Dr. Notley had no part in selecting the illustrations that accompanied his article.
Were Women Segregated in the Ancient Synagogue?
Did women play a passive role in the synagogue congregations of antiquity? Were they separated from male members of the congregation during prayer and study, as is the case today? According to Professor Shmuel Safrai, the answer to both questions is a resounding “No.”
The Nature of Jesus’ Task
Christians read their Bibles through a lens of historical hindsight to illuminate certain features of Jesus’ teaching. Jews living in the first century did not have this benefit, and even one as saintly as John the Baptist struggled with aspects of Jesus’ messianic conduct.
What is the Jerusalem School’s hermeneutical criterion?
In any historical study utilizing the gospels, it is important first to establish what Jesus said, before we can know what Jesus meant.
One Torah Reader, Not Seven!
Only around 100 A.D. did it become the custom to have the weekly Torah portion read by seven persons.
Did the Father Abandon his Son on the Cross?
Mark’s text appears to be a midrashic expansion of the original version of Jesus’ death on the cross.
What Was Simon Peter Wearing When He Plunged into the Sea?
Was Peter actually fishing naked, or was he merely “stripped to the waist,” as the Living Bible says? And what did he put on before swimming to Jesus?
If a Jew mistreats a Jew, does that make him anti-Semitic?
There is an important distinction between the anti-Judaism present in portions of the New Testament and modern anti-Semitism.
Hendiadys in the Synoptic Gospels
Hebraisms are as ubiquitous in the Synoptic Gospels as cats in Jerusalem.
Does it matter which of the Gospel writers wrote first?
Papias said Matthew wrote first. Someone else said Mark wrote first. Lindsey said Luke wrote first. Does it matter? Why can’t we just accept that the four gospel writers were four independent individual persons used by God to write one complete Gospel?