There is absolutely clear evidence running through the New Testament documents that the early followers of Jesus (Nazarenes) were convinced that they were living very close to the end of the Age. They expected the “Parousia” (arrival) of the Messiah within the span of their generation. This apocalyptic hope was…
In this segment in my series “Death and Afterlife in the Ancient Western World,” I explore the ancient Greek ideas from Homer to Plato. What we find a great REVOLUTION–a literal “Overturning of the World,” in which death becomes life, and life death! I pinpoint the earliest archaeological tomb evidence…
In this second of the series “Death and Afterlife in the Ancient Western World” I turn to the Sumerian traditions, and particularly the Gilgamesh Epic, going back 4500 years–and comparing it to what we see in the Hebrew Bible traditions we have previously covered. https://youtu.be/wm0ys2wvh1c
Peter Schäfer, Jesus in the Talmud (Princeton University Press, 2009) (Kindle and Hardcover links). There is no end of confusion regarding texts about the figure of Jesus of Nazareth and whether he is or is not referenced in the Talmuds and Rabbinic literature, and if so whether such references offer anything…
The short answer is “It’s Complicated.” So much depends on what one means by “Essene” and what sources have gone into this or that use of the term–whether ancient or modern. In this interview with YouTube host Neal Sendlack (@GnosticInformant), we explore the core issues and many others related thereto,…
I officially began this new series of special classes on “Death, Afterlife, and the Future” in the ancient Western World. I plan to cover the following topics–the link below is the first: The Ancient Hebrew Ideas of Death and Afterlife Ancient Babylonian Ideas: Gilgamesh Homer and Ancient Greek Ideas Ancient…
In this post I want to focus on three very fine volumes on the so-called New Testament Apocrypha. Plus a class German work by Henneke-Schneemelcher The terminology in my field of New Testament Studies is a real nettle bush. Am I a “Biblical Scholar,” a specialist in “Christian Origins,…
Thirty years ago…Some of my readers remember, others were not old enough, but heard from parents, and some not even born–like many of my students in their 20s. I asked an undergrad class of 70 last year–Who has heard of Waco, the Branch Davidians, or David Koresh? Five hands went…
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases with no extra cost to buyers Richard Bauckham, Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church (T&T Clark, 2000). I love the careful scholarship of Richard Bauckham and highly recommend this incredibly valuable volume. Too often mainstream New Testament scholarship…
I am beginning a new teaching series on Youtube this week on the topic of “What the Bible Really Says About Death, Afterlife, and the Future.” You can download my article by this title free at the link in the description. Here is the short Intro video I recorded yesterday.…
