A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
This post contains extracts from the BAR article by Ronald Hendel titled King David Loves Bathsheba – Is what the historical David did or said more important than what the Bible relates? Number formating and emphasis is mine. Two links to related post on this site are: For a related issue see the BAR article The […]
Continue Reading7/15/2026 – This post is a summary, then a 2nd response by Claude.ai. Summary of the Transcript of Ross Nichols’ YouTube Video, “The Truth About David They Tried to Hide” (Horeb Institute / Sunday School) in his directory in Dropbox. Overview: Nichols compares the parallel accounts of David’s Ammonite campaign in 2 Samuel 11–12 and […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 6/25/2026. Prompt: Provide an essay based on the work of critical bible scholars about the destruction of the bronze serpent (Nehushtan) by Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18:4. The serpent may originally have been a legitimate cult object but later became treated as an idol. Include the thoughts about the timing of that […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 6/25/2026 Prompt: The imagery of a bull as representative of the deity was used in the ancient Near East. Was it used by the ancient Israelites in the Abraham to Moses time and later? Cite all sources in line. Response: Yes. Most historians of ancient Israel and critical biblical scholars conclude that […]
Continue Reading6/18/2026 – This is a summary by Claude.ai of the transcript of a YouTube video titled Why the Bible Keeps Saying David Didn’t Try to Steal the Throne (He Did) by Jordan Jones (PhD in Classics with a specialty in the Hebrew Bible), arguing that David made a covert political move against Saul’s throne by […]
Continue Reading5/9/2026 – Prompt: Looking to all critical bible scholars and historians, provide a chronological narrative of the impact of Assyria and Egypt on the Levant. Particularly noting the evolving relationship between the two superpowers. Before the response are paragraphs about a Check Prompt using ChatGPT and a list of links used by the two AI’s
Continue ReadingClaude.ai’s summary of 10 Things to Know About the Assyrian Empire, Who were the Assyrians? at BAS by Robin Ngo; published on July 17, 2025. The PDF of the article is in the Assyrian Empire directory in Dropbox.
Continue ReadingSummary: “Son of God: From Pharaoh to Israel’s Kings to Jesus” by James K. Hoffmeier Hoffmeier traces the concept of divine sonship from ancient Egypt through Israelite kingship to its eventual application to Jesus in the New Testament, arguing that the title “Son of God” has deep roots in Near Eastern royal ideology rather than […]
Continue ReadingFrom their email of 12/1/2025. BAS Library Special Collection, Solomon’s Splendor.
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT Several critical biblical scholars have made or supported the argument that the author(s) or redactor(s) of Samuel–Kings crafted the David narratives with subversive irony, meaning the stories appear to glorify David on the surface but subtly reveal his moral corruption and political ruthlessness to the perceptive reader. The idea is that the author […]
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