Most of us who work in what we academics call “Christian Origins” hold to the “Two Source” theory of Synoptic Gospel origins. That is, Mark was the earliest narrative gospels, Matthew and Luke both used Mark as their core source, but they had access to another source that we call…
Last night at sundown, marked the 1st day of the 1st month of the ancient Hebrew calendar. So, today is New Year’s Day (Thursday, March 26th). Don’t take my word for it–since we have the ancient words attributed to God through Moses: “This month (literally “new”) shall be to you…
I have written several posts on this blog over the years about Dr. Robert Kuhn’s extraordinary PBS program “Closer to Truth,” now in its 19th season. I have known Robert as a personal friend and colleague for over 50 years now–since my Pepperdine University days working on my M.A. in…
I have written a lot about the April 1993 tragedy outside Waco Texas where the apocalyptic group we came to know as the Branch Davidians were confronted by the BATF. Most experts now agree, including the conclusions of several Congressional hearings, that the whole thing was unnecessary from start to…
Hey everyone, check this out. Look who I am teaming up with for the Montreat, Biblical Archaeology Society Seminar! April DeConick and James Tabor–quite a team if I do say so, as we plow through the first 200 years of earliest Christianity. If you don’t know April’s work check out…
Paul never met Jesus. With those four words I began my book, Paul and Jesus (Simon & Schuster, 2013). Jesus was crucified in 30 CE, Paul had his visionary encounter with Jesus some years after that–seven years according to one early source (The Ascents of James). Accordingly, he is often called…
Beginning this weekend I will be ramping up my regular blog posting with lots of new ideas and materials. My goal is to put up several new things a week and I am adding a few features, including “Book Notes,” a new series built around images/photos called “A Blast from…
I wanted to thank Bart Ehrman, my colleague down the road at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for inviting me to guest post on his popular Blog. My post, titled “The Historian and the Supernatural,” will appear in two parts–today and tomorrow. I have also agreed…
Jews, Christians, and Muslims all affirm the doctrine of “resurrection of the dead” as a central tenet of eschatology–that is, the understanding of the “last things” or how human history is to end. One common misunderstanding, especially among Christians, is that resurrection of the dead is equivalent to the idea…
Daniel chapter 11 might well be the longest “continual” prophecy in the Hebrew Bible. Indeed, it appears to be referred to in Daniel 10:21–the chapter leading up to the Daniel’s most disturbing vision–as the “book of truth.” It is surely one of the most influential in terms of firing up…
