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
Fishing on the Sea of Galilee
Fishing was an important commercial occupation around the Sea of Galilee, involving boats, nets, crews, processing, and sale of the catch.
Primary Scripture: Mark 1:16-20
Fixed Hours of Prayer
Regular times of prayer structured Jewish devotional life, with prayer associated particularly with morning, afternoon, and evening and with the rhythm of Temple worship.
Primary Scripture: Acts 3:1
Flat Roofs and Rooftop Life
Many houses in the biblical world had flat or nearly flat roofs that could serve as usable household space for work, sleeping, storage, prayer, or social activity.
Primary Scripture: Mark 2:1-12
Foot Washing and Hospitality
Washing dusty feet was a practical act of hospitality in a world of sandals and unpaved roads. It was humble service, making Jesus' washing of His disciples' feet especially striking.
Primary Scripture: John 13:1-17
Garment Hem and Symbolic Authority
The edge or corner of a garment could carry practical and symbolic significance, especially where tassels or distinctive clothing marked identity and status.
Primary Scripture: 1 Samuel 24:4-6
Genealogies and Family Descent
Genealogies established descent, identity, inheritance, tribal affiliation, priestly legitimacy, and claims to significant ancestry.
Primary Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17
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