Where do the Arabs come from?

Question: Where do the Arabs come from? From which patriarch? Many people say Ishmael, but Ishmael had an Egyptian mother. Where in the Bible is the name Arab first used? Answer: In the answer to a prior question, “What happened to Ishmael’s descendants?” I gave a detailed list of the various Arab nations who descended…

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What is the history of the “Church of Christ?”

Question: What is the history of the “Church of Christ?” Answer: The true history of the church is found in the Book of Acts in your Bible. However, I assume from your question you are wondering about the history of the churches of Christ in the United States. A really good and detailed account is…

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Flaws in the “Iraq – Interesting” E-Mail

by Nathan Barton Once again, an e-mail “chain letter” is being circulated which is a hoax filled with misleading information that should not be spread by anyone. It is full of false teaching about the Bible and history, and generally very much wrong.  It won’t try to rip you off, or make you send all…

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Who made the discoveries regarding oceanic springs and innumerable stars?

Question: I found your information on Evidence very good pertaining to scientific evidence in proof of the Bible. I do have a few questions, although, on which I hope you can enlighten me. Q1 “Ocean Springs” – Job 38:16 – Discovery 1930-1945. Who made this discovery? Was it an expedition? Which expedition? When was it Is there a discover’s…

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Proof that Israel wasn’t afflicted for 400 years?

Question: I have been studying about the duration of the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt, and I have found that most of them say there could be generation skip, such as “How Long Was the Egyptian Bondage?”. The problem is Bible scholars don’t take into account certain verses which are very important to this study. We…

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Crossing the Sea

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The Junior High class had an excellent question the other day: Just where did the Israelites cross over from Egypt to the Sinai Peninsula? If you look at the maps in the back of most of our Bibles you will find multiple routes shown. None of the routes actually cross the…

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Paul’s Imprisonment

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 2:17-30   I.         We all have a tendency to make assumptions about what does not appear             A.        Those assumptions help us to organize what we do know             B.        We do this whether we are trying to determine why someone walked by without saying “Hi!” or when we read the Bible.             C.        Yet, at…

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Where is Edom today?

Question: What is Edom’s name today? Answer: The country of Edom was founded by Jacob’s brother Esau. He picked up the nickname “Edom” or “Red” when he sold half of his massive inheritance for a simple bowl of red bean stew. Edom was located in the region to the southeast of Israel. Mount Seir was…

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How did the twelve apostles die?

Question: How did each of the 12 original apostles die, and where are the records of their deaths found in the Bible? Answer: The New Testament, for the most part, was written by the apostles or those close to them. As such you would expect the records to end before the authors died, and such…

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Did Onesimus later become an elder?

Question: I heard a preacher say one time that Onesimus ended up becoming an elder of the church.  Is that not speculation and conjecture? Answer: Ignatius, a Christian who wrote at the beginning of the second century, to the church in Ephesus said, “Seeing, then, that we have become acquainted with your multitude in the…

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Was Rome a safe haven for runaway slaves?

Question: Was Rome at one time a safe haven for runaway slaves? Answer: Roman law in regard to slaves was quite severe. A Roman master could treat his slave as he pleased — sell him, beat him, or put him to death. However, morality and practical matters caused most masters to restrain their hands. After…

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Who were the judges and kings of Israel?

Question: What were the names of the kings of Israel? How many judges were there that ruled over Israel? Answer: The judges of Israel were: Othniel Ehud Shamgar Deborah Gideon Abimelech (Not a true judge. He was merely a corrupt ruler during the period of the Judges. Judges 9:22) Tola Jair Jephthah Ibzan Elon Abdon Samson…

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Who were Lot’s descendants?

Question: Who were Lot’s descendants? Answer: Lot lost most of his family during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. “And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside…

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What musical instruments were used in ancient Greece?

Question: What musical instruments were used in ancient Greek times? Answer: The Greeks had a variety of instruments, such as the flute, the lyre, the harp, drums, cymbals, and castanets. There were also several horns (wind instruments). A detailed list can be found at: The Musical Instruments of Ancient Greeks Ancient Greek Music. It was…

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Pre-Campbell Christianity

by Ken Chumbley via Gospel Gazette, Vol. 2, No. 8, p. 18, August 2000 The following is an excerpt from an article by Carroll Sites that has been found in a number of bulletins over the last few years: Many people identify churches of Christ as owing their roots to Alexander Campbell in 1813. This is…

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What happened to Ishmael’s descendants?

