Exploring the Bible

Did Archaeology Find Jericho?   If you grew up in Sunday School, there is a good chance you can hear the song in your head right now: “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, and the walls came tumbling down!” It’s one of the most dramatic scenes in the Bible. The Israelites cross the Jordan, circle the city for seven days, blow the trumpets, and shout. The massive fortifications of the city collapse flat, allowing God’s people to charge straight in. But for a long time, Jericho was the favorite target of skeptics. In the 1950s, a famous excavation led by Kathleen Kenyon concluded that while Jericho was an ancient city, it was abandoned and had no walls during the time of Joshua (around 1400 B.C.). For decades, this was taught in universities as "proof" that the Bible was historically inaccurate—a nice story, but not history. But as we discussed in our last post, archaeology is a discipline that is constantly updating itself. And when a new pair of eyes looked at t...

Who is the Bride of Christ?   If you browse the fiction aisle at a bookstore or scroll through sensational documentaries on History Channel late at night, you are almost guaranteed to run into a specific theory. The theory goes something like this: Jesus of Nazareth wasn't just a traveling rabbi; He was a husband. He was married to Mary Magdalene, they had children, and the church has been covering up this secret bloodline for 2,000 years to protect its power. It makes for a thrilling movie plot (it was the central hook of The Da Vinci Code ). It sells millions of books. But when we step out of the movie theater and into the world of serious history and biblical truth, does this theory hold any water? The short answer is: No. The long answer is a beautiful reminder of who Jesus actually is and why He came. Let’s look at why we can be confident that Jesus lived a single, celibate life dedicated entirely to His mission. The primary evidence that Jesus was not married ...

 Unmasking the Author of Revelation If you have ever tried to read the Book of Revelation, you know it is a wild ride. It is filled with dragons, multi-headed beasts, falling stars, and glorious throne rooms. It is the dramatic finale of the entire Bible. But who held the pen? The book opens with a simple introduction: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ... to his servant John” (Revelation 1:1). For most of church history, Christians have believed this was John the Apostle—the brother of James, the son of Zebedee, and the "disciple whom Jesus loved." However, if you open a modern study Bible or watch a documentary, you might hear a different theory. Scholars often suggest it was a different man, sometimes called "John the Elder" or "John of Patmos," who had no relation to the original twelve disciples. They claim the writing style is too different from the Gospel of John to be the same person. Is this true? Or can we trust the tradition that the m...

 The True Black Friday   Is it possible, with the data available to us, to calculate the exact date of the crucifixion of Jesus? Here is what we know from scripture. Jesus was crucified during the tenure of Pontius Pilate. From the historical records, we know Pilate was in the position of procurator from 26 A.D. to 36 A.D. We also know that Jesus’ crucifixion coincided with Passover since the Last Supper was a Passover Meal held just before Jesus was arrested. Passover always begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, which falls on the first full moon after the spring equinox. We also know Jesus was crucified on a Friday because the officials wanted His body removed before the next day, because it was the sabbath (Saturday). These are the details we have concerning the timing of the crucifixion. Broadly speaking, it occurred on a Friday between the years of 26 A.D. and 36 A.D.   However, using historical data, it is possible to determine when each Passove...

  The oldest artifact to mention Jesus by name. There is an artifact dated to the first century A.D. that many believe mentions Jesus by name. The artifact is a ceramic bowl or Careened cup that, aside from a missing handle, is in excellent condition. The remarkably well-preserved artifact was discovered in 2008 by a team from the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM). The team was led by Frank Goddio as they worked near the now-submerged islands of Antirhodos. This site is located in the harbor of the Egyptian city of Alexandria and is historically linked to the palace, and some speculate that it is the tomb of Queen Cleopatra. The extraordinary thing about this cup is the inscription upon it. Most scholars now believe the cup itself was manufactured and fired in Western Asia Minor sometime in the first century B.C. At a later time, the cup was inscribed. The inscription is believed to have come from the first half of the first century A.D., with many scholars pl...

 Why December 25 th   The Bible does not tell us the exact date of Jesus’ birth, so there is no way to know from scripture when Jesus was actually born. So, if the Bible is silent on the subject, how was it determined that Christmas, Jesus’ birthday, was on December 25 th ? There are two competing theories for how and why this date was selected. Some historians claim that December 25 was selected because that date was already a pagan holiday. In the Roman culture, December 25 th was the winter solstice, the date of the Sol Invictus festival. The thought goes that this would make it easier for some Pagans to convert to Christianity by absorbing the current religious festival into a new Christian festival. This seems a little far-fetched, as many in the early church wanted to distance themselves from pagan festivals and traditions. This theory is very popular with those who oppose Christianity. The second theory proposed is based on when Jesus died and, thus, when he was ...

In the Gospel of John, he writes about the burial place, the tomb, of Jesus. John records that it was a carved tomb that had never been used and was located in a garden. “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.”   John 19:41 Now, almost two thousand years later, researchers have discovered evidence that supports the accuracy of the Gospel story. With the rare opportunity to excavate beneath the floors of the ‘ Church of the Holy Sepulchre’ , archaeologists have made a rather startling discovery. Professor Francesca Romana Stasolla led the team of researchers. The team was allowed to excavate materials from deep beneath the church's current floor. The archaeobotanical analysis found a large number of preserved seeds and pollen from Olive trees and grapevines. Not only were seeds and pollens found, but the researchers also found that small dividing walls had been constructed and dirt hauled in t...

 Special Study Editions are now available. Large 8 1/2 by 11-inch format Spiral-Bound  Lays flat for convenient use Extra Space for Notes These special editions are available exclusively through the Lulu Bookstore. Titles available are "New Testament Miracles: The 37 Miracles of Jesus , Bible Reference Sheets , and The Bible: Some Assembly Required. These are some of the Best-Selling titles by Kevin McKinney. They are available in eBook, paperback and Hardcover on Amazon.com. These special study editions are available only at Lulu. Jesus performed thousands of miracles during his brief ministry on Earth. In John 21:25, we are told -  “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”  These include healing the sick, manipulating nature, curing the lame, and even raising the dead. While Jesus performed an untold number of mira...

  The ‘Q’ Source   If you study the Bible at all, you have undoubtedly come across the Q Gospel . This is the name given to a collection of sayings of Jesus . The name comes from the German word ‘Quelle’, which means source. The Q Gospel is associated with the Synoptic Gospels . These are the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke , which all share some aspects in common and are believed to have drawn from a common source or sources. The Gospel of Mark is considered to have been the first written. It is believed that Matthew and Luke both used Mark as a primary source for their writings. At the same time, Matthew and Luke have several sayings and or teachings of Jesus in common that are not found in the Gospel of Mark. This has led some scholars to suggest there was another source used by both Matthew and Luke, which they have named the Q Gospel. It is important to remember that the Q Gospel is strictly theoretical. There is no mention of such a writing in any other ...

  The Signs Source “Semeia Source”   There is a theory known as the “Signs Source’ that claims the Gospel of John was primarily based on a previous writing. These writings, also known as the Semeia Source, were believed to be a list of the miracles , or signs , performed by Jesus. The theory claims that John, or another author, used this list as a basic outline for the Gospel of John. This theory is primarily based on John’s use of the term ‘signs’ rather than ‘miracles,’ as used in the other Gospels . Some go even further and believe this Signs document contained more than just a list of miracles, but also contained the story of Jesus’ life. In John 20:30-31 , John writes,   “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”     The mention that o...