A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
From ChatGPT 6/30/2025. Here are the elevations (in feet above/below sea level) for the major cities and villages along the Central and Eastern routes from Capernaum to Jerusalem, as traveled in Jesus’ time: CENTRAL ROUTE (Through Samaria) Location Elevation (feet) Notes Capernaum –700 ft Sea of Galilee shore; lowest point on route Magdala –625 ft Fishing village […]
Continue ReadingThe transcript of Joel Baden’s Lesson 5, titled “The Historical David,” from his series “The Rise and Fall of Biblical Israel” at BSA, was summarized by ChatGPT, which also prepared a timeline based on the same lesson. Both are below. The transcript is in his DropBox directory, and the audio file is in his LgFile […]
Continue ReadingActs 10:36–38 (NRSV) “You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 6/29/2025. 1st Prompt – What are the elevations and differences between the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, and Caesarea Maritima and the elevation changes along the walking routes in the time of Jesus? Provide all measurements in feet and miles. Cite all sources. Here are the elevations and elevation changes (all in feet […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 6/27/2025 Here’s a comprehensive look at why critical Bible scholars believe the distrust and dislike between the Samaritans and Jews ran deep in antiquity—politically, ethnically, religiously, and culturally: 1. Ethnic and cultural origins – “mixed race” stigma After Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom (~722 BCE), they deported many Israelites and resettled the region […]
Continue ReadingFrom Bart Ehrman’s post here. One of the most mysterious and even bizarre stories in Genesis happens right at the beginning of the flood narrative, where we are told that the “sons of God” looked down among the human “daughters,” saw that they were beautiful, and came down and had sex with them leading, to […]
Continue Reading12 Things To Know About the Temple in Jerusalem By My Jewish Learning 4:02 minutes Solomon’s Temple
Continue ReadingFrom BAR – The Galilee Boat—2,000-Year-Old Hull Recovered Intact by Shelley Wachsmann Samples of the Galilee boat’s wood, each weighing several grams, were removed and sent to a laboratory. Using gas proportional counters, which count the radioactive decay events that occur within the carbon 14, the amount of radioactive carbon 14 in the sample relative to the […]
Continue ReadingThe Garden of Gethsemane: Not the Place of Jesus’ Arrest by Joan E. Taylor at BAR. When visitors to Jerusalem are shown a large cave called “Gethsemane” on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives, they usually give a perfunctory look and hurry on to the famous Garden of Gethsemane, the small garden of olive […]
Continue ReadingThe text below was a response by Marko Marina in a BSA conversation here. Like most critical scholars today (Catholic and non-Catholic alike), I’m [Dr. Marina] convinced the figures called “brothers” of Jesus in the New Testament were in fact his biological siblings, children of Mary and Joseph born after Jesus’ birth. Below, I’ll respond […]
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