BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Top 10 Bible History Daily Posts in 2017

Ring in the new year by looking back

From archaeological evidence confirming the existence of people from the Bible to an eclipse of Biblical proportions, Bible History Daily covered quite a range of topics in the last year! Below, check out our top 10 blog posts published in 2017 that received the most web traffic. Did your favorite post make the cut?

The largest coin struck by King Herod the Great. Photo: Copyright 2010 by David Hendin, from Guide to Biblical Coins, 5th Edition.

#10. New Testament Political Figures: The Evidence
By Lawrence Mykytiuk

Fifty-three people from the Hebrew Bible have been confirmed by archaeology. What about the New Testament? Lawrence Mykytiuk examines the political figures in the New Testament who can be identified in the archaeological record and by extra-Biblical writings.

#9. What Happened to the Canaanites?
By Robin Ngo

For the first time, researchers have conducted DNA sequencing on ancient Canaanite skeletons and have determined where the Canaanites’ descendants can be found today.

#8. August 2017: An Eclipse of Biblical Proportions
By Frederick Baltz

An eclipse of Biblical proportions was visible across the United States on August 21, 2017. Might eclipses, together with the timing of Biblical events, have been interpreted as divine messages and signs?

#7. First Person: Misogyny in the Bible
By Hershel Shanks

According to Christopher Rollston, there are many examples of the marginalization of women in the Bible. Hershel Shanks discusses some of these examples in his First Person column.

#6. James or Jacob in the Bible?
By Mark Wilson

How did the Jewish name Ya’akov, properly translated as Jacob, become James in English versions of the Bible?

The Cenacle in Jerusalem. Photo: Courtesy of David C. Clausen.

#5. Did Jesus’ Last Supper Take Place Above the Tomb of David?
By Marek Dospěl

Jesus’ Last Supper and the Tomb of David are traditionally associated with a building called the Cenacle in Jerusalem. Can archaeology shed light on these traditions?

#4. Who Tells the Truth—the Bible or Archaeology?
By Marek Dospěl

Is the Hebrew Bible a bunch of tales with no value to a historian? Does archaeology hold the keys to truth instead? What are the limitations of both sources of information? Eminent archaeologist William G. Dever attempts to marry archaeology and the Bible.

#3. Understanding Israel’s 10 Commandments
By Shawna Dolansky

Are the 10 Commandments really a moral code, or did the ancients understand them rather as the constitutional basis of a political theocracy?

#2. The Apostle Peter in Rome
By Nicola Denzey Lewis

Nicola Denzey Lewis answers frequently asked questions about the apostle Peter. Denzey Lewis appeared in the CNN series Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery, which aimed to investigate artifacts that shed light on the world in which Jesus lived.

#1. Were Mary and Joseph Married or Engaged at Jesus’ Birth?
By Mark Wilson

Were Mary and Joseph married or engaged when they traveled to Bethlehem? Mark Wilson examines what the gospels say.

Our free eBook Ten Top Biblical Archaeology Discoveries brings together the exciting worlds of archaeology and the Bible! Learn the fascinating insights gained from artifacts and ruins, like the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem, where the Gospel of John says Jesus miraculously restored the sight of the blind man, and the Tel Dan inscription—the first historical evidence of King David outside the Bible.

The runners-up:

How Was the Bible Written During and After the Exile?
By Megan Sauter

Did Archaeologists Really Discover a New Dead Sea Scroll Cave?
By Robert R. Cargill

The Arch of Titus in Color

First Person: Did the Kingdoms of Saul, David and Solomon Actually Exist?
By Hershel Shanks

Alternative Facts: Domitian’s Persecution of Christians
By Mark Wilson

Jesus Before Pilate
By Marek Dospěl

When Was Jesus Born—B.C. or A.D.?
By Megan Sauter