As we celebrate our ten-year anniversary of the blog (April 18) by reposting the ten most commented-on posts, here now is #9:  Decent Burials for Crucified Victims in antiquity, with 180 comments.   ****************************** Decent Burials for Crucified Victims October 20, 2017 My post a couple of weeks ago about the burial of Jesus (understandably) struck a nerve for some readers; I was just now digging around in the archives, and see that I addressed most of the important issues, head on, in this rather controversial post I made back in 2012.  All these years later, I’m still open to being convinced otherwise!!! ****************************** In my previous post I quoted a number of ancient sources that indicated that part of the torture and humiliation of being crucified in antiquity was being left, helpless, exposed not just to the elements but to scavenging birds and other animals. These sources suggest that the normal practice was to leave the victims on the cross to be pecked and gnawed at both before and after death; in some instances [...]

A Post From Bart's Advisory Circle:   Today, April 18, 2022, the Ehrmanblog.org marks its Ten Year Anniversary! We take this opportunity to thank all of the Donors, Members and other followers who have made this adventure possible. This blog brings world-class scholarship about the New Testament and early Christian literature to an enthusiastic audience of over 10,000. Twelve wonderful people have been on board ever since Day One (see their names below), and 237 others have been Members since that first year. We thank all of you for being here, and for your generosity. Over the years, the Blog has raised more than $1,500,000, and every nickel of your Blog Membership fees goes directly to charities dealing with poverty, hunger, homelessness, and medical needs.   Many volunteers contribute to the effort, helping with everything necessary to keep the website running smoothly, and many incredibly generous supporters provide gifts beyond membership fees that cover all the essential costs of operations. Many readers of the blog contribute with incredibly insightful comments on Bart's posts, adding richness and [...]

Today is the TENTH year anniversary of the blog.  We began this venture in April 2012; I wrote my first post on April 3, but we didn't open up access to the blog until April 18.  And it's been a steady stream ever since.  I've published 2964 posts since then, over five a week for every week.  These posts have received nearly 127,000 comments, and I've replied to about 42,000 of them (2/3 are just comments, not asking for replies). As you know, we are celebrating the blog in various ways -- principally because it has raised so much for charities helping those in need, raising so far well over $1.5 million, with more every year.  Last year we hit $360,000 and are doing better so far this year. So what's not to celebrate! One way we will be doing so:  to celebrate our completion of Year Ten, I will be devoting the next Ten posts to republishing the Ten most commented-on posts from the outset.  Of course, posts in recent years are favored by this [...]

In celebration of our TENTH anniversary for the blog, I'm happy to announce a FREE webinar for anyone who is interested.  No need to register, no need to pay, no need to donate, no need to do nada.  Just come. It will be this coming Saturday, April 23, 5:00 EST.    And GOOD news.  If you can't come, it will be recorded and I will make it available to the entire known universe. The topic.  An unusually important one.   "Does the Bible Condemn Homosexuality?"   Well, does it?  The lecture will deal with the issues of sex, gender, and same-sex relations in both Old and New Testaments. I will give a 50 minute lecture and then take questions for 25-30 minutes. Interested in coming?   Below is the link.  Just come to it.  Want the recording?  I'll be posting it on the blog so no need even to inquire. Thanks so much for being part of the blog.  I hope you enjoy the event!  Here's the link: ******************** Topic: Blogaversary Webinar! Does the Bible Condemn Homosexuality? Time: [...]

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 it this whole time, ten years, non-stop!  HA!   Tempus is fugiting…. We are celebrating the upcoming date in a variety of ways.  There will be at least one celebratory event,  special announcements, reposting of favorite posts from years gone by, and a couple of fundraisers.   Today I announce the first fundraiser.   A LOTTERY with prizes, with all proceeds going to disaster relief in Ukraine. As to the Lottery:  Each ticket is $10 and you can buy as many  as you like.  So if you want to have a shot (see prizes below), buy one!  If you want to increase the odds, buy more.  The limit to the number you can buy is ….  well, it is limitless. Tickets can be purchased UNTIL [...]

