There are five primary sources for the study of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the Temple of Herod. They are:
The Bible
The Books of Maccabees
Josephus*
The Dead Sea Scrolls
The Mishna***War book 5, chapter 5; Antiquities book 15 chapter 11
**tractates Middot, Tamid, Yoma, Shekalim
These five sources along with archaeological discoveries provide us with sufficient information about the Temple of Herod during the time of Jesus.
Source:
Yes, archaeological discoveries have provided evidence that supports the existence of King David, a significant figure in biblical history. While there are no direct inscriptions or artifacts that mention King David by name, several discoveries have ...
The etymology of the name Jerusalem is not certain; it is apparently of Semitic origin. An Egyptian notice from the third quarter of the nineteenth century B.C. mentions Urusalimum. The Assyrians called it Ursalimmu. Modern scholars take these names ...
The Platform for the Temple compound built by Herod the Great was a monumental feat, considering the steepness of the surrounding terrain. According to scholars the flat platform measured 1041 feet on the north side, 1556 feet on the east side, 929 f...
The Pilate Inscription is an inscribed relief with a dedicatory inscription to Tiberius Caesar bearing the name Pontius Pilate. It was discovered among the ruins of ancient Caesarea Maritima. It is the only known occurrence of the name Pontius Pilate...
Babylon is Akkadian “babilani” which means “the Gate of God(s)” and it became the capital of the land of Babylonia. The etymology of the name Babel in the Bible means “confused” (Gen 11:9) and throughout the Bible, Babylon was a symbol of...
Yes, the Bible mentions the Mediterranean Sea on multiple occasions, as it played a significant role in the geographical and cultural context of the biblical world. Here are a few references: In Exodus 23:31, God promises to give the Israelites the l...
Augustus, the first emperor of Rome had in his empire 25 legions of approximately 6,000 soldiers each. A legion was formed of 10 Cohorts (540 men in each Cohort). Each Cohort was subdivided into 6 Centuries (90 men formed a Century), and each legion ...
Education and the role of philosophers held significant importance in the ancient Greek and Roman societies. In ancient Greece, education was highly valued, and it aimed to develop well-rounded individuals. Greek philosophers, such as Socrates, Plato...
The Passover Papyrus is a letter from among the elephantine papyri that dates back to the time of Darius II, in 419 BC. In 1907 archaeologists discovered in Aswan papyrus fragments of a letter that bears the royal authority of the Persian Empire (not...
The ancient Persian Empire, known for its grandeur and administrative prowess, stands as a testament to the organizational genius of its rulers. From the Achaemenid to the Sassanian dynasties, the Persians created and administered a vast empire that ...
The Arch of Titus is one of Rome’s most famous monuments. It was built to commemorate the victories of Titus and Vespasian in the war against the Jews and their complete destruction in 70 AD. One wall relief inside the arch shows the spoils of the...
The name of Jesus, in its original language, was written in Hebrew as יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshua) or יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshua). In the New Testament, the name appears in Greek as Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous). The specific form used in the Bible depen...
During the time of Augustus the boundaries of the Roman empire were the Atlantic on the west, the Euphrates on the east, the deserts of Africa, the cataracts of the Nile and the Arabian deserts on the south, the British Channel, the Rhine, the Danube...
In ancient Roman religion, Jupiter was the chief of the gods. The name “Jupiter” means “the best and greatest” (Optimus Maximus). He was identified with the Greek god Zeus. Jupiter was the spirit of the sky and worshiped as the god of thunder...
The Hostile Plough was used by the Romans to utterly destroy a city by burying and removing it. When the Romans were brought to wrath it was customary to drive a plough over the walls of a conquered city to signify that the ground on which it stood s...
Pompey was a military genius and his soldiers recognized this and referred to him as “Magnus” which means the great, thus the name Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Source: Pompey the Great...
In the Bible, the crown of thorns is mentioned in the account of Jesus' crucifixion. Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, and John 19:2 describe how the Roman soldiers twisted thorns into a crown and placed it on Jesus' head as a form of mockery and humiliatio...
Bethany was a small village a couple miles east of Jerusalem. It is located on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives on the road to Jericho. It was a lush green area with plenty of Olive trees. Many travelers would come to rest at Bethany if the ci...
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