A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
A very good collection of articles published at BAR is in an ebook (pdf) titled Paul: Jewish Law and Early Christianity, which they distributed for free (other than the price of your email address) that is in Dropbox at “C:\Users\tom\Dropbox\Christianity\Paul\paul_jewish_law_and_early_christianity.pdf” Learn how Jewish traditions and law extended into early Christianity through Paul’s dual roles as […]
Continue ReadingIntroduction to BSA by new member Steve Hunsaker, May 7: My name is Steve Hunsaker. I currently live in Salt Lake City. I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I have always enjoyed studying the stories from the Bible. I hope to contribute to this community [BSA] as much as you all have given […]
Continue ReadingThis page contains Comments and Responses to the post in BAR immediately below. Geographically Puzzled The article on Sodom (“Where Is Sodom? The Case for Tall el-Hammam,” BAR 39:02) was well reasoned and provocative, but it left me geographically puzzled. It is true that as Abraham and Lot looked down from the area near Ai and Bethel […]
Continue ReadingBelow is an excellent post by Michael L Waddell at BSA on May 5. Intro: The creation story of Genesis 2 is widely held by scholars to be older than the separate creation story in Genesis 1. The Genesis 1 story, attributed to the “Priestly” author P, presents God in a way we’ve come to […]
Continue ReadingWhy is There Doubt Over the “I am” Statements in the Gospel of John? Below are extracts from this very good article. Much of contemporary New Testament scholarship views the “I am” sayings of Jesus found in the Gospel of John as being controversial. The seven sayings in John are as follows: • I am […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT Critical biblical scholarship offers a nuanced perspective on the “I AM” statements in John 14, particularly Jesus’ declaration in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” While some theologians interpret these statements as affirmations of Jesus’ divinity, critical scholars often view them through the lens of historical context and […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 5/24/2025. Performative Christianity (or more broadly, performative religiosity) refers to the outward display of religious behavior or expression that is primarily motivated by the desire to be seen, affirmed, or socially rewarded—rather than by sincere belief, spiritual conviction, or obedience to God. 1. Definition & Origin 2. Biblical Foundation for the Concept […]
Continue ReadingFrom Claude.ai in Explanatory Mode on 5/18/2025. To explain how critical biblical scholars interpret the differences between Jesus’ statements in John 5 and John 8, I’ll need to examine the key differences between these chapters and how scholars understand them. John 5: Key Statements In John 5, Jesus makes several significant claims about himself and […]
Continue ReadingAll below was extracted from the BAR Library here. Sidebar to: Why Lachish Matters We [BAR] have written extensively on Lachish over the past decades, as indicated by the following bibliography. “Mystery Find at Lachish,” BAR, September/October 1979. David Ussishkin, “Answers at Lachish,” BAR, November/December, 1979. R. Wright, “Lachish and Azekah Were the Only Fortified Cities of Judah that Remained,” (Jeremiah […]
Continue ReadingThe paragraph and table below is from BAS Library: Child Sacrifice: Returning God’s Gift, Barren women give birth to exceptional children by Susan Ackerman. Susan Ackerman is a retired professor of religion and women’s and gender studies at Dartmouth College. She specializes in women and the religion of ancient Israel. Six barren woman in the Bible receive […]
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