Biblical

The Kingdom of Herod Agrippa II

c. a.d. 63 Not long after Festus succeeded Felix as procurator over Palestine, Herod Agrippa II came to visit him at Caesarea. Agrippa had come to power after the death of his father, but his territory was greatly reduced by the Romans. Though Agrippa did not hold jurisdiction over

Biblical

Paul’s Arrest and Imprisonment

c. a.d. 58 After Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem, the Roman tribune learned of a plot by some Jews to kill Paul. He transferred Paul to the Roman administrative city of Caesarea during the night under heavy guard, going by way of Antipatris.

Biblical

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:22–21:17)

c. a.d. 52–57 Paul’s third missionary journey traversed much the same ground as his second (cf. map). Passing through Galatia and Phrygia, he proceeded directly to the great port city of Ephesus. After three years of preaching and teaching there, Paul traveled again through Macedonia and Achaia,

Biblical

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36–18:22)

c. a.d. 49–51 Paul and Silas revisited the places in Asia Minor where Paul had preached on his first journey (cf. map), while Barnabas took John Mark and sailed to Cyprus. Paul and Silas visited Derbe, Lystra, and Antioch in Pisidia. From there Paul and Silas traveled to

Biblical

Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:4–14:26)

c. a.d. 46–47 Barnabas and Paul first visited Barnabas’s home region of Cyprus before sailing to the southern region of Asia Minor. When they reached Perga in Pamphylia, John Mark left the group and returned to Jerusalem. Making their way to Antioch (in Pisidia), Iconium, Lystra, and

Biblical

The Kingdom of Herod Agrippa I

c. a.d. 41 Largely due to his influential friendships with the Roman emperors Gaius (Caligula) and Claudius, Herod Agrippa I, a grandson of Herod the Great, pieced together what was essentially his grandfather’s old kingdom plus the region of Abilene to the north. He wielded great power over

Biblical

Peter’s Early Ministry

c. a.d. 39? The apostle Peter traveled to the crossroads town of Lydda and healed a paralyzed man, leading many in that region to turn to the Lord. Later Peter traveled to Joppa and raised a woman from the dead. While Peter was staying at the house of Simon,

Biblical

Paul’s (Saul’s) Conversion and Early Travels

c. a.d. 35–39 As Paul approached Damascus to arrest followers of the Way, Jesus appeared to him (1). Galatians 1:17makes it clear that soon after this Paul spent time in Arabia (2, 3) before going to meet church leaders in Jerusalem (4). When some believers learned of

Biblical

The Ministry of Philip the Evangelist

Philip, a leader in the church in Jerusalem, began his evangelistic ministry in Sebaste (also called Samaria). God then led him south toward Gaza, where he explained the gospel to a God-fearing Ethiopian royal official. Afterwards Philip was transported by God to Azotus, where he preached and continued his ministry

Biblical

Nations at Pentecost

c. a.d. 30/33 Pentecost attracted Jews from all over the world to Jerusalem to celebrate the annual festival. Those who heard the apostles’ message in their native languages at Pentecost came from various regions within the two great competing empires of the day—the Roman Empire and the

Biblical

The Setting of Acts

c. a.d. 30–60 The book of Acts records the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, thus fulfilling the risen Christ’s words to his apostles in Acts 1:8.

Biblical

Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

Jesus spent most of his life and ministry in the region of Galilee, a mountainous area in northern Palestine. Jesus grew up in the hill town of Nazareth, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Gentile administrative center of Sepphoris. Soon after he began his public ministry,

Biblical

Jesus Travels through Samaria

As they returned from Jerusalem to Galilee, Jesus and his disciples followed the expedient route and passed through Samaria, stopping to rest at the village of Sychar, near the ancient city of Shechem (which no longer existed in NT times). Here Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman at a well.

Biblical

Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus

Herod the Great and his successors renovated the city of Jerusalem and the temple. Public pools were fed by the Gihon Spring and by two aqueducts that brought water from as far as 7 miles (11 km) away. The towns of Bethphage and Bethany were located on the eastern slopes

Biblical

Jesus’ Appearances after His Resurrection

Each of the Gospels and a few other NT books mention various appearances by Jesus after his resurrection, but only Luke notes that Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem. Luke also recounts Jesus’ discussion with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (likely

Biblical

Jesus Travels to Jerusalem

Though John mentions several trips to Jerusalem by Jesus during his ministry, Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount only one, which occurred as Jesus prepared for his triumphal entry and subsequent death and resurrection. Beginning at Capernaum, Jesus was apparently diverted from the more direct route when Samaritans refused him access

Biblical

Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

Jesus spent most of his life and ministry in the region of Galilee, a mountainous area in northern Palestine. Jesus grew up in the small hill town of Nazareth, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Gentile administrative center of Sepphoris. Soon after he began his public

Biblical

Jesus’ Birth and Flight to Egypt

As the time drew near for Jesus to be born, a mandatory Roman registration made it necessary for Joseph to return to his ancestral home of Bethlehem. There Mary gave birth to Jesus, and later, wise men from the East came to worship him. The wise men’s recognition of

Biblical

The Setting of Luke

The events in the book of Luke take place almost entirely within the vicinity of Palestine, an area extending roughly from Caesarea Philippi in the north to Beersheba in the south. During this time it was ruled by the Roman Empire. The opening chapters describe events surrounding Jesus’ birth in

Biblical

Jesus’ Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion

The path from Jesus’ arrest to his crucifixion (part of which is often called the Via Dolorosa, “Way of Sorrows”) is difficult to retrace with certainty. According to a possible harmony of the Gospel accounts, after the Passover meal Judas led a contingent of soldiers to Gethsemane to arrest Jesus

Biblical

Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus

By the time of Jesus, Jerusalem had grown from a modest military fortress to a world-class city with a newly renovated temple that rivaled nearly any in the ancient world. Public pools were fed by the Gihon Spring and by two aqueducts that brought water to the city from as

Biblical

Jesus’ Final Journey to Jerusalem

Though John mentions several trips to Jerusalem by Jesus during his ministry, Matthew, Mark, and Luke recount only one, which occurred as Jesus prepared for his triumphal entry and subsequent death and resurrection. Beginning at Capernaum, Jesus was apparently diverted from the more direct route when Samaritans refused him access

Biblical

Jesus’ Ministry beyond Israel

Almost all of Jesus’ ministry took place within the traditional borders of Israel in areas dominated by Jews. Yet Jesus also traveled to the region of Tyre and Sidon, where he healed a Gentile woman’s daughter, and to the region of Decapolis, where he healed many people. It was

Biblical

Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

Jesus spent most of his life and ministry in the region of Galilee, a mountainous area in northern Palestine. Jesus grew up in the hill town of Nazareth, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Gentile administrative center of Sepphoris. Soon after he began his public ministry,

Biblical

The Setting of Mark

The events in the book of Mark take place almost entirely within the vicinity of Palestine, an area extending roughly from Caesarea Philippi in the north to Beersheba in the south. During this time it was ruled by the Roman Empire. The book opens with Jesus’ baptism by John during