Acts as Biblical History

Steve Walton has made his presentation slides (PDF) available here from his recent talk at the British New Testament Society on "Acts as Biblical History."

The Opponents in Jude

Mike Bird discusses briefly the identity of the opponents in Jude here.

Oldest Latin Commentary on the Gospels

Apparently, the oldest Latin commentary on the Gospels has been found and translated. You can read about it here.

Paul and Silas Before the Magistrates at Philippi?

Carl Rasmussen has a nice post here discussing where Paul and Silas would have appeared before the magistrates at Philippi (Acts 16:20).

The Death of the Christian Bookstore

See this article chronicling the rise and fall of the Christian bookstore.

Solomon's Throne

Here is an interesting article related to Solomon's throne (1 Kgs 10:18-20). I was most interested in the midrashic details.

Harry Potter and the Biblical Canon

I am not really a potterite, but I did find this article using the Harry Potter series as a way of illustrating issues related to the formation of the biblical canon interesting.

Jeremiah: The Man and His Message

Rob Bradshaw has scanned and made available as a free PDF, Alexander Stewart's Jeremiah: The Man and His Message. This is just one of the many free and wonderful resources at Biblical Studies.org.uk.

Babylonian Tablet and the Oldest Evidence of Trigonometry

This article suggests that a Babylonian tablet dating from 822-1726 B.C. contains the oldest known trigonometry tables .

Studying the Apostolic Fathers

See this interview with Ken Berding who has just written a book entitled, The Apostolic Fathers: A Narrative Introduction.

Is Learning the Biblical Languages a Waste of Time?

Michael Kruger asks and answers the question, "Is It a Waste of Time for Seminary Students (and Pastors) to Learn the Biblical Languages?" here. While I agree with Kruger's answers, I would rephrase the question a bit. Many I know would not ask this question but rather, "Is learning the biblical languages the best use of time for seminary students (and pastors)?" The answer to this question is a bit more complicated. I would argue that though it may not be the "best" use of time, it is a good and worthy use of time.

Solar Eclipses in the Old Testament?

Dr. Claude Mariottini discusses solar eclipses in the Old Testament here.

Latest Issue of 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.

Jonathan J. Armstrong
The Role of the Rule of Faith in the Formation of the New Testament Canon according to Eusebius of Caesarea
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10801
Reviewed by Chris L. de Wet

L. Julianna M. Claassens
Claiming Her Dignity: Female Resistance in the Old Testament
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11420
Reviewed by Dora Mbuwayesango

David E. Garland
A Theology of Mark’s Gospel: Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10845
Reviewed by Stephen C. Barton

Benjamin D. Giffone
‘Sit At My Right Hand’: The Chronicler’s Portrait of the Tribe of Benjamin in the Social Context of Yehud
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11459
Reviewed by Leslie C. Allen

Donna Laird
Negotiating Power in Ezra-Nehemiah
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11385
Reviewed by Bob Becking

Anthony Le Donne
A Study Companion to The Bible: An Introduction
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=9904
Reviewed by José Gómez Galán

Nazek Khalid Matty
Sennacherib’s Campaign against Judah and Jerusalem in 701 B.C.: A Historical Reconstruction
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11455
Reviewed by Ernst Axel Knauf

Scott Shauf
The Divine in Acts and in Ancient Historiography
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10360
Reviewed by Kenneth D. Litwak

Markus Tiwald
Das Frühjudentum und die Anfänge des Christentums: Ein Studienbuch
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11103
Reviewed by Stephan Witetschek

David L. Turner
Israel’s Last Prophet: Jesus and the Jewish Leaders in Matthew 23
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11203
Reviewed by Akiva Cohen

Syllabus Strategies

There are a number of great suggestions here on preparing for a new semester. I have actually employed a number of these. But even though I am fairly well organized and disciplined, I more than once found that my best intentions and plans would go by the wayside. Nonetheless, having a strategy will help at least in some cases

Solar Eclipses and Establishing an Old Testament Chronology

Carl Rasmussen has a simple and brief overview here of how ancient solar eclipses helps to establish an Old Testament chronology.

Preachers Using Technology

Justin Trapp has written a reminder here that preachers throughout history have utilized technology to further the gospel.

Photo Companion to the Bible: The Gospels

BiblePlaces has just announced the release of a new photo collection called the Photo Companion to the Bible. This new series will illustrate the Bible book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. I know of no other resource like this one. If you want to use visuals in your preaching and teaching that are good, effective, relevant, and biblical then this collection is a must have.
 
The volumes on Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are now available. You can check it out and order here. This collection comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee but I am guessing you won’t need it. I have been using BiblePlaces' resources since 1999 and have never been disappointed.

Top Ten Jewish Books

Here is a rabbi's list of the top ten Jewish books

Latest Issue of 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. 

Walter DietrichSamuel (1 Sam 13–26)
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11808
Reviewed by Mark W. Hamilton

David J. Downs
Alms: Charity, Reward, and Atonement in Early Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11263
Reviewed by Anthony Giambrone

Thomas J. Kraus and Michael Sommer, eds.
Book of Seven Seals
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11424
Reviewed by Garrick V. Allen

Minkyu Lee
The Breaking of Bread and the Breaking of Boundaries: A Study of the Metaphor of Bread in the Gospel of Matthew
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10658
Reviewed by Wongi Park

Alice Mouton
Rites, mythes et prières hittites
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11235
Reviewed by Robert Marineau

Anton Pritula
The Warda: An East Syriac Hymnological Collection: Study and Critical Edition
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11050
Reviewed by Robert A. Kitchen

Susanne Scholz, ed.
Feminist Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Retrospect: Biblical Books
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=9644
Reviewed by Jan Jaynes Quesada

Mark A. Seifrid
The Second Letter to the Corinthians
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10006
Reviewed by James P. Sweeney

Mark R. Sneed, ed.
Was There a Wisdom Tradition? New Prospects in Israelite Wisdom Studies
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=10687
Reviewed by JiSeong Kwon

Külli Tõniste
The Ending of the Canon: A Canonical and Intertextual Reading of Revelation 21–22
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=11196
Reviewed by Darian R. Lockett

Reading 4Q124

This article explains how one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, 4Q124, was deciphered.

Struggling Seminaries

This Wall Street Journal article highlights some of challenges facing seminaries today.

Ktiv: The International Collection of Digitized Hebrew Manuscripts

According to this article, the National Library of Israel has created a massive online database of ancient Jewish manuscripts and images from around the world. "The archive contains nearly 4.5 million images from 45,000 manuscripts, including prayer books, biblical texts, commentary, philosophy, literature and scientific writings in various Jewish-related languages such as Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino and Judeo-Arabic." You can access the database here.

Haddon Robinson Remembered

As many of you may know, Haddon Robinson recently passed away. DTS Magazine has a nice article here on the man and his ministry. The piece was actually published before Dr. Robinson's death but is still worth reading or rereading. In 2010, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Robinson in person. I found him to be as gracious and wise as the article suggests. 

James Charlesworth's and Lee McDonald's Lectures at the Lanier Theological Library

I just noticed that the videos of James Charlesworth's talk, “The Theological Value of the ‘Rejected Texts’ and Dead Sea Scrolls for Understanding Jesus,” and Lee McDonald's "Why and When Was Scripture Written? Looking at the New Testament Writings” are now available.

The ISBN

Here is an article on the mysterious ISBN for all my book nerd friends.