Breviarium Totius Imperii: A Summary of the Whole Empire

Different Roman leaders during the first century BCE (Sulla, Pompey, Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar) when in power, handled it differently according to their personal beliefs and ambitions. If they wanted a census, they would order one. If they didn’t want any, there weren’t any. Read More …

In a World of Herods, Be a Magus

Herod had every right to be disturbed by their presence, as did the whole city of Jerusalem. This was not just three semi-anonymous guys on camels from some mysterious Eastern cult. The Suren were a well-known, prestigious noble family with significant power and responsibility. Read More …

A Critique of Kevin Costner’s “The First Christmas”

We are told that the Magi’s journey was over “treacherous terrain” and lasted “months” when in reality it would have been over well-established trade routes (roads) and took about six weeks. Read More …

Were Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Undocumented Immigrants?

Every year at Christmas time there are attempts to equate Joseph, Mary, and Jesus’ flight from Bethlehem to Egypt to the plight of illegal immigrants—claiming that they too would have been “undocumented” and therefore turned away at the border. While Read More …

Parthian Graffiti

Dura Europos was a Greek, then Parthian, then Roman city on the western bank of the Euphrates River approximately 310 miles northwest of the Parthian capital of Ctesiphon on the Tigris. It was founded around 300 BCE by Seleucus I Read More …

The House of Suren

Surena, also known as Rustaham Suren, was a Parthian general during the first century BCE. He is best known for defeating the Romans, under the command of triumvir Marcus Licinius Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BCE. According Read More …