Stephanie Landsem's Blog, page 13
April 13, 2014
God’s Feasts or Pagan Practices?
As many of you know, I’ve been busy finishing up the last edits to The Tomb, the last book in The Living Water Series. Thus, I’ve been remiss on posting my Biblical research and historical tidbits. Today, I’m happy to welcome Caryl McAdoo as a guest blogger. She has graciously agreed to tell us about the Jewish feasts as we approach the holiest time of the year in both the Christian and Jewish calendars.
First, a little bit about Caryl:Caryl and her husband Ron—high school sweethearts—live wit...
February 12, 2014
First Kisses, The Thief, and a Valentines Day Story
rose heart on pavement at Pike Place Market
A first kiss is without a doubt the most romantic moment in a love story, whether in a book or real life.
But what if the first kiss isn’t on the lips? What if that first kiss is on the cheek?
Not so romantic?
Not so fast.
A kiss on the cheek can be a great moment in any romance because it is more of a question mark than an exclamation point. What does it mean? Where will it lead? In a book, question marks make us turn the pages faster and stay up all ni...
February 8, 2014
Blog Tour Giveaway
Thanks for coming over to enter my Blog Tour Giveaway. There are lots of ways to get entries. Just enter your email to get started or use your Facebook account. Your personal information won’t be used in any way (unless you sign up for my newsletter and get two entries for that). Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tweet this: Book Release #GiveAway! T...
January 5, 2014
Join the Party: Sign up to Launch The Thief — UPDATED
The Thief
The Thief, the second book in the Living Water Series, launches on in just two short months and I’m looking for your help to make this book a success.
Publishing secret: The first two weeks after a book’s release are VITAL to its publishing success!
For that reason, I’m putting together a launch team for The Thief and I’d like you to be a part of it. To sign up, just click HERE.
What’s in it for you?
Receive a free copy of The Thief a full month before its release
Be the first to hear of...
Join the Party: Sign up to Launch The Thief
The Thief
The Thief, the second book in the Living Water Series, launches on in just two short months and I’m looking for your help to make this book a success.
Publishing secret: The first two weeks after a book’s release are VITAL to its publishing success!
For that reason, I’m putting together a launch team for The Thief and I’d like you to be a part of it. To sign up, just click HERE.
What’s in it for you?
Receive a free copy of The Thief a full month before its release
Be the first to hear of...
December 22, 2013
What animals belong in the Creche?
Given my interest in Biblical history, it’s no surprise that Christmas decorating at my house includes a lot of nativity scenes. We have plenty of candles, sparkling ornaments, and candy canes, but nativity scenes are my favorite and at last count, we had eight sets. In one of my favorite Christmas traditions, my kids buy me a new figure each year to add to my Fontanini nativity. Of course, their favorite pieces to give are the animals. So far, I have donkeys, sheep, camels, oxen and cats.
Fon...
December 6, 2013
Unwed and Pregnant in Ancient Israel?
In our time and culture, unwed mothers are a common and (mostly) accepted reality of life. Unsurprisingly, that was not the case in first century Israel.
Jewish women in ancient Israel were passed from one male authority (their fathers) to another (their husbands) at a very young age. Most were betrothed by the time they were thirteen and married by fourteen.With such early marriages, premarital sex was most likely not common, but it did happen as we can see by the laws set in place in the Old...
November 18, 2013
Advance Copy Giveaway: The Thief
The Thief will release on February 25, 2014, but you can get it almost 3 months before its release date. And the way to get in the contest is simple.
Just sign up for my mailing list. To get my weekly blogs and monthly newsletter, enter your email address right here———————>>>>
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If you’d rather have just my monthly newsletter, that’s fin...
November 4, 2013
From Laxatives to Brain Surgery: Ancient Medical Practices
Wild Poppies, photo by Nandaro
In the Old Testament, illnesses were often God’s punishment for sins: “Yahweh will afflict you with consumption, fever, inflammation, with fiery heat and drought, and with blight and mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish. (Deut. 28:22) Or, as in the case of Job, they were a test given to you by God.
Historians and anthropologists agree that the people of the ancient world had nearly every illness that we have today, plus many more due to lack of sanitatio...
October 24, 2013
What was Ritual Purity in First Century Judaism?
Ancient Mikveh for Full Immersion
As I’ve said in previous posts, I’m in no way a Jewish scholar. Yet learning about the practice of ritual purity can give is a fuller view of what life was like for Jews in Jesus’ time.
Ritual purity was part of daily life of Jews in the first century and is referred to often in both the Old and the New Testament. In my research for The Tomb, the third book in The Living Water Series, I found that ritual purity is still a subject of historical and religious deb...
