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Kris Udd

High Places in Ancient Israel
Biblical Archaeology

High Places in Ancient Israel

There are numerous references in the Hebrew Bible to religious centers known as “high places” (Heb. bamah, or plural bamot). Many English speakers assume this refers to elevated ground, a...

0
March 13, 2024
Roman Altar to an Unknown God
Acts, Biblical Archaeology

Roman Altar to an Unknown God

When Paul was at Athens, he infamously made mention of “an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD'” (Acts 17:23). A number of altars to “unknown” Greco-Roman deities have...

0
September 14, 2023
Pompeii's Finest Mosaic?
Archaeology

Pompeii’s Finest Mosaic?

The use of mosaics is one of the hallmarks of finer homes and businesses of the Greco-Roman world. Mosaics are made by laying small stones called tesserae into a matrix...

0
August 22, 2023
When Did the Patriarchs Live?
Biblical Chronology

When Did the Patriarchs Live?

The Hebrew Bible preserves enough chronological data to calculate dates for the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), and even for Joseph. The starting point for such calculations is the reign...

0
August 03, 2023
An Altar West of Shiloh
Biblical Archaeology

An Altar West of Shiloh

A rock-hewn altar was discovered west of ancient Shiloh in 2002. It is situated at the edge of the Israeli settlement of Givat Harel, about a mile west of Shiloh....

0
July 11, 2023
Roman Eye Salve
Archaeology, Revelation

Roman Eye Salve

In Revelation 3:18, God advises the church in Laodicea to purchase eye salve from him, “so that you may see.” In the context this is clearly a metaphor for gaining...

3
May 30, 2022
A Sabbath Day's Journey
Acts, Biblical History

A Sabbath Day’s Journey

Acts 1:12 mentions that the distance traveled by the disciples from the place of the Ascension to Jerusalem was about “a Sabbath day’s journey.” How far was this? The setting...

0
February 15, 2022
Fibbing for the Faith
Biblical Archaeology, Faith

Fibbing for the Faith

Definition of fib: a trivial or childish lie Its a sad fact that some Christians are willing to make up “evidence” to prove the Bible. An example was brought to...

4
August 26, 2021
Name of Gideon Discovered in Israel
Biblical Archaeology

Name of Gideon Discovered in Israel

Archaeologists have discovered a very early inscription with Gideon’s other name, “Jerubbaal” (see Judges 6:32; 7:1).  The discovery was made at Khirbet al-Ra‘i, a site in southern Israel, west of...

1
July 15, 2021
Hamstring Their Horses
Biblical History, Joshua

Hamstring Their Horses

In Joshua 11:6 God told Joshua that he would deliver the Canaanites into the hands of Israel, and that Joshua should “hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.”...

5
April 29, 2021
Was Jesus Black?
Archaeology, Biblical History

Was Jesus Black?

Was Jesus black? This question comes up from time to time. After all, how do we know what ancient people looked like? In this case, archaeology provides a clear answer....

0
July 28, 2020
Forest of Ephraim
Biblical Geography

Forest of Ephraim

The battle between the troops of David and Absalom took place in the “forest of Ephraim” (2 Sam 18:6). Ephraim is associated with land west of the Jordan River (cf....

7
July 14, 2020
Daniel on Resurrection
Daniel, Revelation

Daniel on Resurrection

The references to resurrection in the Old Testament are not many. In fact, they are few enough that in Jesus’s day the topic was hotly debated between Jewish factions. The...

0
April 16, 2020
End Times According to Daniel
Daniel

End Times According to Daniel

Most of Daniel 11 is a prophecy concerning the nations and kings of the Persian and Greek kingdoms (see here for more detail). A large section (verses 20-35) deals specifically...

0
April 03, 2020
Daniel's Mourning
Biblical Chronology, Daniel

Daniel’s Mourning

The final section of the book of Daniel is the vision recorded in chapters 11-12. The introduction to that section is chapter 10, which describes the prelude to the vision....

0
January 08, 2020
Nazareth to Bethlehem
Biblical Geography, Christmas

Nazareth to Bethlehem

Luke 2:4 indicates that Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order to participate in a census. What kind of trip would that have entailed? Nazareth is located...

6
December 23, 2019
Daniel's Library
Biblical Archaeology, Daniel

Daniel’s Library

Daniel 9:2 records that Daniel “observed in the books” that the exile would last 70 years, and apparently realized that the time was nearly up. The book of Jeremiah is...

0
November 27, 2019
Belshazzar's Throne Room Identified
Daniel

Belshazzar’s Throne Room Identified

Nearly all of the narrative sections of the book of Daniel (Dan 1-6) took place in and around the capital, Babylon. Daniel 5 records the night on which Babylon fell...

