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Mar 16 Blog

How Bad Was Jezebel?

For more than two thousand years, Jezebel has been saddled with a reputation as the bad girl of the Bible, the wickedest of women. But just how depraved was she?

Oct 12 Blog

Jonah and the Whale

By: Nahum Sarna

The Book of Jonah is read in the synagogue on the afternoon of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the sacred Day of Atonement. Why, of all books in the Bible, this book this most holy day?

Jul 30 Blog

The Story of Ruth

By: Adele Berlin

According to Adele Berlin, the Book of Ruth illuminates the main theme of the Hebrew Bible: the continuity of God’s people in their land.

Mar 31 Blog

Jesus’ Last Supper Still Wasn’t a Passover Seder Meal

By: Jonathan Klawans

Many people still assume that Jesus’ Last Supper was a Seder, a ritual meal held in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Passover. In this exclusive Bible History Daily guest post, Boston University Professor of Religion Jonathan Klawans provides an update to his popular Bible Review article questioning this common assumption.

Painting 'He turned their waters into blood,' by the 19th-century American folk painter Erastus Salisbury Field (1805–1900). Photo: National Gallery of Art, Washington/Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch

Mar 31 Blog

Exodus in the Bible and the Egyptian Plagues

By: BAS Staff

The Book of Exodus describes ten Egyptian plagues that bring suffering to the land of pharaoh. Are these Biblical plagues plausible on any level?

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?

Oct 8 Blog

The Song of Songs: Love Is Strong as Death

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

The Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) from the Hebrew Bible is a love song beyond compare—although it has been compared to everything. Some have deemed it lewd entertainment. Others have sung its praise.

Mar 15 Blog

What a Lotus in the Left Hand Means

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

What does holding a lotus in the left hand mean in ancient Near Eastern art?

Dec 5 Blog

Outside the Bible

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

James H. Charlesworth reviews "Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture" edited by Louis H. Feldman, James L. Kugel and Lawrence H. Schiffman.

Jan 1 eBook

The Holy Bible: A Buyer’s Guide

By: BAS Admin

Walk through the religion section of any major bookstore, and you’ll see an amazing array of Bibles. The broad selection of translations (also called versions)—and the seemingly endless ways in which they are packaged—is without historical precedent. Rather than the “blessing” it could and probably should be, it may be off-putting. In this free eBook, prominent Biblical scholars expertly guide you through 21 different Bible versions and address their content, text, style and religious orientation.

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

More Free eBooks

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