Crumbs!

Son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, being of priestly descent through both parents. This lineage was essential, since John was the embodiment of the law of Moses, designed to prepare the way for the Messiah........

Advent is a time for double celebration, namely (i) the historical birth of Jesus and (ii) the preparation for the waiting(advent) of the 2nd coming of Jesus........

The word "temple" is derived from the Latin templum, signifying an uncovered place affording a view of the surrounding region; in a narrower sense it signifies a place sacred to the Divinity, a sanctuary.......

Levirate Law from Latin levir, "a husband's brother", the name of an ancient custom ordained by Moses, by which, hen an Israelite died without issue, his surviving brother was required to marry the widow......

Canonical prescriptions concerning widows in the Old Testament refer mainly to the question of remarriage. If a man died without children, his widow was obliged to marry her deceased husband's brother.......

In the sixth year of his reign (about 900B.C.) Amri, King of Israel, laid the foundations of the city to which he gave the name of Samaria.......

Angels (messengers) Often with of God. Sometimes called the "holy ones," "saints." The "Angel of God" often means the Divide Word, "the Image of the invisible God," God Himself manifested......

Drachma, a Greek silver coin. The Greeks derived the word from drassomai, "to grip", "to take a handful". Thus the term originally signified a handful of grain......

The instrument of a slave's death, associated with the ideas of pain, guilt, and ignominy........The Hebrew, having no term for it as not being a punishment in their nation, called it "warp and woof."

The Sabbath(Hebrew shabbath, cessation, rest; Greek Sabbaton; Latin Sabbatum), is the seventh day of the week among the Hebrews, the day being counted from sunset to sunset, that is, from Friday evening to Saturday evening.......

Doors moved on pivots of wood fastened in sockets above and below (Prov.26:14). They were fastened by a lock or by a bar......

The question of the reality of the soul and its distinction from the body is among the most important problems of philosophy, for with it is bound up the doctrine of a future life. Various theories as to the nature of the soul have claimed to be reconcilable with the tenet of immortality.......

Parousia is a Greek word used 24 times in the New Testament to mean "coming, arrival, personal presence". It is most often used to indicate the second coming and the arrival of the Son of Man though it can also indicate a visit by a Christian worker, apostle or even the "man of lawlessness".......

In the sixth year of his reign (about 900 B.C.) Amri, King of Israel, laid the foundations of the city to which he gave the name of Samaria.......

In English, the word "peace" conjures up a passive picture, one showing an absence of civil disturbance or hostilities, or a personality free from internal and external strife. The biblical concept of peace is larger than that and rests heavily on the Hebrew root slm......

Angels (messengers) Often with of God. Sometimes called the "holy ones," "saints." The "Angel of God" often means the Divide Word, "the Image of the invisible God," God Himself manifested......

The Greek form Messias is a transliteration of the Hebrew, Messiah, "the anointed". The word appears only twice of the promised prince (Daniel 9:26; Psalm 2:2); yet, when a name was wanted for the promised one......

The anointing of Christ's feet by a woman, a "sinner" in the city......

Canonical prescriptions concerning widows in the Old Testament refer mainly to the question of remarriage. If a man died without children, his widow was obliged to marry her deceased husband's brother.......

The Last Supper held by Christ and His disciples on the eve of His Passion at which He instituted the Holy Eucharist......

The Trinity is the term employed to signify the central doctrine of the Christian religion — the truth that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons.......

Pentecost—The second in importance of the great Jewish feasts. The term, adopted from the Greek-speaking Jews alludes to the fact that the feast, known in the Old Testament as "the feast of harvest of the firstfruits" .......

Paraclete, Comforter (L. Consolator; Greek parakletos), an appellation of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word which, as a designation of the Holy Spirit at least, occurs only in St. John, has been variously translated "advocate", "intercessor", "teacher, "helper", "comforter". .......

In the Old Testament "son of man" is always translated in the Septuagint without the article as anthropou. It is employed as a poetical synonym for man, or for the ideal man......

Sheep were an important part of the possessions of the ancient Hebrews and of eastern nations generally. The first mention of sheep occurs in Genesis 4:2 they were used in the sacrificial offering.....

Following His Resurrection from the dead, Jesus made a number of appearances to his followers-no less than ten of these are recorded in Scripture......

The main sources which directly attest the fact of Christ's Resurrection are the Four Gospels and the Epistles of St. Paul. Easter morning is so rich in incident, and so crowded with interested persons, that its complete history presents a rather complicated tableau.......

