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Sign
[Bible]A sign is a token that God displays to reveal His will and power, or the authority of one He has sent. The Gospel of John calls the miracles of Jesus "signs" and records them as evidence intended to lead people to faith.
Neo-Babylonian Empire
[History]The Neo-Babylonian Empire was a Mesopotamian state founded by Nabopolassar in 626 BC and conquered by Cyrus of Persia in 539 BC. In the Bible it appears as "Babylon," the power that destroyed Judah and carried its people into captivity.
Taxes
[Bible]Taxes are money or goods collected from the people by a state or by the temple. Scripture mentions taxes under Egypt, the Israelite monarchy, Persia, and Rome, as well as the temple tax. The subject is best known through the saying "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's."
Valley of Salt
[Bible]The Valley of Salt was a valley in the south of Judah, on the border with Edom. In the Bible it appears as the battlefield where Israel won major victories over Edom in the time of David and in the reign of Amaziah king of Judah.
Sackcloth
[Bible]Sackcloth is a coarse fabric, or a garment made from it, that people in the Bible wrapped around their bodies or wore to express grief, repentance, and humility. It frequently appears together with putting ashes on the head and fasting.
Mercy
[Bible]Mercy is the disposition and action of taking pity on the suffering of others, treating them generously, and helping them. Scripture confesses mercy as part of God's character and calls believers to share the same disposition.
Mustard Seed
[Bible]The mustard seed is the seed of the mustard plant. In the Gospels, Jesus uses it as the classic example of something very small when teaching about the growth of the kingdom of God and about faith.
Capernaum
[Bible]Capernaum was a town on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee that Jesus made the center of his ministry in Galilee. The Gospels call it "his own city," and many of his teachings and healings took place there.
Essenes
[Bible]The Essenes were a Jewish sect active around the time of Jesus, known for their communal life and strict purity regulations. They are not named in the Bible and are known from extra-biblical sources such as Josephus and Philo.
Demon
[Bible]In the Bible, demons are evil spiritual beings that oppose God, torment people, and work behind idolatry and false teaching. They appear especially often in the New Testament Gospels.
Valley of Jehoshaphat
[Bible]The Valley of Jehoshaphat is the valley named in Joel 3 as the place where God gathers all nations for judgment. The name means "the LORD judges." Tradition has long identified it with the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem.
Ramah
[Bible]Ramah is a Hebrew place name meaning "high place." In the Bible it most often refers to a town in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, north of Jerusalem. It became widely known through Matthew 2:18, which quotes the "voice ... heard in Ramah" of Jeremiah 31:15.
Cherethites and Pelethites
[Bible]The Cherethites and Pelethites were the king's personal troops during the reign of King David, commanded by Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. They are commonly understood to have been a bodyguard made up of foreign mercenaries.
Nard
[Bible]Nard is a precious aromatic ointment made from the roots of a plant that grows in the Himalayan region. In the Bible it appears in the Song of Solomon and the Gospels. It is best known as the "pure nard" (KJV "spikenard") that a woman poured on Jesus.
Beth-horon
[Bible]Beth-horon was a town on the route descending from the hill country northwest of Jerusalem to the plain to the west. It consisted of two sites, Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, and is best known as the place where Joshua defeated the allied Canaanite forces.
Malachi 3
[Bible]Malachi 3 speaks of the messenger who will prepare the way, the messenger of the covenant who will come to the temple, and his purifying judgment. It also calls the people to bring their tithes and offerings and describes the book of remembrance written for those who fear the LORD.
Bible Translations
[Bible]A Bible translation renders the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of Scripture into another language. Translations differ in how closely they follow the wording of the original or render its meaning in natural modern language. Korean churches use several Korean translations, including the New Korean Revised Version, the New Korean Standard Version, the Common Translation, and the Easy Bible.
Rome
[Bible]Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire in the New Testament era and appears in Acts, Romans, and other books. Paul wrote a letter to the believers there and later went to the city as a prisoner, where he preached the gospel.
Cubit
[Bible]The cubit is an ancient unit of length based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. In the Bible it gives the dimensions of Noah's ark, the tabernacle, the temple, and other objects. It is generally estimated at roughly 45 cm.
Wilderness of Paran
[Bible]The Wilderness of Paran is a wilderness generally identified with the northeastern Sinai Peninsula. Scripture presents it as the place where Ishmael grew up and where Israel, after the Exodus, encamped and sent spies into Canaan.