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Temple A at Laodicea, Turkey. Photo: © Mark R. Fairchild, Huntington University

Mar 12 Blog

The Church of Laodicea in the Bible and Archaeology

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.

Feb 24 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.

Jan 20 Blog

Biblical Riot at Ephesus: The Archaeological Context

By: BAS 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.

Jan 18 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.

Jan 4 Blog

Herod the Great and the Herodian Family Tree

By: Lawrence Mykytiuk

See a visualization of the Herodian family tree and key events in the New Testament related to members of the Herodian family.

Aerial photo of a cross-shaped marble baptistry at the fourth-century church in Laodicea, Turkey. Photo: Dr. Celal Şimşek/Laodikeia excavation.

Nov 13 Blog

When Did Christianity Begin to Spread?

By: BAS Staff

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

Oct 19 Blog

Who Were the Galatians in the Bible?

By: Megan Sauter

Galatia refers to a region in north central Turkey; Ankara, the capital of modern Turkey, was once a major Galatian city (Ancyra). The name of Galatia is derived from the 20,000 Gauls who settled in the region in 278 B.C.E. More than two centuries later, in 25 B.C.E., the area became a Roman province and was extended to the south. In Paul’s day, the new province included the regions of Pisidia, Phrygia, and Lycaonia. Scholars often refer to these new, southern regions as “south Galatia” and to geographic Galatia as “north Galatia.”

Peter baptizes the Roman centurion Cornelius, as shown in one of five baptism scenes on a 12th-century baptismal font in St. Bartholomew’s Church in Liège, Belgium. Image: Jean-Pol Grandmont

Sep 9 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.

Aug 28 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.

Jul 15 Blog

How the Serpent in the Garden 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.

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