Peter Kirby

IIDB BC&H FAQ, Version 0.5 [December 13, 2006]

You are encouraged to discuss this FAQ in this thread, and also to raise any basic questions (or not so basic questions!) that you may have about Biblical Criticism & History.

0. About this FAQ

This FAQ is the distilled wisdom of IIDB regulars concerning Biblical Criticism & History. It is rewritten monthly and posted as a sticky in the BC&H forum of IIDB, at this URL:

http://www.iidb.org/vbb/forumdisplay.php?f=60

Maintainers: Peter Kirby <peterkirby@gmail.com>

Copyright © 2006. All maintainers agree to dual license their work as GFDL and CC-by-sa.

1. The Bible in General and Errancy

1.1 Translations of the Bible

Threads: Catholic Bible - which one?

1.2 Errors in the Bible

As you would expect of a set of documents compiled from five dozen authors, written over a span of about eight centuries, the Bible does contains error, even contradiction within itself.

1.2.1 Does the Bible say that pi is 3?

Not directly. For discussion, check the threads.

Threads: The Bible and Pi, Pi in Bible

1.3 Contradictions in the Bible

Threads: What is the GREATEST Bible contradiction?, Regarding Biblical Contradictions in the Library, Your Favorite Bible Contradictions??, A(nother) Contradiction, A practical approach to bible contradictions, Favorite Contradiction

1.4 Prophecy

Some argue that the Bible contains no accurate oracles. Some argue that what the NT authors take as messianic prophecy is not such.

Threads: Magus55: take the Prophecy Challenge!, Is Isaiah 7:14 a messianic prophecy?, Messianic Prophesies, Are there any messianic prophecies in the OT?, Another thread about christ in the old testament, Some Alleged Messianic Prophecies, Is Jesus the messiah of the OT?, Has any prophecies come true?, JimLarmore on Prophecy!

1.5 Eschatology

Eschatology is the subject of the end of the world.

Threads: Layman's Dubious Interpretation of Hebrews 9:26

1.6 Salvation

Threads: Universalism is biblical

2. History in General and Religion

2.1 Metahistory

Threads: Benefit of the Doubt, Realism and Biblical History, Historical Method, Craig's Employment of the McCullagh Criteria

2.2 Minimalist debates

Joel Ng had some good answers in this area before.

Threads: Biblical "Minimalism" vs "Maximalism", When did the Hebrews emerge as a separate people?, Minimalist recommendations and a few others, Do the biblical minimalists have any credibility?

2.3 Zoroastrianism

Threads: Zoroastrianism as a Source For Christianity?

2.4 Judaism

Threads: Hippolytus on the Jewish Religion

2.5 Mystery religions

Threads: Help on crucifixion of Dyonisis, Xtianity = Mithraism?, Mithras insciption question

3. Jewish Scripture

3.1 Books of Jewish Scripture

3.1.1 Genesis

Genesis is the first book of the Bible.

3.1.2 Proverbs

Proverbs is a collection of advice on living.

Threads: The Value of Proverbs

3.1.3 Job

Threads: A fair and completely unbiased view of Job, Ending of the Book Of Job

3.1.4 Isaiah

Threads: Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12

3.1.5 Daniel

Threads: Daniel: Multiple authorship of Daniel, Prophesy

3.1.6 Dead Sea Scrolls

Threads: The Whitewashing of John Allegro, Dead Sea Scrolls 7Q5 and New Testament, Essenes and scrolls

3.1.7 Talmud

Threads: What is the Talmud?

3.2 The Pentateuch and Authorship

Threads: Mosaic authorship of the Torah, J, E, P, D Alternatives

4. Christian Scripture

4.1 Books of Christian Scripture

4.1.1 Matthew

Matthew is a Synoptic Gospel.

Threads: Is GMk 3:29 (cf. GLk 12:10) a get out of conversion free card?

4.1.2 Mark

Mark is a Synoptic Gospel.

Threads: From John to Capernaum: Mark 1:14-34, The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of Mark, The Silence of Mark, Geographical Errors in Mark and J.P. Holding

4.1.2.1 Ending of Mark?

Most scholars believe that the verses Mark 16:9-20 are unoriginal.

Threads: Mark's Ending, Does the original Mark end with 16:8, How did the Gospel of Mark end?, Mark 16:9-20 ascribed to Ariston?

4.1.3 Luke

Luke is a Synoptic Gospel.

Threads: On Luke Redux

4.1.4 John

John is the maverick Gospel.

Threads: Johannine Sectarians, gJohn authorship: attribution to Cerinthus

4.1.5 Acts

Acts is the story of the early Jerusalem church and of Paul.

Threads: Evolution of Acts - Additions from Euripides?, Discrepancies between Acts and Letters

4.1.5.1 What is the significance of the 'we passages' of Acts?

Threads: Are the "We-Passage" in Acts Literary Conventions for Describing Sea-Voyages?, Vernon K Robbins replies to Layman on We Passages in Acts, Confirmation and Correlation in Acts and the Pauline Epistles, Did the author of Acts have access to Paul's letters?, References on Acts Requested, First Person Perspective in Ancient Sea Travel, Kirby on Robbins : Is the Sea Voyage Genre Theory Shipwrecked?

