Who was Moses? Was he more than an Exodus hero? Discover the Biblical Moses with Peter Machinist in his article “The Man Moses.” Read more…
People & Cultures in the Bible
Groups of people and cultures in the Bible such as the Israelites, the Egyptians, the Samaritans, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, as well as Biblical figures such as Adam, Eve, Moses, Rachel, Sarah, Mary the mother of Jesus, Joseph the father of Jesus, John the Baptist, and the disciples of Jesus.
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Who Was Moses? Was He More than an Exodus Hero?
• 03/23/2019
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Women of the Ancient Near East: Julia Berenice
• 03/19/2019
Meet Julia Berenice: queen of Judea, political operator in a Roman arena, and lover of Titus—the destroyer of Jerusalem. Read more…
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Lydia and Tabitha in the Bible
• 03/08/2019
While the majority of the leaders of the early Christian church were men, the New Testament describes several prominent women leaders as well. Teresa Calpino analyzes two of these women—Tabitha Read more…
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Who Was Thecla?
• 03/07/2019
The leading lady of the apocryphal work the Acts of Thecla may not be a well-known figure today, but nearly every early Christian knew her name. Read more…
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Anna in the Bible
• 03/06/2019
Anna is one of the Bible’s most unusual women. Introduced at the end of the Birth Narrative (Luke 1:1-2:40), Anna concludes the sextet of named, pious Israelites surrounding the miraculous Read more…
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Cain and Abel in the Bible
• 02/23/2019
World-renowned author and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel reflects on the Biblical figures Cain and Abel in a Supporting Roles column for Bible Review. Read more…
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Abraham and Lot in the Bible
• 02/11/2019
Ancient interpreters frequently painted Lot as greedy and unscrupulous—a foil to Abraham’s righteousness. Read more…
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Judith: A Remarkable Heroine, Part 2
• 02/09/2019
This article continues Robin Gallaher Branch’s earlier post discussing the character Judith, the remarkable heroine of the book bearing her name. Read more…
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Judith: A Remarkable Heroine
• 02/09/2019
The Book of Judith presents a truly remarkable heroine. Judith is introduced as a devout, shapely, beautiful and wealthy widow who exhibits characteristics equal to those of Israel’s finest warriors. Read more…
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Seth in the Bible
• 02/07/2019
In the story of the first man and the first woman, we are intrigued by a character about whom we are told very little. Read more…
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Nehemiah—The Man Behind the Wall
• 02/05/2019
Few people are familiar with the Biblical figure Nehemiah, and yet he was instrumental in the rebuilding and reestablishment of Jerusalem in the fifth century B.C. following the Babylonian exile. Read more…
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King Hezekiah in the Bible: Royal Seal of Hezekiah Comes to Light
• 01/26/2019
For the first time, the royal seal of King Hezekiah in the Bible has been found in an archaeological excavation. Read more…
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Herod the Great and the Herodian Family Tree
• 01/10/2019
See a visualization of the Herodian family tree and key events in the New Testament related to members of the Herodian family. Read more…
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New Testament Political Figures: The Evidence
• 01/03/2019
Archaeology has confirmed 53 people from the Hebrew Bible. What about the New Testament? In BAR, Lawrence Mykytiuk examines the political figures in the New Testament who can be identified Read more…
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How December 25 Became Christmas
• 12/25/2018
Theological scholar Andrew McGowan examines how December 25 came to be associated with the birthday of Jesus and became Christmas, a holiday celebrated by Christians around the world. Read more…
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Bible Scholar Brent Landau Asks “Who Were the Magi?”
• 12/23/2018
A lost Syriac manuscript, the Revelation of the Magi, translated into English by Bible scholar Brent Landau, may help answer that key question from the Christmas story: “Who were the Read more…
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Why Did the Magi Bring Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh?
• 12/21/2018
Were the gifts of the magi meant to save Jesus from the pain of arthritis? It’s possible, according to researchers at Cardiff University in Wales who have been studying the Read more…
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Christmas Stories in Christian Apocrypha
• 12/19/2018
The modern Christmas nativity scene is drawn from apocryphal texts in addition to the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke. Read more…
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Has the Childhood Home of Jesus Been Found?
• 12/18/2018
The childhood home of Jesus may have been found underneath the Sisters of Nazareth Convent in Nazareth, Israel, according to archaeologist Ken Dark. Read more…
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Who Was Jesus’ Biological Father?
• 12/17/2018
Was Joseph Jesus’ biological father? If not, who was Jesus’ biological father? Andrew Lincoln examines what early Christians thought about conception and explains how views about this subject have changed Read more…
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When Was Jesus Born—B.C. or A.D.?
• 12/12/2018
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. This begs the question: How Read more…
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Where Was Jesus Born?
• 12/09/2018
If Jesus was born in Bethlehem, why is he called a Nazorean and a Galilean throughout the New Testament? Philip J. King addresses this question in his Biblical Views column. Read more…
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Herod’s Death, Jesus’ Birth and a Lunar Eclipse
• 12/08/2018
Read letters published in the Q&C section of BAR debating the dates of Herod’s death, Jesus’ birth and to which lunar eclipse Josephus was referring. Read more…
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The Three Magi
• 12/01/2018
Bearing gifts for the infant Jesus, the three wise men from the east traversed afar to reach Bethlehem. What do we really know about the magi, who are so central Read more…
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Biblical Pharisees and Jewish Halakhah
• 11/29/2018
Were the Biblical Pharisees really as bad as the New Testament makes them seem? Professor Roland Deines of the University of Nottingham thinks not. Read more…
