Sermons and Biblical Studies

What language or languages did Jesus speak? The scholarly debate which has been raging for over a century can be briefly summarized by dividing the protagonists into two major schools of thought: Hebrew advocates — these scholars believe that Jesus spoke the language which the Israelites had spoken for centuries and which the Old Testament … Continue reading “THE
DEAD SEA SCROLL FINDS AND THE LANGUAGE OF JESUS”

Howard F. Vos [Howard F. Vos, Th.D. (Dallas Theological Seminary), Ph.D. (Northwestern University), is professor of history and archaeology at the King’s College, Briarcliff Manor, New York. He is the author of a number of books on biblical and archaeological subjects.] Anyone who has studied classical literature is impressed with the tremendous variation in the … Continue reading “ARCHAEOLOGY
AND THE TEXT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT”

In his article “With the Rich in His Death” in our Spring issue (pages 56–59), Dr. Allan MacRae gave revealing insight into the meaning of the Hebrew text of Isaiah 53:9. When properly translated, he concluded, it is seen to be an exact prediction of the circumstances of Christ’s burial some 700 years later. Dr. … Continue reading “MORE
ON ISAIAH 53:9”

The non-Israelite prophet Balaam is mentioned a number of times throughout the Bible (Numbers 22–24, 31:8, 16; Deuteronomy 23:4, 5; Joshua 13:22; 24:9, 10; Nehemiah 13:2; Micah 6:5; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11; and Revelation 2:14). In Numbers 22, Balaam was summoned by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse the Israelites, who were camped … Continue reading “PROPHECY
OF BALAAM FOUND IN JORDAN”

The site of Samson’s city of Timnah, where he courted Delilah and slew a lion, has been uncovered by archaeologists working in collaboration with the Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology. The team recently concluded its first season of excavations at Tel Batash in the Sorek Valley, seven kilometers west of Beit Shemesh. The dig revealed … Continue reading “REMAINS
OF SAMSON’S CITY FOUND”

The hill of Calvary, a centre of Christian devotion in Jerusalem and throughout the world, has for centuries been enclosed in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was built by Emperor Constantine in 326 to concentrate in a single edifice the hill of Jesus’ death and the tomb of his Resurrection. For the first … Continue reading “JERUSALEM
REPORT:
EXCAVATIONS IN THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE”

Raymond L. Cox [Raymond L. Cox, a frequent contributor to BIBLE AND SPADE, is pastor of the Salem, Oregon Foursquare Church. He has traveled extensively in Bible lands and has written over 1650 articles on biblical and archaeological subjects. In addition, he is the author of four books.] Pergamum is mentioned in only one Biblical … Continue reading “THE
PERILS OF PERGAMUM”

Sylvia Mann Like the Jews, Samaritans celebrate three main pilgrim festivals. The Passover pilgrimage is especially meaningful, for it is part of their creed that members should make every effort to reach Mount Gerizim at least once a year — on the first day of Passover. Rites are carried out precisely according to the instruction … Continue reading “THE
SAMARITANS — A LIVING LINK WITH THE PAST
PART II”

Paul L. Maier [Paul L. Maier is professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University. He has the M.A. from Harvard and the Ph.D. from the University of Basel. Parts of this essay first appeared in his book First Christmas (Harper, 1971) and in Lutheran Forum (May, 1975, p. 11ff.).] Who was the first martyr … Continue reading “THE
INFANT MASSACRE — HISTORY OR MYTH?”

Perhaps the last hope that the battered remains of Noah’s Ark exist on Mount Ararat near the Turkish-Soviet border has been washed away by a new wave of scientific evidence. Recent tests at the University of California at Los Angeles, La Jolla and Riverside all conclude that a piece of timber found at the Ararat … Continue reading “FROM
USA
ARARAT ‘ARK’ WOOD DATED AT A.D. 700”