Millions were introduced to the famous “Ark of the Covenant,” if not in Sunday school growing up, then through the blockbuster 1981 “Raiders of the Lost Ark” Indiana Jones film. The familiar image of the gold plated ark with its angelic “cherubim,” and quasi-magical powers has become legendary, part of…
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…
Here is the Part 2 of my reposting of my responses to the review of my 2006 book, The Jesus Dynasty, by my friend and colleague Prof. James F. Strange originally published in Biblical Archaeology Review (November/December, 2006, pp. 72-76). You can read Part 1, “Was Christianity All a Mistake?”…
In December, 2006 my friend and senior colleague Prof. James F. Strange, Professor of New Testament at the University of South Florida wrote a very interesting and provocative two-page review of my book, The Jesus Dynasty for Biblical Archaeology Review. That review has now been archived on the Biblical Archaeology…
I want to thank my dear friend of over 45 years, Dr. Philip Arnold, with all his dignity (Ph.D. in New Testament from Rice University) and courage to put himself out there this way! He is a fine scholar, a philanthropist extraordinaire (https://reunioninstitute.net), a devotee of the historical figure of…
Various TV programs during this Spring/Easter season have focused on the question of the authenticity of the controversial “Shroud of Turin,” Those challenging the authenticity of this ancient relic point to carbon dating tests done at three independent labs in 1988 that dated samples of its cloth to AD 1260-1390,…
April 19th has become a day of infamy in American history with the Branch Davidian tragedy in Waco, Texas in 1993, and the horrible Timothy McVeigh Oklahoma City FBI building bombing in 1995. Next year marks the 25th anniversary of Waco. As some of you know this hits home with…
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…
If you missed the recent PBS two hour special “Last Days of Jesus” those of you in the United States can stream it free of charge on-line here. I offer a few comments here, not by any means a full review, which would deserve several blog posts. I thought the…
Perhaps some of you have heard about the fabulous project at Yeshiva University pioneered by my friend Professor Steven Fine and others to restore the original colors to the famed Arch of Titus. It is finished and now can be viewed in this remarkable video. This project is as fascinating…
