Previously, I looked at Plutarch’s Parallel lives and how the dead crucified Jesus on the cross converting the Roman soldier seems to be derived from the dead crucified Cleomenes III converting onlookers in Plutarch.  There is much such parallelism in the bible, such as John the Baptist and Jesus imitating Elijah and Elisha, as well … Conclusion: The Trials and Death of Jesus

Last time we looked at the Gospels viewing the destruction of the temple in 70CE as divine punishment for the Jews collaborating with the Romans to wrongfully kill Jesus. This was thought in the light of the two angels sent to Lot / Sodom and Gomorrah to test the people, after which the city was … (2/2) Jesus the Angel: Christ Myth Theory

Helen Bond argues that Mark views Jesus’ death as the reason the temple was destroyed in 70 CE.  Bond notes in Mark, Mark thinks the temple was destroyed in 70CE because of sin and the Jewish leadership killing Jesus, like the first temple fell to the Babylonians because of sin.  Many thought the Jewish elite … Jesus the Angel

It has long been suspected by New Testament scholars that there was a now lost Q source which contained sayings by Jesus found in Matthew and Luke that did not come from Mark, and may have been very early. The earliest layer of these sayings seems to be a collection of Cynic-like sayings, which as … A “Q” For All Seasons: How Sayings Attributed To Jesus Became The Story Of Jesus

Ehrman argues central to Jesus’s teaching was the need to repent in preparation for the coming Kingdom of God. Those who returned to God would be graciously forgiven for their transgressions, with no penalty or payment required. After Jesus’ death his followers reversed his teaching, maintaining that God did not freely forgive sins but required … Jesus Elements: To Be or Not To Be?

The Bible includes numerous references to eyes being opened, beyond the account of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:7 (where their eyes were opened to their nakedness after eating the forbidden fruit). These instances often symbolize gaining physical sight, spiritual insight, awareness, or divine revelation. Think of a lover who is unwittingly in a toxic … Open Your Eyes

Bart Ehrman recently hosted the 2025 NINT conference on the Historical Jesus made up of an elite team of New Testament specialists. The conference was aimed at an audience who are not themselves PhD New Testament specialists. I have provided brief summaries of some of the presentations that were particularly interesting to me and my … Blogging Index for my Reflections on the 2025 New Insights into the New Testament Conference

SUMMARY In this lecture Ehrman is inquiring into the literacy of Jesus.  Most people in that time couldn’t read unless they belonged to a wealthier class, and even fewer could write, as that was taught at a more elite level of education, and beyond mere copying even more elite still.  Ehrman thinks Jesus may have … Reporting From Ehrman’s New Insights into the New Testament 2025 Conference Part 7: Was Jesus Literate? A Second Lecture with Bart Ehrman

Last time in the Analysis section about Ehrman’s first talk we thought about the lens of the Absurd with the example of God making a covenant with Abraham to have a great line of descendants, and then telling him to kill his son Isaac.  Abraham was the paragon of faith because he tried to sacrifice … (2/2 Further thoughts on Ehrman’s Presentation) Reporting From the NINT New Testament 2025 Conference Part 6: A Core Teaching of Jesus. And Why His Followers Abandoned It with Bart Ehrman

Speaker: Bart Ehrman Topic: A Core Teaching of Jesus. And Why His Followers Abandoned It Overview: Central to Jesus’s teaching was the need to repent in preparation for the coming Kingdom of God. Those who returned to God would be graciously forgiven for their transgressions, with no penalty or payment required. After Jesus’ death his … Reporting From Ehrman’s New Insights into the New Testament 2025 Conference Part 6: A Core Teaching of Jesus. And Why His Followers Abandoned It with Bart Ehrman