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

Dec 15 Blog

Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible

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.

Dec 14 Blog

Bible Scholar Brent Landau Asks “Who Were the Magi?”

By: BAS Staff

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 magi?”

Nov 21 Blog

The Tomb of Jesus? Wrong on Every Count

By: Craig Evans and Steven Feldman

Back to “Jesus Tomb” Controversy Erupts—Again Rarely does the world of Biblical archaeology make as much news as when filmmakers James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici […]

Sep 24 Blog

The Staurogram

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

The staurogram, a crucifixion symbol made out of the Greek letters tau-rho, is 200 years older than the oldest previously-known images of Jesus on the cross.

Jul 20 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.

Sixth-century Christian amulet from the Robert C. Horn Papyri Collection. Photo: Courtesy of Special Collections and Archives, Trexler Library, Muhlenberg College

Jul 2 Blog

Early Christian Amulets: Between Faith and Magic

By: Marek Dospěl

Just like their pagan neighbors, Jesus’s followers of the first Christian centuries would commonly resort to protection amulets to guard themselves from illness and any kind of harm.

Roman Catacomb Painting at the Catacombs of Santa Priscilla

Apr 4 Blog

The Last Days of Jesus: A Final “Messianic” Meal

By: James Tabor

On Wednesday Jesus began to make plans for Passover. He sent two of his disciples into the city to prepare a large second-story guest room where he could gather secretly and safely with his inner group.

Jun 11 Blog

First Person: The American Bible Society’s Electronic Inquisition

By: Robert Cargill

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers decided to expand the list of domain extensions. According to BAR Editor Robert Cargill, the one that has created the most problems for Bible-related academic societies is the new .BIBLE domain.

Jun 11 Blog

The Evil Inclination

By: Reviewed by Brian E. Daley, S.J.

Brian E. Daley, S.J. reviews "Sinning in the Hebrew Bible: How the Worst Stories Speak for Its Truth" by Alan F. Segal and "Sin: The Early History of an Idea" by Paula Fredriksen.

Dec 4 Blog

The Wright Stuff

By: Leonard Greenspoon

It seems, to me at least, that we—all of us who care about Biblical Studies—are in danger of losing our individual and collective memories about major figures in our field. I had the honor and pleasure of studying with Wright during his final years of teaching at Harvard University (he died in August 1974), and I can tell you that he was never more alive or animated than when he held an archaeological artifact in his hands.

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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