Our earliest Christian sources suggest that it was common for Christian communities in the first and second century to disregard or ignore statements by Jesus that were perceived to be problematic, even at times claiming they originated with their enemies. This paper turns attention to this early Christian phenomenon of rejecting Jesus’ sayings, e…[Read more]

An article that explores the theology of Sabbath keeping, and the biblical arguments for when God wishes his laws to be violated. A theology of the Sabbath, if it is to serve God’s desire in Scripture, must focus on the why of Sabbath, not the when. It cannot rely on arguments from authority or the Law as a cheap excuse for not engaging in a…[Read more]

The passage of Genesis 22 is reviewed and examined through four interpretive lenses: Narrative Criticism, Canonical Criticism, Historical Criticism, and a Hermeneutic of Confrontation. After reviewing extensively the history of child sacrifice in Ancient Israel, the argument of Omri Boehm’s reconstructed text (lacking the angelic speeches), and…[Read more]

This short-form article explores the various presentations of “the Middle” within Valentinian authored documents (the Gospel of Truth and Gospel of Philip) and sources which report about the Valentinians (Irenaeus and his report about Ptolemy’s theology). It suggests underscores the deep distinctions each view has and suggests that these may be…[Read more]

Discussions about the history of the reception of the Apocrypha within Protestantism are often mired by blanket negative presumptions that differ markedly from the actual beliefs attested to in available historical sources. This chapter seeks to rectify such historical misrepresentations by presenting an initial attempt to summarize the entire…[Read more]

The Tribe of Dan has always appeared to biblical scholars and archaeologists as something of an enigma. For decades, certain scholars, beginning with Yigael Yadin, have proposed a connection between the Denyen/Danaoi Sea People and the Danites of Ancient Israel, arguing that the former became the latter and were adopted into Israel at a later date…[Read more]

A summary and review of a creative and neutral approach to teaching the Documentary Hypothesis to undergraduate students.

According to popular scholarly consensus, the role of the classical prophets ceased following the rebuilding of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. This paper will attempt to propose an explanation of 1 Maccabees’ comments about the cessation of prophecy by undertaking a careful and broad examination of the dynamics involved in the Hebrew B…[Read more]

For centuries, the story of Lot’s daughters in Genesis is one which has both abhorred and intrigued countless readers. Utilizing the hermeneutical lenses of Narrative and Feminist Criticism, this paper draws attention to overlooked details in the narrative. The story is also contrasted with that of the Levite’s Concubine in Judges 19. The res…[Read more]

This article re-analyses in detail the meaning of the expression ludi Graeci which appears in two of Cicero’s letters (Ad Fam. 7,1 and Ad Att. 15,5). A careful examination of the first instance reveals that ludi Graeci indeed referred to theatrical performances in Greek language and not merely to Latin plays that followed Greek models. A brief s…[Read more]

Revista RELACIONES, nº 470 – Julio de 2023 / Montevideo (Uruguay).
On the formation of the Christ myth and the ideologies that led to the birth of Christianity.
Sobre la formación del mito de Cristo y las ideologías que propiciaron el nacimiento del del cristianismo.

At Christmas, Christians celebrate that Jesus was born on December 25 as the son of God andthe Virgin Mary. But this event is not unique. In this article, I show that the birth of Jesus hasseveral non-Christian predecessors, whereby various elements of the ritual dynamics have beenChristianized and implemented into the figure we know today as Jesus Christ.

At Christmas, Christians celebrate that Jesus was born on December 25 as the son of God andthe Virgin Mary. But this event is not unique. In this article, I show that the birth of Jesus hasseveral non-Christian predecessors, whereby various elements of the ritual dynamics have beenChristianized and implemented into the figure we know today as Jesus Christ.

In comics: how ancient rabbis upend “traditional” ideas of reproduction, gender, and humanity. A blog post commissioned by UC Press Blog about the book When a Human Gives Birth to a Raven: Rabbis and the Reproduction of Species.

Link: htt…[Read more]

Elodie Paillard, ‘Greek Theatre in Roman Italy: From Elite to Autocratic Performances’, in E. Csapo, H.R. Goette, J. R. Green, B. Le Guen, E. Paillard, J. Stoop, P. Wilson, Theatre and Autocracy in the Ancient World, De Gruyter, 2022

This book explores the staging of non-élite characters in the seven extant tragedies of Sophocles and how they related to contemporary middling citizens. The structure of fifth-century Athenian society underwent deep changes between the early and late plays of Sophocles. The appearance and growing political importance of a middling…[Read more]

Does “authorship” still have a place in the study of the Hebrew Bible? Historical criticism has long sought to uncover the human authors behind the biblical texts. But how might the “death of the author,” so forcefully declared by Roland Barthes over fifty years ago, change the contours of this search? This volume brings together leading experts…[Read more]

This work provides new insights into the relationship between the Holiness legislation in Leviticus 17–26 and processes of cultic centralization in the Persian period. The author departs from the classical theory that Leviticus 17–26 merely presume, with minor modifications, a concept of centralization articulated in Deuteronomy. She shows how Lev…[Read more]

Early Jewish writings are replete with narratives of warfare and collective violence. Yet relatively little scholarly attention has been paid to how these accounts of violence affected the way Jews structured their festal calendar. This essay examines the festivals described in 1 and 2 Maccabees that serve to commemorate the most impressive m…[Read more]

This Open Access volume reveals how violent pasts were constructed by ancient Mediterranean societies, the ideologies they served, and the socio-political processes and institutions they facilitated. Combining case studies from Anatolia, Egypt, Greece, Israel/Judah, and Rome, it moves beyond essentialist dichotomies such as “victors” and “va…[Read more]