A new Tzur Natan neighborhood construction in central Israel was proceeded by a dig. The excavation unearthed a rare written record. It points to a Samaritan business from 1600 hundred years ago. The Greek inscription mentions a wealthy landowner ‘Master Adios’. The heartland of Israel in the 5th century was...
From time to time, I get asked to recommend some good websites for studying Biblical texts and for free research resources. So in this article, I decided to offer a collection of links with some brief annotations. If you are not using the web for reading and studying the Bible...
Archaeologists in Jordan have uncovered a Roman-era tomb decorated with spectacular frescoes (Aramaic Comics) that include some very elaborate drawings. The unique feature of the frescoes is that the titles and descriptions were written in Aramaic, but using the Greek letters. Imagine speaking Aramaic but being surrounded by Greek culture...
Recently, I was asked an intriguing question, “Did Jesus use bread or Matzah on Passover?” I was a bit puzzled at first. Because in my mind, of course, he used Matzah (מַצָּה), the unleavened bread. So I had to clarify, what exactly gave my questioner an impression that...
A handful of ancient Israelite inscriptions feature an enigmatic title that has been variously translated as “governor of the city” and “commander of the fortress.” Who was this figure? This late eighth-century B.C.E. bulla discovered near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount displays the inscription le-śar ‘ir. BAR author William...
When it comes to the Bible people have many ideas curious ideas of what it actually is. Why does that matter? It matters simply because what the Bible reveals and what it means to us, and whether we believe its witness. Some believe the Bible is ancient literature full of...
Occasionally I bump into people who doubt that Jesus (Yeshua) ever existed, deeming him to be a fictional character like Hercules, Lochness Monster, or Santa Claus. I am not surprised that people have trouble recognizing who Yeshua was, what he did. I am not even surprised that people fail to...
On December 25, Christians around the world will gather to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Joyful carols, special liturgies, brightly wrapped gifts, festive foods—these all characterize the feast today, at least in the northern hemisphere. But just how did the Christmas festival originate? How did December 25 come to be associated...
Why Greek Tools Can Be Dangerous Never before have there been such powerful tools for zooming in on the details of Greek. These are useful and I’m glad to have them. But I wince when they are misused. And they are often misused. By zeroing in on single words,...