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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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,
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During the winter of 2017, archaeologists working in a Jerusalem suburb, discovered the foundations of a Roman structure dating to the 1st century B.C.E. What they found was building remnants and a part of a common round column. The exiting part is that the column had writing on
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As research in Qumran scrolls continues some questions are answered and new ones arise. There is still so much we do not know about the Qumran texts collection. There are still so many things we are trying to piece together in regards to the people who left those scrolls behind.
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One day my theological thinking about the gift of salvation was challenged by an individual who believed that “God wants ALL people to ‘be saved'”. By the way, there is nothing wrong with such a belief, but it is a broadly-debated opinion. I recognize that many people hold this
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In this article, I want to discuss the importance of context, terminology and precise translation of the original text (be it Greek or Hebrew). When it comes to the interpretation of biblical texts and conclusions drawn from them these building blocks are the foundation. Theology cannot exist without interpretation and
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Can you read the Bible in the original languages? Yes, anyone can! Well, if you don’t know how yet, you can certainly learn… And there is a way to do that without taking many years to learn Greek and Hebrew. Don’t get me wrong some study is required,
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A gold earring portraying the head of a horned animal was unearthed under the Givati Parking lot near Jerusalem’s City of David National Park. The earring belongs to the second or third century B.C.E. > “The jewelry was found inside a building that was unearthed during the