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
Anointing Guests with Oil
Oil and perfume could be used for grooming, refreshment, honor, and hospitality. Jesus' contrast between Simon's reception and the woman's actions in Luke 7 draws on these expectations.
Primary Scripture: Luke 7:36-50
Anointing Kings and Priests
Pouring or applying oil could consecrate a person to a divinely appointed office, especially priests and kings in Israel.
Primary Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Balance Scales and Honest Commerce
Balance scales compared goods or precious metal against standard weights and were fundamental to ancient market transactions.
Primary Scripture: Proverbs 11:1
Begging at Temple and City Gates
Busy gates, roads, and sacred precincts provided strategic places for people dependent on alms to encounter large numbers of passersby.
Primary Scripture: Acts 3:1-10
Betrothal and Marriage
Biblical betrothal was a formal and binding stage of marriage, more consequential than a modern engagement. A betrothed couple could already be described in marital terms even before they began living together.
Primary Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
Birthright and Paternal Blessing
The firstborn son's status could carry special inheritance rights and family standing, while a father's blessing could publicly affirm expectations for descendants and succession.
Primary Scripture: Genesis 27:1-40
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