As Luke digs into the story of who Jesus is, he doesn’t say, “Long ago, in a land far, far away.” He doesn’t say, “Once upon a time.” He gets specific. It was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea. Herod was the…
Read MoreAre there any prophecies about Julius Caesar and Cleopatra in the Bible?
Question: Are there any prophecies about Julius Caesar and Cleopatra in the Bible? Answer: People claim to see Julius Caesar and Cleopatra in Daniel 11:17-19, “He will set his face to come with the power of his whole kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also…
Read MoreDid God divorce all of Israel or only the northern tribes?
Question: In Jeremiah 3:8, who did God divorce? Was it the House of Israel (ten northern tribes) only or all twelve tribes? Thank you. Answer: “Then the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every…
Read MoreWho is the bird of prey in Isaiah 46:11?
Question: Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:11) Can you tell me who the “bird of prey” and “the man who executes My counsel” here is?…
Read MoreHow could God allow the Gibeonites to kill seven of Saul’s sons?
Question: In II Samuel 21, it speaks of how David spared seven of Saul’s descendants for the Gibeonites to kill, and afterward, God answered prayers. That just doesn’t make sense. Did God justify that once upon a time? Answer: “Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year;…
Read MoreLocation
Location (1)Location (2) by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 119:153-160 I. The Bible doesn’t contain fillers. Every word exists in its text for a reason – I Corinthians 2:11-13 A. That doesn’t mean we are always aware of the reason but we should acknowledge that God does know His purpose B. The four gospels only mention 25…
Read MoreWhat prophet objected to anointing a wicked man as king but was told to do it anyway?
Question: Good day. Can you please give me the name of the prophet who cried to the Lord not to let him anoint a man king because he was a wicked man but the Lord instructed him to do it anyway. Please let me have the book, chapter and verse this relates to. Thank you,…
Read MoreDo historical facts make the Bible true?
Question: Brother, How would I handle the difference between the inspired text that makes claims and a comic book that someone can use to make claims? I was told this: “For instance, I can claim the existence of Spider-Man because he is from Queens, NY, and that is a real place with real historical figures…
Read MoreWhat proof is there that Jews returned with Nehemiah?
Question: I saw your web page Q&A regarding how many waves of people were taken to Babylon. You also list three return groups. Is there any scriptural support for any Jews returning with Nehemiah? Answer: The list of those who returned with Zerubbabel is found in Ezra 2:2-67. The total was 42,360 male Israelites plus…
Read MorePietism
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Pietism.mp3 by Jeff Hamilton Download Audio Text: II Corinthians 11:1-4 I. In the late 1300s lived a man named John Wycliffe in Oxford, England, where he taught in Balliol College. A. He was a theologian and a lay preacher, strongly advocating evangelism. B. This man found many things wrong with Roman Catholicism 1. The Bible was the supreme…
Read MoreThe Kurkh Monoliths – The Stele of Shalmaneser III (Part 2)
by David Wheeler Black Kurkh Monolith Previously, I reported on one of a set of steles known collectively as the Kurkh Monoliths. The one which was our subject was the stele of Shalmaneser III. Shalmaneser III was the ruler of the Assyrian Empire from 859-824 BC. The Kurkh Monolith recorded his advancement to the Syrian…
Read MoreThe Kurkh Monoliths – Stele of Shalmaneser III
by David Wheeler Via Evidence in Archaeology To see a Biblical figure referenced in a stone inscription is a beautiful thing. It testifies that the book which we revere and study from is a trustworthy historical document and based in reality. Sometimes the secular inscriptions can reveal details of the Biblical figure’s life that aren’t…
Read MoreDo you know of sources regarding “demon possession” in the Middle Ages?
Question: I have just read your web site and found it to be both informative and thought-provoking. Currently, I am doing a report for my psychology class on the middle ages and the churches and how they treated those that were afflicted with mental illness. I have taken the position that the Roman Catholic Church…
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