A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
From Bart Ehrman’s Blog Posts: 1 John in a Nutshell, September 11, 2025. His 50-word summary – I John addresses a problem involving group of Christians (whom he calls “antichrists”) who had split from the church over a difference of belief, claiming that Christ did not come “in the flesh” and that they themselves had […]
Continue ReadingFrom Claude.ai on 4/6/2025 based on the prompt: What do critical bible scholars believe can be learned by the use of the four names Sea of Tiberias, Sea of Galilee, Sea of Chinnereth, and Lake Gennesaret in the Gospels? Cite all sources. The Significance of Lake Names in the Gospels The different names used for […]
Continue Reading3/21/2025 – Claude.ai prompt in Explanatory mode: What are the differences in modern English and koine Greek? Cite all sources. Modern English and Koine Greek: Key Differences Modern English and Koine Greek represent two linguistic systems separated by both time (about 2,000 years) and linguistic family. Let me explore the major differences between these languages […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT Prompt: Which bible verses do critical bible scholars believe are the oldest in the Bible? Cite the scholars and all sources? ChatGPT said: Critical biblical scholars identify certain passages within the Bible as among the oldest based on linguistic, historical, and textual analyses. Notably: The dating of these texts is based on internal […]
Continue ReadingThere were people around that could kill Cain for killing Abel. How could that be? And why did Jehovah protect a murderer? Genesis 4:13-16 — Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! Today you have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall […]
Continue ReadingItalicized paragraphs below are extracts from Christine Elizabeth Hayes’ book Introduction to the Bible (The Open Yale Courses Series). Yale University Press. Kindle Edition. The lecture, titled “Literary Prophecy: Perspectives on the Exile (Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and 2nd Isaiah),” explores the theological responses to the destruction of Jerusalem, focusing on the books of Ezekiel and Second […]
Continue ReadingIsaiah 10:21–23 Only a remnant shall return,Only a remnant of Jacob,To mighty El.Even if your people, O Israel,Should be as the sands of the sea,Only a remnant of it shall return.Destruction is decreed;Retribution comes like a flood!For my lord Yahweh of Hosts is carrying outA decree of destruction upon all the land. Most closely aligns […]
Continue ReadingFirst Isaiah, (Isaiah 1-39) The book of Isaiah is the longest prophetic book, and the interpretation of many passages as symbolic references to Jesus makes it one of the books of the Bible most quoted by Christians. The historical prophet Isaiah from Jerusalem was a contemporary of Amos and Hosea. However, he was active for […]
Continue ReadingElizabeth Hayes, Christine. Introduction to the Bible (The Open Yale Courses Series) (p. 249). Yale University Press. Kindle Edition. The first of the literary prophets, Amos preached in the northern kingdom of Israel during a relatively stable period in the reign of Jeroboam II, around 750 B.C.E., before the Assyrian threat became very apparent. In […]
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