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Pieter Bruegel Bethlehem Painting

Jun 1 Blog

How December 25 Became Christmas

By: Andrew McGowan

Theological scholar Andrew McGowan examines how December 25 came to be associated with the birthday of Jesus and became Christmas, a holiday celebrated by Christians around the world.

chora-church-mosaic

May 20 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.

Giotto adoration of the magi

May 15 Blog

Where Was Jesus Born?

By: Megan Sauter

If Jesus was born in Bethlehem, why is he called a Nazorean and a Galilean throughout the New Testament? Philip J. King addresses this question in his Biblical Views column.

Women-at-Tomb-s

Apr 18 Blog

The “Strange” Ending of the Gospel of Mark and Why It Makes All the Difference

By: James Tabor

James Tabor presents a fresh look at the original text of the earliest Gospel.

Lorenzo Lotto, The Nativity, 1523

Apr 13 Blog

Who Was Jesus’ Biological Father?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Was Joseph Jesus’ biological father? If not, who was Jesus’ biological father? Andrew Lincoln examines what early Christians thought about conception and explains how views about this subject have changed over time.

Mar 23 Blog

Anna in the Bible

By: Robin Gallaher Branch

Anna is one of the Bible’s most unusual women. Introduced at the end of the Birth Narrative (Luke 1:1-2:40), Anna concludes the sextet of named, pious Israelites surrounding the miraculous births of John and Jesus.

Feb 7 Blog

The Nag Hammadi Codices and Gnostic Christianity

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Until the discovery of the Nag Hammadi codices in 1945, the Gnostic view of early Christianity had largely been forgotten. The teachings of Gnostic Christianity had been virtually erased from history by the early church fathers.

provenzale-orpheus

Dec 31 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.

Dec 24 Blog

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

By: Biblical Archaeology Society 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?”

Mary Simeon Anna

Dec 22 Blog

Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First Recognized Jesus as Messiah?

By: Ben Witherington III

Who was the first person to truly recognize Jesus as the messiah and understand the implications? Biblical scholar Ben Witherington III takes a close look at the account given in Luke, and sheds some light on what the Biblical narrative has to say about who was the first to recognize Jesus as the messiah.

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A Digger’s Life: A Guide to the Archaeology Dig Experience
The Dead Sea Scrolls: Past, Present, and Future
Biblical Peoples—The World of Ancient Israel
Masada: The Dead Sea’s Desert Fortress
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