Stupid question? To anyone thinking clearly it is. There are, naturally, exceptions. It's just unfortunate that you can find them in Christian ministries. Readers may recall that I have posted several items about the grammar and syntax of Genesis 1:1-3. One such post...
Genesis
There's a Lot to Think About When Translating Genesis 1:1-3
Way back in September of 2010 I had posted a lecture I gave at church where I attempted to explain the real issue involved in translating Genesis 1:1-3. Rather than meanings of words like bara', the real issue is the relationship of the clauses (and the nature of...
Genesis 1:2 and the “Gap Theory”
Blogging has been a bit tough lately. This post (like everything else I'm working on presently) is overdue. Some have asked for some comments about the validity of the gap theory - the idea that Genesis 1:1 speaks of the initial creation, while Genesis 1:2 describes...
Genesis & Creation – Class 1 of 4
Editor's note: Original broken link replaced. Here is the first in a series of four lectures about Genesis and creation that Dr. Heiser gave at Grace Church Bellingham in September to October 2010. In this lecture, Dr. Michael Heiser tackles one of the most debated...
On John Walton’s Understanding of Hebrew Bara’
Some of you have asked for a summary of where I disagree with Walton on bara'. What follows below is an exchange between John Hobbins (another friend of mine and Hebrew scholar) and Walton. My reservations are essentially those that are expressed by Hobbins. Hobbins...
God as Creator of All Things — Including the Material Already Present at Genesis 1:1
For this post (and the next one) to make sense, you need to recall the initial post on Genesis 1. The conclusion of that post (and the powerpoint video) was that, according to the Hebrew syntax of Genesis 1:1-3, Genesis 1:1 ("when God began to create...") was NOT the...
Genesis 1 as a Polemic Against Ancient Near Eastern Religious Cosmologies
We might as well jump into this. As a way to get everyone into the conversation, here is an article to read. It's by Gerhard Hasel and entitled, "The Significance of the Cosmology in Genesis 1 in Relation to ANE Parallels."
Genesis 1 and Creationism, Part 2
In this post I want to hit on what is known as the "literary framework" view of Genesis 1. Basically, this view suggests that what happens on each of the creation days makes no scientific sense -- but makes very good sense in terms of a deliberate literary design to...
Understanding the Christian Fundamentalist View of UFOs and Aliens, Part 1
For those who have not read the post that explains why I'm getting into this and what I mean, read that first. In that original post, I said there were four trajectories I'd have to track to help people understand the "fundamentalist" view (that this is all about...
Where Angels Fear to Tread
Those of you who know me will know that one of my least favorite subjects is end times (eschatology). That might surprise you, given that I'm a Bible scholar. I mean it, though. Over on my other blog, The Naked Bible, I once wrote a short post on how everyone cheats...
Is the Book of Genesis Plagiarized from Sumerian and Akkadian (Mesopotamian) Sources?
This is a common claim by Zecharia Sitchin and those who adore him, like his webmaster Erik Parker, and Jason Martell. As I have blogged here before (here and here), this idea was common fare toward the end of the 19th century, due primarily to two historical forces:...
Posting Some Comments on Giants
I've had a reader have trouble replying to a post I did some time ago on giants. I wanted you all to get the reply. I have block-quoted any response I have to the material. Here's the post: ----------------- This is a very interesting post, along with the previous...
Great Moments in Pulpit PaleoBabble
Here's a YouTube video that's a real treat (if you like PaleoBabble on Sunday morning). The sermon is about "alpeh and tav" -- the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The minister (?) equates this with the description of Jesus as the first and the last,...
How To Argue From the Biblical Text for a Local-Regional Flood Instead of a Global Flood
I've gotten this question before in podcast Q & A, but I was reminded of it today when someone posted this article on Facebook, aimed at "flood geology": Twenty-One Reasons Noah’s Worldwide Flood Never Happened. It's by a retired geology professor. I don't...
Camels in the Bible on Hump Day
It's Wednesday and, wouldn't you know it, someone sent me a link to the following article: "Will Camel Discovery Break the Bible's Back?" In case you're not up on the problem of camels for the Bible (shame on you), here's an excerpt: ". . . a scientific report [has]...