So many scriptures can be understood by simply reading what’s written in the verse. But at times we may need to look at Eastern customs in order to understand an expression. Let’s see an expression Jesus used in the Gospel of John about a disciple named Nathanael. John 1:48: Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest… Continue Reading
A number of verses in Genesis 18 and 19 will become clearer to our Western minds when we understand Eastern customs of hospitality. This article will help us gain a greater understanding of some of these verses, as well as others, by looking at them in light of the emphasis that is placed on hospitality… Continue Reading
The courtyard, or court, of homes and other buildings in the East could be laid out in several ways. We can find much information about the various types of courtyards in books on manners and customs. In Manners and Customs of the Bible, James M. Freeman explains that the court of an Eastern house is… Continue Reading
Manners and customs can help us understand the use of the palm branches in the Scripture, as well as the garments spread, or strawed, in the way. John 12:12 and 13: On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of… Continue Reading
How important is undershepherding? Without it, my understanding of God’s Word would not be where it is today. My sister began to undershepherd me in my teenage years, when I was convinced that I belonged to the one and only true religion. I had grown up going to church every Sunday, had taken religion classes… Continue Reading
In early Old Testament times, a place of great importance in a city was its city gates. The Mosaic law recognized the city gates as the place of justice—the place for judicial proceedings. Deuteronomy 16:18: Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy… Continue Reading
The making of pottery is one of the most important and necessary trades of the Bible lands. It is also one of the oldest. In Bible times the making of pottery was regarded as an inferior craft, but it met a universal need. Clay jars and pots were used for carrying water from the well… Continue Reading
The wedding ceremony of the East was much different than those of the West today. The Judeans were a people who enjoyed festivals and elaborate celebrations. So a wedding was a good time to have a celebration. In Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed, by Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille, we learn that in the Eastern culture… Continue Reading
In the Bible there are many references to the Eastern lamp and the significance of its light. The lamp in Bible times was a main source of light for the Easterner, and in the home it was kept burning continually. Understanding manners and customs regarding the Eastern lamp helps the Scriptures become clearer to us.… Continue Reading
In God’s Word we find illustrations referring to the olive tree, which would have communicated clearly to the believers in Bible times. Understanding some of the literal aspects of the olive tree of the East helps our Western minds grasp the meaning of the scriptures relating to the olive tree and its resources. The olive… Continue Reading
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