Menorah A sacred candelabrum
with seven branches used in the
Temple in Jerusalem. It became an
emblem of Israel and Judaism.Mesopotamia Land between the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers that
included such cities as Babylon,
Ur, and Nineveh.Messiah Hebrew term meaning
“the anointed one.”Midrash A Jewish commentary
on the Hebrew Bible.Ministry The Old Testament
associates the term with the work
of the Temple priests. The New
Testament cites Jesus as the model
for Christian ministry.Miracle An event defying natural
laws that is usually attributed to
divine powers.Mishnah Jewish teachings,
compiled in the late 2nd
century ce, which forms the
earlier portion of the Talmud.Most Holy Place (also known
as Holy of Holies) The most sacred
part of the Temple in Jerusalem.
It originally contained the Ark of
the Covenant.Ordination A ceremony in which
someone is officially appointed into
a religious leadership role.Pagan From Latin paganus,
meaning rural or of the countryside,
the word came to refer to one who
did not follow the one true God.Parable A short story that
uses everyday language and
events to convey moral and
spiritual truths.Paradise A blessed place in which
the righteous live. Paradise can
refer to heaven or to the Garden
of Eden prior to the Fall.Passover The annual Jewish
holiday commemorating the
Israelites’ escape from slavery
in Egypt.Pentateuch A Greek word used
by Christians to describe the
first five books of the Bible that
comprise the original Torah.Pentecost A feast, celebrated
50 days after Passover, when
harvest fruits were offered at the
Temple. In the New Testament,
the Holy Spirit descended on
believers at Pentecost.Pharaoh The title of the ancient
Egyptian rulers.Pharisees One of the main
Jewish religious groups of the
New Testament, known for their
strict adherence to the Law.Philistines Descendants of
a people who possibly came from
Crete, the Philistines infiltrated the
eastern Mediterranean. Arriving
in Canaan around the same time
as the Israelites, they are their
most notorious enemies.Polytheistic Of, or concerning,
the belief that there are many gods.Praetorium Originally used to
refer to a general’s tent in a camp
or a military headquarters; also,
the governor’s official residence
in Jerusalem.Prefect A title given to a local
military or civil official of the
Roman Empire.Promised Land Canaan, the
homeland God promised to
the Israelites upon their escape
from Egypt in Exodus.Prophecy A message concerning
the past, present, or future that is
inspired and/or revealed by God
and delivered by a prophet.Prophets People who spoke words
of prophecy. In the Old Testament,
they are often called by God to
explain the responsibilities and
privileges of God’s Covenant.Proverb A short popular saying
that conveys a lesson about how
to live wisely, often based on
observations of everyday life.Psalm A song, often used in
worship to demonstrate praise
and thanksgiving.Rabbi From Hebrew for “teacher,”
a title of honor given to a qualified
Jewish religious teacher.Repentance A complete change of
heart leading to a change of action,
involving confession of, deep regret
for, and sincere turning away from
sin to God.Resurrection The giving of new
life to a dead person, especially
in relation to the raising of Jesus
Christ by God after His death
on the cross.Revelation The disclosure of
God’s will, nature, and purpose
through the scriptures.Righteous, The Especially in
the Old Testament, the designation
of people who lead lives that have
spiritual and moral integrity
according to God’s commands.342 GLOSSARY
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Temple, The In Jerusalem, the
place where sacrifices could be
made. The First Temple was built
by King Solomon. The Second was
built after the exile and was the
one known to Jesus.Teraphim Household gods or
images venerated by ancient
Semitic peoples.Torah A term that used to refer
solely to the Pentateuch, but in
Jewish tradition came to mean
the whole Hebrew Bible.Transfiguration The revelation
of Christ’s glory, witnessed by His
closest disciples.Transubstantiation The Catholic
belief in the conversion of the wine
and bread given at communion into
the blood and body of Christ.Typology The interpretation
of figures or events in the Old
Testament as foreshadowing
those in the New Testament,
particularly in relation to Christ.Yahweh The name for God given
by God to Moses. Yahweh stems
from the letters “YHWH.”Zealots Jewish rebels who fought
against the Roman occupation of
Judea at the time of Jesus Christ.Ziggurat An Assyrian or
Babylonian tower in which each
successive story is smaller than
the one beneath it.Zion Synonym for Jerusalem. The
Temple was also known as Mount
Zion. Zion is also used to refer to
Israel, the Church, and heaven and
is often represented as a peak
extending into the heavens.Sabbath The seventh day of the
week, set aside as a day of rest and
for the worship of God. It originally
began on Friday evening for both
Jews and Christians, but as
Christ’s resurrection took place
on Sunday, this displaced the
Sabbath for Christians.Sacrifice In the Hebrew Bible,
an offering made to God, often
involving slaughtering an animal.
For Christians, the death of Jesus
Christ is the one sacrifice that
secures forgiveness by God.Sadducees A Hellenized
aristocracy of Jewish priests in the
New Testament who dominated
both temple worship and also
the Sanhedrin. They opposed the
Pharisees and Jesus.Sanhedrin A Jewish council,
either local or, in Jerusalem, the
supreme council that was directed
by the high priest. Members
included teachers of the Law,
elders, and chief priests.Scripture The biblical writings
received as the word of God; for
example, the Hebrew Bible and/or
the New Testament.Septuagint The name of the
Greek translation of the Hebrew
Bible. The Bible of the early
Church, the books of the New
Testament were added as they
became accepted.Seraph (plural seraphim)
Celestial being with two or three
sets of wings that is a guardian
of God’s throne.Sheol Used in the Hebrew Bible
to refer to a grave, pit, or tomb,
cut off from God.Showbread “Bread of the
presence,” made from the finest
ingredients, which was placed
on a table in the Tabernacle and,
later, in the Temple of Jerusalem.Speaking in tongues
A phenomenon in which people
speak in languages unknown to
them to praise God or to deliver
a message from God.Spirit The innermost nonmaterial
part of a human being—one’s soul.
The Old Testament sometimes
describes the “Spirit of God.” In
the New Testament, the Holy Spirit
is the third person of the Trinity.Synoptic From Greek for “seeing
things together.” The Gospels of
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are
known as the Synoptic Gospels,
because they share much material
and have similar frameworks.Tabernacle The large portable
tent that formed the sanctuary in
which the Israelites carried the
Ark of the Covenant during their
journey from Egypt to Canaan.Talent A unit of weight equivalent
to about 75 pounds (34kg) in
Old Testament times. In the New
Testament, it was a unit of value
worth the wages of a laborer
for 20 years.Talmud A Jewish work containing
interpretation of, and commentary
on, the Torah, and the primary
source of Jewish religious law.Tanakh An acronym comprising
the initial letters of the three
sections of the Hebrew Bible: the
Torah (the Teaching/Law), Nev’im
(the Prophets), and Kethuvim (the
Writings), combined in one work.GLOSSARY 343
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