“…Let me swallow some of the red stuff because I am famished…” – Genesis 25:30. The red stuff refers to a stew or soup made from red lentils, often referred to as Pottage. It was prepared by Jacob, the younger twin brother of Esau. Esau returned home from the fields exhausted and starving, but found…
Posts Categorized: Puzzling Scriptures
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” – Psalm 119:105. When ancient travelers journeyed at night, walking over uneven, pebbled pathways could be a daunting task. Holding out a handheld lamp illuminated rocks and ruts directly ahead. At times the traveler would strap a small clay lamp directly…
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchers…” – Matthew 23:27. According to Jewish law, coming into contact with the dead would result in contamination and defilement. Therefore the Jews were instructed to whitewash, or cover with lime, all tombs and gravesites. Pouring chalk infused water upon the unclean place…
“And you shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.” – Exodus 27:20. These were instructions given to Moses and the people of Israel regarding the lighting of the Tabernacle. A lamp stand was to be placed outside the…
“…And they had brick for stone, and slime for mortar” – Genesis 11:4. After the great flood, Noah and his offspring were instructed by God to be fruitful, to multiply, and to fill the earth (Genesis 9:1). According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, after departing the mountains of Ararat, they eventually settled within Mesopotamia’s Euphrates…
“…She began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head…” – Luke 7:38. Possible elucidation: Every family owned a tear bottle. The materials ranged from simple pottery to thin glass. All were made with a slender body, broad at the base with a funnel-shaped top. When serious trouble or…
“You will be smashed like a piece of pottery, so completely that there will not be a shard left to take coals from the hearth, or to scoop water from a cistern.” – Isaiah 30:14. In the ancient world, broken or damaged terracotta containers were not discarded. A frugal owner would collect the pieces and repurpose…
“What woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?” – Luke 15:8. Dowries were an important part of ancient marriage negotiations. The bride’s wardrobe and jewelry were not included in the bargaining as they were deemed her…
“Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder…” – Isaiah 22:22. Many doors in antiquity were enormous. Keys were made in proportion to the huge locks, and were often adorned with handles of carved brass, wood or silver. Some buildings had a peculiar security system, whereas the door could only…
“…It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee.” – Numbers 18:19. God made an unbreakable guarantee to Aaron and his descendants. The promise, referred to as a covenant of salt, represented a seal of closeness and trust. Binding with salt was never entered into haphazardly, but…