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Late-15th-century painting by the Spanish artist known as the Master of Perea depicts a Last Supper of lamb, unleavened bread and wine. Photo: Christie’s Images/Superstock

Nov 21 Blog

Was Jesus a Jew?

Was Jesus a Jew? Some people claim that Jesus was a Christian. Some have claimed that he was an Aryan Christian. But in recent decades scholars have been returning to ancient historical settings and discovering the Jewish Jesus.

Holy women at Christ's tomb, by Annibale Carracci

Oct 8 Blog

The “Strange” Ending of the Gospel of Mark and Why It Makes All the Difference

By: James Tabor

James Tabor presents a fresh look at the original text of the earliest Gospel.

Sep 26 Blog

What’s Missing from Codex Sinaiticus, the Oldest New Testament?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Compare differences in the Biblical text between the King James Version and Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest New Testament.

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 10 Blog

Has the Childhood Home of Jesus Been Found?

By: Ellen White

The childhood home of Jesus may have been found underneath the Sisters of Nazareth Convent in Nazareth, Israel, according to archaeologist Ken Dark.

The pre-penitent Magdalene by Chris Gollon

Aug 22 Blog

Was Mary Magdalene Wife of Jesus? Was Mary Magdalene a Prostitute?

By: BAS Staff

Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute who repented or simply an influential female follower of Jesus? Mary from Magdala has popularly been saddled with an unfavorable reputation, but how did this notion come about?

Jul 18 Blog

First Person: The Sun God in the Synagogue

By: Hershel Shanks

The 92nd Street Y in New York City called me a few months ago, asking me to speak. We discussed possible topics, and I finally chose “What’s a Greek God Doing in an Ancient Synagogue?” They also agreed to my asking two real experts to join me on the platform: Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Steve Fine of Yeshiva University. We had a good time—and so did the enthusiastic audience—but we didn’t solve the problem, at least to my mind.

Jun 16 Blog

High Places, Altars and the Bamah

By: Ellen White

The open-air altar shrine, called a bamah (plural bamot), is known through several books of the Biblical canon. Often referred to as “high places” in translations of the Bible, bamot were worship sites that usually contained an altar.

Jun 13 Blog

The Quest for the Historical Paul

By: James Tabor

What can we reliably know about Paul and how can we know it? As is the case with Jesus this is not an easy question.

Jun 6 Blog

What Did Jesus Really Look Like?

By: BAS Staff

What did Jesus look like? In “Painting a Portrait of Jesus,” D. Moody Smith examined the difficulties in answering this question.

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

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