Do you know what the Bible is?
I bet you do. But, do you also know where it comes from? Do you know who wrote it, where, when, and, most importantly, why?
I bet you do not. Even if you believe you do, chances are you’ve got it wrong. And if so, are you sure you understand what the Bible is trying to tell you? The meaning of any text is inseparable from its origins. If you have no idea – or wrong ideas – about the origins of the Bible, you may be misreading it big time.
Welcome!
The purpose of this site is to unravel both the origins of the Bible and its meaning. More specifically, it is about the part of the Bible that both Jews and Christians consider Sacred Scripture. Jews call it the Tanakh, Christians call it the Old Testament, and for the purpose of scholarly study and dialogue between the two communities it is most commonly referred to as the Hebrew Bible.
I have recently completed two books on the subject; for further information on these books, click “Publications.” But the task of better understanding any text, and especially a text as momentous and consequential as the Bible, is never over. Here, I will continue the discussion my new books have started, regularly sharing any new thoughts and ideas I might have.
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May the conversation begin!
WHERE WAS ABRAHAM BORN?
Knowing the Bible’s origins is not just a matter of oure curiosity. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, either.) Rather, on many occasions it is crucial for proper understanding of the biblical text. In particular, without knowing its date it is impossible to determine the birthplace of Abraham.
SODOM: HISTORICAL AND BIBLICAL
In one of the Bible’s scariest stories, God pours fire and brimstone upon Sodom and surrounding cities in punishment for their wickedness.
Amazingly, it now turns out that the story may be based on something that actually happened more than three and a half millennia ago. And that gives us a glimpse into the kitchen where the Grand History that is Genesis-Kings was cooked.
ONE AUTHOR OR MANY?
Colleges, universities, and seminaries teach it as an established scientific fact that Genesis-Kings is a pastiche of “sources” or “documents” written centuries apart and reflecting different, often conflicting ideas. In fact, although not so many scholars have the guts to admit it, the only result of two hundred years of intensive and extensive research is utter failure to prove that this is indeed the case. No one has ever been able to outline a plausible scenario under which the multiple-author model might work.
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