apostle paul

apostle paul Latest

A Latin inscription engraved in stone, dated to the late 40s C.E., from Perga. Photo: Mark Wilson

May 14 Blog

Who Were the Galatians in the Bible?

Galatia refers to a region in north central Turkey; Ankara, the capital of modern Turkey, was once a major Galatian city (Ancyra). The name of Galatia is derived from the 20,000 Gauls who settled in the region in 278 B.C.E. More than two centuries later, in 25 B.C.E., the area became a Roman province and was extended to the south. In Paul’s day, the new province included the regions of Pisidia, Phrygia, and Lycaonia. Scholars often refer to these new, southern regions as “south Galatia” and to geographic Galatia as “north Galatia.”

May 2 Blog

Galatians 3:28—Neither Jew nor Greek, Slave nor Free, Male and Female

By: Karin Neutel

In her Biblical Views column in BAR, Biblical scholar Karin Neutel examines Paul’s vision for how we would live together in an ideal society.

Temple A at Laodicea, Turkey. Photo: © Mark R. Fairchild, Huntington University

Mar 12 Blog

The Church of Laodicea in the Bible and Archaeology

By: Megan Sauter

Laodicea was a wealthy city in western Turkey that flourished for centuries. Why does the author of the Book of Revelation call the church of Laodicea “lukewarm”—neither hot nor cold? Recent excavations at the site might provide the answer.

“The Spill of Paul” by Italian painter Parmigianino. Credit: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Bilddatenbank {{PD-US-expired}}

Jan 6 Blog

When Did Saul Become Paul?

By: John Drummond

It is arguable that other than Jesus himself, no one has been more influential on the development of Christianity than the apostle Paul. One can […]

The Ravenna mosaic of Jesus. Photo: Sant’Apollinare Nuovo Ravenna, Italy/Bridgeman Images

Dec 16 Blog

Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible

By: Lawrence Mykytiuk

Did Jesus of Nazareth, “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5), really exist? What’s the evidence outside of the Bible? Classical and Jewish writings from the first several centuries C.E. give us a glimpse of the person who would become the central figure in Christianity mere decades after his crucifixion.

Paul and the Slave Girl, oil painting dates to c. 1860 and appears outside the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome. Photo: Richard Stracke/CC by-NC-SA 3.0

Nov 16 Blog

Paul and the Slave Girl in Philippi

By: Megan Sauter

Some may be surprised that a passage in the Bible has a connection to Python from Greek mythology.

Aerial photo of a cross-shaped marble baptistry at the fourth-century church in Laodicea, Turkey. Photo: Dr. Celal Şimşek/Laodikeia excavation.

Nov 13 Blog

When Did Christianity Begin to Spread?

By: BAS Staff

How old is Christianity? Churches are among Biblical archaeology findings that hold the answer.

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 Blog

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 […]

Cover of the November/December 2010 issue of BAR juxtaposes two artistic representations of Jesus’ face. Photo: BBC Photo Library (left); Mosaic of Jesus from Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey/Photo by Pavle Marjanovic (right).

Jun 3 Blog

What Did Jesus Really Look Like?

By: BAS Staff

What did Jesus look like? In “Painting a Portrait of Jesus,” D. Moody Smith examined the difficulties in answering this question.

The Repentant St. Peter by El Greco. Photo: The Phillips Collection.

May 13 Blog

The Apostle Peter in Rome

By: Nicola Denzey Lewis

Brown University Religious Studies professor Nicola Denzey Lewis answers frequently asked questions about the apostle Peter. Denzey Lewis appears in the CNN series Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery, which aims to investigate artifacts that shed light on the world in which Jesus lived.

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