Several years ago Dan Wallace mentioned in a debate with Bart Ehrman that a possible first-century papryus of Mark had been found. That papyrus became known as “first century Mark” in the popular arena. Finally, there’s been a definitive update on...
Apocrypha
The New Testament Writers Had the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha in their Heads
I often get the question of whether I think books like 1 Enoch are canonical. I tell people I don’t — and that the question doesn’t matter. A book doesn’t need to be canonical to be useful, or to inform theological thinking. It’s quite...
Review of Recent Symposium Volume on the Debate over “Secret Mark”
Secret Mark (not to be confused with “Archaic Mark”) is an alleged ancient text that a number of modern scholars consider a forged hoax. (See the description of the document below). Recently a group of scholars with expertise in the pertinent matters met...
Heiser and deSilva: Apocrypha, Septuagint, and Some Wisdom Christology
Dr. David deSilva spent the last week here in Bellingham, WA at Logos. He’s part of our Mobile Ed faculty. He gave us a introductory course on the Apocrypha. David has authored what I think is the best introduction to the Apocrypha (Introducing the Apocrypha:...
Solomon’s Treasures and the Ark of the Covenant … Really?
Several readers have sent me articles about the new “discovery” about the hiding of the ark of the covenant and other treasures from Solomon’s temple. Here are some samples: King Solomon’s treasures revealed: Newly translated Hebrew text lists...
Why Study Ancient Texts Outside the Bible?
It may seem amiss for this blog to recommend the reading and study of books external to the Bible – anything “non-canonical” or “uninspired.” Actually, it isn’t. This blog is called the Naked Bible because I want to present the...
Shape-Shifting Jesus: On the Sins of Marketers and Media
[Addendum; 3/24 – some have noted that another passage in the article linked below other than the one I note does have Jesus shape-shifting. It doesn’t. Change of appearance is not shape-shifting as those religious traditions who talk of such things have...
The Greek Apocryphal Gospels in Digital Form
My employer, Logos Bible Software, recently put the Greek Apocryphal Gospels on pre-pub . My colleague, Rick Brannan, blogged today over at the Logos blog about that product and those gospels. These gospel documents are not canonical. As Rick points out, they provide...
Secret Mark Meeting Reports
There was recently a conference on “Secret Mark”. The Evangelical Textual Criticism blog has provided play-by-play reports here, here, and here. Professor Larry Hurtado has also added a few notes of his own in regard to some of what took place and was...
English-Greek Reverse Interlinear APOCRYPHA
Yes, that’s right – another digital first from Logos. This item just went on prepub . More specifically, the interlinear is made from Rahlf’s LXX Greek and the NRSV English of the Apocryphal books. The Greek has tagged morphology. Read all about it...
Secret Gospel of Mark Paper at International SBL
For those interested in the Secret Gospel of Mark (SGM; blogged on this before), check out this link. The remarks are technical, since the blog source is a group of professional New Testament textual critics. But it’s useful to show that there are MANY textual...
The Secret Gospel of Mark: Genuine or Hoax?
The Secret Gospel of Mark (also called “Secret Mark”) has been controversial for some time (click here for an overview). Aside from purporting to be another gospel, the controversy is primarily about a passage in it that has dialogue between Jesus and an...