The ancient historian Flavius Josephus identifies four rival religious philosophies among the Jews at the time of Jesus: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots.
Introductions
Introduction to the Northern Kingdom
After the death of King Solomon, two of his sons, Rehoboam and Jeroboam, fought for the throne. When Rehoboam harshly raised taxes on the people, the 10 northern tribes rebelled and installed Jeroboam as their king, creating the northern kingdom of Israel. The two southern tribes, Benjamin and Judah, remained with Rehoboam and became the kingdom of Judah.
Introduction to the Southern Kingdom
After the death of King Solomon, two of his sons, Rehoboam and Jeroboam, fought for the throne. When Rehoboam harshly raised taxes on the people, the 10 northern tribes rebelled and installed Jeroboam as their king, creating the northern kingdom of Israel. The two southern tribes, Benjamin and Judah, remained with Rehoboam and became the kingdom of Judah.
Introduction to Prophets
Introduction to the writings of the Old Testament Prophets
Introduction to the Exile and Return
Overview and timeline of the exile of Israel and her return from captivity.
Introduction to the New Testament
How the letters in the New Testament came to be there
Introduction to the Old Testament
Why study the Old Testament? It’s the Scriptures that Jesus used.
01 Introduction to the Gospel of Mark
Have you ever wondered why Jesus would ask a question, especially one he already knows the answer to? Divine questions are meant to be answered on a deeper level.
Introduction to the Pentateuch
The first five books of the Old Testament — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy — are collectively been known as the Pentateuch. The Jews usually call the Pentateuch the law or the Torah.
01 Introduction to 1 Peter: Meet the Author
An introduction to the letter of 1 Peter and a look at Peter’s calling from Luke 5.
