Here now is the eighth of my twelve favorite Christmas posts of years gone by, in our celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas. This one is from 2014. ****************************** A few days ago I raised the question of why anyone should think that you have to believe in the Virgin Birth in order to be a Christian.  The reality is, of course, that many Christians do not believe in it, but recognize that it is a story meant to convey an important theological point – a point that could be true whether or not the story happened – that Jesus was uniquely special in this world, not like us other humans, but in some sense the unique Son of God.   Just as the moral of a fairy tale is valid (or not) independent of whether the tale happened, so too with stories like this in the Gospels, whether you choose to call them myths (in a non-derogatory sense), legends, tales, or simply “stories intending to convey a theological truth.” It is interesting, and not often noted, that [...]

Here now is the seventh of my twelve favorite Christmas posts of years gone by, in our celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas. ****************************** As I’ve indicated, it is only Matthew and Luke that tell the tales of the infancy narrative, and the annual “Christmas Pageant” that so many of us grew up seeing is in fact a conflation of the two accounts, making one mega-account out of two that are so different up and down the line. And so, the Annunciation to Mary is in Luke, the dream of Joseph in Matthew; the shepherds are in Luke, the wise men in Matthew; the trip to Bethlehem is in Luke, the Flight to Egypt is in Matthew, and so forth and so on. You can compare them yourself, up and down the line, and see the differences. In this post I want to focus on Luke’s account. Then I will look at Matthew’s. And then I will compare the two in a couple of key points in order to show that the differences between [...]

Here now is the sixth of my twelve favorite Christmas posts of years gone by, in our celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas. ****************************** QUESTION: My Bible group had a good time yesterday comparing Matthew's and Luke’s accounts of the Christmas story. One question that came up was why would Matthew relate the story of the Magi?   RESPONSE Ah, it’s a great question and – as it turns out – an important one for understanding the Gospel of Matthew.   The story is found only in this Gospel (But this time of year, who can keep ones mind from jumping to:  “We Three Kings of Orient Are….”), and it is  filled with intriguing conundra. For example, why would pagan astrologers from the East be interested in knowing where the King of Israel was born and come to worship him?  Were they doing this for all babies who were bound to become kings of foreign countries?  How does a star lead them to Jerusalem and then disappear and then reappear and lead the Magi not just [...]

Here now is the fourth of my twelve favorite Christmas posts of years gone by, in our celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas. ****************************** On several occasions on the blog I have discussed the similarities and differences between the accounts of Jesus’ birth in Matthew and Luke (Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2), most recently, I think, two years ago at this time (check out the archives for December 2020).  I won’t go over all that turf again just now, but I do want to hit several of the key points because I think the *discrepancies* between the two accounts that appear irreconcilable tell us something significant about the birth of Jesus.  I think they help show that he was actually born in Nazareth. Both accounts go to great lengths to show how Jesus could be born in *Bethlehem* when everyone in fact knew that he *came* from Nazareth. It is a particular problem for Matthew, because he points out that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Micah 5:2 , that a great ruler (the Messiah) would [...]

Here now is the third of my twelve favorite Christmas posts of years gone by, in our celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas. ****************************** As we move to the Christmas season, I thought it would be interesting to post some extracts on one of the most popular Gospels in the Middle Ages, an account of Jesus’ birth – and before that, his mother Mary’s birth – and what happened in the aftermath.   It is called the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, because modern scholars once thought that it had claimed to be written by Matthew (the author of the first canonical Gospel); but in fact, as you will see, it claims to be written by Jesus’ brother James. The Gospel comes to us in Latin and was probably produced in the early 7th century.   Some of you may know, from the blog or elsewhere, a Greek Gospel of this description from the 2nd century, the Proto-Gospel of James.   This later Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew is a kind of reworking and expansion of the Proto-Gospel, with some parts [...]

Here now is the second of my twelve favorite Christmas posts of years gone by, in our celebration of the Twelve Days of Christmas. *********************** Once more the season is come upon us. At its heart stands a tale of two-thousand year vintage, the Christmas story. Or perhaps we should say the Christmas myth. When Post-Enlightenment scholars turned their critical tools on the tales of Scripture, the birth of Jesus to a virgin in Bethlehem was one of the first subjected to skeptical scrutiny.  Not only was the notion of a virgin birth deemed unhistorical on general principle.  The other familiar aspects of the story were seriously called into question. The story comes to us as a conflation of episodes found in only two of our Gospels, Matthew and Luke.  (The Gospels of Mark and John begin with Jesus as an adult, and give no information about the unusual circumstances of his birth.)   Combining these accounts into a mega-story for an annual Christmas pageant bears a cost, as they are seriously at odds [...]

