Published inILLUMINATION·18 hours agoMember-onlyHistory of Maundy ThursdayShere or Green Thursday? — Amid the bustle of Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter, Maundy Thursday is easy to overlook. Few calendars label it, and some churches don’t observe it at all, though it may be the oldest of the Holy Week observances. …Maundy Thursday4 min readMaundy Thursday4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·1 day agoMember-onlyHistory of Holy Wednesday: Why was it called Spy Wednesday?Good and Holy Wednesday, too — The Wednesday of Passion Week — called “Passion” from the Latin passio, meaning suffering — is called Holy Wednesday. Alternatively, it is called Good Wednesday in the Western Church or Great and Holy Wednesday in the Eastern Church. It was previously called Spy Wednesday and was about Judas Iscariot. That…Holy Wednesday3 min readHoly Wednesday3 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·2 days agoMember-onlyHistory of Easter: The SanhedrinWho Was This Council — The Greek word Συνέδριον, sunedrion, means literally “sitting together” and is usually translated as “council.” It is referred to in the New Testament alternately as “the Great Law-Court,” “the Court of Seventy-One,” and “the rulers and elders and scribes.” It was the supreme theocratic court of the Jews. The Sanhedrin…Sanhedrin4 min readSanhedrin4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·4 days agoMember-onlyHistory of Palm SundayHow it Starts Holy Week — The week we now call Holy Week or Passion Week starts this weekend with Palm Sunday. …Palm Sunday5 min readPalm Sunday5 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·5 days agoMember-onlyHistory of Herod AntipasWhy Jesus Called Him “That Fox” — Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great (whom we met in the Christmas story) and Malthake. After his father died in 4 B.C., he was made tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea in the Trans-Jordan area of Palestine, which he ruled as a client state of the Roman Empire. King Herod The Great His portrayal in Matthew’s Gospel may have had a grain of truth to itmedium.comHerod Antipas3 min readHerod Antipas3 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·5 days agoMember-onlyHistory of PurimThe Story of Esther — Purim, or “lots,” is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation during the Achaemenid Empire, around five centuries before Christ, as recounted in the Old Testament Book of Esther. This was during the reign of the Persian King Ahasuerus. It is celebrated today as…Purim6 min readPurim6 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·6 days agoMember-onlyHistory of Easter: Historical ClimateAs Passion Week begins next weekend, what was the historical climate of Easter Week almost 2,000 years ago surrounding the last week of the life of Jesus of Nazareth? He was a man “born to die,” not just in the ordinary sense but also in some unique sense. …Easter3 min readEaster3 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Mar 21, 2024Member-onlyHistory of Pontius PilateHis Background Before Good Friday — The Roman governor who presided over Jesus’s trial and ordered his crucifixion had a complex background. The name Pontius Pilate provides two valuable clues to his background and ancestry. The family name, Pontius, was that of a prominent clan among the Samnites, hill cousins of the Latin Romans. They had…Pontius Pilate4 min readPontius Pilate4 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Mar 20, 2024Member-onlyScience of the SpringWhat is the Vernal Equinox? — In Colorado, we have a saying: we begin the first day of Spring in the same way we began the Fall: with snow. This symmetry is relevant, as the beginning of Spring and Fall coincide with the Equinox. …Spring2 min readSpring2 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Mar 20, 2024Member-onlyHistory of St. Joseph’s DayWhy not more popular? — Today, March 19, is Saint Joseph’s Day, or the Feast of St. Joseph. It is celebrated by the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches worldwide. The terms feast and festival are often used interchangeably and often refer to a religious holiday. What is the history of the holiday and Joseph…Saint Joseph5 min readSaint Joseph5 min read