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The Contours of the Land in Israel's History
The Land of Palestine
The land of Palestine took its name from the Philistines (the Pelishtim in Hebrew) who settled along the Mediterranean coast from Joppa to Gaza about 1300–12...
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I Am Who I Am
It was a big deal when God revealed his name to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:14-15). Names were viewed as associated with one’s charact...
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The Land Flowing with Milk and Honey
Exodus chapter three is the first occasion in which the covenant land of the patriarchs, the so-called "Promise Land" is referred...
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Backgrounds of Sarai's Barrenness
The first obstacle to the covenant faced in Genesis is Sarah’s barrenness. If one of the benefits of the covenant was for Abraham to become...
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Cheerleading
by Miles Van Pelt
by Miles Van Pelt
At Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi I have the distinct privilege of teaching all three biblical languages – Hebrew, A...
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Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)
The account of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 offers numerous points for comparison with the ancient world. The narrative is set in the La...
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The Creation of Humankind in the Ancient Near East
We are all familiar with the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis two and their creation stands in contrast to the scientific theories of human...
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The Temple and the Cosmos
When we think about the world and the universe in modern American culture, we are most inclined to think of it like a machine. In the ancie...
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Do we need Backgrounds study?
Background studies involve research into history, archaeology, geography, manners and customs, and ancient literature. Sometimes such stu...
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The new Bible Backgrounds series on Koinonia
Since 2003 I have been serving as general editor of the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament. I have had the ...
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An interview with A. Philip Brown II, part 2 — Author of A Reader's Hebrew Bible with Bryan W. Smith
Why is it that students and pastors seem to retain their Greek knowledge more than Hebrew?
I think the answer is simple. (1) Students and p...
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An Interview with A. Philip Brown II, part 1 — Author of "A Reader's Hebrew Bible" with Bryan W. Smith
When did you first develop a passion for reading Hebrew? What about your passion for Greek?
I don't view myself as a Greek scholar firs...
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Reclaiming the Old Testament in the Church — By John H. Walton
What would account for how few sermons are preached on the Old Testament? Its canonical status is no less than that of the New Testament, a...
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A Dead Sea Scroll in Stone — Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
Quite a stir has been fomented in recent weeks over what is being nick-named "A Dead Sea Scroll in Stone." This three-foot-tall tablet of 8...
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Hermeneutics and Children's Curriculum — By John Walton
Seminaries and grad programs that train pastors, and the academics who teach in those programs are very concerned about proper hermeneutics....
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