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 Exodus Read More »
Who authored the New Testament? When? These questions spawn intense debate. Can we know? Or are we stumbling in the dark squinting to discern shadows of an age long past? This article investigates these questions.
Who Wrote the New Testament? When? Read More »
Significant numbers of evangelicals are walking away from the faith. Why? What reason might they give? One answer is coming to believe that Jesus predicted things that turned out not to be true. This article deals with one of these claims.
This is the first of a series of articles commenting on the book of Revelation. The goal is to responsibly interpret the book and at the same time experience it as if we are present with John in the first century AD.
John Patmos and Rome Read More »