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Sep 19 Blog

The Gospel of Thomas’s 114 Sayings of Jesus

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Read the 114 sayings of Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas as translated by Stephen J. Patterson and James M. Robinson.

naples-presepio-rome

Sep 14 Blog

Christmas Stories in Christian Apocrypha

By: Tony Burke

The modern Christmas nativity scene is drawn from apocryphal texts in addition to the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke.

magdala-synagogue

Sep 6 Blog

Discoveries in Mary Magdalene’s Hometown

By: Marek Dospěl

Following the discovery of a synagogue at Magdala on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, four ritual purification baths dating to Jesus’ time have been uncovered. These attest to the vibrant religious and social life of the local Jewish community just before it was crushed by the Romans in 67 C.E.

mary-ngl

Sep 5 Blog

The Virgin Mary and the Prophet Muhammad

By: Mary Joan Winn Leith

The Virgin Mary and the prophet Muhammad have a lot in common within their respective Christian and Islamic traditions, according to author Mary Joan Winn Leith.

Herod the Great Coin

Aug 22 Blog

New Testament Political Figures: The Evidence

By: Lawrence Mykytiuk

Archaeology has confirmed 53 people from the Hebrew Bible. What about the New Testament? In BAR, Lawrence Mykytiuk examines the political figures in the New Testament who can be identified in the archaeological record and by extra-Biblical writings.

Gospel of Mary

Aug 19 Blog

Christian Apocrypha: The “Lost Gospels”?

By: Ellen White

The Christian apocrypha—noncanonical gospels—didn’t make the cut. But were they truly rejected, suppressed and destroyed? Until recent times there was no doubt. But now this “truth” may be unraveling. Many early Christians may have regarded these apocryphal texts as sacred.

herod-jerusalem-palace

Jul 6 Blog

Tour Showcases Remains of Herod’s Jerusalem Palace—Possible Site of the Trial of Jesus

By: Robin Ngo

Visitors to Jerusalem’s Old City can explore remains of King Herod’s palace, which may be where Roman governor Pontius Pilate tried and condemned Jesus of Nazareth to death.

Domenichino

Jun 26 Blog

How the Serpent Became Satan

By: Shawna Dolansky

The serpent in the Garden of Eden is portrayed as just that: a serpent. The story in Genesis 2–3 contains no hint that he embodies the devil, Satan or any other evil power. So where does the devil come into the details of Eden? Biblical scholar Shawna Dolansky examines how the serpent became Satan.

Jun 21 Blog

Jesus Before Pilate

By: Marek Dospěl

The Gospels offer a surprisingly excusatory depiction of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judea directly responsible for Jesus’ death. While the contemporary sources do not mention Pilate’s fatal involvement with the itinerant rabbi from Galilee, they reveal a governor determined to promote Roman religion in Judea and to ruthlessly suppress any form of dissent.

cana-of-galilee

Jun 13 Blog

Where Did Jesus Turn Water into Wine?

By: Robin Ngo

Where did Jesus turn water into wine? According to archaeologist Tom McCollough, one site offers the most compelling evidence that Cana of Galilee has been found.

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