New Testament Reference

What this book is

A plain-language reference to the people, groups, places, and everyday life a reader meets in the New Testament — written so that you can understand who the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, Herods, and Romans were, where the Gospel story happened, and what daily life looked like, and then return to the Bible with greater understanding.

Scripture is paraphrased with references; the ESV is the primary translation. The thirteen group entries keep their earlier research and wording; the added material on rulers, places, and daily life was rewritten from the earlier flipbook Walking With Jesus and His Apostles, with the biblical passages checked. Illustrations are AI-assisted representative reconstructions, not recorded portraits or exact plans.

What is inside

• Pharisees (pp. 4–5)
• Scribes (pp. 6–7)
• Sadducees (pp. 8–9)
• Chief Priests (pp. 10–11)
• Elders (pp. 12–13)
• Priests and Levites (pp. 14–15)
• Herodians (pp. 16–17)
• Zealots (pp. 18–19)
• Samaritans (pp. 20–21)
• Galileans (pp. 22–23)
• Tax Collectors (pp. 24–25)
• Common People (pp. 26–27)
• Hellenists (pp. 28–29)
• Paul — introduction, timeline, and letters (pp. 30–33)
• Pontius Pilate (pp. 34–35)
• Which Herod? (pp. 36–39)
• The Temple and sanctuary (pp. 40–41)
• The synagogue (pp. 42–43)
• The Sanhedrin (pp. 44–45)
• Rome and its rulers (pp. 46–47)
• Soldiers and Roman citizenship (pp. 48–49)
• Regions and waters (pp. 50–53)
• Places in the Gospel story (pp. 54–57)
• Homes, meals, and hospitality (pp. 58–61)

Plus a Scripture index, an alphabetical quick index, and present-day photographs of the Sea of Galilee, Gethsemane, and the approach to the Temple.

Scripture covered in this book

Every passage below is discussed in the book; the entry it belongs to follows each reference. References open in the ESV at Blue Letter Bible.

Exodus

Exodus 20:8-11 — The synagogue
Exodus 25:10-22 — The Temple and sanctuary
Exodus 26:33-35 — The Temple and sanctuary
Exodus 28:1 — The Temple and sanctuary

Leviticus

Leviticus 16:2-17 — The Temple and sanctuary

Numbers

Numbers 3:5-13 — Priests and Levites
Numbers 15:38-40 — Pharisees
Numbers 18:1-7 — Priests and Levites

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 22:8 — Homes, meals, and hospitality

2 Kings

2 Kings 17:24-41 — Samaritans

Matthew

Matthew 2:1-18 — Places in the Gospel story
Matthew 2:19-23 — Places in the Gospel story
Matthew 2:22-23 — Which Herod?
Matthew 2:22-23 — Regions and waters
Matthew 3:13-17 — Regions and waters
Matthew 4:12-17 — Regions and waters
Matthew 4:13 — Galileans
Matthew 4:13-25 — Galileans
Matthew 4:13 — Places in the Gospel story
Matthew 4:18-23 — Galileans
Matthew 2:1-23 — Which Herod?
Matthew 4:25 — Regions and waters
Matthew 2:1 — Regions and waters
Matthew 5:15 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Matthew 8:5-13 — Soldiers and Roman citizenship
Matthew 26:57-68 — The Sanhedrin
Matthew 9:9-13 — Tax Collectors
Matthew 26:69-73 — Galileans
Matthew 9:35-36 — Common People
Matthew 27:1-2 — Pontius Pilate
Matthew 21:31-32 — Tax Collectors
Matthew 27:1-2 — The Sanhedrin
Matthew 23:2 — Scribes
Matthew 27:2 — Rome and its rulers
Matthew 23:5 — Pharisees
Matthew 27:27-37 — Soldiers and Roman citizenship
Matthew 23:23-28 — Pharisees
Matthew 27:50-51 — The Temple and sanctuary
Matthew 26:3-5 — Chief Priests
Matthew 26:3-5 — Elders
Matthew 26:53 — Soldiers and Roman citizenship
Matthew 26:57 — The Sanhedrin

Mark

Mark 1:16-20 — Regions and waters
Mark 1:21-28 — The synagogue
Mark 1:21-28 — Places in the Gospel story
Mark 2:1-12 — Places in the Gospel story
Mark 2:1-12 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Mark 2:5-12 — Scribes
Mark 6:17-18 — Which Herod?
Mark 2:15-17 — Pharisees
Mark 7:1-8 — Scribes
Mark 2:15-17 — Scribes
Mark 7:6-13 — Pharisees
Mark 2:15-17 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Mark 11:15-18 — Chief Priests
Mark 2:16 — Scribes
Mark 11:27-28 — Chief Priests
Mark 3:1-6 — Pharisees
Mark 12:13-17 — Herodians
Mark 3:1-6 — Herodians
Mark 12:18-27 — Sadducees
Mark 4:35-41 — Regions and waters
Mark 12:28-34 — Scribes
Mark 5:20 — Regions and waters
Mark 12:38 — Scribes
Mark 5:21-43 — The synagogue
Mark 14:14-15 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Mark 5:22 — The synagogue
Mark 15:1-15 — Chief Priests
Mark 6:14-29 — Which Herod?

