I repeat a few words about Arabic/Islamic names that I hope some will find helpful. There are certain basic elements. For instance, there is the kunya, an honorific given to married parents that includes the name of their eldest son. The father of Yusuf (“Joseph”) would thus be known as Abu Yusuf, from the Arabic Ab/Abu (“father”), while the mother would be called Umm Yusuf. Abu Nasr al-Farabi, shown above, seems to have been the father of... Read more
For years, I’ve reflected on scientific evidence that seemed to suggest that moderate consumption of wine is beneficial to human health. If wine consumption, in moderation, really improves cardiovascular and possibly other health, perhaps the chief function of the Word of Wisdom’s bar to alcohol consumption might be to serve as a token or a marker of commitment to obeying the will of God, even without evidence of temporal benefit. But the scientific landscape appears to have... Read more
Luke 9:51 Compare Matthew 19:1-2; Mark 10:1 I’m struck by this language: “When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” First of all, I’m not sure that the idea of being “received up” here refers to his ascension or even his crucifixion, both of which are still months away. It may be that it refers to his “going up” — both literally and figuratively —... Read more
I’m very fond of the music of Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), a contemporary of Joseph Smith. I sometimes find myself reflecting on the injustice and the loss to the world that are represented by his death at the horribly early age (again, like Joseph Smith) of 38. (To make matters worse, he had been in ill health for several years by the time he died.) In his short life, Mendelssohn gave us such wonderful music — his catalogue... Read more
It’s Friday. So were you really, seriously, wondering whether a new article has been published by Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship? Well, if so, wonder no more! “Revisiting “Sariah” at Elephantine” Abstract: Jeffrey R. Chadwick has previously called attention to the name ŚRYH (Seraiah/Sariah) as a Hebrew woman’s name in the Jewish community at Elephantine. Paul Y. Hoskisson, however, felt this evidence was not definitive because part of the text was missing and had... Read more
Bill Hamblin and I published the article below almost exactly three years ago, on 15 April 2016: Driving along the western shore of Lake Kinneret, called “the Sea of Galilee” in the New Testament, it’s virtually impossible to miss a steep cliff called Arbel and a valley below it called either the Wadi Arbel or the Wadi Hammam (“Valley of the Doves”). This area is saturated — literally as well as figuratively — with ancient history. The... Read more
Sic et Non is your one-stop shop for all the practical science news you need: “Study: One in Five Deaths Linked to Poor Diet: It’s no secret that eating a diet full of sugary drinks, processed meat and sodium is not the best choice for our overall health. But, a new study says a diet full of excessive unhealthy foods, and not enough good foods, is associated with one in five deaths worldwide.” “How Much Water Should... Read more
Matthew 18:10-14 Compare Luke 15:3-7 1. Matthew 18:10-11 could be read as supporting the notion of “guardian angels.” 2. Matthew 18:12-13 and Luke 15:3-7 forcefully illustrate the value that God himself places on every human soul. Absolutely every one. 3. Thus, it’s not surprising to read, in Matthew 18:14, that “it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” Which... Read more
A few days ago, I posted an entry on this topic under the title “On “the most significant event in the history of life on Earth””: “New fossils may capture the minutes after the dinosaur-killing asteroid impact:A North Dakota site appears to hold fish, other organisms swiftly buried in the strike’s wake” And now for a small potpourri of additional interesting science-related articles: “Crime solvers embraced genetic genealogy: The Golden State killer case was just... Read more
A short while ago, I mentioned my pleasure at the appearance of Islam: A First Encounter, a fairly brief book written for the relevant coursework at Brigham Young University’s Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. It was written by my long-time BYU colleague and friend Kent P. Jackson, a former faculty member and associate director at the Center, and it’s available to a general readership on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Islam-Encounter-Kent-P-Jackson/dp/1944394796/ref=sr_1_34?qid=1554428968&refinements=p_27%3AKent+P.+Jackson&s=books&sr=1-34&text=Kent+P.+Jackson When I came home this evening, I was happily... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In