Transcription
samplerIncluding the complete books of Genesis and Matthew
the holy bibleyour word is a lamp for my feet,a light on my path.— PSALM 119:105 —presented to:by:on:
NIVC U LT U R A LBACKGROUNDSStudy Bible
new international versionBringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture
NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study BibleCopyright 2016 by ZondervanAll rights reservedThe Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by Permission. All rights reserved worldwide.Published by ZondervanGrand Rapids, Michigan, USAwww.zondervan.com“New International Version” and “NIV” are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Used by permission.The NIV Concordance copyright 1982, 1984, 2011 by Zondervan; The NIV Center-Column Cross-Reference System, copyright 1984 by Zondervan; Maps by International Mapping. Copyright 2009 by Zondervan. All rights reserved.Library of Congress Catalog Card NumberThe NIV text may be quoted in any form (written, visual, electronic or audio), up to and inclusive of five hundred (500)verses without the express written permission of the publisher, providing the verses quoted do not amount to a completebook of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total text of the work inwhich they are quoted.Notice of copyright must appear on the title or copyright page as follows:Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV .Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office byBiblica, Inc. When quotations from the NIV text are used by a local church in non-saleable media such as church bulletins, orders ofservice, posters, overhead transparencies, or similar materials, a complete copyright notice is not required, but the initials(NIV ) must appear at the end of each quotation.Any commentary or other biblical reference work produced for commercial sale, that uses the NIV text must obtain writtenpermission for use of the NIV text.Permission requests for commercial use within the USA and Canada that exceeds the above guidelines must be directed toand approved in writing by Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, USA. www.Zondervan.comPermission requests for commercial use within the UK, EU and EFTA that exceeds the above guidelines must be directedto and approved in writing by Hodder & Stoughton Limited, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH, United Kingdom. www.Hodder.co.ukPermission requests for non-commercial use that exceeds the above guidelines must be directed to and approved in writingby Biblica US, Inc., 1820 Jet Stream Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921, USA. www.Biblica.comAny Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this Bible are offered as a resource. They are notintended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sitesand numbers for the life of the Bible.All rights reserved.Printed in China N12071216 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 /XXX/ 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1A portion of the purchase price of your NIV Bible is provided to Biblica so together we support the mission of Transforminglives through God’s Word.Biblica provides God’s Word to people through translation, publishing and Bible engagement in Africa,Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblicaengages people with God’s Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with JesusChrist.
Quick Start Guideto the NIV CulturalBackgrounds Study Bible“Even though the Bible was written for us, it wasn’t written to us. When wetake our Western, modern culture and impose it on the text, we’re putting inmeaning that wasn’t there, and we’re missing the meaning that the text has.”— Dr. John H. Walton“Sometimes people get frustrated with the Bible because the difficult figuresof speech and the images and the customs they read about seem foreign tothem. But when we explain those, then we open up the text of the Bible in afresh, new way to understand what the text of the Bible is really addressing.Ultimately, everything in the Bible was written in particular times and cultures.So even though everything in it is for all time, not everything in it is for all circumstances. The better we understand the circumstances a passage originallyaddressed, the more confidently we can reapply its message to appropriatecircumstances today.” — Dr. Craig S. KeenerWelcome to the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. You have in your hands a comprehensive,multiuse tool that has been designed specifically to enhance your understanding of and appreciation for the cultural backgrounds that form the footings on which the foundation of God’s Wordis built.About the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study BibleThis study Bible has been purpose-built to do one thing: to increase your understanding of thecultural nuances behind the text of God’s Word so that your study experience, and your knowledge of the ideas behind the ideas in the text, is enriched and expanded.This study Bible contains the full text of the New International Version of the Bible along witha library of study features designed to help you more completely grasp what the text is saying.These notes introduce and explain a wide variety of information on the Biblical text, providingdeeper insights for individuals who are ready to devote themselves to serious study of the text.What Help Do These Study Features Offer?Each of the features in the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible has been developed with thegoal of allowing readers to immerse themselves in the culture, the literature, the geography, andthe everyday life of the people to whom the Bible was originally written. Book Introductions answer questions about who wrote the books of the Bible, to whom, andwhen, as well as informing readers about the larger cultural and political context in whicha book was written. In the Old Testament, dates of writing and specific authorship for eachbook are less clear than in the New Testament, where such information is marginally lesscontroversial, although still debated. That’s why the Old Testament introductions include“Key Concepts” and the New Testament Introductions include “Quick Glance” informationto help readers orient themselves. The New Testament includes a reference feature entitled “Key New Testament Terms” thatis designed to help clarify and further define the cultural contexts behind these terms. It’sincluded as a background feature to define and explain terms that often repeat in the NewTestament notes.
