The New Meaning of Elevator Music

Last updated on: February 15, 2021 at 9:18 pm By Ben Witherington

The Habits of the Mind

Last updated on: February 12, 2021 at 11:10 am By Ben Witherington

THE HABITS OF THE MIND Infinite curiosity The mind never rests….. Searching and probing, The better, the best. Imagination’s fantasies Transforming the real Infusing emotion Into things that do not feel…. The tears of a tree The smile of a sun Worry lines on a rock Drooping flowers, undone. But motion is not emotion Nor brightness a smile A wind is not a spirit A stream has no guile An active observer Transforms every scene... Read more

Why the LXX Matters to the Study of the NT…and the OT Part Two

Last updated on: February 12, 2021 at 7:52 am By Ben Witherington

More of Philip Jenkins’ reflections……. Of Demons Laying Traps A Psalm 91 reference here would also contextualize Jesus’s foes quite powerfully. At the time, this was the main text for use in spiritual warfare and demon-fighting, and was used thus at Qumran. The hunter, or fowler, was the Devil, or a demon. So in this reading, the Pharisees were demonic. That reading is reflected in another (mis)translation, where is our Psalm 91.6 talks about “the plague that destroys at midday.”... Read more

Why the LXX Matters to the Study of the NT….and the OT Part One

Last updated on: February 12, 2021 at 7:50 am By Ben Witherington

Here is a very fine series of reflections by my friend and colleague Philip Jenkins. See what you think…. —— I recently had a sobering lesson in how we understand the New Testament. Obviously, it’s hard to make much sense of that text without at least some knowledge of the Greek in which it was written, to appreciate the nuances of the text, all the allusions and cross-references. But further, we have to understand that when that text’s authors and... Read more

Podcast on Voices and Views on Paul

Last updated on: February 10, 2021 at 10:52 am By Ben Witherington

Ben Witherington III & Jason Myers – Views on Paul Read more

The Earliest Image of a Crucified Person?

Last updated on: February 8, 2021 at 2:34 pm By Ben Witherington

Roger Pearse on his blog has posted the latest info about a graffito found in a Taberna in Puteoli (the Roman port) of a crucified person, in this case, a drawing of a crucified woman named Alkimila. Here is the link… : https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2017/01/13/the-crucifixion-graffito-of-alkimilla-from-puteoli/ This graffito dates to the period of Hadrian or possible a little later… making it possibly the earliest such image of crucifixion. Several features are worth brief mention— it appears clear that in this case we... Read more