Recent additions to the site
A number of new pages have been added recently.
I have added a page which enable a search of archaeological artefacts connected with the Bible which are housed in museums around the world. Links are given to the page on the museum's website which contains high-resolution photographs and more information about the artefact. New artefacts are being added regularly. Currently there are over 200 artefacts from 19 different museums listed. The list can be filtered by the Bible period, ruling empire, the name and location of the museum and by the type of object.
A second search page enables a search of geographical locations mentioned in the Bible. Links are given to Google road maps and satellite view, as well as pages on Wikipedia and Holy Land Photos, if they are available. Currently there are about 90 locations listed in 13 different modern nations. The list can be filtered by the Bible period, and by the modern nation.
There is a new page which provides a facility to convert talents and shekels into modern weights and values. There are many places in the Old Testament where weights of gold and silver are given in Talents and Shekels. It can be interesting to calculate what these would be worth in today's prices.
In the summer of 2023 this site reached another significant landmark. It has now had visitors from two hundred and twenty-five different countries or dependent territories with a unique country code top-level internet domain. There are about 240 different country code top-level internet domains in total, so this site has now had visitors from over 90% of them. It is unlikely that many more will be added, as the remaining ones are mostly small islands.
Bible Study Resources
I have included over three hundred articles covering various areas of Biblical studies. Some contain general information for the historical and cultural background of the Old or New Testaments. Others contain more topical discussions on some controversial subjects. Do take time to browse through them. Over the next months and years, I will be adding many more articles, so do bookmark this site and return again.
Unless otherwise noted, each quotation from the Bible is from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
I have arranged the articles in a number of different categories. Please select the link on the left or below:
The Bible
Pages which look at issues relevant to the whole Bible, such as the Canon of Scripture, as well as doctrinal and theological issues. There are also pages about the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha.
Old Testament Overview
This is a series of six pages which give a historical overview through the Old Testament, showing where each OT book fits into the history of Israel.
New Testament Overview
This is a series of five pages which give a historical overview through the New Testament, focusing on the Ministry of Jesus, Paul's missionary journeys, and the later first century. Again, it shows where each book of the NT fits into the history of the first century.
Old Testament Books
This is an almost complete collection of introductions to each of the books in the Old Testament. Each contains helpful information about the authorship, date, historical setting and main themes of the book.
New Testament Books
This is a collection of introductions to each of the 27 books in the New Testament. Each contains information about the authorship, date, historical setting and main themes of the book.
Old Testament Background
Information about the different nations surrounding Israel, and other articles concerning Old Testament history.
New Testament Background
Articles which give additional information about the history and culture of the first century, giving helpful background knowledge for the Gospels and Paul's travels.
Old Testament Studies
A selection of studies on topics connected with the Old Testament.
New Testament Studies
A collection of in-depth studies on a variety of topics arising from the New Testament.
Old Testament Commentaries
This section includes more detailed commentaries on a selection of Old Testament books, normally working through the text systematically, giving explanations and interpretations. A complete commentary is included for Isaiah and Daniel.
New Testament Commentaries
This includes more detailed commentaries on a selection of New Testament books, normally working through the text systematically, giving explanations and interpretations. A complete commentary is included for the following books: Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Philemon, Hebrews and Revelation.
Inductive Bible Study
Some practical instruction in how to study the Bible inductively, including how to observe, interpret and apply the text.
Types of Literature
This section gives some helpful principles for understanding each of the main types of literature found in the Bible, such as law, prophets, gospels and Revelation.
Geography
A section containing pages looking at the geography of the Bible. It includes a pages to search for geographical sites mentioned in the Bible, photographs of Corinth and Ephesus, and pages to trace Paul's missionary journeys using Google Maps.
Early Church History
A growing collection of short articles about the history of the early church up until around the year 500, including the lives and works of the early church fathers, theological controversies and well-known heretics.
British Museum Tour
A series of pages with photographs and descriptions of archaeological artefacts held in the British Museum which have a connection to the Bible.
Museums - Israel Museum
A collection of photographs of archaeological artefacts from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem which have a connection to the Bible.
Historical Documents
A collection of historical documents from church history or secular history which are relevant to Biblical studies.
Life Questions
This contains a collection of articles about the more perplexing issues arising from the Christian faith, including: the problem of suffering, whether there is such a thing as just war, and the question of those who die without hearing the Gospel.
How to Preach
For those who believe that God is calling you to preach his Word, these are pages which give very practical instructions on how to prepare a message, and some help in the frightening challenge of public speaking.
General
You are welcome to make copies of any of the articles, and use them for study, teaching, or to hand out to students. They are not copyrighted. However I would ask that you give credit to me as the author.
If you have any suggestions for articles on any additional topics, please let me know, and I may be able to write one. If you have any comments, or questions, please send me a message using the Contact Julian link.
I have included a number of articles which were not originally written by me, but by other staff or leaders of the SBS.
I have indicated these by writing “Unknown author” at the top. Please let me know if you are the original author of one of these, and you can receive the credit you deserve.
Cookies
This site only uses a single cookie to remember the language if one has been selected from the Google Translate facility, so each page on the current visit, or future visits to the site, will be translated automatically. There are no tracking cookies.