There is no direct archaeological evidence that Joseph, the great grandson of Abraham, was ever in Egypt. This is not surprising. We could say the same for almost every person that lived in the ancient world. This does not mean that there is no indirect evidence. This article is the first of two parts. If the biblical account is reliable, when would Joseph have been in Egypt?
Egypt in the Bible: Joseph – When? Read More »
Who was Terah, Abraham’s father? What kind of person was he? The Bible provides a half dozen vague clues. Is there any other evidence to consider? A series of clay tablets from four-thousand-year-old archives just might. This article explores the possibilities.
A single discovery can completely upend strongly held convictions. A recent archeological analysis of two cuneiform tablets leads me to update my previous article concerning the language of the Exodus. This new find also impacts the interpretation of the Abraham narrative in the book of Genesis.
The Language of the Torah – Update Read More »
How did Israel become a people? This question provokes endless scholarly controversy, and creative speculations produce countless answers. This article will avoid rabbit trails. Instead I’ll focus on a few archeological sites and discuss whether the data are consistent with biblical narratives.
The Conquest – Birth of a Nation Read More »
Where did the ancient Israelites come from? “Isn’t it obvious?” They were oppressed slaves who escaped from Egypt. The majority of scholars answer: “No, it is not obvious at all.” They assert all sorts of alternate hypotheses. This article introduces evidences related to early Israeli history and their interpretations.
The Conquest – Introduction Read More »
Numbers! We use them every day. They record how much we have and how much we owe. They help us remember important events past and present. They are very practical and accurate. Things were different in the ancient world. Numbers were the language of the gods. Their symbolic meanings influenced people’s lives. They were magical. How does this apply to the Bible?
This article analyzes what some call the biblical date of the Exodus. Is there such a thing? How many biblical dates are there?
Exodus When? (Part 2) Read More »
When did the Exodus Happen? This is an ongoing heated debate among scholars. Different dates are proposed. Some say never. Others say maybe but not as the Bible describes. This article examines the evidence.
Exodus When? (Part 1) Read More »
What language did Moses speak? What writing script would he have used to write the Torah? This article is the second in the series that discusses how the first five books of the Bible came to be.
The Language of the Torah Read More »
What writing methods were available to Moses at the time of the Exodus? Did he have the skillset to be able to compose a text as complex as the Torah? This is the first in a series of articles that explores how the first five books of the Bible came to be.
What Did Moses Write? Read More »