I always like to go through the narrative of David’s call to kingship as found in 1 Samuel. Right off the bat, we see three different narratives: He is chosen and anointed king by Samuel (1 Samuel 16.1-13). David is chosen due to his musical skill in healing King Saul’sContinue Reading
Slavery & Philemon Aristotle developed the theory that some persons were servile by their very nature. There was a tendency starting in the late Roman Republic and continuing in the empire, to restrict the absolute rights of the master over the slave. A number of pagan tourists such as FlorentinusContinue Reading
Deuteronomy begins with the statement “These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness” (Deuteronomy 1:1, KJV) – something that can be confusing to readers. Why does it say “this side Jordan” and why is this such an important issue as itContinue Reading
Simply put, the Documentary Hypothesis is an explanation used in Biblical scholarship that helps to explain the difficulties experienced in the Old Testament. Evidence exists in the Old Testament that shows that the first five books in the Bible are not the product of one author, rather it is ofContinue Reading
Slave Laws in the Old Testament A comparison of Exodus 21, Deuteronomy 15, and Leviticus 25 Biblical law concerning slaves was similar to that of other Near Eastern nations. Slave labor was used for domestic service and thus made for a close relationship between the master and the servant.Continue Reading
Two Kingdoms, Two Writers Exodus 32 is a story that shows that after Israel escapes Egypt that their first apostate is none other than Aaron, the High Priest. In this account Aaron gives in to the wishes of the people by fashioning a golden calf while Moses is up onContinue Reading
The doublets in the Pentateuch Have you ever read parts of the first five books of Moses in the Old Testament and thought, “Didn’t I just read this story? Why is it happening again?” Whether we are talking about the creation of the world, or Jacob getting a name change,Continue Reading
The Epic of Gilgamesh TABLET XI THE STORY OF THE FLOOD Gilgamesh spoke to Utanapishtim, the Faraway: “I have been looking at you, but your appearance is not strange–you are like me! You yourself are not different–you are like me! My mind was resolved to fight with you, (butContinue Reading
The Enchanted World of the Ancient Near East One of the things we know as we study the world of the Ancient Near East (ANE) is that the association of religion with belief in the gods and the goddesses of the ANE is far too constricting. People of the ANEContinue Reading
What did the Deuteronomist reform? How did Josiah’s reign change the religion of the Israelites/The Kingdom of Judah? King Josiah changed the religion of Israel in the mid-seventh century BCE in several significant ways. According to the Old Testament account in 2 Kings 23, he removed all of the thingsContinue Reading
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2025 Tours with Mike:
Best of Italy in June (Sold Out)
Church History in July (A Few Spots Left)
Greece by Land & Sea in Oct