Customs and Culture of the Bible
The Bible was written in cultures very different from our own. Explore customs, institutions, daily practices and figures of speech that help explain what biblical writers and their first readers would have understood.
188 customs found
"Binding and Loosing"
Binding and loosing were Jewish expressions associated with authority to forbid or permit and, in communal settings, to make authoritative judgments about conduct and discipline.
Primary Scripture: Matthew 16:19
"Cup" as a Symbol of Destiny or Judgment
A cup can function biblically as a metaphor for the portion or destiny allotted to a person, including blessing, suffering, or divine judgment.
Primary Scripture: Mark 14:36
"Dust on the Head" and Signs of Grief
Putting dust or earth on the head was a visible gesture of grief, humiliation, calamity, or mourning in the ancient biblical world.
Primary Scripture: Joshua 7:6
"Gird Up Your Loins"
Long garments could hinder strenuous movement, so a person preparing to work, run, or fight could gather the garment and secure it around the waist.
Primary Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13
"Keys" as a Symbol of Authority
Keys were practical instruments for controlling access and therefore became symbols of delegated authority over a household, office, treasury, or domain.
Primary Scripture: Matthew 16:19
"Take Up Your Cross"
Before the cross became a Christian symbol, it was associated with Roman execution, public degradation, coercion, and the condemned person's loss of control over his own fate.
Primary Scripture: Mark 8:34-35
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