Sermons and Biblical Studies

Bryant G. Wood Jeroboam II Jeroboam II ruled Israel (the Northern Kingdom) for 41 years in the first half of the eighth century BC, ca. 793–753. As was the case with the other kings of Israel, he did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins … Continue reading “JEROBOAM
II, KING OF ISRAEL, AND UZZIAH, KING OF JUDAH”

David Faiman Too Many Theories—Why? There are many theories about where the Biblical Mt. Sinai was located. Among scholarly books on the subject I would draw attention to three which arrive at extremely different conclusions: Davies (1979), who concludes that it is in the south of the Sinai peninsula, at the traditional location of Jebel … Continue reading “DIGGING
MOUNT SINAI FROM THE BIBLE”

Gordon Franz Two treasure hunters stood on the top of Jebel al-Lawz thinking it was the real Mt. Sinai, the “Mountain of God.” One was struck with fear because he thought he was trespassing on the “holiest place on earth.” As he gulped down Gatorade and munched on M & Ms, a sense of guilt … Continue reading “IS
MOUNT SINAI IN SAUDI ARABIA?”

Gary A. Byers The sciences of archaeology and paleontology are sister fields of study. They do very similar work, and the two words mean almost the same thing. Archaeology comes from two Greek words (archae = old and ology = study) and means the study of old things. Paleontology comes from three Greek words (paleo … Continue reading “FOR
YOUNG PALEONTOLOGISTS: TO DIG OR NOT TO DIG—THAT IS NEVER THE QUESTION”

Joseph L. Thimes Any good worker needs the right tools to do their job well, and ancient Egyptian scribes were no exception. Among the few people in the kingdom who could read and write hieroglyphics, they had a very important job. Scribes worked for the Pharaoh or temple priests and needed to be ready to … Continue reading “FOR
YOUNG ARCHAEOLOGISTS AN ANCIENT SCRIBE’S TOOL KIT”

Bryant G. Wood King Jehoash of Israel and King Ben-Hadad III of Aram (Syria) were contemporaries and mentioned together in the Bible. Their appearance together in another ancient inscription demonstrates the historical accuracy of the Biblical references. In the second half of the ninth century BC Israel was subject to Hazael, king of Aram (2 … Continue reading “BEN-HADAD
III, KING OF ARAM, AND JEHOASH, KING OF ISRAEL”

Joseph L. Thimes From earliest times, scribes performed important functions in ancient Egypt. An important government official, he produced documents on papyrus, stone walls and columns. In the Old and Middle Kingdoms (2600–1785 BC), scribes also served as painters and draftsmen. They wrote dispatches to foreign governments, provided accounts for administration of both state and … Continue reading “ANCIENT
EGYPTIAN WRITING MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES”

Austin Robbins …since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and Godhead—have been clearly seen… Romans 1:20 What a paradox! Invisible things being clearly seen. How is it that the Scripture states such a contradictory proposition? At first blush one would think such a thing to be impossible. If something … Continue reading “SEEING
THE INVISIBLE”

Stephen Caesar A Ninth century BC relief from Tell Halaf, Syria, showing a man riding a camel. Development of the behind-the-hump saddle (see Gn 31:34) bolstered use of the camel for travel as well as for transport. The Genesis account of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob suggests all three were wealthy men. While scholars generally view … Continue reading “PATRIARCHAL
WEALTH AND EARLY DOMESTICATION OF THE CAMEL”

Randall W. Younker The camel’s anatomy led to its value and domestication. Its hump serves for fat storage and probably developed as a body-heater. For water storage, the animal has several sac-shaped extensions in its stomach where liquid can be retained for a long period. Even today camels are bred in the Near East and … Continue reading “BRONZE
AGE CAMEL PETROGLYPHS IN THE WADI NASIB, SINAI”