Bart D. Ehrman's Blog, page 124

Did Nazareth Even Exist in the Days of Jesus? The Weird Claims of Rene Salm

Some people who claim that Jesus did not even exist argue that there never was a town of Nazareth.  So hey, how could he be from there?  It didn't exist and he didn't either.  It's all a myth. Really.  They base this claim on a book written by a fellow named Rene Salm. I was [...]

The Book of Genesis, the White Jesus, and Debating the Resurrection: Interview with Seth Andrews

I've been doing a lot of interviews and podcasts over the past couple of months, and for my money this is absolutely one of the best, with Seth Andrews the Host of "The Thinking Atheist."   He's a terrific interviewer: intelligent, knowledgable, and gifted at directing a conversation.  We talked about all sorts of things from [...]

Reminder: You can enter the Blogiversary Lottery!

Hey Fellow Bloggers,      Here is a reminder that we have a lottery going on with prizes!   Entry deadline is in FIVE days.  Interested?  Here is the original announcement, with all the details. *********************** I am very pleased to announce that the Blog’s ten-year anniversary is on April 18!   We have been going at [...]

Gold Members Q&A for April!

Dear Gold Members, It's that time again.  Time for the gold Q&A for April -- a perk of your membership!  Do you have any questions you'd like to ask, anything related to the blog?  Ask away, and I'll do my best to answer. To get your question on the list: zap a note to Diane [...]

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.  [...]