4.1.6 Galatians

Galatians is a letter of Paul.

Threads: Authenticity of Gal 1:19

4.1.7 Hebrews

Hebrews is an anonymous epistle.

Threads: Doherty's translation of Heb 8:4, Hebrews, MT, LXX and the Dead Sea Scrolls

4.1.8 Revelation

Revelation, the last book in the Bible, declares itself written by John of Patmos.

Threads: 666: What is supposed to really mean?, Explain Revelation, Mystery of 666, Why is Revelation's John so special?

4.1.9 Secret Mark

Also known as the "Gospel Hoax."

Threads: "Secret Mark", We know Smith wrote Secret Mark! Er, I think, update about the Secret Mark, Secret Mark is authentic: the evidence, Secret Mark is authentic: the evidence (Parts 3-4), Death knell begins to toll for "Secret Mark"

4.1.10 Gospel of Thomas

The Gospel of Thomas is considered a "fifth gospel," as it is a widely celebrated collection of sayings of Jesus.

Threads: The Alleged Late Dating of GThomas

4.1.11 Aristides

Threads: Aristides in Syriac

4.1.12 Theophilus of Antioch

Theophilus was a church father.

Threads: Had Theophilus heard of Jesus?

4.2 Issues with the Gospels

4.2.1 Dating the Gospels

When were the gospels written? Your guess is as good as mine, within certain bounds.

Threads: Dating Matthew and Mark, Round tomb blocking stone as evidence for a late dating of Mark?, When were the gospels written, Gospel Author evidence, Did Jesus Really Exist?, Dating the Gospel of Thomas, Date and authorship of the Gospels, Jesus in the Talmud?, Were the Gospels written within the so called 'Eye Witness Period'?

4.2.2 Synoptic Problem

You'll find that the priority of Mark, the idea that Mark was the first Gospel written, is very popular on this board.

Threads: Unfamiliar or unusal words in Mark?, A statistical approach to the synoptic problem, Any Q Skeptics?, Q: If there is no Q, is there really no Q?

4.2.3 Infancy Narratives

These are the contradictory stories of Jesus' nativity.

Threads: Census thing again!, King Herod, The credibility of Matthew, Another Lukan Historical Error?

4.2.4 Instability of Texts

In other words, the way that the gospels changed over time.

Threads: Textual Evolution, Helmut Koester and What Josh Mcdowell Forgot to Tell us..., The Corrupted Text of Canonical Mark

4.3 Letters of Paul

Threads: Redating of p46 to ca. 85 CE, Historicity of Paul, Paul the Obscure

4.4 Textual Criticism of the New Testament

Threads: Missing verses in RSV, Luke 3:22, Adoptionists, and Bart Ehrman, Translation concerns for Matt 19:16-17

4.5 Original Aramaic NT?

Threads: Mark 9:49. salted with fire?, Was Romans written in Aramaic?, new testament really written in greek?, Paul wrote to Corinth in Aramaic?

4.6 Canon of Scripture

Sorry, the boys in funny hats didn't actually determine this by vote.

Threads: How did the Nicene Council influence the Bible?, Extent of cannon unity in 4th century?

5. Christian Origins

5.1 Historicity of Jesus

The phrase "the historicity of Jesus" refers to whether or not there was a man named Jesus known to his brother James, the apostle Peter, and other followers of Jesus.

5.1.1 Arguments against HJ

Threads: Today's Leaders, The Strange Silence of Samuel Rutherford, There ARE Echoes of Jesus in Earlier Myths, 7th Century crucifixion iconography - Why so late?, The origins of the Passion Narrative, The Passion Narrative and Philo, Philo, There was no historical Jesus, What's the best argument against historical Jesus?, Support for Doherty Please, Kata Sarka, Jesus' presence, Messianic Memorabillia, Problem for Doherty's thesis, Doherty on Christian use of the Old Testament, 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 is an Interpolation, Historical Jesus Skepticism FAQ, A Thorough Review of Doherty's Analysis of Hebrews, Argument on "born of a woman" "of the seed of David", Thread on Challenging Doherty Continued, Flipping Layman's Frazzled Factoids: Earl Doherty and the Apostolic Tradition, Earl Doherty

5.1.2 Arguments for HJ

Threads: Doherty's Dubious Analysis of Hebrews 13:11-13, Doherty's Dubious Interpretation of Hebrews 9:27-28, How Do We Know When Jesus Lived?, Is Gmark the product of the fictionalization of a heavenly Christ myth?, What is the conclusive, historical evidence for the existence of Jesus?, A Good Indication That Jesus Existed, Crossan's First Stratum, They don't make dying/rising savior gods like they used to!, Evidence for Jesus existence is solid, Jesus Variants, Jesus Was Born of a Woman = Jesus was a Human Being, Doherty's Erroneous Approach to the Apostolic Tradition, Baptism by JtB and the historicity of Jesus, Proof of the HJ : Paucity of Gentile Related Material in Synoptic Gospels, Jesus Methodolog and Peter (re Vork), Paul Believed Jesus Was Born of a Descendent of David According to the Flesh, Will Durant and Jesus Christ's Historicity

