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Yeshua in Context >> Herodians

Keeping Your Herods Straight

You see the name Herod and you panic, "Is this Herod the Great? Archelaus? Antipas? Agrippa? Agrippa II?" Or maybe you don't. But you should. How do you know which Herod is Herod in the verse you are reading? Here's a simple guide . . . ... Read entire article >>

Filed under: Background to Gospels , Herodians

Galilean vs. Judean in Matthew 22

The following notes are based on a combination of observation about Matthew 22 and reading Richard Horsley's Archaeology, History, and Society in Galilee. The potential correlations are my own hypothesizing and do not come from Horsley's material. Richard Horsley makes the case that too little attention has been given in historical Jesus research to the latest information and guesses about religious and political differences between Galilee and Judea. Suddenly statements such as in the fourth gospel about the "Passover of the Jews" begin to make more sense (Passover at the Temple run by the Judeans and based on Judean interpretations of the Torah and the obligations of Israel). What follows is a summary of some main points from Horsley's book (restated in my own words and greatly simplified) and a comparison with ... Read entire article >>

Filed under: Background to Gospels , Galilee , Geography , Herodians , Judea , Pharisees , Sadducees