Geographist

We have reached the end of our study of Biblical people groups.  Since the days of Noah, humanity has spread and multiplied numerous times over into the world we know today.  Many of the nations who have come before have disappeared but many, such as Israel and Egypt, have persevered until modern times.  The final nation that the Bible brings up, however, is not one that is defined by geography.  1 Peter 2:9 tells us that Christians are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (ESV)  In John's final apocalyptic vision he describes "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9 ESV)  At the end of time it isn't race or national origin that defines who we are, but whether or not we are among ...

Nicolaitans Key Scripture: Revelation 2:6,15 Figures: none This week we delve into the final book of the Bible to uncover something about a mysterious group that is mentioned twice.  There has been much discussion about their identity during the 2,000 years since the apocalyptic conclusion to Scripture was penned.  The name of the Nicolaitans jumps off the page, and while there may be some question as to who they really were there is certainly no mystery about how they are viewed.  Although likely not an ethnic or geographic people, they are a group that figures prominently in the story of the end times.  Hopefully we can learn something about them by investigating what has been written about them, both in the Bible as well as in historical texts. As Revelation just begins to get underway, the writer is instructed to write letters to a series of churches in Asia Minor.  The words that the Apostle John records are jarring to the reader, as this self-proclaimed di...

Cilicians Key Scripture: Acts 21:39 Figures: Saul of Tarsus (later called the Apostle Paul)  We come at last to the home of one of the New Testament's prominent figures.  Like several other locations throughout Anatolia, the area known as Cilicia played a role in the growth of the early Christian church.  Its capital city, Tarsus, is well known to readers of the Bible as the birthplace of Saul, and would later be the place where Barnabas would find him prior to their joint ministry together.  The region had several similarities with other nearby provinces, but what has made it unique?  The land at the farthest northeast point along the Mediterranean Sea was almost certainly originally populated by the descendants of Japheth after the Flood, and has probably been continually populated ever since.  Geographically, the area is typically referred to as being split between Cilicia Trachea (rough) on the west and Cilicia Pedias (flat) on the east.  The mount...

Cappadocians Key Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1 Figures: none After spending a few weeks investigating many of the social, religious, and political groups within the Jewish communities during the first century AD, we finally find our way back to some of the outlying nations.  Like many others that we have studied, Cappadocia was part of the larger Roman empire.  And like many such provinces, its boundaries were not fixed but fluctuated over time.  Although there are a number of meaningful locations from the New Testament that are nearby, however, a dispute remains over whether any of the major figures in the early Church were ever present and involved with the spiritual growth and development there.  Let's see what we can learn about this region and its history. Set in the eastern part of Asia Minor or Anatolia, now known as Turkey, Cappadocia was a large province with several notable attributes.  First among them was the physical appearance of the area - a nearby volca...

Pharisees Key Scripture: Luke 11:39-54 Figures: Nicodemus, Gamaliel, Saul This week we reach one of the most commonly-referenced groups in the Gospels, the Pharisees.  As one of the most important groups in Jewish culture during the first century AD, this group combined political and religious influence through their emphasis on morality.  Although several of Jesus' followers came from among their number, Christ had some of his harshest exchanges with them.  Although they were exceptionally well thought of among the population, the Pharisees are today considered to be unpopular and their ways undesirable.  By studying the history, beliefs, and actions of this group we'll get to understand them a bit better.  Like most of the groups we have studied within Jewish culture, the Pharisees trace their origins back to the time of the Hasmonean dynasty.  They seem to have arisen shortly after the Maccabean Revolt alongside the Sadducees, but were largely made up of...

Zealots Key Scripture: Acts 5:37 Figures: Simon This week, as we move past another major milestone for the site, we're going to study a group that may seem similar to the focus of last week.  Their viewpoints on the social impact of Hellenization may have been similar, but the tactics they employed were vastly different.  Unlike the Essenes, whose practices reflected much in the actions of both Jesus and John the Baptist, the Zealots were much more confrontational and lived by a code that the early church had to reject.  Their actions were a major factor that ultimately led to the fulfillment of one of Jesus' prophecies.  Let's dig into the story of the Zealots. More of a social movement than an actual political party, the Zealots existed during the time of Roman control but could trace their inspiration all the way back to the time of Moses.  During Israel's period of wandering, a plague broke out within the camp due to their Baal worship and immorality, but th...

