THE BAKER

ILLUSTRATED

GUIDE TO

EVERYDAY LIFE IN

BIBLE TIMES

JOHN A. BECK

a division of Baker Publishing Group

Grand Rapids, Michigan

© 2013 by John A. Beck

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Beck, John A., 1956–

The Baker illustrated guide to everyday life in Bible times / John A. Beck.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8010-1413-0 (cloth)

1. Bible—Dictionaries. 2. Palestine—Social life and customs—Dictionaries.

I. Baker Books (Firm) II. Title.

BS440.B27 2013

220.95—dc23

2012045919

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture marked NASB is taken from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture marked NLT is taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked TNIV is taken from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version®. TNIV®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

For my soul mate, Marmy. “She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.… She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.… She is clothed with strength and dignity.… Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all” (Prov. 31:10–11, 18, 25, 29).

And for Judah, our first grandchild, who joined the kingdom of God during the writing of this book, in partial fulfillment of God’s clear encouragement: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deut. 6:6–7).

CONTENTS

Preface

Anoint

Armor-Bearer

Arrow (to shoot)

Authority (to hold or to exercise)

Bake Bread

Belt (to wear or to tuck)

Birth

Blind

Borrow/Lend

Bow Down (to kneel)

Bread (to eat)

Bridegroom

Bury the Dead

Cast Metal

Circumcise

Clap Hands

Clean/Unclean

Concubine

Cross the Jordan River

Crown (to wear)

Crucify

Dance

Destroy (Hebrew, hrm)

Divination (to practice)

Divorce

Dream (to have or to interpret)

Drunk (to become)

Dry (to be or ...

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BIGELBT

About The Baker Illustrated Guide to Everyday Life in Bible Times

The authors of the Bible routinely mentioned manners and customs from the ancient world, fully intending that the Lord would change readers with these images. But modern readers often miss the full meaning of biblical imagery due to the distance in time and experience between the world of today and the world of the Bible. This fully illustrated guide aims to restore clarity and vitality to these portions of God’s Word in order to help readers grasp the full meaning of Scripture. For example, the entry on anointing defines the nature of this act and the connotations associated with it before illustrating how the biblical authors use the act of anointing in their communication with us. Understanding manners and customs like anointing enriches our experience of reading the Bible—and even helps us correctly interpret it.

This colorful guide succinctly introduces modern readers to daily life in Bible times. The Logos version integrates seamlessly into your personal digital library and allows you to access dictionaries and other reference resources with a click. Read your preferred Scripture translation alongside your illustrated guide for a more robust understanding of these fascinating ancient times.

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Table of Contents