A woman who had given birth to a son was ceremonially "unclean". This meant she was unable to enter the temple for worship for seven days or until the circumcision of the child. Then for 33 more days she was not allowed to come into the sanctuary. After 40 days she needed to come to the temple and be purified by offerings prescribed by Jewish law. And so, according to these commands, Mary and...

The Question: What is the nature of the afterlife destinations mentioned in the Bible? Key Verses & Explanation: John 14:2-3 (Heaven as a Place): "My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I...

For he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." The Bible tells us that the creation and our conscience are two different ways we can use to find God (Romans 1:19-20). Yes, we can discern that an intelligent and powerful being designed and created this universe, and our conscience helps us understand that this God, creator of humans, is a moral...

66 books (39 in the Old Testament, 27 in the New Testament). Note: Catholic and Orthodox Bibles include additional books in the Old Testament, often called the Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical books, totaling 73 or more.