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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.

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.

The Ravenna mosaic of Jesus. Photo: Sant’Apollinare Nuovo Ravenna, Italy/Bridgeman Images

Dec 16 Blog

Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible

By: Lawrence Mykytiuk

Did Jesus of Nazareth, “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5), really exist? What’s the evidence outside of the Bible? Classical and Jewish writings from the first several centuries C.E. give us a glimpse of the person who would become the central figure in Christianity mere decades after his crucifixion.

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.

Cover of the November/December 2010 issue of BAR juxtaposes two artistic representations of Jesus’ face. Photo: BBC Photo Library (left); Mosaic of Jesus from Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey/Photo by Pavle Marjanovic (right).

Jun 3 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.

The Repentant St. Peter by El Greco. Photo: The Phillips Collection.

May 13 Blog

The Apostle Peter in Rome

By: Nicola Denzey Lewis

Brown University Religious Studies professor Nicola Denzey Lewis answers frequently asked questions about the apostle Peter. Denzey Lewis appears in the CNN series Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery, which aims to investigate artifacts that shed light on the world in which Jesus lived.

Apr 19 Blog

Who Was Thecla?

By: Megan Sauter

The leading lady of the apocryphal work the Acts of Thecla may not be a well-known figure today, but nearly every early Christian knew her name.

Feb 9 Blog

30 People in the New Testament Confirmed

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.

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.

Mar 19 Blog

Women of the Ancient Near East: Julia Berenice

By: Carly Silver

March is Women’s History Month. To celebrate, let’s meet Julia Berenice: queen of Judea, political operator in a Roman arena, and lover of Titus—the destroyer […]

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