The Passion of the Lord is accounted separately in the four Gospels, each of which supplements the others, so that only from a careful examination and comparison of all can we arrive.......

A village of Palestine, fifteen furlongs, or one mile and three-quarters, east of Jerusalem, at the base of the southwestern slope of the Mount of Olives. In the New Testament it comes into prominence as the Village of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.......

The Pool of Siloah, or Upper Pool, or the King's Pool, built by Ezechias "between the two walls", to bring into the city through an underground conduit.......

Springs and fountains were the centres of ancient Hebrew life. To the wells, the shepherd of the sun-baked hillside would lead his flock of sheep and goats out of the thirsty stretches of rock and prickly shrubs.......

The Transfiguration of Christ is the culminating point of His public life, as His Baptism is its starting point, and His Ascension its end.......

Temptation is here taken to be an incitement to sin whether by persuasion or by the offer of some good or pleasure. It may be merely external, as was the case of Christ's.......

St. Peter's true and original name was Simon, sometimes occurring in the form Symeon. He was the son of Jona (Johannes) and was born in Bethsaida.......

Elijah (Hebrew 'Eliahu). The loftiest and most wonderful prophet of the Old Testament. What we know of his public life is sketched in a few popular narratives enshrined.......

At Cana in the Galilee, Jesus performed his first miracle, changing water into wine at the request of Mary, his Mother. In this way, Jesus manifested his divine glory and kindled the faith of his disciples........

Baptisms in the sense of purifications were common in the Old Testament The "divers washings" (Greek "baptisms") are mentioned in Hebrews.9:10, and "the doctrine of baptisms......

The Baptism of the Lord is the name of a distinct feast day observed in the Roman Catholic Church. This occasion memorializes the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist........

According to Jewish tradition, Jerusalem was originally called Salem (Peace), and was the capital of King Melchisedech. This tradition is confirmed by the cuneiform tablets discovered in 1888 at Tell Amarna, in Egypt.......

Assuming that the Annunciation and the Incarnation took place about the vernal equinox, Mary left Nazareth and went over the mountains......

Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief......

Son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, being of priestly descent through both parents. This lineage was essential, since John was the embodiment of the law of Moses, designed to prepare the way for the Messiah........

The Jordan River(In Hebrew Yâdên, from the root Yârâd, to descend). The difference of elevation between the highest point of this river(1286 feet below the sea-level) is 3133 feet......

Advent is a time for double celebration, namely (i) the historical birth of Jesus and (ii) the preparation for the waiting(advent) of the 2nd coming of Jesus........

In Scripture, truth is characterized by both qualitative and quantitative aspects. In the historical narratives of the Old Testament, truth is identified with personal veracity and historical factuality.......

Figs are considered characteristic fruit for the land of Palestine. The best loved and most nutritious were the spring fruits, which ripened in May.......

Canonical prescriptions concerning widows in the Old Testament refer mainly to the question of remarriage. If a man died without children, his widow was obliged to marry her deceased husband's brother.......

The name "Mount of Beatitudes" is given to the place where Our Saviour delivered the "Sermon on the Mount", beginning with the Beatitudes......

Two cities of this name have successively occupied sites in the same neighbourhood......

The Gentiles were far less sharply differentiated from the Israelites in Old Testament than in New Testament times.......

CAMEL, a prominent domestic animal of the East without the existence of which life in the Arabian deserts would be impossible. It was perhaps the first beast of burden applied to the service of man.......

Temptation is here taken to be an incitement to sin whether by persuasion or by the offer of some good or pleasure. It may be merely external, as was the case of Christ's.......

Miracle Latin miraculum, from mirari, "to wonder". In general, a wonderful thing, the word being so used in classical Latin; in a specific sense, the Latin Vulgate designates by miracula wonders of a peculiar kind.......

Miracle Latin miraculum, from mirari, "to wonder". In general, a wonderful thing, the word being so used in classical Latin; in a specific sense, the Latin Vulgate designates by miracula wonders of a peculiar kind.......

Elijah (Hebrew 'Eliahu). The loftiest and most wonderful prophet of the Old Testament. What we know of his public life is sketched in a few popular narratives enshrined.......

Galilee, the native land of Jesus Christ, where He began His ministry and performed many of His works, and whence He drew His Apostles. Orginally, the Hebrew Galil, derived from galal, "to roll", meant a circle or district.......

In the New-Testament period the scribes were the professional interpreters of the Law in the Jewish synagogues. The origin of the profession dates from the return of the Captivity......

