Ancient Bible History

Discover the hidden wisdom that shaped early Christianity with this comprehensive collection of ancient texts translated into clear, accessible modern English. This definitive edition brings together the most important Gnostic writings ever discovered, including the complete texts from the renowned Nag Hammadi Library. Unlike academic translations filled with archaic language, this collection presents these profound teachings in contemporary English that speaks directly to modern readers. What's Inside: The Gospel of Thomas - Jesus's secret sayings and hidden wisdom The Gospel of Mary - The...

For Christians, Flavius Josephus’ (37 to c. 100 A.D) works are one of the most essential extra-biblical chronicles written in the first century. His Jewish Antiquities are particularly valuable for Christians as a fountain of knowledge about the intertestamental period, from the destruction of Solomon’s temple by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 B.C. to the Roman procurator Florus in 64 A.D. But Josephus’ writings also take us back in Jewish history to God’s creation of the world, providing interesting sidelights to the Hebrew Scripture narratives from oral testimonies and other ancient, ...

Ever wonder what's actually in those "lost books of the Bible" everyone talks about? This comprehensive 750+ page guide gives you everything you want to know about over 100 forbidden Christian texts, without having to read the originals. From the shocking childhood stories of Jesus to secret gospels banned by the early church, discover what these mysterious writings actually contain and why they were excluded from Scripture. What You'll Discover: Expanded Genesis Stories - The Books of Enoch, Jubilees, and the cosmic drama behind creation Jesus's Hidden Childhood - Infancy Gospels revealing...

For more than a century, archaeologists have been unearthing the tombs, temples, texts, and artifacts of the ancient Near East and the Mediterranean world. Using new approaches, contemporary scholars have begun to synthesize this material with the biblical traditions. The Oxford History of the Biblical World incorporates the best of this scholarship, and in chronologically ordered chapters presents the listener with an integrated study of the history, art, architecture, languages, literatures, and religion of biblical Israel and early Judaism and Christianity in their larger cultural contexts.

A literary history of our most influential book of all time, by an Oxford scholar and Anglican priest In our culture, the Bible is monolithic: It is a collection of books that has been unchanged and unchallenged since the earliest days of the Christian church. The idea of the Bible as "Holy...

If you love the TV series, THE CHOSEN, you'll love THRONES IN THE DESERT. THRONES IN THE DESERT does what no Biblical novel has done before. It weaves the story of five fictional characters through twelve chapters, with each chapter corresponding to the first twelve chapters of the Book of Luke. The five main characters--a tax collector, a slave, a guard in Herod's Palace, a Pharisee, and the daughter of a Zealot--have all placed a false god on a throne in their life, only to see it overturned by the rabbi from Nazareth. "He has brought down rulers from their thrones. He has lifted up the ...

History remembers the great biblical stories—Noah’s Ark, David and Goliath, the Ten Commandments. But what about the ones history forgot? 📜 Lost Stories of the Bible explores the mysterious, apocryphal, and lesser-known tales hidden in ancient texts, secret scrolls, and historical whispers. From banned books to obscure biblical figures, this collection reveals forgotten prophecies, lost gospels, and suppressed scriptures that challenge everything we thought we knew. Inside this book, you'll discover: ✅ The Book of Enoch and its shocking account of fallen angels ✅ The Gospel of ...

THE MAN WHO PRICED THE KINGDOM. Judas Iscariot was the movement's Treasurer and its only true realist. While the other disciples debated theology, he managed the insolvency of a revolution running on miracles and debt. He saw the collision with Rome coming before anyone else. Desperate to save the Messiah from a suicide mission, Judas orchestrated a tactical arrest designed to force a display of divine power. It was meant to be the ultimate political maneuver—a forced move to crown the King. File 003 of The Unsealed Archives documents the fatal calculation of a man who tried to manage the...

A New York Times bestselling historian of early Christianity takes on two of the most gripping questions of human existence: where did the ideas of heaven and hell come from and why do they endure? What happens when we die? A recent Pew Research poll showed that 72% of Americans believe in a...

One of the principal theological themes of the Hebrew Bible is the relationship between Israel and God. At the heart of this bond is the supernatural experience at Sinai. The Torah focuses on the uniqueness of God and His relationship with the people of Israel. The singularity of this relationship amidst surrounding polytheistic cultures is so much emphasized that Israel’s principal contribution to the world of religious ideology is often regarded as uncompromising covenantal monotheism. Israelite identity and in later centuries Jewish identity was also expressed in terms of ethnicity and...

