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...