You can read the rest, but the summary is that γράφω διά was used solely to identify the letter-carrier and never to identify the secretary, let us note four points. First, although references identifying a secretary are found in GrecoRoman letters, we have found no examples of the formula gravfw diav tinoÍ being used to…

Two of the forgeries discussed in this chapter are contentious among scholars today, the first because many scholars doubt if it has anything to do with Paul, his message, and his authority (1 Peter), and the second because, in the opinion of most scholars, it makes no evident authorial claim and hence cannot be considered…

Names were profoundly significant in the ancient Semitic world. The opening words of the Babylonian Epic of Creation, Enuma Elish, refer to a time before the cosmos existed: “When on high the heaven had not been named ,/Firm ground below had not been called by name” (E. A. Speiser in Ancient Near Eastern Texts, p.…

Article In his commentary on the book of Genesis, Gunkel opines that the ‘smoking fire pot and flaming torch’ of Gen. 15.17 is a unique divine revelation found in the Patriarchal narratives, and that this story about Yahweh––a fire demon––is based originally on the Moses legends at Sinai. In addition, Gunkel was one of the…

Mark S. Smith argues here that the transition towards monotheism started in 8th century BC as it appears that other texts from surrounding cultures from this period also appear to exhibit monothenizing trends: Knohl (2017) goes even further back in time and argues that, since there appears to be no evidence of any anthropomorphic figurines…

Article The coins minted in Judea during the Achaemenid period are a valuable source of information for the history of this region in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE. For brief historical introduction and background, see: E. Stern, The Persian Empire and the Political and Social History of Palestine in the Persian Period, The Cambridge…

Article The article presents and discusses the proper name of the owner of a recently unfolded and mounted Book of the Dead papyrus from the late 18th or 19th dynasty (Princeton University Library, Pharaonic Roll 5). It is proposed that the name in question is a Northwest Semitic theophoric sentence name in Egyptian transcription, hadònì-ròaè-yàh…

Jewish laws were stipulating that a man must have sex with his wife at least once a week, and seek her permission before taking a job that would require prolonged absences from the marital bed: Onah applies only to women; men do not have similar rights, as they do in the Paul’s marital debt.130 This…

Biblical Precursors: Rabbinic Jews & Anthropomorphic imagery of God’s Feet: YHWH “pounding” his feet: Imagery of God’s Feet in Jewish Mysticism: