Amen An affirmation meaning
“trustworthy” or “surely” that
is often used to end prayers or
religious statements.Annunciation The announcement
by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin
Mary that she would conceive the
Son of God by the Holy Spirit.Anoint To apply oil or ointment
to a person or object to mark their
dedication to God.Apocrypha (or apocryphal)
Books of the Bible added to the
Hebrew Old Testament by Catholic
and Orthodox churches. Jews and
Protestants do not accept the
Apocrypha as part of the canon.Apostles Special messengers
commissioned by Jesus to preach
with authority in His name. These
included 11 of the 12 original
disciples and Paul.Ark of the Covenant A wooden
box overlaid with gold that God
instructed the Israelites to build to
contain the Ten Commandments.Armageddon The place of God’s
ultimate victory over evil. It is
mentioned only once in the Bible,
in the Book of Revelation.Ascension Jesus’s ascent to
heaven on the 40th day after
His resurrection.Baal The storm god of the
Canaanites and the most important
(though not chief) god in the
Canaanite pantheon.Baptism A Christian ceremony in
which the “washing away” of sins
with water symbolizes rebirth and
admission to the Church.Beatitudes, The A series of
blessings that Jesus bestows on
those with special qualities in
His Sermon on the Mount. These
blessings echo His teachings.Birthright The right of a firstborn
son to inherit a larger share of his
father’s property than his siblings.Blasphemy The offense of
misusing or desecrating God’s
name in action, speech, or writing.Burnt offering A type of sacrifice
common in the Old Testament—
in which an entire animal is
consumed by fire. Such offerings
were either thanksgivings for God’s
goodness or atonements for sin.Canaan The land between the
River Jordan, the Dead Sea, and the
Mediterranean Sea. It is sometimes
referred to as the Promised Land.Canon, The From Greek for
“rule.” It refers to the list of books
accepted as part of the Bible.Cherub (plural cherubim)
An angelic being with a human
face and wings that serves God.Chief Priests The men in charge
of Temple worship in Jerusalem.Christ From Christos, Greek for
“messiah,” the anointed one. In
the New Testament, this is Jesus.Circumcision The removal of
the foreskin done when a Jewish
boy is 8 days old as a sign of
membership in God’s Covenant.Codex A handwritten manuscript
with writing on both sides of the
page that can be made into a book.Council of Jerusalem Possibly
the first assembly of the Christian
Church, in 49 ce. It affirmed that
Gentiles did not need to adopt the
custom of circumcision for entry
into the community of believers.Covenant A binding agreement,
based on faithful loyalty, between
God and His people.Cubit An ancient measure, both
of length and distance, of about
18 inches (0.5m)—the distance
from the fingertips to the elbow.Cult A system of religious worship.
In the Hebrew Bible, the Temple
cult was a system of sacrifices
and rituals.Cuneiform A writing system
developed by the Sumerians that
used wedge-shaped characters.Denarius A Roman coin and
the standard pay for a day’s work
during the time of Jesus.Diaspora, The The dispersal or
scattering of large groups of people
throughout the world.Disciple A follower who serves
Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, the
term refers to Christ’s inner circle.GLOSSARY
340
US_340-343_Glossary.indd 340 28/09/17 2:43 pm
GLOSSARY
Elder A local community leader.
In the New Testament, elders are
senior members of the Church.Epistle A letter. Twenty-one
of the New Testament’s books
are epistles.Evangelist One who preaches the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who
are not believers, aiming to bring
people to recognize Jesus as Lord
and Messiah.Exiles, The The name given
to expelled inhabitants of Israel
after the Assyrian conquest of
the northern kingdom in 722 bce
and also to those forced from
the southern kingdom of Judah
after the Babylonian conquest
a century later.Exodus, The The Israelites’
release from slavery in Egypt
and their journey to Canaan,
the Promised Land, under the
leadership of Moses.Fall, The The disobedience of
Adam and Eve that led to judgment
of mankind. In Christian doctrine,
this is when sin enters the world
and pervades all humanity.Gentile A non-Jewish person.Gnosticism A general term
for 2nd-century heretical sects
that sought to live a purely
spiritual life by way of a secret
knowledge (gnosis).Gospel The teaching that God
offers redemption to humanity
through the salvation Jesus Christ
brought by His life, death, and
resurrection. When written with
an initial capital, it refers to the first
four books of the New Testament.Grace Abundant love freely given
to humanity by God through Christ.Hanukkah A Jewish religious
festival lasting eight days that
commemorates the victory of
the Maccabees in 160 bce and the
rededication of the Temple.Hebrew Bible The name used
by some non-Jews to refer to the
Jewish Scriptures. The Hebrew
term is Tanakh.Hellenism The characteristics
and spirit of Alexander the
Great’s empire and its successors.
Additionally, the attempt by those
empires to impose Greek language,
culture, and religion on the peoples
they had conquered.Herodian Of, or concerning, Herod
the Great, king of Judea (37–4 bce),
or members of his family.High place A raised place used
for religious worship, hence a
sanctuary. Often used in relation
to shrines for Canaanite gods.High priest The senior Jewish
leader responsible for the nation’s
spiritual well-being.Idol An image, often carved and
made of wood, metal, or stone,
which is worshipped as a god.Israel and Judah The northern
and southern Jewish kingdoms,
respectively, created after the
United Monarchy was divided
in c.930 bce.Jehovah A name for God related
to the Hebrew term Ya hweh.Jews The tribespeople of Israel
and their descendants.Judgment Day The day when
Jesus returns to Earth. Some
believe it is also the end of the
world, when God will assess every
human being by identifying and
condemning sin and absolving
and rewarding believers.Judges Leaders who governed
the tribes of Israel from the death
of Joshua to the time of Samuel;
and the name of the Old Testament
book concerning that same period.Kingdom of God The teaching
that the entire world will come to
accept sovereign rule of God; the
Kingdom of God comes wherever
God’s authority is recognized.Law, The Mosaic Law given to the
Israelites by God, aimed at creating
a society based on their obligations
to each other, to the land, and to
God under the Covenant.Leprosy An infectious skin
disease. In the Bible, leprosy
denotes a wider range of ailments
than just the modern definition.Living God Term denoting God
as a living, active, and powerful
deity in contrast to the idols of
nations opposed to Israel.Lots, casting of A traditional
Israelite method of discerning the
will of God in conflicts or disputes.Manna Food provided by God for
the Israelites on their journey from
Egypt to the Promised Land, with
the appearance of coriander seed
and the taste of honey.Martyr Initially used to refer to
one who spread the word of Jesus,
it is later used to refer specifically
to those who die for their faith.341
US_340-343_Glossary.indd 341 28/09/17 2:43 pm