It is a standard canard that Jews were always monotheists and that Christians, whose movement began with Jewish believers in Jesus, followed suit. But is this true? First, we must clarify our terms before proceeding to look at early beliefs. "Monotheism" (or "one god-ism") can indicate a belief that there is only one God. But …
Continue reading Did Early Jews and Christians Believe in Multiple Gods?
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Did Jesus eliminate the Jewish food laws, known as kashrut? Did he announce that they no longer mattered and that what did matter was an ethical lifestyle? This is the belief of many Christians who take as their evidence the words of Jesus (or rather an editorial aside written by the author of the Gospel …
As a historian and writer, I rely on many sources both old and new in my unending attempt to understand the first-century Roman world. Among the most valuable primary sources for this period is the Jewish historian Josephus. All modern historians of this period rely on at least two of his essential works: the Antiquities …
Just announced: BAS online Spring Symposium 2024 featuring yours truly along with noted scholars Pamela Eisenbaum, Ben Witherington, and Mark Goodacre. Join us on April 27 as we discuss various interpretations of the apostle Paul! You must be a BAS All-Access member to view the event but the cost is reasonable and includes other symposia …
In honor of the Christmas season, I have bumped a number of my posts dealing with the birth of Jesus to the top of my blog site for easy access. They deal with such topics as the date of Jesus's birth, the composition of typical nativity scenes, the possibility that Jesus went to Egypt, the …
This may seem like an obvious question. Many would answer that Christianity began with Christ. Others, thinking a bit deeper, might assert that the apostle Paul really began Christianity. But, historically speaking, both answers would be wrong. It is commonplace to assume that the religion called Christianity is as old as its namesake. Unfortunately, there …
This King James translation of Psalm 2:1 has stuck with me since childhood, long before I had any idea what it meant. But it seems apt for what I am about to share with you. First, let’s look at the psalm from the Jewish Publication Society translation (the best place to start for translations of …
Whenever violence erupts on the international scene (and even sometimes when it doesn’t) we hear claims that the portents of doom announced in the pages of the New Testament are coming to fruition. “Wars and rumors of wars” (Mark 13:7) draw the attention of many to what the earliest Christian texts had to say about …
Continue reading End of the World Scenarios in the New Testament
David Christian Clausen 