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• February 1

  Deborah is the only woman among the judges of Israel. She held court under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel.

  Judg 4:4Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
• February 2

  The Gospel of Mark keeps Jesus’ Aramaic words to Jairus’s daughter, “Talitha koum,” and translates them into Greek: “Little girl, I say to you, get up.”

  Mark 5:41Taking her by the hand, Jesus said, “Talitha koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”
• February 3

  The desert bush Elijah rested under, Hebrew rotem, is usually identified as the white broom, called “juniper” in older Bibles. Its roots make long-burning charcoal.

  1 Kgs 19:4while he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”
• February 4

  Gideon’s army shrank from 32,000 to 10,000 and then to 300 men, who attacked with a ram’s horn in one hand and a torch hidden in a jar in the other.

  Judg 7:16And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each man a ram’s horn in one hand and a large jar in the other, containing a torch.
• February 5

  The Gospel of John describes the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem as having five colonnades. Excavations beside the Church of Saint Anne uncovered two large pools with a dividing wall between them.

  John 5:2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda.
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• February 6

  First Chronicles opens with no story at all — just names: “Adam, Seth, Enosh,” the start of family lists that fill its first nine chapters.

  1 Chr 1:1Adam, Seth, Enosh,
• February 7

  The books of magic burned in public at Ephesus were valued at 50,000 silver coins. With a coin — a drachma — about a day’s wage, that was well over a century of a laborer’s pay.

  Acts 19:19And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
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• February 8

  When the second temple’s foundation was laid, old people who had seen the first temple wept aloud while others shouted for joy, and no one could tell the sounds apart.

  Ezra 3:12–13But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first temple wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple. Still, many others shouted joyfully. The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar.
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• February 9

  From Horeb to Kadesh-barnea was an eleven-day journey. Yet from Kadesh-barnea until Israel crossed the Zered brook, the journey took 38 years.

  Deut 1:2It is an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by way of Mount Seir.
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• February 10

  Rebekah offered to draw water for all 10 of the servant’s camels until they had enough — and a thirsty camel can drink up to about 100 liters.

  Gen 24:19After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.”
  Topic: Camels
• February 11

  Manna looked like coriander seed. People ground it in handmills or crushed it in mortars, then boiled it or made cakes that tasted like pastry baked with oil.

  Num 11:7–8Now the manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of gum resin. The people walked around and gathered it, ground it on a handmill or crushed it in a mortar, then boiled it in a cooking pot or shaped it into cakes. It tasted like pastry baked with fine oil.
  Topic: Food
• February 12

  Naaman, commander of the army of Aram, dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, and his skin became like a little child’s.

  2 Kgs 5:14So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored and became like that of a little child, and he was clean.
• February 13

  The story of King Hezekiah and the Assyrian invasion is told almost word for word in two books, Kings and Isaiah; Chronicles tells it a third time, more briefly.

  Isa 36:1In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.
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• February 14

  The Book of Amos is dated “two years before the earthquake,” and Zechariah still recalls it centuries later. Signs of a strong earthquake of about 760 BC were found at Hazor and other sites.

  Amos 1:1These are the words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, in the days when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.
  Topic: Earthquakes
• February 15

  At the dedication of Solomon’s temple 120 priests blew trumpets, while Levite singers in fine linen played cymbals, harps and lyres, all sounding together as one.

  2 Chr 5:12–13all the Levitical singers—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud
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• February 16

  The theater of Ephesus, where the angry crowd rushed, still stands on the slope of Mount Pion and once seated about 24,000 people.

  Acts 19:29Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
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• February 17

  Partway through Acts, the narrator suddenly switches from “they” to “we” — as Paul sets out from Troas for Macedonia.

  Acts 16:10As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
• February 18

  When an iron axe head flew off into the Jordan, the man cried out that it was borrowed. Iron tools were costly enough to borrow rather than own.

  2 Kgs 6:5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”
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• February 19

  Sarah lived to 127. She died at Hebron in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to mourn and weep for her.

  Gen 23:1Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
• February 20

  Caesarea Philippi stood at the foot of Mount Hermon, by a spring that is one of the sources of the Jordan. Herod’s son Philip rebuilt the town and named it after Caesar.

  Matt 16:13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
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• February 21

  Doves were kept in dovecotes. At Maresha in the Judean lowlands, archaeologists found many cave dovecotes cut in the rock, with thousands of nesting niches.

  Isa 60:8Who are these who fly like clouds, like doves to their shelters?
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• February 22

  Elisha was plowing with 12 teams of oxen when Elijah threw his cloak around him; he slaughtered a pair and cooked the meat over their own plowing gear.

  1 Kgs 19:19–21So Elijah departed and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve teams of oxen, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah passed by him and threw his cloak around him. So Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I will follow you.” “Go on back,” Elijah replied, “for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. With the oxen’s equipment, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.
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• February 23

  Jesus gave Simon the Aramaic name Cephas, which the Gospel translates into Greek as Peter. Both mean “rock.”

  John 1:42Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).
• February 24

  Two short letters of John end almost the same way: the elder has much more to write but would rather not use pen and ink — he hopes to talk face to face.

  3 John 1:13–14I have many things to write to you, but I would prefer not to do so with pen and ink. Instead, I hope to see you soon and speak with you face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send you greetings. Greet each of our friends there by name.
• February 25

  Abraham paid for the cave of Machpelah with silver weighed out by the merchants’ standard: there were no coins yet, and money was metal measured by weight.

  Gen 23:16Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.
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• February 26

  On Paul’s voyage to Rome “the Fast” — the Day of Atonement, in September or October — had already passed, and sailing had become dangerous.

  Acts 27:9By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast. So Paul advised them,
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• February 27

  The Bible calls the same lake by four names: Chinnereth, Gennesaret, the Sea of Galilee and the Sea of Tiberias — the last after the town Herod Antipas built on its shore.

  John 6:1After this, Jesus crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias).
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• February 28

  Benjamin’s army had 700 picked men who could sling a stone at a hair without missing.

  Judg 20:16Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing.
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