History is written by the victors to control the billions of people on Planet Earth. Guns, weapons, and armies are not enough. The victors intend to control your MIND. FREE YOUR SELF. It is TIME YOU know the TRUE HISTORY of such hotly debated topics as: Atlantis & Lemuria, Nibiru, Sumer, Egypt, Lost Tribes of Israel, Ark of the Covenant, Mary Magdalene, Jesus;/Jmmanuel, Maya, Inca, Kuiper Belt, Templars, Papacy, Antarctica, 4th Reich, Book of Revelation, Extraterrestrials & Aliens, Interdimensional Existences, & MUCH, MUCH MORE... STEWART HOLDS NOTHING BACK! Stewart is a profound "Walking ...

The Bible: Fact or Fairytale is a bold and thought-provoking book that explores the ancient scriptures through the lens of science, archaeology, and historical evidence. Dive deep into the Bible’s most famous stories—Creation, Noah’s Ark, the Exodus, miracles of Jesus, and Revelation—and examine them alongside modern discoveries, fossil records, ancient manuscripts, and prophetic fulfillment. This balanced analysis invites both believers and skeptics to question, investigate, and reflect on the truth behind the Bible. Whether you’re seeking biblical truth, evidence of God, or ...

This volume contains an overview of scholarly discussions on the historical reliability of the Old Testament, primarily the Pentateuch, the Bible's first five books, in light of evidence from Egypt. With more than 200 notes, this volume contains a wealth of sources for further reading, some of which contain links to free online material that is available but often difficult to find. Issues addressed include the Egyptian background to creation in Genesis, the historical background to the Joseph narratives, the date of the exodus, the historical background to the exodus event, etc.

In this iconoclastic and provocative work, leading scholars Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman draw on recent archaeological research to present a dramatically revised portrait of ancient Israel and its neighbors. They argue that crucial evidence (or a telling lack of evidence) at digs in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon suggests that many of the most famous stories in the Bible - the wanderings of the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, and David and Solomon’s vast empire - reflect the world of the later authors.

When the Sky Spoke, Humanity Listened For thousands of years, readers have approached the Bible as a sacred text, a book of faith, doctrine, and divine mystery. But what if it is also something else entirely? What if the Bible is the oldest continuous record of contact in human history? In Messengers from the Sky, investigative author Miles Donovan takes readers on a bold, unsettling journey through ancient scripture, forgotten texts, and suppressed interpretations to ask a question most scholars avoid: when biblical writers described angels, heavenly hosts, wheels of fire, and voices from ...

For centuries, the story of Adam and Eve has resonated richly through the corridors of art, literature, and theology. But for most moderns, taking it at face value is incongruous. Author John Walton explores the ancient Near Eastern context of Genesis 2-3, creating space for a faithful reading of Scripture along with full engagement with science for a new way forward in the human origins debate.

Forget what you think you know about the Good Book. The BC Bible is not a sermon—it’s a riotous, irreverent, and razor-sharp deep dive into the most bizarre, brutal, and brilliantly baffling stories in the Bible. Written with wit, bite, and a historian’s curiosity, Robert Ragnar takes you on a chronological journey through scripture with a scalpel in one hand and a shot of whiskey in the other. From talking snakes to cosmic floods, divine tantrums to circumcision revenge plots, Ragnar unpacks the ancient texts with equal parts skepticism, satire, and sincere wonder. Raised in the pews...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A lucid, intelligent page-turner” (Los Angeles Times) that challenges long-held assumptions about Jesus Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establish what he called the “Kingdom of God...

Experience the Bible as a singular, powerful story and prepare to be swept away by Scripture as never before! Wangerin's "Bible storybook for adults" features brilliant settings, dramatized scenes, and added dialogue—all gleaned from extensive research. The Book of God reads like a novel...

A long time ago, in a suburban high school not so far away, a closeted nerd (me) and a closeted soccer star (Hutch) fell in love and planned to make their public debut at prom. Until Hutch bailed at the last minute, leaving me with a broken heart and unworn tuxedo. Tale as old as time, right? I spent the past ten years working to forget Hutch, returning to our old high school to teach and make new memories that could erase ones of him. I thought Hutch was ancient history, off living his professional athlete life.