Posted in Ancient Near East Book of Mormon Evidence Hebrew Israel Scholarship

A Gift from Biblical Reproductions: Alma the Son of Judah on a Bar Kochba Letter

There’s an interesting business, Biblical Reproductions, selling authorized reproductions of artifacts and documents related to the Bible. One of the products is a reproduction of 5/6Hev 44 Bar Kokhba, a…

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Posted in Book of Mormon Evidence Hebrew language Scholarship wordplays

Why Does the Book of Mormon Say the Nephites “Had Come Down to Believe in Their [the Gaddianton Robbers’] Works”?

No, I’m not saying anything in this post about secret combinations and how to identify them, but rather pointing out a minor detail that is part of a massive pattern…

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Posted in Charity health mental health Service Society Stories Surviving

The Fox at My Door

Tuesday night as I was turning off the lights and preparing to sleep, I stood next to our front door for a moment and then saw something move. Immediately in…

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Posted in Book of Abraham Evidence Origins Scholarship Scripture

More on the Book of Abraham Manuscripts: What Spelling Errors Teach Us

I received a kind email from Kyler Rasmussen in response to arguments I have made about the spelling in the book of Abraham manuscripts that are part of the Kirtland…

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Posted in Ancient Near East Book of Abraham Critics Evidence Origins Scholarship Scripture Translation

A Gift From an Early “Anti-Mormon” Attack on the Book of Abraham: Clear Evidence About the Source of Joseph’s Translation

The words of Joseph Smith give us vital evidence about the translation of the Book of Abraham. As Tim Barker demonstrates in a recent FAIR Conference, a large fraction of the characters on the papyrus fragment Joseph allegedly used to translate the Book of Abraham have been placed on Facsimile 2, and Joseph indicated that the explanations for those characters “will be given in the own due time of the Lord.” That is followed by a statement that refers to all the comments made regarding Facs. 2: “The above translation is given as far as we have any right to give at the present time.”

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Posted in Bible Charity Doctrine Gospel of Jesus Christ Greek Scholarship

Understanding the God of the Old Testament: An Evangelical Scholar Explains the Meaning of “God Is Love”

Evangelical Bible scholar Ben Witherington has written a deeply interesting essay on the meaning of “God is love” for Biblical Archaeology’s “Bible History Daily” column. After explaining the wrong assumptions…

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Posted in Book of Mormon Doctrine Salvation Scholarship

More on the Limits of “Endless” and “Eternal” in the Book of Mormon: Awaking from “Endless Sleep” and the “Eternal Band of Death”

In a recent previous post, “‘From Whence They Can No More Return’: What Lehi Teaches Us About the Book of Mormon’s Harsh Language on Hell,” I noted that a passage…

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Posted in Book of Mormon Evidence Hebrew language Scholarship Translation

Janus Parallelism in Alma 32 and 33?

Alma uses the verb “spring” in an interesting way in his sermon to the Zoramites in Alma 32 and 33: But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the…

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Posted in Ancient Near East Arabia Asia Book of Mormon Books Evidence Hebrew history Judaism Scripture Stories

The Jewish Copper Plates of Cochin, India and a Hint of an Ancient Jewish Tradition of Writing on Metal Plates

A recent post here critiqued an attempt to explain the origins of the book of Ether based on inspiration from a rare book, A Key to the Chronology of the…

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Posted in freedom government history politics Society Stories

Religious Liberty: Have We Forgotten the Pain of the Hutterites?

College students these days learn what a wise leader President Woodrow Wilson was, a good progressive. An example of the positive summary of his work is the historical summary of…

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