Luke

Luke 1:5-13 — Priests and Levites
Luke 2:1-20 — Places in the Gospel story
Luke 4:16 — The synagogue
Luke 2:41 — Common People
Luke 4:16-30 — The synagogue
Luke 2:41-49 — The Temple and sanctuary
Luke 4:16-21 — Places in the Gospel story
Luke 2:41-49 — Regions and waters
Luke 4:20 — The synagogue
Luke 2:41-49 — Places in the Gospel story
Luke 4:22-30 — Places in the Gospel story
Luke 3:1 — Pontius Pilate
Luke 4:28-30 — Galileans
Luke 3:1 — Which Herod?
Luke 6:13-16 — Zealots
Luke 3:1 — Rome and its rulers
Luke 7:1-5 — Elders
Luke 3:12-13 — Tax Collectors
Luke 7:36-38 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Luke 4:16 — Galileans
Luke 7:44 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Luke 4:16-21 — The synagogue
Luke 10:25-37 — Priests and Levites
Luke 10:25-37 — Samaritans
Luke 23:6-12 — Rome and its rulers
Luke 10:38 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Luke 23:8-11 — Pontius Pilate
Luke 10:38-42 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Luke 23:12 — Pontius Pilate
Luke 15:8 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Luke 23:13-25 — Pontius Pilate
Luke 18:9-14 — Tax Collectors
Luke 19:1-2 — Tax Collectors
Luke 23:13-25 — Rome and its rulers
Luke 19:5-10 — Tax Collectors
Luke 19:28-48 — Places in the Gospel story
Luke 22:7-20 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Luke 23:6-7 — Pontius Pilate
Luke 23:6-12 — Which Herod?
Luke 23:6-7 — Rome and its rulers

John

John 1:19-25 — Priests and Levites
John 3:1-2 — Pharisees
John 4:4-42 — Regions and waters
John 4:5-6 — Places in the Gospel story
John 4:9 — Samaritans
John 4:20-26 — Samaritans
John 4:39-42 — Samaritans
John 18:28-32 — The Sanhedrin
John 4:39-42 — Regions and waters
John 19:10-11 — Rome and its rulers
John 6:14-15 — Common People
John 19:39-40 — Pharisees
John 6:60-69 — Common People
John 20:1-18 — Places in the Gospel story
John 7:45-49 — Common People
John 7:50-52 — Galileans
John 10:40 — Regions and waters
John 13:1-17 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
John 13:3-17 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
John 13:23 — Homes, meals, and hospitality

Acts

Acts 1:8 — Places in the Gospel story
Acts 2:4-11 — Galileans
Acts 4:1-3 — Sadducees
Acts 4:1-6 — Chief Priests
Acts 4:5-18 — Scribes
Acts 4:18 — Chief Priests
Acts 5:17 — Sadducees
Acts 9:26-30 — Places in the Gospel story
Acts 5:17-18 — Sadducees
Acts 9:28-30 — Hellenists
Acts 5:27-40 — The Sanhedrin
Acts 10 — Soldiers and Roman citizenship
Acts 10:1-2 — Soldiers and Roman citizenship
Acts 5:37 — Zealots
Acts 10:9 — Homes, meals, and hospitality
Acts 6:1 — Hellenists
Acts 11:25-26 — Paul
Acts 6:1-7 — Hellenists
Acts 12:1-19 — Which Herod?
Acts 6:7 — Chief Priests
Acts 12:4-6 — Soldiers and Roman citizenship
Acts 8:1-3 — Paul
Acts 12:20-24 — Which Herod?
Acts 15:1-35 — Paul
Acts 22:3 — Places in the Gospel story
Acts 15:5-11 — Pharisees
Acts 22:25-29 — Soldiers and Roman citizenship
Acts 15:21 — The synagogue
Acts 22:27-28 — Paul
Acts 15:36-18:22 — Paul
Acts 22:28 — Paul
Acts 17:1-4 — The synagogue
Acts 22:28 — Soldiers and Roman citizenship
Acts 18:23-21:17 — Paul
Acts 23:1-10 — The Sanhedrin
Acts 20:17 — Elders
Acts 23:6-9 — The Sanhedrin
Acts 20:28 — Elders
Acts 23:8 — Pharisees
Acts 21:17-36 — Places in the Gospel story
Acts 23:8 — Sadducees
Acts 21:27-28:31 — Paul
Acts 23:9 — Scribes
Acts 22:3-5 — Paul
Acts 25:1-12 — Which Herod?
Acts 22:3 — Paul
Acts 25:1-13 — Rome and its rulers
Acts 25:6-12 — Soldiers and Roman citizenship
Acts 25:13-26:32 — Which Herod?

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15:1-10 — Paul

Galatians

Galatians 1:15-24 — Paul

Philippians

Philippians 3:4-9 — Pharisees
Philippians 3:4-11 — Paul
Philippians 3:5-6 — Paul
Philippians 3:5 — Paul

2 Timothy

2 Timothy 4:6-8 — Paul

Titus

Titus 1:5-9 — Elders

Hebrews

Hebrews 9:4 — The Temple and sanctuary
Hebrews 9:6-7 — The Temple and sanctuary
Hebrews 10:19-22 — The Temple and sanctuary
Hebrews 13:2 — Homes, meals, and hospitality

1 Peter

1 Peter 5:1-4 — Elders

Topics

Chief PriestsCommon PeopleEldersGalileansHellenistsHerodiansHomes, meals, and hospitalityPaulPhariseesPlaces in the Gospel storyPontius PilatePriests and LevitesRegions and watersRome and its rulersSadduceesSamaritansScribesSoldiers and Roman citizenshipTax CollectorsThe SanhedrinThe Temple and sanctuaryThe synagogueWhich Herod?Zealots