“A Statistical Approach to the Synoptic Problem,” a new series on Jerusalem Perspective by Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research member Halvor Ronning, aims to contribute to the body of empirical data that must be accounted for by any viable theory that attempts to describe the interrelationships between the Synoptic Gospels. To that end, Halvor Ronning has developed and adapted several new methods of quantifying and testing synoptic hypotheses which will be described and applied in “A Statistical Approach to to the Synoptic Problem.”
Matthew 2:1-23: A Nazorean Shall Be Called
Where in the Hebrew Scriptures is it expected that the Redeemer will be called a Nazarene or come from Nazareth?
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 34: Nazirite
The final lesson in the Hebrew Nuggets series in which we learn the letter ז and the word na·ZIR.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 33: Gehenna
In this lesson we will learn one new letter, the Hebrew “g” sound, via the famous Hebrew word “Gehenna.”
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 32: Justice
In this lesson we will learn two new letters, the Hebrew “p” sound, including its “final” form, and the second of two Hebrew “t” sounds.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 31: Righteousness
The Hebrew word tse·da·KAH (“righteousness,” “salvation”) will teach us how to pronounce and write the letters צָדִי (tsa·DI) and קוֹף (kof).
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 30: Lord
After a hiatus of over twenty years, Hebrew Nuggets returns to Jerusalem Perspective. Learn to read the letters of the Hebrew alphabet with JP’s editor-in-chief, David Bivin, and discover valuable nuggets of information about the Bible Jesus read and the world in which Jesus lived. If you have ever wanted to be able to read words in Hebrew and to learn more about the richness of the biblical tradition, then Hebrew Nuggets is the perfect place to begin.
The Significance of Jesus’ Words “Not One Jot or One Tittle Will Pass from the Law” (Matt. 5:18)
“Jot” and “tittle” are not everyday words in English. What do they mean and how should Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:18 be understood? Jerusalem Perspective‘s editor-in-chief, David Bivin, tackles these questions on behalf of a subscriber’s request for help.
William Lockton, Robert Lindsey’s Forerunner
In 1922 William Lockton wrote an article for The Church Quarterly Review that challenged the foundations of accepted synoptic theory by positing that Luke was the earliest of the Synoptic Gospels.
The Origin of the Gospels
The July issue of The Church Quarterly Review in 1922 contained an article by William Lockton in which the author challenged the scholarly consensus concerning the solution to the Synoptic Problem. This important study, which is now in the public domain, was later to be of great importance to Rev. Dr. Robert L. Lindsey as further confirmation of Lindsey’s growing conviction that the Gospel of Mark is a highly edited epitome of the Gospel of Luke.
The Recently Discovered Pool of Siloam
In this free sample lecture from the 2006 Jerusalem Perspective Conference, archaeologist and JP contributor Ronny Reich discusses the excavation of the first-century remains of the pool of Siloam discovered in Jerusalem. The complete collection of presentations delivered at the 2006 Jerusalem Perspective Conference is available through the En-Gedi Resource Center.
Evidence for Hebrew Roots of Matthew 1:21
The oldest known manuscripts of the New Testament were written in Greek, but by comparing Matt. 1:21 in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek with the knowledge of the naming formula so common in the Hebrew Bible, we see that this verse only makes sense in Hebrew. Since the naming formula depends on a wordplay that does not work in Greek or Aramaic, Matt. 1:21, or the oral tradition behind it, had to be in Hebrew.
The Gospel of John’s Jewish-Christian Source
In an important study entitled The Gospel of Signs, Robert Fortna correctly identified a Jewish-Christian source embedded in the Fourth Gospel. This article is based upon the conclusions of Fortna’s research and explores their significance. I will also point out additional evidence Fortna overlooked that clarifies the origins and intentions of the Jewish-Christian source embedded in the text of the Fourth Gospel.
The Desert: Waiting for God
The desert is about feeling frustrated and helpless, realizing we can do nothing on our own. It’s about total surrender of our will to God.
“Recovering the ‘Inspired Text’?”—A Response to Michael Brown
In 1993 the journal Mishkan published an issue focused on the Jerusalem School of Synoptic Research. That issue included a review by Dr. Michael Brown of David N. Bivin and Dr. Roy B. Blizzard’s Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus. The review, entitled “Recovering the ‘Inspired Text’?” was highly critical both of Understanding the Difficult Words and of the Jerusalem School’s entire approach to the Synoptic Gospels. In this post we have reissued Bivin’s response to Brown’s review.
The Major Importance of the “Minor” Agreements
In this article, Dr. Robert Lindsey discusses the importance of the so-called “minor agreements” of Luke and Matthew against Mark for properly understanding the interrelationship of the Synoptic Gospels. David N. Bivin and Joshua N. Tilton collaborated with Lauren Asperschlager to bring this article, which previously existed only as an unfinished draft, to Jerusalem Perspective subscribers.
LOY Excursus: Catalog of Markan Stereotypes and Possible Markan Pick-ups
A collection of redactional words and phrases characteristic of the editorial style of the author of Mark.
Demands of Discipleship
“Anyone who wants to join me but puts family ties or love of self ahead of me cannot possibly be my full-time disciple. Anyone who is not prepared to die cannot possibly be my full-time disciple. Anyone who does not renounce his possessions cannot possibly be my full-time disciple.”