5.1.3 Methodology and the Historicity of Jesus

Threads: New XTALK article blasts Meier on Multiple Attestation, Historical Jesus Methodology, Meier on the Baptism, The development of ideas

5.1.4 Books about the Historicity of Jesus

Threads: Book Review: The Jesus Myth (Wells) and Deconstructing Jesus (Price), Crossan's The Historical Jesus: A Review, The Jesus the Jews Never Knew: Book Review By Earl Doherty of Zindler's New Book

5.1.5 Polls about the Historicity of Jesus

Threads: Are you a HJer, JMer, or agnostic on the issue?, Was there a Historical Jesus? The IIDB Poll, Which Major Religious Figures do You Think Existed, Have supporters of HJ shown there was a HJ?

5.2 Non-Christian Sources

5.2.1 Josephus on Jesus?

Threads: Kirby on the Testimonium Flavianum (1), Kirby on the Testimonium Flavanium (2), Kirby on the Testimonium Flavianum (3), Kirby on the Testimonium (4), Ant. 20.9.1 (for Bede), Open Discussion on Arguments for TF, The Christ Passage in Josephus, "called Christ" ONLY was added to Ant. 20.200, The Testimonium Flavianum is Partially Authentic

5.2.2 Philo on Jesus?

Threads: Philo and "Christ"

5.2.3 The Talmud on Jesus?

Threads: Jesus in the Talmud?

5.2.4 Thallus on Jesus?

Threads: Did They See That Darkness?, Thallus as a litmus test

5.2.5 Seneca on Jesus?

Threads: Possible Historical Reference to Jesus in Seneca?

5.2.6 Tacitus on Jesus?

Threads: Tacitus & co

5.2.7 Modern Fake Texts on Jesus?

Threads: Letter from Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar??

5.3 Entheogenic Theory

Threads: Jesus Used Cannabis

5.4 Resurrection

Jesus is dead.

Threads: resurrection debates, Proof Of The Resurrection?, Easter Account Contradictions, The truth about the empty tomb, Wright anyone?, The Historicity of the Empty Tomb Evaluated, Paul's Belief in a Bodily Resurrection, Peter Kirby and Empty Tombs, Resurrection: Physical vs Spiritual

5.5 Apostles

They must have died somehow...the question is how.

Threads: Evidence for the historical apostles?, Apostolic Martyrdom, Matthew wasn't martyred, Martyrdom of the apostles

5.6 Christology

Threads: The messiah as son of David, Son of Man, Sophia, where art thou?, Use of the word "Christos" before Jesus?

5.7 Jesus and 'Nazareth'

Threads: The Hometown of Jesus, Where the hell was Nazareth?, When is Nazareth first mentioned in datable literature?, Where was Jesus born?

5.8 James Brother of Jesus Ossuary

And the world spins on, a few reputations bruised, and brain cells wasted.

Threads: First Century Archeological Evidence for the Existence of Jesus?, First Century Relic Laughed at by Christians, Inscription To Be Publically Displayed and Tested Again, The First Century Jesus Inscription (a compliation of relevant information), a crack through Jesus, Ossuary was genuine, inscription was faked, Experts Question Authenticity of Bone Box for `Brother of Jesus', Aerospace engineer's examination of the ossuary, Israeli Geological Service's statement on the ossuary, Updates on the ossuary, Fitzmyer's position regarding authenticity of the ossuary, Ossuary, ossuary, who's got the ossuary?, Oded Golan (ossuary owner), Response to Robert Turkel on the authenticity of the ossuary, Response to Turkel on the ossuary, part 2, More ossuary nonsense, Discovery Channel on the Ossuary of James, Make your own ancient artifact! a How-to Guide, New in BAR, XTALK just posted: Ossuary reportedly determined fake..., Jehoash Tablet reportedly judged a forgery, Israeli Antiquities Authority says ''James Ossuary'' inscription a fake, The Ossuary and The Committee, Altman's Latest Devastation of the Ossuary, Shanks: "I'm still not convinced", BAR article, Jul/Aug 2003: New tests bolster case for authenticity of ossuary, Please help save our reputation, Ossuary Owner Arrested for Fraud, Final Reports on the Yehoash Inscription and James Ossuary from the Israeli Antiquities Authority, Slouching toward Lemaire..., Shanks has not conceded on the Ossuary, New Ossuary Article at BibInterp, Ossuary Again, Relatively new article on grammar of James inscription

6. Islam

No, I won't be writing "peace be upon him" after the name Muhammad.

Threads: Quest for the Historical Muhammad?, What do we know about Muhammad?, External References to Islam

...

I'm currently working on March 2004's posts--if I missed any from before March 2004, please let me know.

--
Peter Kirby