Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a>, it seems appropriate.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
F. F. Bruce (1910-1990) was Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester, in England, and a prolific and influential author. \u00a0He was also a believer. \u00a0I remember reading a quip many years ago, somewhere, to the effect that the difference between American evangelicals and British evangelicals is that British evangelicals can read. \u00a0The comment was unfair then, and it would be even more unfair if it were repeated today. \u00a0There are some excellent thinkers and scholars in American evangelical Protestantism. \u00a0But it did, in a way, call attention to the significant tradition of British evangelical scholarship, which goes back quite a few generations.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, this morning, I read a few pages of the book, and already I\u2019m noticing things that I want to remember to mention during the two tours that I\u2019ll be accompanying to Israel in May and June.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of them concerns the site of Banias or Banyas, which is one of my favorite places in Israel. \u00a0It\u2019s located at the base of Mount Hermon, far in the north of the country, just below (and on the way up to) the Golan Heights. \u00a0I already have plenty to say there \u2014 it\u2019s a richly important site \u2014 but I\u2019ve never mentioned the significant battle that took place in the area at the beginning of the second century before Christ \u2014 and now I\u2019ll try to remember to do so. \u00a0Here is F. F. Bruce:<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some of Alexander\u2019s leading generals divided his empire among themselves soon after this death and founded dynasties, some of which endured well into the first century B.C. \u00a0Of these dynasties the most important for our purpose were the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, founded by Ptolemy I in 323 B.C., with its capital in Alexandria, and the Seleucid dynasty in Syria, founded by Seleucus I in 312 B.C., with its capital in Antioch. \u00a0Judaea was part of the dominions of the Ptolemies until 198 B.C. \u00a0In that year it changed hands, in consequence of a Seleucid victory won at Paneion, near the sources of the Jordan (the Caesarea Philippi of the gospel narrative [Mark 8:27]), and for the next fifty years and more it belonged to the Seleucid Empire.<\/strong> \u00a0(page 2)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Paneion, and the district of Paneas to which it belonged (cf. mod. Banyas), were so called by the Greeks after the god Pan, to whom (together with the Nymphs) they dedicated the grotto there in which Nahr Banyas, one of the principal sources of Jordan, springs up.<\/strong> \u00a0(page 2, note 3)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 While reorganizing books in a part of my library \u2014 and, truth be told, while looking for a particular book, though thus far in vain \u2014 I came across my copy of F. F. Bruce\u2019s classic New Testament History (New York: Doubleday-Galilee, 1980), and, on a whim, decided to re-read it. \u00a0It\u2019s been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"AKA](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2015\/05\/800px-Banias_Spring_Cliff_Pans_Cave.jpg\")
<\/a>