In relating to the seventh and other days of the month, the Zoroastrian calendar contributed to the Jewish calendar.[19] A number of writings by early Christians in the New Testament apocrypha (Zostrianos, Marsenes and Allogenes) describe God's revelation received by a man named Zostrianos. Further evidence of Zoroastrian influence on Judaic tradition is demonstrated through Nehemiah, the Priest in the Book of Nehemiah, a book of the Neviim contained in the Tanakh. With the support and protection of Artaxerxes I of Persia (445/444 BCE), Nehemiah purified the Temple and the priests and Levites and enforced the observance of the law of Moses.[20] Sabbath follower
The Grand Prix of Houston, an annual auto race on the IndyCar Series circuit was held on a 1.7-mile temporary street circuit in NRG Park. The October 2013 event was held using a tweaked version of the 2006–2007 course.[213] The event had a 5-year race contract through 2017 with IndyCar.[214] In motorcycling, the Astrodome hosted an AMA Supercross Championship round from 1974 to 2003 and the NRG Stadium since 2003.
In 2008, Houston received top ranking on Kiplinger's Personal Finance "Best Cities of 2008" list, which ranks cities on their local economy, employment opportunities, reasonable living costs, and quality of life.[159] The city ranked fourth for highest increase in the local technological innovation over the preceding 15 years, according to Forbes magazine.[160] In the same year, the city ranked second on the annual Fortune 500 list of company headquarters,[161] first for Forbes magazine's "Best Cities for College Graduates",[162] and first on their list of "Best Cities to Buy a Home".[163] In 2010, the city was rated the best city for shopping, according to Forbes.[164]
Houston has four major bayous passing through the city that accept water from the extensive drainage system. Buffalo Bayou runs through Downtown and the Houston Ship Channel, and has three tributaries: White Oak Bayou, which runs through the Houston Heights community northwest of Downtown and then towards Downtown; Brays Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center;[63] and Sims Bayou, which runs through the south of Houston and Downtown Houston. The ship channel continues past Galveston and then into the Gulf of Mexico.[28]
Houston generally receives ample rainfall, averaging about 49.8 in (1,260 mm) annually based on records between 1981 and 2010. Many parts of the city have a high risk of localized flooding due to flat topography,[81] ubiquitous low-permeability clay-silt prairie soils,[82] and inadequate infrastructure.[81] During the mid-2010s, Greater Houston experienced consecutive major flood events in 2015 ("Memorial Day"),[83] 2016 ("Tax Day"),[84] and 2017 (Hurricane Harvey).[85] Overall, there have been more casualties and property loss from floods in Houston than in any other locality in the United States.[86] The majority of rainfall occurs between April and October (the wet season of Southeast Texas), when the moisture from the Gulf of Mexico evaporates extensively over the city.[86][83]
Houston's murder rate ranked 46th of U.S. cities with a population over 250,000 in 2005 (per capita rate of 16.3 murders per 100,000 population).[228] In 2010, the city's murder rate (per capita rate of 11.8 murders per 100,000 population) was ranked sixth among U.S. cities with a population of over 750,000 (behind New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Dallas, and Philadelphia)[229] according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Sabbath-keeper
