Category Archives: Early Christianity

New Work Released on The Book of Noah

NEW BOOK published by the SBL: Noah and His Book(s) Michael E. Stone, Aryeh Amihay, Vered Hillel ISBN 1589834887 Status Available Price: $45.95 Binding Paperback Publication Date June, 2010 In a collection of original essays, this book offers new insights on the question of the lost “book of Noah,” as well as studies of Noah’s [...]
Also posted in Early Judaism, News and Events, Pseudepigrapha/Apocrypha, Religious Scholars | Tagged , , , , , | Comments closed

Book Review: Canon and Canonicity. The Formation and Use of Scripture

Via PaleoJudaica.com BOOK REVIEW (BMCR): Einar Thomassen (ed.), Canon and Canonicity. The Formation and Use of Scripture. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 2010. Pp. 232. ISBN 9788763530279. $48.00.  Reviewed by David J. DeVore, University of California, Berkeley Table of Contents As editor Thomassen’s preface states (p. 7), the volume under review is the fruit of “Highways and [...]
Also posted in Doctrinal Issues, LDS Interest, Religious Scholars, Scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

The Location of the Nail-Prints in Jesus Hands? A Discussion at Cambridge University

The question and its answer were posted by Rob Bradshaw on his blog biblicalstudiesorguk.blogspot.com. My thanks to Jeff Bradshaw (no relation, as far as I know) for bringing this post to my attention. Where were the nail-prints in Jesus’ hands – in his wrists or his palms? This question was raised last Saturday during a [...]
Also posted in Doctrinal Issues, LDS Interest, Scholarly Conferences | Tagged , , , , , | Comments closed

Answers to Questions Regarding Heavenly Ascent in Early Jewish and Early Christian Literature

This post comprises some very interesting questions posed to me by a new reader of this blog, Steve Bastasch, regarding the development of the “heavenly ascent” theme in early Christian thought and writings and their Jewish background. My answer to these questions follows. ————————————————————————— Steve: I’m new to your Heavenly Ascents blog – it looks [...]
Also posted in Apocalypticism/Mysticism, Early Judaism, Heavenly Ascents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

Notes on Early Jewish Belief in a Messiah

The following is from some notes that I took in Professor Jim Davila’s class on the Dead Sea Scrolls this week. I sit in on this undergraduate class of his just to get more exposure to his great knowledge and expertise on this topic. The way the class is set up, at least at this [...]
Also posted in Doctrinal Issues, Early Judaism, Religious Scholars, School Journal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

New Margaret Barker Temple Themes Video

Check out my latest video, “Jesus, Yahweh and the Temple, Part II”, continuing my analysis of Margaret Barker’s book, Temple Themes in Christian Worship. This video analyzes Barker’s views on the early Christian identification of Jesus as Yahweh (Jehovah), the God of the Old Testament. The early Christians worshiped God Most High, or God the [...]
Also posted in Doctrinal Issues, LDS Interest, Religious Scholars, Temple, YouTube Videos | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

“God Will Provide Himself a Lamb” (Old Testament Lesson 9)

The Aqedah (“binding”) of Isaac was an important part of both early Jewish and early Christian understanding of God’s plan for mankind’s salvation. Although the biblical version of the story of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac is told in a way in which the similarities to Christ’s atoning sacrifice are only subtle, many ancient traditions, including [...]
Also posted in Doctrinal Issues, Early Judaism, Scripture, Sunday School Lessons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed

The Three Men Who Appeared to Abraham: The Godhead, Angels, or Human Beings? (Old Testament Lesson 8)

In Genesis 18, we read that the Lord appeared to Abraham in Mamre, and also, in the same verse, that three “men” visited him.  This has to be one of the most debated passages of all time.  The big question is whether these three were divine beings (and if one of the three was the [...]
Also posted in Doctrinal Issues, Early Judaism, Favorite Posts, Scripture, Sunday School Lessons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments closed