Another major milestone for the website, and it's both amazing and humbling.  Just 14 months after reaching the 100k mark, we've officially doubled the number of reader clicks.  Thanks to each one of you!  If you haven't had a chance to browse through any of the old topics, just tap on the menu options at the top and you'll see archived pages with each of the subjects I've touched on so far.  It really seems like we're picking up steam these days, so keep coming back each week to see what's new.  I've already got an idea of what we might start next, so in just a few more weeks you can expect for that news to be unleashed.  Here's to 200,000 more! 

Essenes Key Scripture: Colossians 2:16-23 Figures: None... or was there? This week we will look at a group within Jewish society that wasn't really part of society.  By choice, the Essenes tried to avoid the rest of the population by withdrawing to secluded wilderness.  They are not specifically mentioned in the Bible but it is likely they are referenced, and possible that one or more of their members played a role in early church history.  Importantly, they also resurfaced in modern times and have played a significant part in how Christians now understand and believe our own spiritual foundation.  Let's take some time and dive into this reclusive group to see what more we can learn. During the centuries leading up to the birth of Jesus, major upheavals throughout Jewish society birthed numerous groups with varying responses to the rising tide of Hellenism.  While many embraced the new culture and the modern benefits it provided, others vehemently opposed the sp...

Sadducees Key Scripture: Acts 23:8 Figures: Annas, Caiaphas This week we continue our dive into some of the groups within the first-century Jewish community, and once again our focus falls on a political sect.  These are people with whom Jesus and the other players in the Gospel story would have been acquainted, and perhaps even members of their inner circle.  The target this week falls upon the Sadducees, a powerful group of wealthy men who populated the upper echelon of society but who captured the attention of some of the most influential names in the early church for reasons they may not have wanted.  Although there is no historical documentation of their goals and beliefs from their own perspective, we can learn about them from the Bible and secondary sources.  During the period of time that falls between the Old and New Testaments, the Jewish people had to adapt to various changes in governance and politics.  No longer led by their own judges or kings, the...

Herodians Key Scripture: Mark 3:6 Figures: Herod the Great, Archelaus, Antipas, Philip, Agrippa I, Agrippa II This week we're going to deviate a bit from our study of nations in the Bible to begin looking at some people groups within the Jewish nation that played a part in the New Testament story.  As is the case during modern times, not everyone within a particular nation could agree on their philosophy or ultimate societal goals.  Politics existed even in the first century, after all, and exerted influence on the individuals we read about in Scripture.  Sometimes unusual coalitions were formed among those who disagreed when a common enemy appeared, and Jesus Christ led a group that would eventually threaten the positions and authority of a great many civil leaders.  To lead off, we'll investigate a group known as the Herodians. The Jews who existed in the first century AD were under the control of the Roman Empire, but had experienced foreign rule for the majority ...

Samaritans Key Scripture: 2 Kings 17:24 Figures: Sanballat, woman at the well, grateful leper Happy New Year!  At the time of my writing, we have just entered 2025 - amazing to realize that's the quarter pole of the 21st century.  This week we're going to meet a group of people that was created in the wake of Israel's disobedience and who became the target of unmatched animosity from the Hebrew people.  In spite of this, however, the Samaritans also found themselves being specifically targeted by God as part of His redemption story.  We'll look at the origin of this intriguing people group, which tells where they came from and why they were so despised by Jews, as well as how they found their way back into the fold as part of God's chosen people. The city of Samaria was founded by Israel's King Omri, father of the infamous Ahab, when he purchased a hill near the city of Shechem in the northern kingdom from a man named Shemer for about 150 lbs of silver.  Naming ...

Roman Empire Key Scripture: Acts 23:11 Figures: Caesar Augustus, Pontius Pilate, Nero, Aquila and Priscilla First, a quick note: I will be out of the country next week to celebrate my anniversary, so there will be a hiatus until the beginning of January.  I wish you all a very merry Christmas, and may 2025 become your best year ever!  Earlier in our study of biblical nations, we spent time with some of the major empires that ruled over the Hebrew people or that impacted them in significant ways.  You may have noticed that one particular entry was missing, and it's the biggest of them all.  Today, we fill that gap.  Rome, the greatest empire known to western civilization (and possibly the world), was the dominant superpower at the time of Jesus' birth and throughout the entire New Testament.  The empire itself lasted for over 500 years, not to mention the rise and remnants that spanned an additional millennium or more, and it likely has had more researc...