The word "Apostle", from the Greek apostello "to send forth", "to dispatch", has etymologically a very general sense. Apostle means one who is sent forth, dispatched--in other words, who is entrusted with a mission, rather, a foreign mission.......

In the Old Testament "son of man" is always translated in the Septuagint without the article as anthropou. It is employed as a poetical synonym for man, or for the ideal man......

The food miraculously sent to the Israelites during their forty years sojourn in the desert. It fell during the night in small white flakes or grains which covered the ground and presented the appearance of hoar frost......

Jews of all classes and ways of thinking look forward to the Passover holidays with the same eagerness as Christians do to Christmastide. It is for them the great event of the year. With the exception of the Temple sacrifices........

The word wilderness, which is more frequently used than desert of the region of the Exodus, more nearly approaches the meaning of the Hebrew.......

The Sabbath(Hebrew shabbath, cessation, rest; Greek Sabbaton; Latin Sabbatum), is the seventh day of the week among the Hebrews, the day being counted from sunset to sunset, that is, from Friday evening to Saturday evening.......

The place of assemblage of the Jews. This article will treat of the name, origin, history, organization, liturgy and building of the synagogue.......

The word parable (Hebrew mashal) signifies in general a comparison, or a parallel, by which one thing is used to illustrate another.......

The Last Supper held by Christ and His disciples on the eve of His Passion at which He instituted the Holy Eucharist......

The role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament is much like His role in the New Testament. When we speak of the role of the Holy Spirit, we can discern four general areas in which the Holy Spirit works:.....

St. Luke relates that on the feast of Pentecost following the Ascension of Christ into heaven one hundred and twenty disciples of Galilean origin were heard speaking "with divers tongues.....

The Old Testament applies the term elect, or chosen, only to the Israelites in as far as they are called to be the people of God, or are faithful to their Divine call.....

Vine, the well-known valuable plant very frequently referred to in the Old and New Testaments, and cultivated from the earliest times.....

Sheep were an important part of the possessions of the ancient Hebrews and of eastern nations generally. The first mention of sheep occurs in Genesis 4:2 they were used in the sacrificial offering.....

In the opinion of many 'Am' was is the Emmaus of the Gospel (Luke 24:13-35), where Christ manifested Himself to two of His Disciples....

Following His Resurrection from the dead, Jesus made a number of appearances to his followers-no less than ten of these are recorded in Scripture......

The main sources which directly attest the fact of Christ's Resurrection are the Four Gospels and the Epistles of St. Paul. Easter morning is so rich in incident, and so crowded with interested persons, that its complete history presents a rather complicated tableau.......

The Passion of the Lord is accounted separately in the four Gospels, each of which supplements the others, so that only from a careful examination and comparison of all can we arrive.......

The Pool of Siloah/Siloam, or Upper Pool, or the King's Pool, built by Ezechias "between the two walls", to bring into the city through an underground conduit.......

Springs and fountains were the centres of ancient Hebrew life. To the wells, the shepherd of the sun-baked hillside would lead his flock of sheep and goats out of the thirsty stretches of rock and prickly shrubs.......

The Transfiguration of Christ is the culminating point of His public life, as His Baptism is its starting point, and His Ascension its end.......

Leprosy proper, or lepra tuberculosa, in contradistinction to other skin diseases commonly designated by the Greek word lepra (psoriasis, etc.), is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacillus leproe.......

Capernaum (also KAPERNAUM) its name means village of Nahum or consolation. It is frequently mentioned in the Gospels: Jesus, when repelled by the Nazarenes, made it His new abode .......

Nazareth is situated in the most southerly hills of the Lebanon range, just before it drops abruptly down to the plain of Esdraelon. The town lies in a hollow plateau about 1200 feet above the level of the Mediterranean......

John the baptist identified Jesus with the words: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."......

The Baptism of the Lord is the name of a distinct feast day observed in the Roman Catholic Church. This occasion memorializes the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist........

The visit of the Magi took place after the Presentation of the Child in the Temple. No sooner were the Magi departed than the angel bade Joseph take the Child........

The Law of Moses regulated almost every aspect of life in Old Testament times. But with the coming of Christ, God established a new covenant of faith and love with mankind........

Emmanual signifies "God with us", and is the name of the child predicted in Isaiah 7:14: "Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel"......

Son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, being of priestly descent through both parents. This lineage was essential, since John was the embodiment of the law of Moses, designed to prepare the way for the Messiah........

Advent is a time for double celebration, namely (i) the historical birth of Jesus and (ii) the preparation for the waiting(advent) of the 2nd coming of Jesus........

