Everyone interested in the study of Scripture wants to feel adequate to the task. But there are many obstacles—real and merely imagined—to being competent in Bible study. In this episode, I interview my long-time friend and colleague, Johnny Cisneros. With skills in...
Hebrew
Were the Gospels Originally Written in Aramaic or Hebrew?
I'm often asked this question, so it was nice to come across this paper by Jan Joosten online. Joosten Aramaic or Hebrew behind_the_Gospels Joosten is an excellent scholar in Aramaic, Syriac, Greek, and Hebrew. This is a worthwhile (and sane) introduction to the...
Joseph Farrell’s 150-Year Learning Curve on Yahweh and Cuneiform Texts
A few days ago I exchanged emails with Cris Putnam who blogs at Logos Apologia. The conversation was in regard to how Dr. Joseph Farrell had published certain ideas about the name Yahweh in cuneiform texts that people who are actually in this field (ancient Semitic...
Genesis 1:1-3 – Does Hebrew Grammar Matter for Understanding the Hebrew Scriptures?
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...
Hebrew, Ugaritic, and ANE Archaeology Titles That Need Some Love
As readers know, every once in a while some items that we're working on at Logos Bible Software are in need of a a little push to get them into production. There are hundreds of such items on the Logos website, but these are near and dear to someone like me. I'm...
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...
All Commentaries are Not Created Equal, Part 3: Commentary Recommendations
In response to my two previous posts about commentaries, several readers have asked me for recommendations on commentaries. This is a little like asking me to recommend a Bible translation (see here for my thoughts on that), but this request actually calls for more...
Back to Blogging, and Important Books about Biblical Words
Well, I'm finally back from a week on the east coast. That means things will start to return to normal (although I find myself right in the middle of the annual whirlwind of preparing for the annual scholarly meetings I attend - ETS and SBL). I hope to resume looking...
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...
Israel Knohl and April DeConick (and now Heiser) on the Gabriel Stone
April DeConick just posted a letter from Prof. Israel Knohl, the transcriber of the Gabriel Stone. Prof. Knohl comments on her previous post (which I in turn posted for you all). The response notes a suggestion by Dr. DeConick with which Dr. Knohl disagrees. You can...
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...