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A rock-hewn altar carved out of limestone located about a mile from Shiloh. The four corners point to the four directions on a compass (Exodus 27:1-2). Photo: Yoel Elitzur

Feb 22 Blog

High Places, Altars and the Bamah

The open-air altar shrine, called a bamah (plural bamot), is known through several books of the Biblical canon. Often referred to as “high places” in translations of the Bible, bamot were worship sites that usually contained an altar.

Mosaic of the Journey to Bethlehem from the Chora Church in Istanbul.

Nov 9 Blog

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? Biblical scholar Mark Wilson examines what the gospels say in this Bible History Daily guest post.

Apr 12 Blog

Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J. (1920–2016)

By: John R. Donahue

On Dec. 24, 2016, Joseph Fitzmyer died at the Jesuit Manresa Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was recognized as one of the premier Biblical scholars of his generation.

Apr 9 Blog

What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden?

By: Reviewed by Mary Joan Winn Leith

Mary Joan Winn Leith reviews "What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden?" by Ziony Zevit.

Oct 18 Blog

The End of an Era

By: Hershel Shanks

We knew it would happen, but it’s still a shock. Frank Cross is dead. I will leave it to scholars to write of his scholarly accomplishments. I will write only of what I know: He stood at the very pinnacle of the profession, universally respected and admired. When he spoke, others stood in awe. The Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages at Harvard University, the third oldest endowed academic chair in the United States, Cross was a specialist in the Dead Sea Scrolls, in obscure ancient languages, in the science of dating ancient inscriptions based on shape of the letters, in the Biblical text and in archaeology, to name but a few.

Jan 26 Blog

The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Hasmonean State

By: Reviewed by Sidnie White Crawford

Sidnie White Crawford reviews "The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Hasmonean State" By Hanan Eshel.

Must-Read Free eBooks

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Past, Present, and Future

Biblical Peoples—The World of Ancient Israel

Who Was Jesus? Exploring the History of Jesus’ Life

Ancient Israel in Egypt and the Exodus

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