How was the Bema used in the ancient Olympic games?
In the ancient Olympics, the Bema was a raised platform where judges sat to determine who won first, second, and third in races. It functioned as the seat of judgment, a place where a person in authority issued decrees. The platform was about twelve to eighteen inches high.
Les teaches that the Bema seat, as seen in ancient Corinth, was a raised platform roughly 12 to 18 inches high. In the Olympics, the judges' seat was a raised platform where the judges determined who won first, second, and third in the races. But more broadly, the Bema was simply the place where a person in authority would make the decree. He connects this to II Corinthians chapter 5, where Paul uses the term.