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Syllabus Literature of the Ancient Near East
This spring (2025), I have the joy of teaching a class on the ancient literature of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Levant. This will be a fun c
Nov 11, 20245 min read
Unveiling the Ahabite Parenthesis: When Pure Baʿalism Overtook Mixed Yahwism
The ministry of the prophet is that of checking and balancing the power of the king,, but the king did not always listen to the prophet. As
Nov 6, 20248 min read
The Riddle of Tarshish: Uncovering the Location of the Ancient Trade Hub
Most in the western world are familiar with the pejorative term Jezebel, a name no woman wants to be called. With it comes the connotation o
Oct 20, 20249 min read
The Impact of a Weakened Egypt on the Exodus: Exploring Historical and Biblical Perspectives
The story of the Exodus has been both a point of interest and contention within Biblical scholarship for quite some time. Two main views abo
Sep 8, 20249 min read
Exploring the Tale of Ludlel Bel-Nemeqi: Ancient Mesopotamia's Job Story
To some, it is a startling fact to discover that the biblical text more often than not has some correlation to texts found within the broade
Aug 4, 202413 min read
Comparing Hammurabi's Law Codes to the Laws of Moses: A Deep Dive into Ancient Legal Systems
Perhaps the greatest known lawgiver, outside of Moses, is the king Hammurabi. After the death of the politically strong leader of Larsa, Rim
Jul 28, 202412 min read
ISIS and "The Ban" (ḥerem)
I apologize for the gruesome nature of this post, but I think this image of children standing around the decapitated body of a Syrian...
Nov 1, 20143 min read
Goliath! You beastly devil!
What do you know about David and Goliath? I'm sure you remember the story. I remember the story! Actually, I remember that when I was a...
Aug 6, 20134 min read
The Israelites Worshipped Other Gods??? Really?
It probably isn't much of a surprise to you or me, but the archaeological record shows an Israel that wasn't exactly up to par when it...
Jul 29, 20132 min read
