Imagine that the Lord was calling you as a missionary to the last place on earth that you would want to go to. What would be going through your mind and how would you
The Louvre Museum is the largest museum in the world, attracting over eight million visitors annually and it contains an extensive repository of biblical artefacts. Far less literature has been written concerning the Louvre
Jonah’s preservation A great fish swallowed Jonah that the Lord prepared and from the belly of the great fish, Jonah prayed a prayer of thanksgiving. The book of Jonah is no mere allegory or
That which is most important in your life is inevitably what you will worship. Some travel great distances to see their favourite team, musician, relative or friend. Others enjoy a challenge and may venture
When our son was born, I was immediately conscious that God caused him to grow in my wife’s womb. Whilst I had seen scans from the outside and was able to observe his development,
Subsequent visits to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford have provided further insight relating to the Bible. Often people marvel at the antiquity, scale and diversity of objects that are viewable and how they were
Are you running from God or running towards Him? Are you hiding from the Lord, or is your life hidden in Messiah? Are you fleeing from God or following Him? Jonah knew where he
Jonah the prophet Jonah is an unusual book in many ways. His mission was to reach the Gentiles and his focus was neither on Israel nor Judah. Much of the focus of this ‘minor
Josephus’ writings are the most important extra-biblical account and are of immense value in relation to Jewish history and the Bible. They are of great significance regarding biblical background and also the intertestamental period,
Today is October 7th and in view of all that is happening in Israel, what Jewish people are facing now and following the horrific attacks in the synagogue in Manchester, let us look to
Tacitus provides the important and well-known reference to Jesus being executed during Tiberius’ reign by the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate. What is not so well known are the other references to the biblical
In addition to the famous extra-biblical reference to Jesus, Suetonius gives useful background on the Caesars mentioned in the Bible and historically corroborates other Bible characters including Felix, Berenice and Quirinius (Acts 23-25; Luke
The book of Daniel foretells Alexander’s meteoric world conquest and that even when he would be strong, his empire would split into four (Daniel 8:5-8; cf. 21-22). Alexander died in his early thirties. 1
Reading both secular and theological books on ancient history, will inevitably engage the reader with the Bible. Earlier this year, I read ‘Egypt of the Pharaohs’ by Sir Alan Gardiner, ‘Assyria’ by Eckart Frahm,
Herodotus (c.490-425BC) was one of the foremost writers in classical literature and some of his historical accounts relate to biblical settings, locations and characters. Cicero famously honoured him with the title, ‘The Father of
God called Bezalel by name and God’s call is His enablement. Merrill Unger writes, “Bezalel (“in the shadow of God”) and Oholiab (“tent father”) were selected by God for the task. God’s call is
Known as the ‘The Father of Egyptology,’ Flinders Petrie lived a somewhat rugged and spartan existence as he excavated in unbearably scorching conditions and he is famous for being a pioneer of biblical archaeology.
Pleading to God in prayer Do you plead with God in prayer? Notice how Moses pleaded to God for His people at the incident of the gold calf. Why should the Egyptians contend that
David Baron frequently stated that “prophecy in its predictive aspect was just history written before it happened, even as history, when properly understood is the fulfilment of history.”[i] Indeed, the remarkable outworking of prophecy
Syncretism involves mixing the holy with the unholy, the godly with the ungodly and the sacred with the profane. The golden calf episode is the epitome of syncretism and cow worship in various forms,
The tabernacle was where the children of Israel met with God and everything in the tabernacle foreshadowed Messiah. Chapters 28-31 provide instruction about the priest’s functions and preparations before meeting with God. The priests
At one of my recent visits to the Bournemouth Natural Science Society & Museum, I was kindly given permission to photograph a few items of biblical archaeological interest. I am the first to admit
Previously the Biblical Archaeological Society listed 53 characters in the Tanakh (Old Testament) confirmed by archaeology. They have since added 30 individuals from the Brit Hadasha (New Testament) confirmed by archaeology and extra-biblical writings.
Much discussion has arisen both in the archaeological world and popular media regarding the Tuthmosis II Tomb discovery; apparently the greatest Egyptian finding since Howard Carter’s Tutankhamen discovery in 1922, though this recent excavation