A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
From ChatGPT Athronges was a messianic figure and rebel leader who emerged during the chaotic period following the death of Herod the Great in 4 BCE. His story is recorded primarily in the works of the historian Josephus, who provides insight into Athronges’ background, his rebellion, and its consequences. Below are key details about him: […]
Continue ReadingNotes from ChatGPT Response below. From OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com Prompt: Tell me about Menahem ben Hezekiah, would-be messiah and leader of the revolt of 66 CE, who was allegedly a descendant of David born in Bethlehem. Menahem ben Hezekiah was a significant but enigmatic figure in Jewish history, active during the […]
Continue ReadingExtracts from Matthew’s Nativity Story, Critically Examined by Paul Davidson. But I want to look behind the textual curtain and see how the nativity stories came about. Matthew’s version provides an interesting example of how biblical authors worked, combining and reinterpreting Jewish scriptures and other literary sources to craft a deliberate portrait of Jesus. I will […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT, 12/18/2024. The concept of virgin birth, or miraculous conception, is a motif found in various religious and mythological traditions. Below is a list of figures said to have been born of a virgin, along with the sources that describe them: Deities Humans Follow-up ChatGPT response. Prompt – Provide context and list the sources […]
Continue ReadingFrom OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com Prompt – Provide based on the work of critical Bible Scholars, a table listing the differences between the Christmas stories of Matthew and Luke. Provide in the table scriptural references to support each site. List all sources at the end of the response. Below is an expanded […]
Continue ReadingThis page contains links and extracts to the debate at SBL in the 2010 era where a good presentation was made by Kenneth Atkinson, Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of Northern Iowa in January 2012 discussing the two enterprises. The letter (post) resignation from Ronald Hendel and a response from SBL that led to […]
Continue ReadingBAR article High Places, Altars and the Bamah, Not all they are cracked up to be by Ellen White, June 16, 2024 The open-air altar shrine, called a bamah (plural bamot), is known through several books of the Biblical canon—but none more so than the Book of Kings, where they play a prominent role in assessing the performance of […]
Continue ReadingA 58-minute Podcast at SBL’s Bible Odyssey’s website – Season 2: Episode 72, Body and Blood: The Mysterious Origins of the Eucharist, Date Aired: 6/24/2024. The Eucharist is such a common part of Christian worship that it’s easy to overlook how strange it is—drinking wine that represents Jesus’s blood, eating bread that represents His flesh. […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT, 12/14/2021. The tradition of translating certain names of God as LORD in most English Bibles, especially in the Old Testament, stems from a combination of Jewish reverence for the divine name and translation practices that developed over centuries. Here’s a summary of the key reasons: 1. The Divine Name: YHWH (Tetragrammaton) 2. Septuagint […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT 12/14/2024. Here is a comparative analysis of the Ten Commandments as presented in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21 from the American Standard Version (ASV), along with scholarly commentary on the differences between the two passages. Textual Comparison (ASV) 1. Introduction (Identical in both versions.) 2. Sabbath Commandment Key Differences: 3. Other Variations Key […]
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