“The country also that lies over against this lake [the Sea of Galilee] hath the same name of Gennesareth; its nature is wonderful as well as its beauty; its soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees can grow upon it, and the inhabitants accordingly plant all sorts of trees there; for the temper of the air is so well mixed, that it agrees very well with those several sorts, particularly walnuts, which require the coldest air, flourish there in vast plenty; there are palm trees also, which grow best in hot air; fig trees also and olives grown near them, which yet require an air that is more temperate.
One may call this place the ambition of nature, where it forces those plants that are naturally enemies to one another to agree together; it is a happy contention of the seasons as if every one of them laid claim to this country; for it not only nourishes different sorts of autumnal fruit beyond men’s expectation, but preserves them a great while; it supplies men with the principal fruits, with grapes and figs continually during ten months of the year, and the rest of the fruit as they become ripe together, through the whole year; for besides the good temperature of the air, it is also watered from a most fertile fountain.
The people of the country call it Capharnaum. Some have thought it to be a vein of the Nile, because it produces the Coracin fish as well as that lake does which is near to Alexandria. The length of this country extends itself along the banks of this lake that bears the same name, for thirty furlongs, and is in breadth twenty; and this is the nature of that place.” (From Josephus, Wars of the Jews, 3.516-521).
–Daniel McCabe
History: A Bible Quiz on the Roman Emperors
1. How many Roman emperors are specifically mentioned by name in the Bible?
2. What are their names?
3. What Roman emperor is associated with each of the following seven biblical stories?
a. Ordered the taxation of the empire that required Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem where Jesus would then be born
b. Reigned at the beginning of John the Baptizer’s ministry and subsequently during the ministry years and death of Jesus
c. Reigned during a great famine in the empire, mentioned in Acts
d. Commanded all Jews to leave Rome, also mentioned in Acts
e. Persecuted Christians mercilessly and executed Peter and Paul by crucifixion and beheading, respectively
f. Before becoming emperor, commanded the Roman force that destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, prophesied by Jesus in Matthew 24:1-2
g. Ordered the exile of the Apostle John to the island of Patmos
The answers:
1. Three
2. Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius
3a. Augustus, Luke 2:1, the birth of Jesus probably dates to the winter of 5-4 B.C.
3b. Tiberius, Luke 3:1, the start of Jesus’ ministry probably dates to 30 A.D.
3c. Claudius, Acts 11:28, approximately 47 A.D.
3d. Claudius, Acts 18:2, approximately 50 A.D.
3e. Nero, not mentioned directly by name in the Bible, but Peter and Paul’s martyrdoms probably date to 68 A.D.
3f. Titus, the destruction of the temple took place in 70 A.D.
3g. Domitian, John is exiled approximately 95 A.D. (cf. Rev. 1:9).
How did you do?
Daniel McCabe
On Location: The Grave of Oskar Schindler
I always set aside the last day of my tours to Israel for exploring places of interest to me. I call it Daniel’s Day. If group members want to stay back in their rooms to pack and rest or if they want to venture out on their own to do some last minute shopping or try a restaurant that they’ve been eyeing, then that’s great. But if they want to go with me, then that’s great too.
It was the last day of our May 2017 trip to Israel with folks from two different churches in Texas, and I wanted to find the grave of Oskar Schindler. “Does anyone want to come with me?” They all did!
Perhaps you recognize his name from Steven Spielberg’s 1993 award-winning movie, Schindler’s List, which won no less than seven Academy awards, including best picture. Although I haven’t personally watched the movie, over thirty million watched it in theaters and sixty-five million more for its NBC television debut on February 23, 1997. It tells the story of a German industrialist who employed more than one thousand, mostly-Polish Jews in his factories during World War 2, saving them from almost certain death by the Nazis.
Just outside the Zion gate of the Old City of Jerusalem our group located a massive Roman Catholic cemetery built into the northern hill of the Hinnom Valley. I’d read an online description of where to find Schindler’s gravestone, and so our group fanned out until a cry rang out, “Here it is!” Covered with rocks, a Middle Eastern expression of honor (much like we place flowers on a tombstone), its Hebrew and German inscriptions read, respectively, “Righteous among the Nations” and “The Unforgettable Lifesaver of 1200 Persecuted Jews.” Schindler risked his life to save others, prompting our group to reflect upon the freedoms we enjoyed back home in Texas and the tremendous blessing we have still this day in knowing Jesus Christ as our Savior. Some of our group members even went looking for rocks.
Daniel McCabe