Bible Interpretation

Bible Interpretation Latest

Mar 31 Blog

When Was the First Communion?

By: Megan Sauter

Early Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper as a full meal, but by the third century, it had ceased to be a banquet and had become a ritualized small meal instead. Steven Shisley examines how the Lord’s Supper transitioned from a full meal to a ritual in BAR.

Mar 23 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.

Mar 13 Blog

Should We Take Creation Stories in Genesis Literally?

By: Robin Ngo

Were the creation stories in Genesis meant to be taken literally? Maybe not, says Biblical scholar Shawna Dolansky in her Biblical Views column “The Multiple Truths of Myths” in the January/February 2016 issue of BAR.

Mar 12 Blog

Love Your Neighbor: Only Israelites or Everyone?

By: Richard Elliott Friedman

The Book of Leviticus tells us to love our neighbors, but who are our neighbors? Does the command mean to just love fellow Israelites—or everyone?

Feb 18 Blog

The Creation of Woman in the Bible

By: Megan Sauter

How was the first woman created in Genesis 2? Was she made from the man’s rib or, as recently suggested in BAR, from his os baculum?

Feb 13 Blog

Ancient Pergamon

By: Sarah Yeomans

Ancient Pergamon's strategic location along both land and sea trading routes contributed to its prosperity. Pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean region would flock to the city to engage in commerce or to visit the famous Asclepion, a center of medical treatments.

Feb 8 Blog

Jesus Was a Refugee

By: Joan E. Taylor

Scholar Joan E. Taylor says that it’s worth remembering that Jesus’ earliest years were, according to the Gospel of Matthew, spent as a refugee in a foreign land.

Feb 2 Blog

Borrowing from the Neighbors

By: Sarah Yeomans

Living in the Greco-Roman world, early Christians were able to draw from a set of rich artistic paradigms when they set out to depict their stories and beliefs in decorative contexts. This often led to the assimilation of well-established pagan artistic styles and images into early Christian art. The sculptors, fresco painters and mosaic artists who created Christian images did so by using the prolific examples of art and decoration that shaped their artistic landscape.

Feb 1 Blog

Judith: A Remarkable Heroine, Part 2

By: Robin Gallaher Branch

This article continues Robin Gallaher Branch's earlier post discussing the character Judith, the remarkable heroine of the book bearing her name.

Jan 31 Blog

Judith: A Remarkable Heroine

By: Robin Gallaher Branch

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.

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