While out exploring during the festival, spelunkers uncover ancient limestone carving of seven-branched menorah, a cross and other etchings dating to late Roman, Byzantine periods
Source: Hanukkah hikers find rare 2nd Temple-era etchings of menorah and cross | The Times of Israel
CHR Comment: Here is a pretty bad example of historical writing. At least the author starts out by admitting that his argument does not describe actual history. His point is that some people, nearly two thousands years after the Gospels were written, saw points of correspondence between some teachings of Jesus and some aspects of socialism.
She hasn’t felt quite as “merry” this season as she did last year.
CHR Comment: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were indeed refugees in Egypt and aiding modern refugees is certainly a good work. How to best help them is often a more difficult issue. Lord, grant wisdom.
Tom saw as his primary task the discernment of how the Holy Spirit was leading the church and how, in his role as a pastor and academic, he might fit into the Spirit’s leading.
CHR Comment: Oden became a leading proponent for studying and valuing the history of biblical interpretation as a guide for interpretation and application of the Bible today.
Source: Remembering Thomas Oden | Joel Elowsky | First Things
A monastic site near Glastonbury, which according to legend was visited by King Arthur, is the earliest uncovered in the UK, new tests show.
CHR Comment: The excavation is uncovering numerous graves. The dates are based on carbon dating.
Source: Beckery Chapel near Glastonbury ‘earliest known UK monastic life’ – BBC News
Large rock bearing unique inscription discovered off Tel Dor coast by University of Haifa archaeologists
CHR Comment: Gargilius Antiques ruled Judea and Syria just prior to the Bar Kochba revolt, an event that helped distinguish Jews and Christians in the Roman Empire.
Source: Rare find reveals previously unknown Roman ruler in Judea | The Times of Israel
CHR Comment: The Article describes the significance of wheel imagery in west central African culture, which connected with the wheel imagery in the Bible to form an important topic of African Christian spirituality. One might also remember that Christianity was known in Africa from ancient times due to the presence of Coptic and Ethiopian Christianity. An interesting study would be to learn whether views from these Christian traditions were spread to central and west Africa, seeding the later conversion of Africans after they encountered Western Christianity. For example, are there artifacts from African forms of Christianity that show up outside the Egyptian and Ethiopian regions?
Researchers recently uncovered a stone burial slab which many believe Jesus Christ’s body may have been laid on after his death.
CHR Comment: The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was built in AD 325 during the reign of Constantine and is the traditional site where Jesus was buried.
Source: ‘Burial slab’ of Jesus found in Jerusalem church
Here is a link directly to a National Geographic story.
Here is a link to the Washington Post story.
The Ten Commandments now has a tentative price tag: $250,000.
CHR Comment: This is a Samaritan copy of the Ten Commandments from the era of early Christianity, though written in paleo-Hebrew.
CHR Comment: The Great Basilica of Plovdiv, Bulgaria had its origins in the fifth century AD. The great mural recently uncovered dates from the medieval era and was likely the work of an artist from Constantinople.
Source: Great Basilica Yields Medieval Fresco Fragment – Archaeology Magazine
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