Psalms Today Videos

Peter Mead has created short videos for each of the 150 psalms. You can see his post introducing them here.

Another Top Ten Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology List

Bryan Windle posts his list here.

The Real Color of Papyrus

Super nerdy but I found this post and the article it was based on related to papyrus production fascinating.

Top 10 Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology in 2022 and Much More

Todd Bolen has posted his top ten discoveries in biblical archaeology in 2022 and he also includes several other noteworthy lists. You should check it out here.

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member to read them.

Susan Ackerman, Gods, Goddesses, and the Women Who Serve Them (Eerdmans)
Laura Quick

Gilles Dorival, The Septuagint from Alexandria to Constantinople: Canon, New Testament, Church Fathers, Catenae (Oxford University Press)
Leonardo Pessoa da Silva Pinto

Raanan Eichler, The Ark and the Cherubim (Mohr Siebeck)
David A. Falk

Paul Laffan, The Fabricated Christ: Confronting What We Know about Jesus and the Gospels (Lexington/Fortress Academic)
Tobias Ålöw

Béatrice Oiry, Le temps qui compte: Construction et qualification du temps de l’histoire dans le récit des livres de Samuel (1 S 1–1 R 2) (Peeters)
Raoul Baziomo

Justin Pannkuk, King of Kings: God and the Foreign Emperor in the Hebrew Bible (Baylor University Press)
David B. Schreiner

Richard Walsh, ed., T&T Clark Companion to the Bible and Film (T&T Clark)
Melody D. Knowles

Merry Christmas!

 

Free PDF: The Future of New Testament Theology.

Joel Green has edited some essays on New Testament theology that are available as a free PDF here.

HT: Sean du Toit

Academic Writing

There is some helpful advice here.

HT: Steve Walton

The Day of Atonment and the Eden Narrative

L. Michael Morales makes a thought-provoking observation linking the Day of Atonement with the Garden of Eden with the former providing a ritual reversal of the expulsion from Eden. Part of the move made by Morales is to highlight the parallel between Adam and the high priest and Eden and the tabernacle. Here he states,

"Not only is Adam's job description, best translated as "to worship and obey" (Genesis 2:15), used elsewhere only to describe the work of the Levites at the tabernacle (Numbers 3:7-8) but even Yahweh's clothing of Adam and the woman reappears later in the description of Moses' clothing of the priests (Genesis 3:21; Leviticus 8:13). While it is accurate enough to call Eden an archetypal sanctuary and Adam as an archetypal high priest, the theological message of the Pentateuch seems rather to focus on how the tabernacle, with the holy of holies, comprised an architectural Eden, with a garden, and how Aaron's priesthood functioned as renewed humanity, the high priest serving fundamentally as a new Adam figure. The Eden narrative of Genesis served to explain the logic of Israel's cult, providing God's people with a narrative backdrop for understanding their divinely ordained liturgy."

L. Michael Morales, Exodus Old and New: A Biblical Theology of Redemption (Downers Grove, InterVarsity, 2020), 100.

Top Ten 1 Corinthian Commentaries

B. J. Oropeza offers his annotated list here.

Joseph, Potiphar, and Potiphar's Wife

Rachel Adelman has an interesting post here on Genesis 39–41, specifically on Joseph, Potiphar, and Potiphar's wife in Jewish traditional interpretation.

Cupbearers in Bible Times

Ferrell Jenkins has a nice post here on cupbearers in biblical times. This blog is one that I regularly look at.

The Economic Status of Jesus' Family

Ian Paul has a very interesting post here on the economic status of Jesus' family.

When Christmas Day Is Sunday

This article highlights a debate among Christians as to whether their churches should meet on Christmas day when that day is also a Sunday. I believe that this is a matter of conscience and that grace should be extended to both sides. But, I would lean toward having services even though the church I attend has gone the other direction.

Psalm 99

I am working on a commentary on the Psalms. I have decided to compile some helpful links that I discovered during my research. It includes a mix of exegetical and sermonic links. Here is what I have for Psalm 99 (in no particular order). Feel free to mention any that you find helpful in the comments section.

