A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
Extracts from a Forum post at BSA here. Below the extracts is a long Response from Claude.ai. Original Post from a new member: I noticed there are strikingly extensive overlaps between Jewish Apocalypticism and Zoroastrianism, the religion of ancient Persia. These overlapping beliefs include (somewhat simplifying): It seems hard to believe that all of this […]
Continue ReadingSee the very good article from BAS When the Sons of God Cavorted with the Daughters of Men by Ronald S. Hendel, Summer 1987. The PDF is in his directory in Dropbox. Dr. Hendel speaks of much more than the title implies. He shows how the Hebrew relates to similar Canaanite stories as well as how later […]
Continue ReadingHere’s a summary of the article with key talking points of the article “Understanding Iron in the Iron Age” — Biblical Archaeology Review, April 6, 2026 by Lauren K. McCormick. A PDF is in the BAS directory in Dropbox. Overview A new study of iron blooms discovered in the Dor Lagoon along Israel’s Carmel Coast […]
Continue ReadingExtracts from Weekly Blog Recap. All references of “I” below are to Bart Ehrman.
Continue ReadingFrom Claude.ai on 3/30/2026, based on the prompt: Provide a timeline of the evolution of Biblical Hebrew as a language and when writing began, up to when prose was being composed. Cite all sources. Claude first produced the second timeline in this post where there is more info about each period. Immediately below is a […]
Continue ReadingIn addition to the post below, see the post on this site, Fish in the Sea of Galilee. From Claude.ai. Prompt – Provide bible scholar John Dominic Crossan’s explanation of how the Sea of Galilee became the Sea of Tiberias and how that impacted Jesus’ message. This is a rich topic that Crossan has written […]
Continue ReadingThis post is a list of talking points prepared by Claude.ai of a very good article at BAR titled Antipas—The Herod Jesus Knew by Morten Hørning Jensen. A PDF of the article is in the “Herod and Sons” directory in Dropbox. Here’s a summary of the article’s key talking points:
Continue ReadingTwo responses from ChatGPT on 3/28/2026. The domestication of the dromedary camel and the Bactrian camel occurred at different times and places within the ancient Near Eastern and Central Asian world. The timeline is reasonably well established through archaeology and zooarchaeology, though details are still debated. Bottom line – Camels were not widely domesticated or […]
Continue ReadingPrompt to CLaude.ai on 3/25/2026 – Provide all archaeological findings and any critical bible scholarship related to The Yarwhosians? The civilized Neolithic Yarmukians created some of the world’s earliest clay sculptures. By Yosef Garfinkel, Michele Miller. Cite all sources A quick note [from Claude] before diving in: there are no people or culture known as the “Yarwhosians.” This […]
Continue ReadingChatGPT’s response to the Prompt: Are the writings by the apostolic fathers considered to be apocrypha? Short answer: No, the writings of the Apostolic Fathers are not considered “apocrypha” in the usual scholarly sense. They are a different category. What are the Apostolic Fathers? The term “Apostolic Fathers” refers to early Christian authors writing roughly […]
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