1. street - shalom - peach and all blessings and they kissed one another. Forbidden to mix with the gentiles, they play their own games.
2. fountain - water was drawn from the local well. it was the meeting place for the exchange of the latest news of gossip.
3. & 4 children - used the streets as their playground. They play hide and seek, and leap frog while others enjoyed a wedding procession. still others were sullen and remained with folded arms. Jesus took up this scene to give the people a lesson.
5. carpenter's workshop - a carpenters shed in the courtyard was common to many houses. usual work of the carpenter was the making and repairing of everyday articles and tools such as tables, lampstands, ploughs and yokes.
6. house -a typical house was made of stone held together by mud and straw because lumber was scarce. the roof was flat and could be reached by means of outside steps. used for occasional dining, visiting, drying clothes and quiet prayer. usually had 2 rooms. first kitchen and dining.
jews eat only twice a day with bread made of barley or wheat as staple food. they sat cross legged on the floor around a low table. chairs are used only by wealthy.
7. school - children learned the scriptures from the local rabbi.
8. synagogue -main building of the village. meeting house where people went every Sabbath to pray and to listen to the Word
*opening prayers
*reading from the Law
*a lesson from one of the Prophets according to the reader's choice
*sermon or instruction
*blessing from numbers 6:24-26 whenever a priest was present
shema-basic creed of judaism and the eighteen blessings, the imperative if the Hebrew word to hear and it is called from the first word in the sentence: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord of God is one Lord."
Mezuzah-small box containing shema
phylaxteries-small leather boxes containing the shema
9.pilgrimage - the Jews Observed 3 major religious feast annually. these were the Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of the Tabernacles.
The word "Palestine" was derived from the people called Philistines. During the Old Testament times they were settled on the coastal plain of Canaan; the region they occupied was called "Philistia" or the land of the Philistines. and it was not till the Roman period that a term derived from the word was used to designate the whole land which we now call Palestine.
Geography:
Palestine - the land promised by God to His Chosen People, is the heart of the ancient Orient where most of the great events in the Bible took place. It is no more than 156 miles in length, if measured by the classle dimension from Dan to Beersheba. If measured in straight east-west lines, the width is only 20 miles at Dan and 70 miles at Beersheba.
The land is divided throughout its length by the Jordan Valley where Jesus was baptized.
Jewish Provinces:
a. Judea - in this village that Jesus was born and where He died. in the Gospel some of its principal towns mentioned are Jerusalem (capital), Bethlehem (Jesus' birthplace), Emmaus, Arimathea, Jericho and Bethany. South of Judea and the region around the Dead Sea were desert the place where Jesus fasted and was tempted.
Most of the inhabitants were exiles from the Babylonian captivity. They are called Jews and their land Judea.
b. Galilee - in this province where Jesus grew up and began his mission. Galilee was literally surrounded by Gentiles in all directions. some places in the Galilee mentions in the gospels are Nazareth (Jesus hometown) Cana, Capernaum, Magdala and Tiberias, the capital. more prosperous and populated than Judea because of its greater fertility.
c. Perea - this province was a large plateau east of Jordan and bigger than Galilee but was much less populated. in the gospels it is known as "beyond Jordan"
Non-Jewish Provinces:
a. Samaria - the province between Judea and Galilee. its inhabitants were descendants of mixed marriages from the foreigners imported to the North after its fall and the remaining Israelites of the kingdom. religion based on the pentateuch alone. they celebrated their Pasch in their shrine on Mt. Gerizim near sychar. capital also called Samaria.
b. Decapolis - this province arose from a league of ten cities after the Roman conquest of Palestine in 63 B. C
c. Phoenicia - this land - canaan - its semitic name - was part of the Roman province of Syria. Famous shipbuilders and carpenters. Tyre and Sidon were their most splendid harbors.
d. Philip's Tetrarchy - Gaulanitis, Iturea and Trachonitis. Cities mentioned in the gospels are Bethsaida(hometown of Peter) and Caesarea Philippi,
e. Idumea - this province located south of Judea was called after Edomites, the descendants of Esau.
B. Religion and People
one God they worshipped Yahweh.
Seasons
1. winter: January to March (Mt 24:20)
2. summer: April to September (Jn 4:35)
3. rainy: October to December (Mt 16:21)
Time
Length of day: sunset to so sunset (24 hours)
Night time known as "watches" the Jews divided into three. The Greeks and Romans divided it into four:
1st watch or "evening" -6:00-9:00 Pm
2nd watch or "midnight" - 9:00-12:00PM
3rd watch or "cockcrow" - 12:00-3:00am
4th watch or "dawn" - 3:00-6:00am
The temple
1. porch of solomon - Jesus teaching in the temple might have taken place here.
2. court of the gentiles - all non jews were allowed to enter and worship. Jesus drove out those who bought and sold in the temple.
3. court of women - the inner court where women were allowed but not beyond it.
4. court of israel - the court exclusively for men.
5. court of the priest - for the priest
6. The Holy Place - the part of the sanctuary containing
a. the altar on which incense was burned.
b. the table with the shewbread(12 loaves of bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel)
c. the seven-branced candlestick this was the place where Zachary had a vision.
7. The Holy of Hollies - the most sacret part of the sanctuary
Religious Groups
1. The Sadducees
2. Pharisees
3. The Scribes - teachers of the law
4. The Essenes
Other Groups
1. The Zealots
2. The Herodians
3. The Poor
4. The Outcast
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