0
August 09, 2019
Elijah, Daniel, and Miracles
Daniel, Malachi

Elijah, Daniel, and Miracles

Malachi ends his book with the pronouncement that Elijah the prophet would come before the great and terrible day of the Lord (Mal 4:5-6). This prophecy stumped the disciples of...

0
August 02, 2019
I Will Rebuke the Devourer
Malachi

I Will Rebuke the Devourer

As part of God’s effort in Malachi 3 to bring the Israelites back to true worship, he told them to test him and see if he would not reward faithfulness....

0
July 03, 2019
Shut the Door!
Biblical History, Malachi

Shut the Door!

In Malachi 1:10, God laments the half-hearted service of the priests. He says, “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle...

0
June 05, 2019
"Esau I Have Hated"
Biblical Geography, Malachi

“Esau I Have Hated”

God’s declaration in Malachi 1:3, “I have hated Esau,” follows immediately on the heels of his declaration of love for Israel. What does it mean that God hated Esau? At...

0
May 31, 2019
Was Daniel a Eunuch?
Biblical History, Daniel

Was Daniel a Eunuch?

It is suggested from time to time that Daniel and his friends may have served as eunuchs in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. This idea is illustrated, for example, in the...

14
May 24, 2019
Samuel and the Tabernacle
Biblical Archaeology

Samuel and the Tabernacle

The tabernacle was a portable structure that had every sign of being a temporary structure. Constructed as a semi-permanent tent, it had walls made of wooden panels set in metal...

0
May 14, 2019
How Far to Elephantine?
Biblical History, Esther

How Far to Elephantine?

When Mordecai created a new edict allowing the Jews of the Persian empire to defend themselves from their attackers (Esther 8:11-12), he needed to send it throughout the kingdom. In...

0
April 02, 2019
Haman's "Gallows"
Biblical History, Esther

Haman’s “Gallows”

There are a number of references to hanging in the book of Esther, which has traditionally been paired in English translations with the noun “gallows.” Esther 2:23 – the two...

3
March 15, 2019
Paul's Centurion, Julius
Acts, Biblical History

Paul’s Centurion, Julius

Acts 27:1 names the centurion who was placed in charge of Paul for his voyage to Rome as “Julius.” Perhaps the fact that he is named is an indicator that...

0
February 19, 2019
Mordecai at the King's Gate
Biblical History, Esther

Mordecai at the King’s Gate

Esther 2:19 describes Mordecai as “sitting at the king’s gate” in Susa. Although excavations have been carried out at Susa since the mid-1800’s, archaeologists only discovered the King’s Gate in...

8
February 08, 2019
Siglum for a Centurion
Acts, Biblical History

Siglum for a Centurion

Latin inscriptions from ancient Rome often used abbreviations. For example, many Roman coins were minted with the inscription “S C” emblazoned on them. This stood for the Latin phrase Senatus...

0
February 01, 2019
Drinks in Golden Vessels
Biblical History, Esther

Drinks in Golden Vessels

When Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes I) held a banquet in Susa at the end of his military planning party, he served drinks in “golden vessels of various kinds” (Esther...

0
January 25, 2019
Julius the Centurion?
Acts, Biblical History

Julius the Centurion?

In Acts 27:1-3, Luke gives an account of the first leg of Paul’s voyage to Rome. Twice in these verses he mentions the centurion who was put in charge of...

2
January 09, 2019
I Press On
Encouragement, Philippians

I Press On

As we enter 2019, Paul’s teaching in Philippians 3 can help us re-set our thinking for the new year. “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining...

0
January 06, 2019
Advent of the Messiah
Christmas

Advent of the Messiah

Christmas is traditionally a celebration of the first coming of Jesus the Messiah, when he came  as a baby in Bethlehem. This coming was to deal with our sin, and...

0
December 26, 2018
Born in Bethlehem
Christmas

Born in Bethlehem

Jesus fulfilled many prophecies during his lifetime, and some have accused him of doing so in order to try and appear as the Messiah even when he was not. However,...

0
December 19, 2018
To Him Who is Able to Establish You
Romans

To Him Who is Able to Establish You

Paul ends his book to the Romans with a doxology, calling for the glorification of the one “who is able to establish you” (Rom 16:25). The verb “to establish” (Gk....

0
December 12, 2018
I, Tertius
Biblical History, Romans

I, Tertius

There are several places in Paul’s letters where his use of a secretary or amanuensis is clear. In Romans 16:22, the amanuensis pens his own line, “I, Tertius, who write...

0
December 10, 2018