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gilgamesh Latest

Sep 8 Blog

How Were Biblical Psalms Originally Performed?

Biblical psalms have throughout millennia been an important part of traditional Jewish and Christian worship. How were Biblical psalms originally performed?

Source: Weltchronik, Germany, Regensburg, ca. 1360. Public Domain.

Sep 7 Blog

The Search for Noah’s Flood

By: Ronald S. Hendel

If we wanted to find the flood that gave rise to the legend of Noah’s Flood, we should look for a big flood in northern Mesopotamia, says scholar Ronald S. Hendel.

Aug 26 Blog

AI Unlocks Ancient Texts

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

While the Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the most famous ancient texts ever written and is available today in dozens of languages and editions, […]

Aug 18 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.

Jul 16 Blog

The Enduring Symbolism of Doves

By: Dorothy Willette

Few symbols have a tradition as long and as rich as the dove. Read about what it represents and how its use has been shared, adapted and reinterpreted across cultures and millennia to suit changing belief systems.

May 16 Blog

Where Noah Landed?

By: BAS Staff

Still another group is looking for Mt. Ararat, where the Bible says Noah landed after the flood. This group is looking to confirm the tradition that nearby Mt. Cudi (Judi Dagh) is really Mt. Ararat, as recorded in the Quran, Sura 11.44.

Apr 11 Blog

If I Ascend to Heaven … Paul’s Journey to Paradise

By: James Tabor

The various types of the heavenly journeys we have reports about can be divided into four basic categories, based upon the fundamental purpose or outcome of the ascent as reported in a given text. Generally speaking, the first two categories are more characteristic of the Ancient Near Eastern, or archaic period, which would include most texts of the Hebrew Bible (OT). The latter two categories are more typical of the Hellenistic period, which reflects the perspective of the NT.

Feb 15 Blog

The Animals Went in Two by Two, According to Babylonian Ark Tablet

By: Noah Wiener

A recently translated Old Babylonian flood tablet describes how to build a circular ark.

Jan 5 Blog

Lilith

By: Janet Howe Gaines

In most manifestations of her myth, Lilith represents chaos, seduction and ungodliness. Yet, in her every guise, Lilith has cast a spell on humankind. Who is Lilith in the Bible?

Jul 14 Blog

Genesis and Gilgamesh

By: Adam E. Miglio

What do the Book of Genesis and the Epic of Gilgamesh have in common? Surprisingly, a lot. Chapters 1–11 of Genesis reached their final form […]

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