“Sin”: The Hidden History
September 2023 | Vol. 11.9 By David Konstan Sin is a religious concept. In civil law, one is accused of committing a crime, not a sin. But sin is often still more narrowly understo
Who Invented Idolatry?
June 2023 | Vol. 11.6 By Daniel Barbu In late antiquity, Christian authors triumphantly celebrated the end of polytheism and idolatry: Christ had vanquished the demons and the Chur
Absences, Archaeology, and the Early History of Monotheistic Religions in the Near East
February 2023 | Vol. 11.2 By Robin Derricourt In my writing I use archaeology and history together to understand phenomena of the deep past. I have authored survey volumes on inter
The History of Isaiah and the Age of Empires
October 2022 | Vol. 10.8 By Jacob Stromberg The prophet Isaiah stood at the beginning of an age of empires in the ancient Near East. In order, the age saw the rise of the neo-Assyr
Ancient Egyptian Food Prohibitions
August 2022 | Vol. 10.8 By Youri Volokhine The topic of food prohibitions in ancient Egypt may be viewed from two perspectives, the Egyptian theological view about licit or illicit
Who’s Afraid of the Goddess of Ancient Israel?
june 2022 | Vol. 10.6 By Dvora Lederman Daniely Archaeological and literary-biblical studies have long shown that the worship of a Mother-Goddess was an early integral part of the
Goddesses of Myth and Cultural Memory
may 2022 | Vol. 10.5 By Emilie Kutash Goddesses, it seems, are still among us today. The contemporary goddess movement reflects a quest for an antidote to male divinity and a means
Isaiah – Prophet, Book, and Message
march 2022 | Vol. 10.3 By Andrew T. Abernethy In my office hangs an etching of “Isaiah” by Irvin Amen. Why would a Jewish artist want to etch a prophet from 2800 years ago? Why
Monotheism or Monopoly? Akhenaten and His Religious-Political Reform
Few ancient personalities excite as much interest as Akhenaten. Was he an enlightened religious leader and an idealistic politician, or was he mentally ill and physically frail?
The (Historical) Origin of God
March 2021 | Vol. 9.3 By Theodore J. Lewis When a historian of Israelite religion talks of the origin of God, she certainly doesn’t mean ontology. Proofs for the existence of God