Maybe the Nativity doesn't look quite like we think it does
With Alexander and Aristobulus out of the way, Antipater became Herod’s leading prospect as successor, and virtual co-ruler with his father. But despite the evident certitude of his position, it never occurred to Antipater, that as Herod’s oldest son and Read More …
In 29 BCE, Herod executed his beloved second wife Mariamne I for adultery, for which her sons Alexander III and Aristobulus IV would never forgive him. Still only children, Herod sent them to Rome for education. Upon their return to Read More …
Herod’s father, Antipater II, was assassinated by a political enemy, to which Herod responded in kind. His brother Phasael’s death is shrouded in mystery—did he commit suicide or was he murdered while in Parthian custody? During his career, Herod “executed” Read More …
(1) And it came to pass in those days {that} a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. (2) This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. (3) So, all went to Read More …
“…and went beyond the river Jordan, and bathed himself in the warm baths that were at Callirrhoe…” Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 17.6.5 “Callirrhoe” (pronounced kal-eer-ho-ee) in Greek means, “beautiful stream”. The phrase therma kallirhoes means, “warm beautiful stream”. In Read More …
The Psalms of Solomon are a pseudepigraphal work written in the mid-to-late first century BCE. It consists of eighteen psalms (songs or poems) that stylistically resemble the biblical psalter. In its most general sense, a pseudepigraphal work is an ancient Read More …
I had the privilege of being interviewed by Truth Be Told Radio Network CEO and host of “Time Out with Kevin Gallagher” on May 18, 2022. You can check out the show here.
Don’t you find it just a little bit odd that Jesus “the carpenter” never once used an allusion to woodworking in all his amazing stories? But Yeshua ha boneh (Aramaic), Jesus the builder, made several references to working with stone. Read More …
I recently watched a new YouTube video that briefly and quite inadequately discusses how we historically arrived at a December 25 birthday for Jesus of Nazareth.1 During the video, the host plays clips from a different video that challenges a Read More …
Is Christmas a biblical fact or a man-made tradition? The likelihood that Jesus of Nazareth was born on December 25th is near zero. Furthermore, we tend to tell the traditional nativity story as if it happened in a historical vacuum. Read More …