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 [...]

Are you interested in the amazing and important history of Jerusalem, from the ancient world till today?  I am!  I am pleased to announce a special event being put on by my Department of Religious Studies. a panel discussion of the new book by my colleague Jodi Magness: Jerusalem Through the Ages: From Its Beginnings to the Crusades.  It will be on Sunday November 17, 1:00, remote via Zoom.   I will be moderating the discussion. Many of you will know about Jodi.  She is one of the world's leading experts on the archaeology of ancient Israel, and has been my colleague at UNC since, well, roughly the beginnings of Jerusalem.    In all these years I have never heard her asked a question she could not answer authoritatively. This book is exceptionally good.  The people on the panel are all smart, interesting, and insightful.  If you're interested, here is the brochure announcing the event.  It is a fund-raiser for my department. We have a departmental fund that I myself started years ago called the Robert Miller [...]

A blog member recently asked me if I could post the pop quiz that I used to give t0 my New Testament class on the first day of the semester.  I say "used to" because I have stopped teaching the course, after doing so for 35 years (!), yielding it over to the capable hands of my colleague Hugo Mendez, to allow me to teach small seminar-courses instead here as I progress into geezerhood. I was simply going to refer the blog member to the post where I had given the quiz recently, and ... and I can't find where / when I did!  I'm sure I did! Then again, I'm sure I know where my glasses, keys, and phone are.  But so far as I can tell, it's been years since I did.  So -- well, here it is.  I think this is the post in which I *first* revealed the quiz to interested blog members some ten years ago.  [editor's note: Found it!  My New Testament Pop Quiz].  After some preliminary remarks, I [...]

I will be giving lectures on another glorious tour to some of the Greek Islands this coming May 14-26. This will be fantastic. Some blog members came with me on a similar trip last year, but to different islands. It was life-long-memorable. If it’s humanly possible, think about joining up! Space will be limited – so if you’re interested, check out the brochure I provide below at the bottom of the post. It will give you all the details you would need to know, and I’m happy to address any questions you have. Here is what I say about the trip in the description. ************************* The Greek Islands are some of my favorite places on earth. I’ve been on a number of occasions, and this Thalassa Journey is taking me there again. Wanna come with me? We will be island-hopping to some of the most scenic sites in the world – stunningly gorgeous landscapes and seascapes, incredibly beautiful villages and towns, museums, monasteries, churches, and archaeological sites: some of the oldest remnants of western civilization. [...]