Baptist Bible Institute

Lesson Six, Section Two

Manners and customs of Bible lands

This study will introduce, or reinforce, the importance of understanding the Land, Cities, Towns, and Villages in the culture of the Bible times.  Please use the Scripture references as beginning points for the study of each heading.

II.  Cities, towns, and villages.

Note on the land.

    1.  Bias for the land.  The general outlook of the Jews.

      a.  They view their land as holy, although it is only called this once.  Zechariah 2:12

      b.  They view all other land as heathen, even the dust being unclean.  Matthew 15:21-26

      c.  When Jews acted like the heathen, the dust of their homes or villages was considered

           as a heathen land and was unclean.  Matthew 10:14

    2.  Bias in the land.

      a.  Jerusalem – the House of God, the centre of learning.

      b.  Surrounding areas – country people: unlearned, lower class. 

           Matthew 21:23; Luke 18:11; Acts 4:13

  A.  Walls

Leviticus 25:29-31  And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it. And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile. But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubilee.

2 Chronicles 8:5  Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

  B.  Gates.

    1.  Security

Nehemiah 13:19  And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

    2.  Judgment

Deuteronomy 16:18  Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

Ruth 4:1  Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

2 Samuel 18:24  And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

In 1834 I resided for several months in this city, and, to pass away the time, frequently came out, in the afternoon, ” to the gate through the city, and prepared my seat in the street.” There the governor, the kady, and the elders of the people assembled daily, ” in a void place,” and held an extemporaneous divan, at which affairs of every kind were discussed and settled with the least possible ceremony. But recently from America, I was greatly amused with this novel open-air court, conducted amidst the din, confusion, and uproar of a thronged gate-way— men, women, and children jostling each other ; horses prancing, camels growling, donkeys braying, as they passed in and out of the gate ; but nothing could interrupt the proceedings, or disturb the judicial gravity of the Court.  H. Thompson The Land and the Book

  C.  Towers

    1.  Place of identification

Genesis 11:4  And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

    2.  Place of security.

Judges 9:51  But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.

2 Chronicles 26:15  And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.

  D.  Streets and Markets

    1.  Place of selling, buying, and social interaction.

Matthew 11:16-17  But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

Acts 17:17  Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

    2.  Meeting place

      a.  Travellers     Judges 19:15-21 

Matthew 10:11-14  And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

      b.  Workers

Matthew 20:3  And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

III.  Property.

  A.  Measurements, lots, and landmarks. 

Deuteronomy 19:14  Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

  B.  Purchasing   Genesis 23:3-20

Jeremiah 32:9-12  And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

  C.  Inheritance.

1 Kings 21:1-3  And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

Leviticus 25:23  The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.

IV.  Water supply.

Importance – life itself.  Genesis 21:25,30; 26:19-25;  Exodus 17:6-8

  A.  Wells and cisterns.  2 Samuel 17:18,19; 2 Kings 18:31; Jeremiah 2:13; John 4

…method is common in this land of Philistia, which I have also seen on the plains of Central Syria. A large buffalo-skin is so attached to cords that, when let down into the well, it opens and is instantly filled, and, being drawn up, it closes so as to retain the water. The rope by which it is hoisted to the top works over a wheel, and is drawn by oxen, mules, or camels, that walk directly from the well to the length of the rope, and then return, only to repeat the operation until a sufficient quantity of water is raised. This, also, is a very successful mode of drawing water.  The Land and the Book

  B.  Springs 2 Kings 2:21

  C.  Reservoirs

2 Kings 20:20  And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?