I taught the section on mysticism in my world history class today.  I recorded it for those who want to know how I try to explain mysticism to general education undergraduates: Read more

New excavations in the Ophel south of the Temple Mount have disclosed a new mikvah–purification pools used by pilgrims for entry into the temple. Also some 10th century Egyptian scarabs have been discovered.     Read more

The belief that all mystical experiences are “ultimately one,” and thus somehow in essence are “the same” is a common modern claim, which requires some reflective analysis.  It is generally made by two groups.  First Neomystics generally posit a transcendental unity of religion and God, and believe that God/the Ultimate manifests him/her/itself in different ways and with different symbols to different cultures in different times.  But at root, all these are culturally-based manifestations of the same transcendent God.  (This belief,... Read more

A new comprehensive bibliogrpahy of Temple Studies is now available online. http://www.templestudies.org/home/introduction-to-a-temple-studies-bibliography/ Many thanks to Danel Bachman for putting this together! Read more

Mosaics from the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral, London. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamblinofjerusalem/sets/72157631987755294/detail/ Read more

My photos of the interior of Canterbury Cathedral, England. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamblinofjerusalem/sets/72157631984820045/detail/ Read more

One occasionally hears the idea bandied about that there are Mormon mystics and mysticism, or that Joseph Smith was a mystic.  Is there such a thing as Mormon Mysticism?  My answer is: I don’t know.  But I have a few observations on the topic. The first problem is defining mysticism.  The idea that there is a religious phenomena called mysticism, shared in all major religions, is a decidedly modern concept, growing out of specific historical circumstances in the West.  No actual practicing... Read more

http://www.360cities.net/image/christ-church-dublin-ireland-interior#0.00,0.00,70.0 Read more

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamblinofjerusalem/sets/72157631938242841/detail/ Read more

I’m leading a tour to Turkey this June.  Here’s the itinerary.  It will focus on New Testament sites (mainly Pauline), and the deelopments of the first few centuries of early Christianity.  Turkey is absolutely wonderful.  It has none of the security problems of many other Middle Eastern countries, and some of the best archaeological sites in the world. Here is a link to the tour site: http://www.cruiselady.com/tour-details.cfm?t=207 And here is the itinerary: 6-7-13TurkeyHamblin If you’ve ever wanted to visit Turkey, NOW... Read more