Biblical Topics
Jun 10
The Dead Cities of Christian Syria
By: Marek Dospěl
“Nestled amid the hills and valleys of the rugged limestone highlands of the Aleppo Plateau in northwest Syria stand the remains of ancient towns and […]
Jun 4
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament
By: Megan Sauter
What do the Dead Sea Scrolls say about Jesus? What do they say about the world in which Jesus lived? In BAR, James C. VanderKam examines the overlap between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament.
Jun 3
Were Early Christians Class Conscious?
In the New Testament, community is central to Christianity. In Acts, believers devote themselves to shared teaching, prayer, and the breaking of bread, while also […]
Jun 1
Prophetesses in the Bible
Although often overshadowed by their male counterparts, prophetesses in the Bible play an important role. Yet, their role does not always match our common understandings […]
May 29
From Noah’s Dove to the Holy Spirit
Hot take: Pigeons are the most berated animal of all time. Our ancestors domesticated these rock-dwelling birds, for example using them as messengers and food. […]
May 26
What Is Coptic and Who Were the Copts in Ancient Egypt?
By: Megan Sauter
When did the ancient Egyptians stop writing in hieroglyphs, and what came next? From the fourth to ninth centuries C.E., Egypt was predominantly Christian. During this time, the language used by the masses was Coptic.
May 26
Comparing Ancient Biblical Manuscripts
By: BAS Staff
Until it was damaged and partially lost, the Aleppo Codex was considered to be the “crown” of ancient Biblical manuscripts, and was the version of the Hebrew Bible that was ultimately considered the most authoritative text in Judaism. Its loss was an enormous blow to Jewish scholarship. However, another complete codex still exists: The Leningrad Codex. How does it compare to its more distinguished cousin?
May 26
Sardinia’s Warrior Giants
On the island of Sardinia, west of the Italian peninsula, a necropolis was found with pit graves and towering limestone figures in fragments in the […]
May 25
Alexandria Beyond Its Lighthouse
Rescue excavations in the Muharram Bek neighborhood of central Alexandria, Egypt, have uncovered a remarkable sequence of architectural remains spanning the Ptolemaic, Roman, and Byzantine […]
May 23
Jesus as Lord of the Dance
By: Paul Dilley
The apocryphal Acts of John describe the dance of Jesus and the apostles. How widespread was the ritual of dance in Christian worship?
