Our days pulse with ordinary activities and experiences. We wash our clothes, download music, and stop at the store to purchase a loaf of bread. We execute our roles in life as firefighters, software technicians, and grandparents. Similar activities filled the lives of those living in Bible times. What was ordinary for them, however, may appear quite extraordinary to us. The notions of winnowing grain, removing one’s footwear during a land purchase, or milking a goat were well known to those living in Bible times. But the very nature of these activities and the connotations linked to them may puzzle contemporary Bible readers. What did an armor-bearer do? What did it mean to be a Pharisee? What social disadvantages were faced by the childless widow? What was the difference between a wife and a concubine? How did people hunt? How were names given? How was someone executed by stoning? How were ancient cities fortified? What was a lot and how was it cast?
I trust that Abraham, Ruth, and Paul were not harmed by their ignorance of twenty-first-century culture, but modern Bible readers can be harmed by their ignorance of the biblical world. That is because the Holy Spirit often guided the inspired authors of the Bible to include mention of practices and customs from their time in this important book. God intends for these cultural images from the past to change us. But the rhetorical impact of the imagery is often muted because of the distance in time and experience between the modern readers of the Bible and its ancient human authors.
The goal of this visual guide is to restore clarity and vitality to those portions of God’s Word that speak of the activities and social stations of the past. Each article discusses the literal realities that attended the activity or role under consideration. This includes the necessary treatment of the cultural connotations linked to it. The article will then illustrate the ways in which the biblical authors used either literal or figurative reference to the idea under discussion as they sought to change and shape us as their readers. You will find these cultural practices from the past to be fascinating on their own. But more importantly, your experiences with these images from daily life will give you fresh interpretive insights that will deepen your understanding of the most important book you will ever read.