Biblical Topics

Biblical Topics

messianic-apocalypse-scroll

Jun 14

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.

Cuneiform tablets from the site of Nuzi in northern Iraq. Zunkir, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jun 13

The Nuzi Tablets

By: Philippe Bohström

Northern Iraq is a landscape steeped in both historical and economic significance. During the early 20th century, international oil consortiums dispatched businessmen, geologists, and engineers […]

Mariotto Albertinelli Jesus

Jun 12

When Was Jesus Born—B.C. or A.D.?

By: Megan Sauter

In which year was Jesus born? While this is sometimes debated, the majority of New Testament scholars place Jesus’ birth in 4 B.C. or before.

A rock-hewn altar carved out of limestone located about a mile from Shiloh. The four corners point to the four directions on a compass (Exodus 27:1-2). Photo: Yoel Elitzur

Jun 12

High Places, Altars and the Bamah

By: Ellen White

The open-air altar shrine, called a bamah (plural bamot), is known through several books of the Biblical canon. Often referred to as “high places” in translations of the Bible, bamot were worship sites that usually contained an altar.

The Apostle Paul by Rembrandt van Rijn (c. 1657). The apostle sits composing his letter, contemplating the sword that stands before him. Public Domain, Creative Commons Zero.

Jun 9

Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh

By: John Drummond

One of the apostle Paul’s most-discussed passages occurs in 2 Corinthians 12. In the span of ten verses, Paul alludes to not one but two […]

qeiyafa-doorway

Jun 8

The Doorways of Solomon’s Temple

By: Megan Sauter

In the Bible, the inner shrine of Solomon’s Temple is described as having five mezuzot. What are they? The question has puzzled Biblical scholars for centuries. Does a recently discovered shrine model from Khirbet Qeiyafa hold the answer?

Dante Inferno

Jun 7

Who Is Satan?

By: John Drummond

Does our modern conception of Satan have any resemblance to the devil in the Bible? Just who is Satan?

Print by Caspar Luyken 1708 depicting Huldah the prophetess prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem. Rijksmuseum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jun 4

Prophetesses in the Bible

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

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 […]

Mary Simeon Anna

May 29

Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First Recognized Jesus as Messiah?

By: Ben Witherington III

Who was the first person to truly recognize Jesus as the messiah and understand the implications? Biblical scholar Ben Witherington III takes a close look at the account given in Luke, and sheds some light on what the Biblical narrative has to say about who was the first to recognize Jesus as the messiah.

Divine Love Conquering Earthly Love by Giovanni Baglione. Public Domain.

May 17

The Nephilim and the Sons of God

By: John Drummond

Sandwiched between the genealogies of Adam’s descendants and the tale of Noah’s flood are a few enigmatic verses that leave many of us scratching our […]

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