Bart D. Ehrman's Blog, page 121

Did Heretics’ Texts Describe Their Incestuous Rituals?

In my previous post I talked about the church Father Epiphanius's attack on a heretical group of Gnostics called the Phibionites.  They allegedly based their practices on a now-no-longer-surviving book the Greater Questions of Mary (Magdalene).  Epiphanius indicates he knows the book.  Did he?  Did it actually exist.  Here I conclude the discussion, from my [...]

Fabrication, Forgery, and Accusations of (Heretical) Christian Licentious Rituals!

Two weeks ago I was asked to lead a PhD seminar on the use of literary forgery in early Christianity for the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures in the Department of Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Cultures, at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw.  Thank God for Zoom. In preparation I reread parts [...]

Does Paul Know That Judas Iscariot Betrayed Jesus?

I sometimes get asked about Paul and Judas Iscariot: did Paul know Jesus was betrayed?  I was asked it again a couple of weeks ago and have decided to repost an answer from some years ago.  SO:   QUESTION: Do you think that Paul, without naming him, is referring to Judas in 1 Corinthians 11:23-24? [...]

The Apocalypse of John and the Gospel of Jesus: My Final Thoughts

Here now is the conclusion to my lecture on the ideology of domination in the book of Revelation. ****************************** I conclude with several more focused reflections on whether the Revelation of John represents the Gospel of Jesus.  To sum up what I have been emphasizing: there is not a single word in all of Revelation [...]

We Need A Volunteer to Record Audio Versions of the Blog Posts. Interested?

As you probably know, we have audio versions of all the blog posts that are available for all Gold and Platinum level members.  The audio versions go out on the same day as the written posts themselves.  It's a great benefit (if you're not Gold level yet: consider it!).  But it takes a lot of [...]

Are the Teachings of Jesus Realistic? Guest Post by Douglas Wadeson

Platinum members on the blog (Check it out!  Register | The Bart Ehrman Blog ) are allowed to submit guest posts to other Platinum members, and among those submitted we (they) vote on which ones to include on the whole blog.  Here is an extremely interesting and challenging one posted by Platinum member Doug Wadeson.  [...]

John of Patmos and the Passion for World Domination

I move on now to discuss Revelation’s view of ruling the world.  If at the end of time God destroys everyone other than his followers, whom will they rule?  I begin by picking up my final question in the last post. ****************************** Where does the book of Revelation stand on the morality of domination?  There [...]

Reminder: My Debate on Saturday. Did the Resurrection of Jesus Really Happen?

This is just a reminder that on Saturday I'm holding a day-long  (!) debate on Saturday on whether Jesus was actually raised from the dead.  Tickets are still available. Here was the original announcement, in case you're interested. ************************** I would like to announce a major public debate that I will be having with the [...]

O Frabjous Day, Callou Callay

I'm chortling in my joy.  Today is a big day for me!  At last my academic study of guided tours of the afterlife came out:  Journeys to Heaven and Hell: Tours of the Afterlife in the Early Christian Tradition.   As many of you know, this is the scholarly monograph that is roughly similar at least [...]

Revelation and Ancient Views of Dominance

In my previous post I discussed whether the fact that Revelation is filled with symbolism and not to be taken literally should affect our evaluation of its presentation of violence and domination.  Now I move on to ask whether its views reflect those of Jesus himself.   I resume where I left off: ****************************** To say [...]