Question: What happened to Ishmael’s descendants? Answer: God promised Abraham, “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation” (Genesis 17:20). Ishmael’s initial descendants are recorded for us…

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How many monuments were raised in Joshua 4?

Question: I’m a bit confused. How many monuments were raised in Joshua 4? I thought there were two, but my husband says there was only one. Answer: Perhaps outlining the events in chapter 4 will make things clearer: The people of Israel finished crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:1) Joshua picked twelve men, one from each…

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You only worship on Sunday because Constantine changed the day of worship

Question: It seems to me that you would find any mention of the first day of the week and anything that happened on that day is used to support the idea of worshiping on Sunday. Mainstream Christianity worships on Sunday only because the Roman Catholic Church and Emperor Constantine changed the day of worship to…

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How Long Was the Egyptian Bondage?

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton   Occasionally someone will insist that the Bible is not inspired by God and to prove their point they will state there are contradictions in the Bible. One of these apparent contradictions involves the duration of the Israelites’ bondage in Egypt. There are five verses which state the length of this…

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It Can Change So Fast

by Matthew Allen The wealth and materialistic excess of God’s people eight centuries before Jesus were almost unparalleled. The level of prosperity almost certainly equaled that of the days of David and Solomon. Amos gives us a vivid detail of life during the reigns of Jeroboam II of Israel and Uzziah of Judah, shedding light…

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Where in the Bible did a Jewish woman become queen?

Question: What chapter in the Bible did a Jewish woman become queen? Answer: Actually, Jewish queens are mentioned in several places. Athaliah made herself queen of Judah after her son’s death by killing all her grandsons (though she ended up missing one). See II Kings 8:26; II Kings 11:1-16; II Chronicles 22:10-23:21. The book of Esther is about…

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What did King David do as king?

Question: What did King David do as king? Answer: I don’t know if you are asking for a summary of David’s accomplishments or what the duties of a king were in David’s time. Below is a quick overview: The Accomplishments of King David David successfully defeated the enemies of Israel, thus creating the ability for…

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When did Saul reign in Israel?

Question: When did Saul rule Israel? How long was his reign? Answer: While the information given in the Bible has been repeatedly proven accurate, dates have been a particular challenge because earlier cultures did not use fixed calendars as we do. Instead, time was measured based as elapsed from certain major events or significant person.…

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Babylon Clay Tablet Confirms Jeremiah

by Ben M. Shropshire via Lifeline, 7/15/00 The recent discovery of a cuneiform clay tablet by an Austrian scholar at the site of ancient Babylon confirms the historical accuracy of the book of Jeremiah. The recently deciphered tablet, which dates from 595 BC, refers to an official in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,…

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Why did Jesus start Catholicism?

Question: Why did Jesus start Catholicism? Answer: The simple answer is that Jesus did not start Catholicism. Catholicism is a system of religion that gradually developed from the church started by Jesus, but Catholicism has long ago stopped resembling the original church. Jesus stated, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and…

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When did women stop covering their heads during worship?

Question: I am not very old; therefore, all I know about the veil thing is from my mother and from westerns; but otherwise, I do not know when about the whole change occurred. I know that you are probably really busy but I was having trouble finding something. I was figuring since you have more…

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What do you think about the Azusa Street Revival?

Question: What do you think of the Azusa Street revival with William J. Seymour? Answer: The events at the Azusa Street revival in 1906 is frequently cited as the beginning of the Pentecostal movement. Numerous charismatic denominations refer to this revival as the beginning of their particular beliefs. Four denominations which were founded in the…

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Images of Head Covering During Worship

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton A frequent claim is that I Corinthians 11:1-16 only deals with the local customs of the people in the area of Corinth. The wearing of a head covering, we are told, was a common practice in those days and in that region. Hence, Paul was merely telling women not to go against social…

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