In this video I relate the remarkable discovery in 2000 of a Cave west of Jerusalem, at Suba, that has what might be the earliest art work related to the John the Baptist-Jesus movement–right outside John’s village of Ein Kerem. What we found in our excavations (2000-2006) shed some remarkable…
The Mandeans trace themselves back to the original followers of John the Baptist, who, according to tradition, fled the land Holy Land in the first century, preserving traditions independent of the emerging Christian Church in the subsequent centuries. In June 1999, I was privileged to be a part of a…
This video lecture from 2006 covers new textual and archaeological evidence on “Yochanan HaMatvil,” or “John the Dipper,” including the Suba cave west of Jerusalem of which I have written much over the years–in both my books (especially The Jesus Dynasty –which is on sale right now in paperback for $14. If…
I am often asked what I would consider to be my most satisfying discovery related to my study of “Christian Origins” over the years. I have made over 70 trips to the Holy Land over the span of my career–combining textual study with archaeological findings and geographical contexts. If I…
I just finished a Biblical Archaeology Seminar in which I gave a lecture titled “Was John the Baptizer Greater than Jesus? The Fading of a Prophet” based on our New Testament gospel materials and the book of Acts. I build my case substantially on the ways in which John is…
This is the third installment of my response to the review of my book, The Jesus Dynasty, by my friend and colleague Prof. James F. Strange published in the Biblical Archaeology Review (November/December, 2006, pp. 72-76). You can read Parts 1 and 2 here and here. Toward the end of…
Don’t miss “The Real Jesus” that premiers on Sunday at 8pm ET on the Smithsonian Channel. This four-part series takes the famous 1977 Franco Zeffirelli’s “Jesus of Nazareth” film star, Robert Powell, who became to the masses the quintessential blue-eyed “Jesus,” back to the Holy Land on the 40th anniversary…
One of the ideas I explore and develop in my 2006 book, The Jesus Dynasty, was the notion of two Messiahs. I had no idea it would become sensational–much less controversial. It actually became headline news, with a cover story in USNews & World Report and special segments on ABC’s…
In this new six part series I present responses to essays offered in my course at UNC Charlotte on “John the Baptist.” John is the most underrated figure in Christian tradition, rarely given his due as a messiah and inaugurator of the movement Jesus himself arose from. The responses are by…
In this new six part series I present responses to essays offered in my course at UNC Charlotte on “John the Baptist.” John is the most underrated figure in Christian tradition, rarely given his due as a messiah and inaugurator of the movement Jesus himself arose from. The responses are by…