viii Quick Start Guide The NIV Center-column Cross Reference system aids in deeper study of the Bible’s themes,language and concepts by leading readers to related passages on the same or similar themes. Over 10,000 study notes have been placed close to the text that they amplify and explain.These have been designed to provide the reader with a deep and rich understanding of thenuances that the original readers and hearers of the Bible would have intuitively understood.They focus on the land, the literature, and the political and cultural contexts that the Bible’sauthors lived in, and emphasize how the people of Israel were both influenced by, as wellas how they were called to be different from, their surrounding culture. Full-color in-text maps, charts and diagrams, along with some 320 essays, summarize andexplain important background information and ideas from Scripture. Front and end matter features include author information, an author’s introduction withhelpful questions and answers about this Bible, more information on the NIV translationitself (in the NIV Preface), and many other helpful study tools. The NIV Concordance is a tool designed to help readers who remember a key word or phrasein a passage to locate the verses they are looking for. Words and names are listed alphabetically, along with their more significant verse references. Color maps at the end of this study Bible complement the color maps in the interior of theBible to help readers to visualize the geographic context of what they are studying.Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with these features as you begin your study.We’re confident that as you expand your understanding of the social, economic, literary, andpolitical culture in which the Bible was written over the course of many centuries, that your understanding of and love for God’s Word will increase all the more.
Table of ContentsAuthor Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiiAcknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviAbout the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviiAbbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xixPreface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxAncient Texts Relating to the Old Testament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xxivOld Testament Chronology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxviiOld TestamentJeremiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lamentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ezekiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hosea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Amos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Obadiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jonah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Micah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nahum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Habakkuk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Zephaniah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Haggai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Zechariah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Malachi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5421548155215701 Corinthians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1980 1 Peter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Gospels & Acts:2 Corinthians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2019 2 Peter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Accounts of Jesus andthe Early Church . . . . . . . . . . . 1597 Galatians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2042 1 John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matthew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1604 Ephesians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2056 2 John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1681 Philippians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2071 3 John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Luke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1736 Colossians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2080 Jude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1802 1 Thessalonians . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2091 Revelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Acts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1865 2 Thessalonians . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21001 Timothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2105The Letters &2 Timothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2117Titus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2125Revelation:Messages for the GrowingPhilemon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2132Global Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1943 Hebrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2138Romans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1945 James . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2164Table of Weights and Measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2273Index of Articles in Canonical Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2275Index of Articles in Alphabetical Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2281Concordance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2287Index to Maps at End of Study Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .00002177218821972206220822122216The Torah:God Establishes His Covenant . . 1Genesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Exodus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Leviticus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231Deuteronomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291Narrative Literature:2 Chronicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717Ezra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 762Nehemiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 778Esther . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 799Wisdom and HymnicLiterature:God’s Wisdom and Kingship . . . 815Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 817Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877Proverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1022Ecclesiastes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1073Song of Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1088God Working throughEvents and Outcomes . . . . . . . . . 357Joshua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359Judges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402Ruth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4481 Samuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 Oracles of the2 Samuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512 Prophets:1 Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556 God’s Plan Announced2 Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617 through the Prophets . . . . . . 11011 Chronicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 676 Isaiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1103The Time Between the Testaments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1577Key New Testament Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1584New Testament Chronology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1593New Testament
