A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
This post contains Claude.ai’s summary of my transcript (in Dropbox) of Richard Friedman’s lecture on BAR/BSA here. I find his views very reasonable of what originally happened and how it came to be the story we know. Here is a summary of Richard Friedman’s argument in approximately 1,000 words: Summary: “The Exodus Based on the […]
Continue ReadingFrom Claude.ai 2/16/2026. Critical Bible scholars generally approach the phrase “visiting the iniquity of the fathers” (ASV, Exodus 20:5–6) as an expression rooted in the social, legal, and theological world of the ancient Near East. Rather than reading it as a literal metaphysical transfer of guilt from parent to child, they tend to interpret it […]
Continue ReadingAt the BAR Library — When Did Ancient Israel Begin? New hieroglyphic inscription may date Israel’s ethnogenesis 200 years earlier than you thought. By Hershel Shanks This is a very good article about a paper by scholars Manfred Görg, Peter van der Veen, and Christoffer Theis, based on their understanding of a pharaoh’s “name ring” on […]
Continue ReadingFrom Claude.ai. Prompt: Cite the places where critical bible scholars point out the anachronistic parts where the writer is writing from a later time after the end of the 40 year period. Include the designation of the writer per the J, E, P, and D hypothesis. Cite all sources. Critical Scholarship on Anachronisms in the […]
Continue ReadingThis page contains a Chronology by Claude.ai in Explanatory Mode and one by ChatGPT that is more condensed. Both were prepared on 4/1/2025. From Claude.ai in Explanatory Mode Prompt: Provide the chronology of the events related in the Hebrew Bible’s books of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy of the 40 years in the wilderness from leaving […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT/Scholarly mode who “Talked to sider.ai”. Prompt: Provide critical bible scholars understanding of Aaron’s failure to sanctify God at Meribah, resulting in both him and Moses being denied entry into the Promised Land. Provide all sources. Critical Biblical Scholarship on Aaron’s Failure to Sanctify God at Meribah and Its Consequences The incident at Meribah […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 2/8/2025. Prompt: Provide information critical bible scholars find in the bible about Aaron, Moses’ brother, related to: physical, emotional, temperament, historical and geographical. Cite all sources. Aaron, the brother of Moses, is a significant figure in the Hebrew Bible and plays multiple roles, such as the first high priest of Israel and […]
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 […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 11/10/2024. Prompt – Add to the last response more on the timing and details of the Exodus tradition. [The “last response” refers to the result of the series of prompts in the Post here. Certainly, here’s an expanded exploration of the timing and details surrounding the Exodus tradition, including various scholarly perspectives, […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 11/10/2024. Prompt Series – Prepare an outline of the events in the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000–1550 BCE) related toAbraham and the Patriarchs and their descendants noting the location of the events and any related NRSV bible scripture. Provide a list of sources at the end of the paper. Five Follow-up prompts […]
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