Post-Biblical Period
Oct 15
Alternative Facts: Domitian’s Persecution of Christians
By: Mark Wilson
“Alternative facts” and “fake news” are not just a contemporary phenomenon. On occasion ancient writers similarly tried to spin their version of the truth. One such claim was that Roman emperor Domitian was a great persecutor of Christians.
Oct 12
What Is the Bar-Kokhba Revolt?
In the early second century CE, the southern Levant was home to a diverse population of Judeans, Nabataeans, Greeks, Samaritans, and others, whose languages, customs, […]
Sep 27
The Origin of Christianity
By: Noah Wiener
Geza Vermes explores the origin of Christianity by examining the characteristics of the Jewish Jesus movement to see how it developed into a distinctly gentile religion.
Sep 24
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.
Sep 16
Four Early Rabbis You Should Know
By: Elizabeth Shanks Alexander and Abigail Snyder
Following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Judaism underwent a radical transformation. In the wake of the crisis, a new question loomed […]
Aug 26
Where Was the First Council of Nicea?
By: Marek Dospěl
An early promulgation of the new faith, the Nicene Creed is a foundational document for all major Christian denominations. In one of the most consequential […]
Aug 21
Ramat Gan’s Early Islamic Past
Archaeologists have uncovered a planned commercial and industrial complex dating to roughly 1,300 years ago in Ramat Gan, Israel. The site contains straight, intersecting streets, rooms […]
Jul 28
The Nag Hammadi Codices and Gnostic Christianity
By: BAS Staff
Until the discovery of the Nag Hammadi codices in 1945, the Gnostic view of early Christianity had largely been forgotten. The teachings of Gnostic Christianity had been virtually erased from history by the early church fathers.
Jul 20
The Secrets of Huqoq
The ancient Galilean village of Huqoq has emerged as one of the region’s most remarkable archaeological sites, offering an extraordinary window into Jewish life during […]
Jul 6
How Rabbis Became Experts
By: Elizabeth Shanks Alexander
How Rabbis Became Experts Social Circles and Donor Networks in Jewish Late Antiquity By Krista N. Dalton (Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press, 2025), 264 pp.; $39.95 […]