x Table of ContentsChartsAncient Texts Related to theOld Testament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxivOld Testament Chronology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxviiMajor Covenants in the Old Testament . . . . . . . . . . 23Major Types of Royal Covenantsin the Ancient Near East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Eras of Mesopotamian History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Eras of Egyptian History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Integrated Chronology of the Patriarchs . . . . . . . . . 37The Tribes of Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Egyptian Kings of the New Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . 107Hebrew Calendar and Selected Events . . . . . . . . . 130The Red Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132The Tabernacle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158Tabernacle Furnishings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160Old Testament Sacrifices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188Zones of Purity in the Camp of Israel . . . . . . . . . . . 202Sanctioned Relationships in theAncient Near East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210Weights and Measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214Penalties for Sexual Offenses in Biblicaland Mesopotamian Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216Old Testament Festivals and OtherSacred Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222Encampment of the Tribes of Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236Canaan’s Borders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289Treaty Formats and Biblical Covenants . . . . . . . . . 303Major Social Concerns in the Covenant . . . . . . . . . 329Ancient Near Eastern Treaties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342The Pattern of Chronological Noticesin Judges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411David’s Family Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487Temple Furnishings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571Chronology of Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 620Chronology: Ezra-Nehemiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765The Achaemenid Dynasty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 802Mesopotamian Literature Comparedwith Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 822The Wise Son According to Proverbs . . . . . . . . . . . 1029Character Traits in Proverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1051Ancient Near Eastern Monarchs:750 – 530 BC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1107Judean Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1121Israelite Kings, Judean Kings,Assyrian Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1127Egyptian Relationships Under Hezekiah . . . . . . . 1167Quotations from and References toIsaiah 53 in the New Testament . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1203Chronology of Jeremiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1223Ezekiel’s Temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1399Boundaries of the Land in Ezekiel’s Vision . . . . . 1410The Last Kings of Judah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1419The Neo-Bab ylonian Kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1419Dreams and Dream Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1437Ptolemies and Seleucids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1446Proposed Dates for the Book of Micah . . . . . . . . . 1517From Malachi to Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1583Foreign Domination of Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1578The Maccabean-Hasmonean Period . . . . . . . . . . . 1580New Testament Chronology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1593Jewish Sects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1658One Arrangement of the Life of Christ . . . . . . . . . 1665House of Herod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1696Major Archaeological Finds Relatingto the NT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1732Zechariah’s and Mary’s Songs Compared . . . . . . 1739Mary’s Allusions to Hannah’s Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1741Caesar and Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1744The Capernaum Synagogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1750Parables of J esus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1781Resurrection Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1799Ex 33 – 34 and Jn 1:14 – 18 Compared . . . . . . . . . . 1804Miracles of Jesus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1808One Suggested Harmony of the Gospels . . . . . . 1858Answered Charges and Parallel Figuresin Acts 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1881Roman Damascus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1890Timeline of Paul’s Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1894Rhetoric and Paul’s Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1986The Fruit of the Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2053 Jesus’ Teachings as Background in 1 Thessalonians4:13 — 5:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2098 Jesus’ Teachings as Background in 2 Thessalonians2:1 – 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2102Qualifications for Elders/Overseersand Deacons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2112Selected Jewish and Christian Literature . . . . . . 2130The “Greater Thans” in Hebrews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2142Ex 7 – 10, Rev 8 – 9 and Rev 16 Compared . . . . . . 2236
Table of Contents xiMapsTable of Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Abram’s Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Jacob’s Journeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74The Way of the Red Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256Lands of Jazer and Gilead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284The Fall of Jericho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368The Northern Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383Dividing the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393Manassite Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407Five Cities of the Philistines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418Gideon’s Battles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424Moab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450Capture and Return of the Ark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470David the Fugitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496Exploits of David . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504Saul’s Last Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507David’s Conquests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519David’s “Empire” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528Rebellions Against David . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539Solomon’s Jerusalem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561The Divided Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 586Lives of Elijah and Elisha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607Assyrian Campaigns Against Israeland Judah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 646Exile of the Northern Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 653Nebuchadnezzar’s CampaignsAgainst Judah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 670Exile of the Southern Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 674The City of the Jebusites/David’s Jerusalem . . . . 699David and Solomon’s Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 727Return from Exile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763Jerusalem of the Returning Exiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 780Persian Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 803Nations Targeted in Isaiah’s Prophecies . . . . . . . . 1139Nations and Cities Mentioned in Isaiah . . . . . . . . 1147Nations and Cities Under Judgmentin Jeremiah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1310Nations and Cities Under Judgmentin Ezekiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1373Gog, of the Land of Magog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1394The Neo-Bab ylonian Empire 626 – 539 BC . . . . . 1426Alexander’s Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1442Ptolemies and Seleucids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1447Nations and Cities Mentioned in Amos . . . . . . . . 1480Palestine of the Maccabees andHasmonean Dynasty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1579 Jesus’ Early Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1613 Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1615House of Herod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1696The Decapolis and the Lands Beyondthe Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1699The Territories of Tyre and Sidon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1705Passion Week: Bethany, the Mountof Olives and Jerusalem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1722 Jesus in Judea and Samaria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1815 Jesus in Galilee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1820Countries of People Mention
The NIV Center-column Cross Reference system aids in deeper study of the Bible’s themes, language and concepts by leading readers to related passages on the same or similar themes. Over 10,000 study notes have bee
