One of the most fascinating recent discoveries in Jerusalem is the gate that once led to King Herod’s palace but was later used by the Roman prefects of Judea as their judgment seat called Gabbatha or Lithostrotos. The Gospel of John 19:13 says that Jesus stood before Pilate here as his death sentence was pronounced. …
Category: Jesus
Jerusalem: Walking Where Jesus Walked?
Many pilgrims come to Jerusalem with the desire to tread in the footsteps of the prophets or the principal characters appearing in the New Testament. While the location on the map may be the same as that where Jesus trod, this is certainly not true for the existing topography. The photograph above shows just how …
Omitting the Infancy and Resurrection Narratives: The Gospel of Mark and the Jewish-Christian Leadership in Jerusalem
Even a cursory glance at the New Testament gospels reveals a startling number of differences both large and small in the telling of the sayings and deeds of Jesus. Similarities among the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke are attributed by scholars to the use of the former by the latter two as well as …
The Imagery of the Nativity: Where Does it Come From?
At Christmas time, believers naturally focus on imagery recalling the birth of Jesus. Visual depictions of a crèche filled with figures representing the holy family, wise men, shepherds, angels, and various livestock are meant to recall the events depicted in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. But few may realize that the elements of a …
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The Meaning behind Jesus’ Parable of the Unjust Steward
One of the story forms Jesus used to communicate his message, according to the gospels, was the parable. Nearly all scholars acknowledge the authenticity of this characteristic of Jesus' teaching. Some of the parables we encounter in the gospels, however, are enigmatic to say the least. In fact, Jesus is even quoted as saying that …
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Are the Nativity Stories of Jesus based on those of John the Baptist?
Scholar Hugh J. Schonfield thought so. In his monograph published in 1929, Schonfield suggested that the scattered remains of a lost “Book of the Nativity of John” show that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke borrowed thematic elements from this hypothetical text for their compositions of the birth stories of Jesus. Schonfield found references to, …
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The Barabbas Event Revisited: A Review
“The Release of Barabbas Revisited” by Roger David Aus. Pages 135-170 in “Caught in the Act,” Walking on the Sea, and the Release of Barabbas Revisited. South Florida Studies in the History of Judaism No. 157. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1998. In chapter three of his book “Caught in the Act,” Roger David Aus revisits the …
David Christian Clausen 