Questions about the historical background and context for events recorded in the Bible.
9
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4answers
173 views
Why does Jesus tell his mother his “hour has not yet come”?
Very early on, John tells a story that is unique to his gospel:
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding ...
9
votes
5answers
3k views
Why did the witnesses lay their coats at Paul's feet?
During the stoning of Stephen, according to the book of Acts, "the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul," who later converted to Christianity and took the name Paul.
...
10
votes
2answers
161 views
Did Jephthah have pets?
Judges 11:29-40 tells the story of Jephthah's victory over the Ammonites. Before the battle he promises, "whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the ...
8
votes
3answers
121 views
Who was Nimrod?
In the middle of an otherwise repetitive genealogy in Genesis 10, one man is especially singled out:
Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter ...
4
votes
0answers
47 views
Just how overpriced was Efron's burial cave anyway?
In Genesis 23 Avraham pays 400 shekels to Efron for a burial cave for Sarah (and, later, other family members). This seems to be an enormous amount of money and Rashi suggests it's even worse than it ...
10
votes
6answers
349 views
How should we understand the “Cleansing of the Temple”?
As a preface, I was talking with some good friends last night and this passage came up. On of my friends contributed an interpretation that made my blood boil. He was clearly wrong and clearly ...
5
votes
2answers
166 views
Do the Dead Sea Scrolls argue against Aramaic primacy?
One of the arguments for Aramaic being the original language of the New Testament is the theory that Hebrew was replaced by Old Aramaic as the vernacular language in Judea following the Babylonian ...
9
votes
2answers
117 views
How strong was Midian's army?
When Israel took vengeance on Midian they sent 12,000 troops (Numbers 31:4) and prevailed:
אֶלֶף, לַמַּטֶּה, אֶלֶף, לַמַּטֶּה--לְכֹל מַטּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, תִּשְׁלְחוּ לַצָּבָא.
Of every tribe a ...
7
votes
2answers
82 views
What language(s) would the Jewish Christians in the various Macedonian cities have spoken?
In Acts 16-18, Paul is shown moving from city to city in Macedonia - e.g. Phillipi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth - many of to whom he would later write letters. Acts 17:2 explains that it was his ...
5
votes
2answers
51 views
Locations of the graves of the Patriarchs
The Book of Acts at 7:16-17 states that Jacob died and was "carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem."
But Genesis ...
7
votes
1answer
168 views
How would stoning of an adulterer actually be carried out under the Law’s of Moses?
How would stoning of an adulterer actually be carried out under the Law’s of Moses?
In John Chapter 8 there is the familiar story of how Jesus prevented a stoning of a woman who had committed ...
7
votes
4answers
121 views
Before the Tower of Babel did all speak Hebrew as the original human language?
I find it fascinating that rabbinic literature suggests that Hebrew was the original human language. I have seen Christian authors also argue the same.
For example, from the Jewish Encyclopedia:
...
5
votes
1answer
35 views
Who are the soldiers in John 18:3?
Does the "detachment of soldiers" refer to a Roman guard? If so, how large of a group? Or is it a different group of soldiers, perhaps a temple guard or Jewish soldiers if there were any at the time?
...
4
votes
1answer
24 views
Historical Context and Fulfillment of Isaiah 7:8
Isaiah 7:8 (NET) reads:
For Syria’s leader is Damascus, and the leader of Damascus is Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will no longer exist as a nation.
As the IVP OT Commentary points ...
6
votes
3answers
141 views
Why did the Samaritans worship God in Mount Gerissim rather than Jerusalem?
In John chapter 4, Jesus has a discussion with a woman of Samaria:
The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in ...
8
votes
2answers
508 views
What happened to the 500 witnesses in 1 Corinthians 15?
This week I taught Sunday School from this text:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was ...
4
votes
1answer
84 views
Would the Pharisees go to Pilate and secure the tomb on the Sabbath?
