Understanding the culture which an author wrote for/to is often key to understanding a text's original meaning.
Questions tagged [cultural-analysis]
129 questions
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Ammonites, Amorites, Amalekites, Moabites, Edomites, ... how many peoples were there?
Since the books of Exodus and Numbers a lot of peoples are referenced and the Judges, Saul and Samuel report a lot of battles and wars against Ammonites, Amorites, Amalekites, Moabites, Edomites, Philistines and many other peoples.
It seems weird…
Starnuto di topo
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7
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Does tearing clothing imply nakedness?
There are multiple passages (2 Samuel 19:13 example) that speak about teared clothes. The attitude and meaning of this act is clear to me but I was unsure how to imagine it.
Does it mean that Tamar was going naked around Jerusalem?
Same for Reuben…
vwvw
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Did people sat on mats in the bible era or mainly on chairs?
Did people sit on mats in the bible era (like some Arabic cultures nowadays) or they sat mainly on chairs?
Ubiquitous Student
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Why tear clothes, sprinkle head with ashes, and tear hair as a sign of humility, penitence, and repentance?
Often, in the Bible, people used to tear clothes, sprinkle their heads with ashes, and tear their hair as a sign of humility, penitence, and repentance.
Few examples:
Job 2:12 KJV
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they…
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What is the meaning of "take up thy bed"?
John 5:8, 9 KJV
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked:
Matthew 9:6 NIV
Get up, take your mat and go home.
Mark 2:11 NIV
I tell you, get up, take your…
Humberto José Bortolossi
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The importance of names in the bible
It seems that names are taken with special care in the Bible:
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT:You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain" (Exodus 20:7)
Jacob's name is changed…
Humberto José Bortolossi
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