The Prison of No Escape
So let us come boldly to the very
throne of God and stay there to
receive his mercy and to find grace to
help us in our times of need.
Hebrews 4:16
The Facts, Please!
• Ancient prisons were places of horror. They were
gloomy, crude, rat-infested dungeons. They were dirty
and had no proper ventilation.
Some prisons were so
cramped and small that
the prisoner could not
even stand up straight.
http://www.biblicaltravels.com/ct_brochure_Greece_Spr_02.htm
The Facts, Please!
• At first, the most common
types of prisons were
natural pits or caves.
Cisterns, if there was no
water in them, were
sometimes used. Later,
there were man-made
prison houses.
http://www.biblicaltravels.com/ct_brochure_Greece_Spr_02.htm
The Facts, Please!
• In New Testament times, when the Romans ruled
Palestine, prisons were often part of the
government headquarters or of a king’s palace.
http://www.padfield.com/italy/Rome_1/pages/Mamertine%20Prison_5.html
Mamertine
Prison
This is believed to be
the place where both
Peter and Paul were
imprisoned in Rome
http://www.scholarscorner.com/museums/mamertin.htm
The Facts, Please!
• Roman guards were responsible to see that their
prisoners didn’t escape. If they did, the guards
could lose their lives.
• The King Herod of this story (the grandson of the
Herod who tried to kill Baby Jesus) hated
Christians and tried to get rid of them.
Bible Story:
Peter Escapes from the
“Prison of No Escape”
Acts 12:1-19
Match-Up:
A Cry for God’s Help
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
When David was in great need, he
called on
He told the Lord about his
In his path, enemies had set a
Who cared what happened to him? He
said there was
He said that the Lord was his
He asked God to rescue him from his
persecutors, for they were too
He wanted God to bring him out of his
no one
refuge
prison
troubles
snare (trap)
the Lord
strong