This is in relation to another post in which the question was asked why the Sabbath was called "the day after the Day of Preparation."
It strikes me odd that Pharisees would be about this sort of ...
5
votes
2answers
166 views
Why were the Ten Commandments written on two tablets?
When Moses is given the Ten Commandments they are apparently written on two tablets:
He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on ...
4
votes
2answers
139 views
How does the Genesis account of the Tower of Babel compare with other traditions about the tower?
I'm aware there are number of accounts of the Tower of Babel in Midrash, from the Islamic traditions, Kabalah, Josephus and the Jubilees.
For the most part, these accounts seem to derive from ...
8
votes
2answers
1k views
What are the similarities and differences between the Genesis creation account and other creation stories of the time
(Operating under the assumption that Genesis was authored by Moses, and its intent is a polemic against other origin stories and their view of the deity at the time).
The Enûma Eliš is said to have ...
7
votes
3answers
329 views
How does the Noah's Ark narrative relate to the Gilgamesh flood account?
How does the Noah's Ark narrative relate to other the Gilgamesh flood account?
For reference, the Biblical flood account is in Genesis 6-10 and the Gilgamesh flood account is on Tablet XI. The ...
9
votes
5answers
970 views
Why should an altar be made with uncut stone?
God told Moses that the altar must be made of unhewn stones:
And if you make for Me an altar of stones, do not build it of hewn stones; for by wielding your tool upon them you have profaned ...
8
votes
3answers
110 views
What is the judgment in Psalm 1?
The ending of Psalm 1 provides great hope for those who delight in the instruction of the Lord:
Not so the wicked;
rather, they are like chaff that wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked ...
1
vote
2answers
241 views
In Matthew 14 Jesus walks on the water. What are the similarities between this account and the ancient Egyptian writings about Horus?
In Matthew 14 Jesus walks on the water. What are the similarities and differences between this account and the ancient Egyptian writings about Horus from Pyramid texts in 25th Century BC?
For ...
7
votes
1answer
149 views
What does Jesus mean by “vain repetition” or “babbling” in Matthew 6:7?
What ancient tradition of prayer is Jesus critical of in Matthew 6:7?
In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. (NABRE)
But ...
6
votes
1answer
87 views
What does it mean to be a Nazarite?
In Numbers 6, God gives the rules for being a Nazarite. This person is set apart for service to God. There are rules they must follow and actions they must take or refrain from.
They must not eat or ...
7
votes
2answers
254 views
How big were the nomadic clans of the patriarchs?
According to the book Genesis, 70 people came down with Jacob to dwell in Egypt after contact was made with Joseph:
And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two souls; all the ...
5
votes
1answer
63 views
Is there something significant about Avram's tactics in rescuing Lot?
Genesis 14 describes the war of four kings against five kings and the capture of Lot, and then describes how Avram mounted a rescue mission:
וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָם, כִּי נִשְׁבָּה אָחִיו; וַיָּרֶק ...
5
votes
2answers
91 views
Is Luke's “Theophilus” An Actual Person or an Allegorical Person
I've always wondered if there's any persuasive evidence either way for Theophilus whom Luke addresses in Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1 being an actual person or an allegorical personification? I mean my ...
6
votes
3answers
319 views
Jesus is both the good shepherd and the gate - Is it the same parable or two different?
In John 10 Jesus use two images. First he is the gate for the sheep.
John 10:7-10 (NIV):
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for
the sheep. All who have come ...
4
votes
1answer
76 views
What did it mean to “rise before the aged” in ancient Hebrew culture?
We read an ordinance in Leviticus:
You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.—Leviticus 19:32 (NJPS)
In English, "rise" can ...
8
votes
1answer
381 views
Who were the “chief priests” and “Sanhedrin” in reference to the people trying to kill Jesus?
Mark 14:55 (NIV)
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.
Wikipedia has shown me that ...
