In this video I offer a succinct thirteen minute overview of the apostle Paul’s original idea of Jesus’ resurrection–totally ignored and forgotten by later Christians, including the writers of our later gospels–Luke and John. I don’t think you will find anything summarizing things as clearly and in as short a…
I think most Christians today would answer “yes” without much hesitation. The idea that “Jesus is God,” or the “Son of God, or at least that he is “Divine,” however that complex notion might be explained–seems pretty well a standard part of Christian faith. But was that the view of Jesus…
The “Last Days of Jesus,” that final week of his life, marked by billions of Christians from Palm Sunday to Easter, with contemplation, mourning, and celebration–is often called “Holy Week” in the “great” churches. It is narrated by Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John in the New Testament, along with fragments…
This lecture lays out what I believe is the earliest archaeological evidence related to the followers of Jesus. The standard view of many historians–though not all–is that we have nothing from the early Christians until the late 2nd or early 3rd centuries. Here I deal only with materials that are…
This extended two hour interview with David LeBlanc focuses on my book, Paul and Jesus–and in particular what I call “Paul’s Greatest Idea.” Many would find two hours a bit much, but for those who really want to understand Paul–who I would argue was the most influential human being in…
Please visit my Youtube Channel and Subscribe, for much more to come. I have written a lot about the idea of “resurrection of the dead” as a central component of early Christian faith–both that of Jesus himself, as well as the future hope and expectations for all his followers–and for…
Over the years I have been amazed at how many of my academic colleagues, who do not find the arguments convincing that the East Talpiot “Jesus” family tomb can likely be identified with that of Jesus of Nazareth, are nonetheless quite sure that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is…
One of my most popular posts over the years has is titled “Why People are Confused about the Earliest View of Resurrection of the Dead.” It has had over 10,000 views since I posted it in 2015. By resurrection I mean both that of Jesus, as reported in various documents…
One of the more intriguing of the Dead Sea Scrolls is a fragment now titled “Messianic Apocalypse” (4Q521). This text contains three rather striking features that are of particular significance for comparing the apocalyptic beliefs and expectations of the Qumran community with the emerging early Christian movement. First, the text…
Most people who read the New Testament read it “backwards.” By that I mean they begin with the four Gospels–Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John–move through Acts, and finally get to the letters of Paul and the rest. What many fail to realize is that the seven letters of Paul (1…