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Perpetual Virginity of Mary
[Doctrine & Theology]The perpetual virginity of Mary is the teaching that Mary, the mother of Jesus, remained a virgin throughout her life, not only before but also after giving birth to Jesus. The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church profess it as doctrine, while Protestants generally do not accept it.
Seventy Weeks
[Bible]The seventy weeks are a period named in the prophecy that the angel Gabriel delivered to Daniel in Daniel 9:24-27. They are commonly understood as "seventy sevens," that is, 490 years. Interpreters differ widely over whether the passage should be read as a messianic prophecy, an eschatological prophecy, or a prediction of specific historical events.
Negev
[Bible]The Negev is an Old Testament place name for the arid region south of the hill country of Judah, extending around Beersheba and Arad. In Hebrew the word can also denote the compass direction "south."
Book of Jasher
[Bible]The Book of Jasher is an ancient Israelite record cited in the Old Testament. It is named in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18, and the original has not survived.
Shulamite Woman
[People]The Shulamite woman is the woman called "the Shulamite" in the Old Testament book of the Song of Songs. She is commonly understood to be the female speaker who exchanges songs of love with her beloved in the book.
Covenant of Salt
[Bible]The covenant of salt is an Old Testament expression that uses salt as an image of the eternal, unchanging nature of a covenant made with God. It appears in Numbers 18:19 and 2 Chronicles 13:5, and Leviticus 2:13 contains the related phrase "the salt of the covenant."
Macedonian Vision
[Bible]The Macedonian vision is the vision Paul saw at night in Troas during his second missionary journey. A man of Macedonia appealed to him, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us," and in response Paul and his companions crossed the sea to Philippi, where they preached the gospel (Acts 16:6–10).
Historical Jesus
[Doctrine & Theology]The historical Jesus is the portrait of Jesus of Nazareth, a first-century figure, as reconstructed through the methods of historical scholarship, as distinct from confessions of faith. The scholarly effort to recover this portrait is known as the "quest for the historical Jesus."
Pastoral Epistles
[Bible]The Pastoral Epistles is the collective name for three New Testament books: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus. They are presented as letters in which Paul instructs his coworkers Timothy and Titus on caring for and teaching the church.
Salt Sea
[Bible]The Salt Sea is the biblical name for the lake into which the Jordan River flows, known today as the Dead Sea. In the Old Testament it appears as a place name marking the eastern boundary of the land of Canaan.
Sheep Gate
[Bible]The Sheep Gate was a gate in the wall of Jerusalem mentioned in the Old Testament Book of Nehemiah and the New Testament Gospel of John. It is thought to have stood near the north side of the Temple, and in the Gospel of John it serves as a reference point for locating the Pool of Bethesda.
King's Highway
[Bible]The King's Highway is the road the Israelites under Moses named when they asked Edom and Sihon king of the Amorites for permission to pass through their lands. It is known as an ancient trade route running north and south across the plateau east of the Jordan River.
Gabbatha
[Bible]Gabbatha is the name of a place in Jerusalem mentioned in John 19:13. It refers to the "Pavement" where Pontius Pilate sat on the judgment seat and presented Jesus before the Jews.
Paraclete
[Doctrine & Theology]The Paraclete is a title used in the Gospel of John for the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send to his disciples after his departure. The term renders the Greek word parakletos.
Prohibition of Interest
[Bible]The prohibition of interest is an Old Testament legal provision that forbade charging interest when lending money or food to a poor neighbor. It appears in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy and reflects the law's concern for protecting the vulnerable.
Titulus Crucis
[Bible]The titulus crucis was the placard stating the charge against Jesus Christ, fastened above him on the cross at his crucifixion. All four Gospels record that it bore the words "the King of the Jews."
Lord's Day
[Bible]A New Testament expression that, in Revelation 1:10, refers to the day on which Christians gathered for worship and, in the Epistles, to the last day, when Christ will return to judge.
Circumcision Party
[Bible]The circumcision party is a New Testament expression for believers of Jewish origin who had been circumcised. It is used especially of those among them who required Gentile believers to be circumcised and to keep the Law of Moses.
Minor Prophets
[Bible]The Minor Prophets are the twelve prophetic books, Hosea through Malachi, that appear at the end of the Old Testament. The name refers to the books' brevity, not to any lesser importance.
High Priestly Prayer
[Bible]The High Priestly Prayer is the extended prayer of Jesus Christ recorded in John 17. Jesus offered it just before his Passion for himself, for his disciples, and for those who would later believe. It takes its name from the idea that he intercedes for his people as a high priest does.