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps099.pdf

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_099.pdf

Psalm 99 devotional: https://www.generations.org/devotionals/112

Steven Cole sermon: https://bible.org/seriespage/psalm-99-holy-he

Scott Hoezee commentary: https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2022-02-21/psalm-99-4

Journey into God's Presence through the Offerings

Using Leviticus 9 primarily, L. Michael Morales suggests a "procedural order" in the sacrifices ([1] the purification offering, [2] the whole burnt offering, and [3]) the peace offering that represent a "cultic exodus" into fellowship with God (see diagram below). That is, not only do the offerings represent what is necessary to enter into God's presence but the order itself matters. Frankly, I had not ever considered this before. Very interesting.

L. Michael Morales, Exodus Old and new: A Biblical Theology of Redemption (Downers Grove, InterVarsity, 2020), 91-98.

D. A. Carson on One of the Saddest OT Texts

D. A. Carson explains here why 2 Kings 39 is one of the saddest Old Testament texts.

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member to read them.

R. Alan Culpepper and Jörg Frey, eds., Expressions of the Johannine Kerygma in John 2:23–5:18: Historical, Literary, and Theological Readings from the Colloquium Ioanneum 2017 in Jerusalem (Mohr Siebeck)
Paul N. Anderson

Brandon W. Hawk, Preaching Apocrypha in Anglo-Saxon England (University of Toronto Press)
Anthony C. Swindell

Larry G. Herr, Douglas R. Clark, Lawrence T. Geraty, and Monique D. Vincent, eds., The 2006 Season at Tall al-ʿUmayri and Subsequent Studies (Eisenbrauns)
Piotr Bienkowski

Johannes C. de Moor, Micah (Peeters)
Yisca Zimran

Ronald L. Troxel, Commentary on the Old Greek and Peshitta of Isaiah 1–25 (SBL Press) H. F. van Rooy

A Grotto or a Stable?

Leen Ritmyer has an interesting discussion here on where Jesus was born. I am not sure he is right but well worth checking out.

Psalm 98

I am working on a commentary on the Psalms. I have decided to compile some helpful links that I discovered during my research. It includes a mix of exegetical and sermonic links. Here is what I have for Psalm 98 (in no particular order). Feel free to mention any that you find helpful in the comments section.

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps098.pdf

Eric Mathis: https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1827

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_098.pdf

Psalm 98 devotional: https://www.generations.org/devotionals/111

Psalm 22:9-10

Lee Fields has a nice analysis of the Hebrew in Psalm 22:9-10 here.

Wealth and Possessions according to Acts 11–28

Steve Walton has made his slides from his presentation at SBL on wealth and possessions according to Acts 11–28 available here.

Biblical Cookware and Crockery

Nava Panitz-Cohen has an excellent introduction to biblical cookware and crockery here.

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member to read them.

Andrew Faulkner, ed., Apollinaris of Laodicea Metaphrasis Psalmorum (Oxford University Press)
Felix Albrecht

Iain Gardner, The Founder of Manichaeism: Rethinking the Life of Mani (Cambridge University Press)
Timothy Pettipiece

Arco den Heijer, Portraits of Paul’s Performance in the Book of Acts: Luke’s Apologetic Strategy in the Depiction of Paul as Messenger of God (Mohr Siebeck)
Daniel B. Glover

Victor H. Matthews, The History of Bronze and Iron Age Israel (Oxford University Press)
Lester L. Grabbe

Jennifer Otto, Philo of Alexandria and the Construction of Jewishness in Early Christian Writings (Oxford University Press)
Gregory E. Sterling

Kyriakos Savvidis and Dietmar Wyrwa, eds., Epistula ad Marcellinum (De Gruyter)
Johan Leemans and Laura Mariotti

Mary E. Sommar, The Slaves of the Churches: A History (Oxford University Press)
Anders Martinsen

Jacob Stromberg and J. Todd Hibbard, eds., The History of Isaiah: The Formation of the Book and Its Presentation of the Past (Mohr Siebeck)
Hyun Chul Paul Kim

Genesis 25 and Marshmallow and Jell-O Salad

I missed this bit of humor from The Babylon Bee for Thanksgiving but I reckon it is appropriate for Christmas as well.