jewish traditions

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Nov 17 Blog

When Did Christianity Begin to Spread?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

How old is Christianity? Churches are among Biblical archaeology findings that hold the answer.

Oct 15 Blog

The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela

By: Megan Sauter

With 11 rock-hewn churches, Lalibela, Ethiopia, is understandably a place of pilgrimage for those in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Explore Lalibela’s spectacular subterranean churches in this web-exclusive slideshow.

Oct 10 Blog

Water from a Walking Rock

By: Megan Sauter

What does Paul mean in the Bible when he says that the Israelites drank “from the spiritual rock that followed them” during their wanderings in the wilderness?

Oct 1 Blog

Biblical Riot at Ephesus: The Archaeological Context

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

How accurate is Luke’s account of the riot at Ephesus described in Acts 19:23–41? Excavations at the site bring this Biblical event to reality in a new way—from inscriptions and figurines of the goddess Artemis to the theater where the riot took place.

A 12th-century baptismal font in St. Bartholomew’s Church in Liège, Belgium

Sep 12 Blog

The Origin of Christianity

By: Noah Wiener

Geza Vermes explores the origin of Christianity by examining the characteristics of the Jewish Jesus movement to see how it developed into a distinctly gentile religion.

Sep 1 Blog

Ancient Pergamon

By: Sarah Yeomans

Ancient Pergamon's strategic location along both land and sea trading routes contributed to its prosperity. Pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean region would flock to the city to engage in commerce or to visit the famous Asclepion, a center of medical treatments.

Aug 31 Blog

Paul’s First Missionary Journey through Perga and Pisidian Antioch

By: Noah Wiener

Paul’s first missionary journey took him from Cyprus into the heart of Anatolia. Explore the route with a web-exclusive slideshow.

Aug 27 Blog

Treasures in Clay Jars

By: Mark Wilson

The ubiquity of hoards in antiquity, both in time and region, suggests that the phenomenon was so well known that Paul could reasonably use it as an analogy. These treasures—the coin hoards mentioned in of 2 Corinthians 4:7—were never placed in clay lamps but rather in clay jars.

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.

Jun 29 Blog

Galatians 3:28—Neither Jew nor Greek, Slave nor Free, Male and Female

By: Karin Neutel

In her Biblical Views column in BAR, Biblical scholar Karin Neutel examines Paul’s vision for how we would live together in an ideal society.

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