4
votes
2answers
392 views
Did Luke use Josephus as a source?
Richard Carrier summarizes an argument made by Steve Mason in his book Josephus and the New Testament that Luke knew of Josephus' Jewish War (79 CE) and Jewish Antiquities (94 CE). At it's core, the ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
Who were the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews of Acts 6:1?
In Acts, it talks about a division in Judaism that I had not heard of before:
Acts 6:1 (NIV)
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained ...
6
votes
5answers
4k views
When did Jesus change his view on preaching to Gentiles?
In John 10:16 Jesus says (ESV quoted):
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
The ...
7
votes
1answer
138 views
Did the apostles travel with their wives?
I was doing some research for an answer and came across this verse:
This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take ...
10
votes
4answers
312 views
Did Moses have an Egyptian name?
Moses got his name from Pharaoh's daughter:
When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of ...
13
votes
2answers
1k views
Was “Τετέλεσται” actually stamped on paid bills and debt certificates in the first century?
I've often heard some really cool explanations around the meaning for the greek word Τετέλεσται in the New Testament where Jesus said, "It is Finished". I love what I've heard, and have even preached ...
6
votes
1answer
111 views
What about the noncanonical books quoted in Jude?
The book of Jude contains many quotes and references to the Old Testament. However, there are two quotes which seem to be from elsewhere.
The first is attributed to The Assumption of Moses.
Jude ...
8
votes
1answer
1k views
Is Deuteronomy 22:28 talking about rape?
Some folks assert that this passage describes the Torah's sole punishment for rape:
If a man comes upon a virgin who is not engaged and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered, ...
4
votes
3answers
493 views
Jewish interpretation of Genesis 1:26?
I am under the impression that the Trinity is a Christian idea, and that the Jews did not view God as "three in one and one in three". How, then, was the following passage interpreted by the people ...
5
votes
2answers
162 views
Is oral history like the telephone game?
Bart Ehrman argues that the gospel texts are not historically reliable beginning with this analogy:
It is [oral circulation] that causes special problems for historians who want to know what ...
6
votes
1answer
119 views
What is the order of events of Nahum and Jonah?
I was reading the book of Nahum and it was speaking about Ninevah. Is the book of Nahum foretelling the destruction of Ninevah, for which the people of Ninevah averted by repenting of their sins, or ...
5
votes
2answers
360 views
Did Jesus wear pants?
While researching this question, I came across an article I'd rather not link to1 that asserted that Jesus wore pants. The particular bit of evidence they cited was:
Then I saw heaven opened, and ...
9
votes
2answers
330 views
How consistent were Augustine's hermeneutics?
St. Augustine of Hippo seems to have had considerable influence on the field of hermeneutics. His work in the field seems to be a bit of a landmark in the history of how hermeneutics is done.
However ...
4
votes
1answer
135 views
Daniel 8:15-27 :“… Kingdom of greece …”
I was reading Daniel 8:15-27, where it says:
.... the ram you saw that had two horns represents the kingdoms of Media and Persia. The goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the prominent horn ...
5
votes
1answer
138 views
How did David trick Achish?
I got to this section this week and I feel like I'm missing something:
David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Gizrites, and the Amalekites—who were the inhabitants of the ...
7
votes
1answer
484 views
How should the story of David's concubines be read?
There's a small story of ten concubines spread across Samuel:
And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” Then David said to all his servants ...
4
votes
1answer
103 views
Is there a published version of the Bible, where the text is ordered chronologically in the order it was written?
Has there been a published version of the Bible where the text was ordered in the order it is best assumed that it was written?
I'm not interested in a version that is ordered in a chronological ...
2
votes
2answers
178 views
Does the “lost leaf” theory for Mark's abrupt ending fail if written on a scroll?
I really like this explanation of Mark's rather abrupt ending:
There are three possible explanations for Mark ending at 16:8: (1) The author intentionally ended the Gospel here in an open-ended ...