I’m happy to announce another trip I’ll be doing come summertime, June 5 - 14, 2025, a cruise that goes from Athens to Venice.  Wanna come?  It’s an unusually good itinerary to some incredible spots, and I’ll be lecturing and hanging out with everyone who comes. The brochure for the trip is below, and here is what I say about it there:   This summer I will be giving lectures on a cruise to some of the most gorgeous places on the planet, starting and ending with two of the amazing cities in the world – Athens and Venice – and stopping along the way in spots I’ve long been eager to see, including coastal villages and towns of Montenegro and Croatia. Are you interested in joining me? Europe – Greece and the coast of Montenegro and Croatia – is incredibly rich in ancient and medieval art, scenery, and charming towns and villages. For the voyage we will be tracing the storied coastline through the Aegean, Ionian, and Adriatic Seas, sailing from the heart of [...]

The Twelve Days of Christmas!  I’d like to honor the tradition by giving twelve of my favorite Christmas-themed posts over lo these many years the blog has been in existence.  I am not ranking them in any particular way as a countdown to my #1 favorite, much as the famous English Christmas Carol itself.  Speaking personally, I’d prefer “five golden rings” both to what came earlier (say, “three  French hens) and to what came later (what am I going to do with “ten lords a leaping”?).   They are just the twelve. And here’s the first, from 2012. ****************************** Right now I have the Christmas on my mind — as makes sense this time of year. But I have some other reasons.  First, I have agreed to write a brief (2000-word) article for Newsweek this week [December 2012], to be published in a couple of weeks, about the birth of Jesus, and this has made me think about the other Gospels (from outside the New Testament) that tell alternative accounts of Jesus’ birth and young life. [...]

As you may know, the Bart Ehrman Foundation and Blog are embarking on our first-ever annual appeal in support of the incredible work done by Urban Ministries of Durham (UMD). For years, the blog has been a steadfast supporter of UMD, an organization dedicated to providing essential services such as food, shelter, and hope to those in need. Since UMD became the very first charitable organization we partnered with, our blog community has donated over $1 million to their cause—including $110,000 in 2024 alone. Now, we invite you to join us in continuing this legacy of compassion and impact. As part of this special appeal, every donor will receive an exclusive invitation to a live lecture by Bart Ehrman in January titled "How Jesus Has Transformed the Culture of Giving." Whether you contribute $5 or $50, your generosity secures you access to this one-of-a-kind event, where Bart will explore how Jesus’ teachings reshaped societal concepts of charity, generosity, and community responsibility. It’s a fascinating discussion that ties directly to the spirit of this season and [...]

As the holiday season begins, we want to share an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who need it most. Take a listen to this message from Bart to find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLeX5fH12hQ This December, the Bart Ehrman Foundation is launching our first-ever Annual Appeal to raise funds for an organization we have supported since our inception: Urban Ministries of Durham (UMD). UMD is an outstanding organization dedicated to providing food, shelter, and a pathway to stability for individuals and families facing significant challenges. Their mission deeply reflects our values, and we are honored to advocate for and support their transformative work. We’ve set an ambitious goal: $50,000 by December 31. Reaching it will take all of us coming together, and I’m confident that, with your help, we can achieve it. 100% of the funds donated in support of this appeal will go directly to UMD. As a token of our appreciation, Bart will host an exclusive Donor Impact Lecture for everyone who donates, no matter the amount: Donor Impact [...]

Last week, Bart joined Mindy Todd on The Point for a fascinating conversation about agnosticism. The discussion also featured insights from scholar of religion Stephen Prothero and Reverend Nell Fields of the Waquoit Congregational Church. If you’re curious to hear what Bart and the other guests have to say on the topic, you can listen to the full conversation here: The Point with Mindy Todd – Agnosticism

I’ve decided to excerpt a few bits of my book that is now in draft, to see what you think.  Here’s how I’m planning to being it (the start of the Introduction) ****************************** Most people I know are moved by news of tragedy.  A terrible earthquake, a drought, a famine, a flood, displaced people, innocent victims of military aggression, -- we feel pity for those pointlessly suffering and feel a desire, even an obligation, to help, for example by donating to disaster relief.  Almost never do we know the people in need; they are complete strangers, often in far-off lands, people we will never meet and possibly wouldn’t like if we did.  Yet we – at least most of us – want to help. This sense of moral obligation to strangers in need is unnatural.  It is not written into the human DNA nor did it exist in the ancient roots of our Western cultural heritage, either in Greek civilization from the literary and philosophical greats of Homer to Plato onward or in [...]

I'm just about finished (finally) with a reasonably polished draft of my next book, The Origins of Altruism: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West.  I would like to turn the moment into a fund-raising opportunity for the blog. Unlike our other fundraisers, where we suggest a donation amount but accept whatever a participant can pay, for this one we are asking for a set amount.  This will obviously not be for everyone.  If it’s something you don’t want to be involved in, no fears! The book itself will eventually be published and you can read it to your heart's content.  But if you want to see it in its pre-published state, here’s a chance. All the donations will go directly to support our charities; none will go to overhead or, well, anything else. There will be three donation tiers: Supporting Patron: $1000.  Those making a donation of $1000 will be given the opportunity to read a draft of the book and make comments on it.  I will consider the comments [...]