In the Old Testament "son of man" is always translated in the Septuagint without the article as anthropou. It is employed as a poetical synonym for man, or for the ideal man......

The talent was not a coin but a sum. The Hebrew talent = 3,000 shekels. The quadrans (Mark 12:42; Luke 12:59), "farthing," was a fourth of an obolus, which was a sixth of a drachma......

The word "temple" is derived from the Latin templum, signifying an uncovered place affording a view of the surrounding region; in a narrower sense it signifies a place sacred to the Divinity, a sanctuary.......

A keeper of sheep. The first keeper of sheep in the Bible was Adam's son Abel (Genesis 4:2 ). Shepherding was the chief occupation of the Israelites in the early days of the patriarchs.......

During the early part of the Heroadian epoch, taxes were paid to the king and collected by officers appointed by him. This method which worked fairly well, at least under Herod the Great.......

Jesus told the Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22:1-14. This parable is similar in some ways to the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14:15-24.......

In the ancient world the wine press was a large basin where men would tread grapes. They would hold on to ropes above them and stamp their feet.......

Vineyards in the Bible are often referred to as being hedged. Protection is important when the vines are flowering. The flowers of the grape are greenish......

In the Roman currency system, the denarius was a small silver coin first minted about 211 BC during the Second Punic War. It became the most common coin......

During the time of Jesus in first century Israel, there were taxgatherer or tax collectors who could walk up to a man and tax him for what he was carrying.......

According to Jewish tradition, Jerusalem was originally called Salem (Peace), and was the capital of King Melchisedech. This tradition is confirmed by the cuneiform tablets discovered in 1888 at Tell Amarna, in Egypt.......

With a few exceptions the Biblical writers seem to indicate by this name at the least, the whole of Western or cis-Jordanic Palestine. It extends from the desert of Sin in the south to.......

St. Peter's true and original name was Simon, sometimes occurring in the form Symeon. He was the son of Jona (Johannes) and was born in Bethsaida.......

The word wilderness, which is more frequently used than desert of the region of the Exodus, more nearly approaches the meaning of the Hebrew.......

A lump of old dough in high fermentation. As making it and leavening bread with it took time, unleavened bread was used in sudden emergencies. It was forbidden in all offerings to the Lord by fire......

The word parable (Hebrew mashal) signifies in general a comparison, or a parallel, by which one thing is used to illustrate another.......

A yoke is a long wooden beam with two recessed areas on the underside to fit over the necks of a pair of draft animals, usually oxen, to harness them together to pull a plow......

Rock/Stone signifies in the Word the truth which is of faith; and therefore the Lord as to Divine truth is called the Stone of Israel. That a rock denotes the Lord as to the truth of faith, is because by a rock is also meant a bulwark......

The word epiphany means "manifestation" or "revelation" and is commonly linked with the visit of the wise men, on the Baptism of Jesus by John, the Transfiguration of Christ revealing himself to the world as God's own Son......

God as the Source of Peace. God alone is the source of peace, for he is "Yahweh Shalom"......

Paraclete, Comforter (L. Consolator; Greek parakletos), an appellation of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word which, as a designation of the Holy Spirit at least, occurs only in St. John, has been variously translated "advocate", "intercessor", "teacher, "helper", "comforter". .......

Parousia is a Greek word used 24 times in the New Testament to mean "coming, arrival, personal presence". It is most often used to indicate the second coming and the arrival of the Son of Man though it can also indicate a visit by a Christian worker, apostle or even the "man of lawlessness".......

Jesus is not only our Shepherd who leads us into the "sheepfold", but He is the only door by which we may enter it and be saved. Jesus is the only means we have of receiving eternal life. There is no other way.....

A titular see in Palestine Prima, suffragan of Caesarea. It is mentioned for....

Holy Sepulchre refers to the tomb in which the Body of Jesus Christ was laid after His death upon the Cross. The Evangelists tell us that it was Joseph of Arimathea's own new monument.......

"And the multitudes that went before and that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that come in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest".......

A village of Palestine, fifteen furlongs, or one mile and three-quarters, east of Jerusalem, at the base of the southwestern slope of the Mount of Olives. In the New Testament it comes into prominence as the Village of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.......

The Pool of Siloah/Siloam, or Upper Pool, or the King's Pool, built by Ezechias "between the two walls", to bring into the city through an underground conduit.......

The Transfiguration of Christ is the culminating point of His public life, as His Baptism is its starting point, and His Ascension its end.......

