Beyond the Bible

Trash and garbage are not what they used to be—discarding unwanted things has become a science. As the stress of dealing with our vast amounts of unwanted stuff mounts, we strive to recycle, reuse and generally use less. Our wasteful habits and the current state of the global environment have prompted a new appreciation for […]

This presentation considers the seemingly modern topic of environmentalism through a biblical theological lens, with particular attention given to the book of Deuteronomy. Biblical law grappled with many of the same issues with which we struggle today, and required behavior on the part of God’s people in every generation that recognized humanity’s role as steward […]

This lecture attempts to sort through the major issues related to the “James Ossuary.” It will examine the variety of media treatments and academic responses, and clarify what we know and what remains uncertain or undetermined. This was part of the Antiquity and the Modern World DVD.

When Jewish warriors against Rome found refuge in the Judean Wilderness hideout, they brought their families, weapons and valuables—perhaps Temple treasures as well. This was part of the Just Dug Up DVD.

Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, there was considerable interest in the group described by Greek and Latin authors as Essenes. Since the discovery of the Scrolls, interest in the Essenes has all but reduced to a single question (and strangely intense debate): whether they were the people settled at Qumran and the […]

Scholars have long known that a number of the earliest Christian writings are “forgeries”—books written by unknown authors claiming to be someone famous (e.g., one of the apostles). What is less known is that some of these forgeries were written to counter other books that were also forgeries. This talk will look at two such […]

Anthony J. Saldarini characterizes the Qumran community, the Jesus movement and the followers of Matthew as contemporary reform groups within the broad categories of Jews and Christians. He theorizes that Matthew would have been aware of the Qumran community’s beliefs (just as we are aware of various religious beliefs today) and notes similarities between the […]

James Tabor combines clues from the Gospel of John, the story of Elijah, the Dead Sea Scrolls and other historical writings that point to the location of a Jesus hideout east of Jordan, near Calim. He demonstrates how the combination of archaeology, historical documents such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the bible texts produces […]

Many visitors travel to Asia Minor each year to tour in the “Footsteps of Paul.” While they may see many cities in which Paul ministered, most never see any ancient roads upon which Paul would have walked. Instead they are able to travel along Turkey’s highways in air-conditioned buses and stay each night in comfortable […]

The Gospel of Peter is a non-canonical Gospel that was lost to the world until the late 19th-century, when a portion of it was found buried with a monk. This portion, which consists only of the Passion Narrative, is an enigma. It resembles the Passion narratives in the canonical Gospels and overlaps with them at […]

The study of world religions continues to fascinate both student and scholar alike. There are many different methodologies (historical, phenomenological, sociological, etc.) that may be utilized in the exploration of world cultures and traditions. These methodologies have become especially important in the realm of biblical studies, which can help to shed light on the complex […]

Professor Bart D. Ehrman explores perhaps the greatest religious and philosophical issue that anyone can grapple with: the problem of suffering. A specialist in the New Testament and early Christianity, Ehrman will guide you through this complex topic, paying particular attention to the Bible’s viewpoint on the problem.

This presentation examines the origins of the biblical flood story, the character of Noah, and the legends of the Nephilim and giants passed down through Jewish literary tradition. The presentation compares these to Darren Aronofsky’s 2014 film Noah, highlighting points of congruence and departure in the film adaptation. This was part of The Genesis of […]

Christians, Jews, and Muslims are all spiritual heirs of a specific form of Judaism that arose and developed in the late 2nd Temple period. Along with Pharisees, Zealots, Sadducees, and Essenes—the Jewish groups that espoused a vision of the cosmos and the future such as that reflected in the apocryphal books of Enoch turned out […]

Go with Professor DeConick on a textual dig, as she brings to life Gnostic ritual practices from ancient sources. She considers whether ancient Gnostic initiation and its ritual therapies might characterize our earliest form of psychotherapy. The evidence suggests that, prior to Freud, Jung, the behaviorists, and the cognitive psychologists of our modern world, the […]

In this intriguing lecture, noted Biblical scholar and archaeologist Michael D. Coogan tackles the complex issue of Yahweh’s wives. According to Coogan, the issue of Yahweh’s wives, particularly the goddess Asherah, is a most interesting topic from the perspective of the history of religions, illuminated by both canonical and non-canonical sources, as well as archaeology. […]

Scholars have long known that a number of the earliest Christian writings are “forgeries”—books written by unknown authors claiming to be someone famous (e.g., one of the apostles). What is less known is that some of these forgeries were written to counter other books that were also forgeries. This lecture looks at two such “counter-forgeries”—one […]

New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman’s bestselling books have introduced the general public to some of the most challenging and controversial ideas of modern Biblical scholarship. Now, BAS Library members can watch or listen to four exclusive full-length lectures by Ehrman on topics ranging from forgeries and counter-forgeries in the New Testament to how and when […]