The Passover meal featuring the eating of the Paschal lamb was commanded by God as a memorial to be observed annually by the Jewish people forever. (Ex. 12:1-14) As an observant Jew, Jesus faithfully celebrated Passover during his lifetime. The Gospel of John mentions three Passovers that occurred during the…
While re-reading the Book of Psalms, I ran across a prophecy that was at first puzzling, as follows: “And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah” (Psalm 50:6) Has that prophecy been literally fulfilled and, if so, when and where did the heavens declare God’s…
The Battle of Qarqar was recorded by Assyrian scribes on what is now called the Kurkh Monolith. It was fought in 883 BCE (according to the revised Assyrian chronology based on the more accurate biblical chronology for the Hebrew kings) in what is present-day Syria. A coalition of kings were…
The Dome of the Rock is a Muslim shrine (not a mosque as many incorrectly believe) that, with its gold-covered dome, has come to be the iconic image of Old Jerusalem. Many Christians have visited inside the Dome itself in years past, although since the year 2000 non-Muslim access has…
Over the years, countless Bible expositors have questioned the need for Jesus to be baptized by John the Baptist. If indeed his life was sinless, why was it necessary for Jesus to submit to a baptism of repentance for remission of sins, which is what John’s baptism was all about?…
The greatest chronological and theological error made by most traditional expositors in their interpretations of the prophecies in the Book of Daniel is the one involving the covenant mentioned in Dan. 9:27a, which says “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week …” The error is caused…
The Bible says that Menahem of Israel paid tribute to the Neo-Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (also called Pul in the Bible), but in which year of his ten-year reign he paid tribute is not specified. The Iran Stele confirms the payment of tribute by Menahem. Other Assyrian documents indicate that…
A reader asked if the Exodus really happened, and, when I assured him it did, he then wondered why Moses is not mentioned in secular Egyptian history. Well, it’s quite possible that Moses is featured in the historical records of the eighteenth dynasty, and that he has been overlooked because…
The Moabite Stone (aka Mesha stele in archaeological circles) refers to “Omri, King of Israel,” saying that Moab was oppressed by Omri and that Mesha won a great victory against his son. Mesha is mentioned in the Bible, “And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the…
When I went to press with my book Sacred Chronology of the Hebrew Kings in 2012, I presented a new chronology for the Hebrew kings that resulted in a reinterpretation of the campaign into Canaan by Shoshenq I in 925 BCE, the campaign depicted in the reliefs on the Bubastite…