Sermons and Biblical Studies

Bryant G. Wood Map of the region of Bethel and Ai. The Ai of Abraham The first mention of Ai in the Bible is in Genesis 12:8. There it says that Abraham pitched his tent on a hill east of Bethel1 (= El Bireh, Livingston 1998), with Bethel on the west and Ai on the … Continue reading “THE
SEARCH FOR JOSHUA’S AI: EXCAVATIONS AT KH. EL-MAQATIR”

David P. Livingston While we were doing our research to locate Bethel at El Bireh (Livingston 1970; 1971; 1998) we went to the other side of nearby Mount et-Tawil and found an ancient site named Kh. (“ruins of”) Nisya. Local Arabs told us the name “Nisya” means “forgotten.” No one remembered what the ruins were. … Continue reading “IS
KH. NISYA THE AI OF THE BIBLE?”

Gary A. Byers This evidence [at et-Tell] shows that the narrative in Joshua is not to be taken literally, but is an example of the process by which all the Israelite conquests of several centuries were referred to the time of Joshua” (Cohen 1962: 72, emphasis added). “Since the writer has scoured the district in … Continue reading “ABR
AND THE SEARCH FOR AI”

Bryant G. Wood Bryant Wood on Jebel Abu Ammar. The broad valley behind him may be the valley where Joshua and the Israelite forces camped on the eve of their victory over Ai (Jos 8:11, 13). In the distance is Kh. el-Maqatir, Wood’s candidate for the Ai of Joshua. We know where most secular scholars … Continue reading “BENEATH
THE SURFACE
AN EDITORIAL COMMENT”

Austin Robbins “Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge which some have professed and in so, doing have wandered from the faith.” (1 Tm 6:20–21, NIV) The world today has a reverence for science that almost borders on worship. Scientific investigations have resulted in many benefits in … Continue reading “TRUE
AND FALSE SCIENCE”

Gary A. Byers We are all familiar with the Three Kings of Christmas. The day of their visit to the baby Jesus is celebrated annually on January 6, the Feast of Epiphany. Tradition says they arrived on camels and their names were Caspar, Melchoir and Balthazar, who was black. Their bones are said to be … Continue reading “GLITTERING
GOLD, MEDICINAL MYRRH AND FRAGRANT FRANKINCENSE”

Gordon Franz As a young boy, I remember well the excitement as the Christmas season approached. There was snow on the ground, sleigh riding, Christmas trees and caroling, manger scenes and eggnog. Yet I also remember another holiday which my Jewish friends celebrated about the same time—Hanukkah. In elementary school they would play with their … Continue reading “HANUKKAH:
THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT”

Bryant G. Wood As you trudge up the dusty road to Kh. el-Maqatir, site of an ABR-sponsored excavation, you get the distinct impression that you are climbing a mountain. Your legs tell you that you are gaining elevation. The higher you go, the better the view of the surrounding countryside. And as you approach the … Continue reading “THREE
COINS FROM A MOUNTAIN”

David Livingston Most scholars today locate Old Testament Bethel at the Arab village of Beitin about 11 mi north of Jerusalem. An examination of the evidence, however, indicates that this identification in incorrect. It is important to correctly locate Bethel because Ai is located with relation to Bethel (Gn 12:8; Jos 7:2), and finding Ai … Continue reading “LOCATING
BIBLICAL BETHEL”

David Livingston Terra Is Truely Firma An article in US News & World Report told a marvelous story about “Terra,” the supercomputer program at Los Alamos NM which was designed “to prove that the story of Noah and the flood of Genesis 7:18. .. happened exactly as the Bible tells it.” It seems that John … Continue reading “THE
FLOOD AND SUBSEQUENT CIVILIZATION”