When the Israelites reached the Red Sea, they were trapped. Pharoah’s army was right behind them, the Red Sea was in front of them, and they had nowhere to go. God told Moses to stretch out his hand, and the waters of the Red Sea parted. The people crossed on dry ground with walls of … Read more
Genesis 21, 26 After Hagar and Ishmael are sent away, Abraham’s servants dig a well (claim an area of land). Abimelech’s people claim it, and what starts as a simple dispute turns into an all-out confrontation. In the end, a covenant is made. Abraham sets apart seven lambs as a witness, and Abimelech recognizes the … Read more
Exodus 2 Moses arrives in Midian on the run from Pharoah…and sits down at a well. Jethro’s daughters come to draw water, but shepherds push them aside. Moses steps in, drives them off, and helps water the flock. That choice to defend the women changes the trajectory of Moses fortune. The daughters return home early, … Read more
Herod Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I and the great-grandson of Herod the Great. Unlike his father, he never ruled the full kingdom of his grandfather, but instead governed smaller territories in the northern regions under Roman authority. He ruled as a King as his father had, though over smaller territories than … Read more
Herod Agrippa was a grandson of Herod the Great and the son of Aristobulus IV. Unlike the earlier division of his grandfather’s kingdom among several sons, Agrippa eventually ruled over nearly the entire territory that Herod the Great had once controlled. Agrippa first received territory in 37 AD, when the Roman emperor Caligula granted him … Read more
Herod Philip, often called Philip the Tetrarch, was another son of Herod the Great. When his father’s kingdom was divided in 4 BC, Philip was given control of territories northeast of the Sea of Galilee, including Iturea and Trachonitis. He ruled at the same time as his brothers Archelaus and Antipas, each governing a portion … Read more
Herod Antipas was another of the many sons of Herod the Great. When his father’s kingdom was divided after his death, Antipas was given control of Galilee to the north and Perea to the east of Judea. Like his brothers Archelaus and Philip, Antipas ruled simultaneously over his portion of the divided kingdom under Roman … Read more
Herod Archelaus was one of the very many whole-lotta sons of Herod the Great. When his father died in 4BC, the kingdom was divided among several of his sons, who ruled their territories simultaneously. Archelaus was given control of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. Unlike his father, Archelaus did not hold the title of “King” but … Read more
Herod the Great ruled Judea from about 37 BC to 4 BC under Roman authority. Though remembered in the New Testament for ordering the Massacre of the Innocents after the birth of Jesus (Matthew 2) he was also known for massive building projects. Most famously, he greatly expanded the Second Temple in Jerusalem, turning it … Read more
What do you do when everyone around you is nodding along with something you know good and well is not true? Speaking up will make the whole room turn on you. Do you have the courage to speak up? Stephen stood before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem accused of blasphemy, surrounded by leaders who had already … Read more