Biblical Commentary – Page 2 – Christianity

Joshua – Conquest, Coexistence, or Genocide

1 Comment / Biblical Commentary / dan harvey

The book of Joshua provokes much criticism . To some, it is full of nonhistorical legends composed centuries after the fact. Others insist on super-literalism. To them, Joshua’s account exposes God’s wrathful, bloodthirsty, jealous nature. Even more mock the book as ridiculously unscientific; no way can the sun physically stand still without disastrous orbital repercussions. This article addresses these charges.

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Joseph – Vizier (Prime Minister) over Egypt

2 Comments / Biblical Commentary / dan harvey

This article continues our series on the life of Joseph as it relates to Egyptian culture in the second millennium BCE.

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Joseph – Slave, Steward, Prisoner

1 Comment / Biblical Commentary / dan harvey

This article focuses on the first thirteen years of Joseph’s life in Egypt. During this time, his social status changed from slave to steward to prisoner. The biblical account contains many interesting cultural allusions consistent with ancient Egyptian culture.

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Joseph – Life in Canaan

1 Comment / Biblical Commentary / dan harvey

What was the coat of many colors? Is that something that Jacob dreamed up? Why were Joseph’s brothers so angry that they wanted to kill him? This article delves into these issues.

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Egypt in the Bible: Joseph – When?

1 Comment / Biblical Commentary / dan harvey

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 installment. If the biblical account is reliable, when would Joseph have been in Egypt?

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Who Was Terah?

2 Comments / Biblical Commentary, Provocative Commentary / dan harvey

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.

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The Language of the Torah – Update

1 Comment / Biblical Commentary, Provocative Commentary / dan harvey

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.

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The Conquest – Birth of a Nation

1 Comment / Biblical Commentary, Provocative Commentary / dan harvey

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.

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The Conquest – Introduction

1 Comment / Biblical Commentary, Provocative Commentary / dan harvey

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.

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Numbers

1 Comment / Biblical Commentary, Provocative Commentary / dan harvey

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?

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