A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
Below 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 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 […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 5/15/2025. King Hezekiah of Judah, who reigned in the late 8th century BCE, is recognized for initiating significant religious reforms aimed at centralizing worship in Jerusalem. These reforms were both religious and political, seeking to consolidate religious practices and strengthen the kingdom’s unity. Biblical Accounts The Hebrew Bible portrays Hezekiah as a […]
Continue ReadingFor a concise history and background, see the Britannica article here. All information below is from ChatGPT on May 11, 2025. Additional responses below the first prompt are: 1st prompt – When the Jewish Study Bible uses LORD in all caps what was the name used in the original Hebrew? ChatGPT said: When the Jewish […]
Continue ReadingThe prompt below stems from the article at BSA by Robin Faith-Walsh here. From Claude.ai on 5/5/25. Prompt: Provide a list of words in the time of Jesus that had meanings like “pneuma” as “spirit” or “ekklesia” as “voluntary association” or “church” but now theologians use them in very narrow meanings such as “gospel” now […]
Continue ReadingSome Radical Christological Thoughts for Easter: A Re-enchantment of Jesus Without Supernaturalism, and a Naturalistic Conception of the Reality of the Resurrection Charles Bledsoe, Super Apostle, Apr 17, 2025Please bear with me while I preface my thoughts about the meaning and resurrection of Jesus with an opening philosophical excursus. Repurposing two terms from the philosophy […]
Continue ReadingFrom BSA Here. Below is a thread with great insights from Charles Bledsoe, Mike Waddell, and others. OP – Some Critical Reflections on the Easter Faith of Literalistic Believers by Charles Bledsoe, Apr 13, 2025 Michael Waddell has written a thought-provoking post on the discrepancies between the accounts of the Resurrection of Paul and of […]
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