Spaniards Key Scripture: Romans 15:24-28 Figures: none Spain exists at the western extent of the Mediterranean Sea, and for many of the civilizations that surrounded this vital piece of water it represented the edge of the world.  In Scripture, we only get one definite reference to the location, but there are other verses that may well point to this far away point that was seen as an exotic and strange destination.  In each case, it is curious that it also seems to be somewhat unreachable, almost as if God were holding back His people from reaching these distant shores regardless of what their intentions may have been.  Unlike any of the previous locations or civilizations, I have a personal experience with this week's focus that gives it an extra dose of intrigue and appeal to me.  Let's take some time looking into what we know of Spain, and see if we can learn anything new.  The name of Spain only shows up in one chapter of the Bible, as Paul is writing to bel...

Cretans Key Scripture: Titus 1:12 Figures: none As we've been investigating some of the locations mentioned in the New Testament, we arrive this week at an island that is tied to two other nations that we've already investigated.  Today, Crete is the largest and most populated island of Greece, and in a previous study we looked at the possibility that the Philistines were a group that had their origins on the island.  But in the New Testament the apostle Paul found himself on the island, and while the circumstances seemed to be out of his control he still managed to fulfill his lifelong mission.  Let's dig in. The island of Crete, or Caphtor as many early writings suggest it was initially called, has been visited by mankind for as long as they have been travelling the Mediterranean, several millennia before the writings of the New Testament.  Caphtor was descended from Ham's son, Mizraim, who was also the ancestor of the Egyptian people.  Permanent settlements o...

Galatians Key Scripture: Galatians 3:1 Figures: Ethnic - none; resident - Timothy This week we continue looking through the people groups that were visited by Paul, among others, during the time of the New Testament.  The eastern neighbors to last week's focus group are the Galatians, a storied and fascinating people.  Unique among Paul's epistles, his letter to the Galatians was not written to a single city but to a group of churches he had planted.  A number of locations within the region of Galatia are among those he visited alongside Barnabas on his first missionary journey, so it is possible that the letter is the earliest chronological book written by Paul (although many scholars favor a later date that places it closer to the middle of his works).  Regardless of the timing, it is clear that Paul not only encountered the Jewish diaspora within the region but also Gentiles, including the very people who gave the area its name.  It is this ethnic group and t...

Phrygians Key Scripture: Acts 18:23 Figures: Epaphras, Nympha This week we're going to take a turn to the north and look at a different part of the Biblical story.  While the Old Testament narrative focused largely on nations to the south or east of the Promised Land, the story that is told in the New Testament reflects a shift in historical trends towards the north and west.  A land once known as Anatolia played a vital role in the spread of Christianity, and later it was called Asia Minor before carrying its modern name of Turkey.  Controlled by the Greeks before eventually becoming part of Rome, it was populated with a number of different ethnic groups.  To continue our study, we now turn our attention to one of the regions within this important place that was home to a people group known as the Phrygians. The Phrygian people originally came from Europe, and had likely immigrated from the western side of the Black Sea some time during the late 2nd millennium BC....

Phoenicians Key Scripture: Ezekiel 27 Figures: Hiram, Jezebel Throughout their history the descendants of Israel have been a unique society.  They have managed to maintain their special identity in spite of numerous periods of persecution and other challenges, and their insistence upon being different than those around them has regularly set them at odds with other cultures.  One people group that was recorded to have a consistently positive alliance with the Hebrews, however, were the Phoenicians.  Similar to the Philistines, it is possible that they were never a cohesive nation with centralized ruler, but instead spread a vast web of influence throughout the known world from a few cities they controlled along Israel's northern border, such as Tyre and Sidon.  Although we see evidences of their civilization every day in the letters of our alphabet, is there more we can learn about this notable people group? Who were the Phoenicians?  Although they are reference...