The word wilderness, which is more frequently used than desert of the region of the Exodus, more nearly approaches the meaning of the Hebrew.......

Sitting down in, or covering one's self with, is the symbol of mourning.......

Over 3000 species of Palestinian flora are known to exist, but the Holy Land of our day can give only an imperfect idea of what it was in Biblical times.......

The first of which we have mention was built by Noah after leaving the ark. In Genesis 12 where Abraham built an altar, Jacob had his dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth in Bethel.......

In the East the vegetable food especially needs salt. An antidote to the effects of heat on animal food. A necessary accompaniment of the various altar offerings.......

The word "temple" is derived from the Latin templum, signifying an uncovered place affording a view of the surrounding region; in a narrower sense it signifies a place sacred to the Divinity, a sanctuary.......

The importance of fish in the Bible is well substantiated. In the Book of Genesis, we find that fish are the first creatures to appear......

Baptisms in the sense of purifications were common in the Old Testament The "divers washings" (Greek "baptisms") are mentioned in Hebrews.9:10, and "the doctrine of baptisms......

The old Hebrew name beth lehem, meaning "house of bread", has survived till the present day. In its Arabic form, however, bet lahm, it means "house of meat"......

Angels (messengers) Often with of God. Sometimes called the "holy ones," "saints." The "Angel of God" often means the Divide Word, "the Image of the invisible God," God Himself manifested......

Stone/Rock signifies in the Word the truth which is of faith; and therefore the Lord as to Divine truth is called the Stone of Israel. That a rock denotes the Lord as to the truth of faith, is because by a rock is also meant a bulwark......

The name of "Paradise" popularly given in Christian tradition to the scriptural Garden of Eden, the home of our first parents (Genesis.2). The word paradise is probably of Persian origin and signified originally a royal park or pleasure ground.......

The place of assemblage of the Jews. This article will treat of the name, origin, history, organization, liturgy and building of the synagogue.......

Levirate Law from Latin levir, "a husband's brother", the name of an ancient custom ordained by Moses, by which, hen an Israelite died without issue, his surviving brother was required to marry the widow......

Two cities of this name have successively occupied sites in the same neighbourhood......

Canonical prescriptions concerning widows in the Old Testament refer mainly to the question of remarriage. If a man died without children, his widow was obliged to marry her deceased husband's brother.......

In the sixth year of his reign (about 900 B.C.) Amri, King of Israel, laid the foundations of the city to which he gave the name of Samaria.......

Mustard is a plant of the genus sinapis, a pod-bearing, shrub-like plant, growing wild, and also cultivated in gardens. The little round seeds were an emblem of any small insignificant object.......

Fire is a symbol of Yahweh's presence and the instrument of his power, God's word is also likened unto fire......

Tabernacle in Biblical parlance usually designates the movable tent-like sanctuary of the Hebrews before the erection of Solomon's Temple

Lamp more accurately represents the original than candle. Image of conscience, "the candle of the Lord, searching the inward man" (Proverbs 20:27)

The instrument of a slave's death, associated with the ideas of pain, guilt, and ignominy........The Hebrew, having no term for it as not being a punishment in their nation, called it "warp and woof."

Doors moved on pivots of wood fastened in sockets above and below (Prov.26:14). They were fastened by a lock or by a bar......

God as the Source of Peace. God alone is the source of peace, for he is "Yahweh Shalom"......

Give in proportion to what you own. If you have great wealth, give alms out of your abundance......Almsgiving is a worthy offering in the sight of the Most High for all who practice it.(Tobit4:8,11)

During the Israelites time wandering in the desert following the exodus from Egypt, Moses acted as the judge of the people.....

Bread was the ordinary symbol of life, and the hallowed bread signified a superior life because it was ever in the presence of Yahweh.....

Bull used as synonymous with Ox in the King James Version (KJV Bible). Baaqaar is the Hebrew for horned cattle fit for the plow.....

The Roman domination in Palestine must be taken into account when treating of the coinage systems in use in N.T. times......

The flocks of Palestine include generally both sheep and goats......

Lev 11:13-19: "And these ye shall have in abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten......

The signification of a rock, is faith, here faith from the Lord......

The anointing of Christ's feet by a woman, a "sinner" in the city......

The support of widows was commended to the charity of the Israelites......

Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief......

St. Paul : " But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace,......(Galatians 5:22-23)

Mount of Olives (Mons Olivarum) is the name applied to "the hill ....

The final words of a dying loved One are most precious....

Way of the Cross......