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 work by volunteers who are very generous with their time.  The volunteers record each post, and they are then produced and published by Ben Porter, Chief Technology Officer (who does all the technology that makes the blog work). We have two volunteers currently alternating in their reading of the posts, and we need to add another in order to keep the operation running smoothly.   Would you be interested?   To be considered, you would need to fill out a form and then submit an audition recording (all explained in the link below). We are looking for someone with a very good reading voice.  The position would take time and commitment, but the position does NOT require a lot of technical expertise.  You [...]

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 well-known conservative evangelical apologist Mike Licona on the resurrection of Jesus.  The title is “Did the Resurrection of Jesus Really Happen? Two Bible Scholars Debate the Evidence.”   It will be held remotely on April 9th from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm EST. The debate is not directly connected with the blog but is my own thing, done in conjunction with the courses I've been recording for the Bart Ehrman Professional Services.  There will be a charge for the event.   Some of the profits will be redirected to the blog, and blog members will get a discount (see below). If you have any interest at all, check out the video below. And if you want to learn more or sign up, [...]

Our COO and organizer of all things blog, Diane Pittman, has sent along this announcement of the upcoming Book Club event, a two-parter that sounds unusually interesting.  If it's interesting, are you interested?   Here it is! ****************************** It's BACK...It's BOLD...It's BIGGER than ever...(Well, not really, but it'll be as much fun as it usually is.)   It's the Bart Ehrman Blog Book Club #3 (BBC 3).   Click here to sign up and get the Zoom link.   If you've never had a chance to participate in one of our BBCs, this will be a perfect introduction. Every person, regardless of your beliefs, is welcome. In honor of the Passover/Passion week, we will be reading just one book: "The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach Us About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem" by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan. This book was recommended for us by Bart. Click on link to order directly from Amazon; you may also be able to find it at your local library.   Because Passion week is the [...]

I am very pleased to announce that the Blog's ten-year anniversary is on April 18!   We have been going at it this whole time, ten years, non-stop!  HA!   Tempus is fugiting.... We are celebrating the upcoming date in a variety of ways.  There will be at least one celebratory event,  special announcements, reposting of favorite posts from years gone by, and a couple of fundraisers.   Today I announce the first fundraiser.   A LOTTERY with prizes, with all proceeds going to disaster relief in Ukraine. As to the Lottery:  Each ticket is $10 and you can buy as many  as you like.  So if you want to have a shot (see prizes below), buy one!  If you want to increase the odds, buy more.  The limit to the number you can buy is ....  well, it is limitless. Tickets can be purchased UNTIL MIDNIGHT APRIL 18 (the anniversary date itself). ALL of the money will go to Ukraine relief, through one of the two charities we support that are doing amazing work in this most horrible [...]

I’ve enjoyed getting readers’ opinions on topics over the past few months, and now I’d like to hear what you think about another, which strikes me as unusually important.  It has to do with the afterlife. The traditional Christian belief, of course, is that when a person dies, their soul either goes to heaven to be rewarded for eternity or to hell to be punished, for the same length of time.  (“Length of time” and “time” itself no longer make much sense in eternity, of course.  Eternity is infinite, not long.  Though admittedly eternal ecstasy or torment sure seems long….). Many Christians today are moving away from an idea of hell, to think either in terms of temporary punishment, or annihilation, or …. something else. Many others, including me, do not think there is an afterlife at all.  Like the other animals, we simply cease to exist. Here I am NOT asking for your opinions about whether there *is* an afterlife or about what it is *like* if you do.  (If you don’t know, I [...]

One question I get a lot:  where did the Bible’s chapters and verses came from.   Here's a quick answer taken from my textbook on the NT (The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, Oxford University Press; 7th ed., 2020.  Since the answer is so brief, I’ll attach another couple of paragraphs drawn from a nearby page in the book, dealing with another somewhat related and even more important (for many people) problem: when did scholars start to think that the differences in our manuscripts were a VERY big deal? QUESTION: About the numbers of the verses, who put them?  Who divided the text in verses and chapters, and when? RESPONSE: (from my book) Given the fact that ancient manuscripts did not use punctuation, paragraph divisions, or even spaces to separate words, it will come as no surprise to learn that the chapter and verse divisions found in modern translations of the New Testament are not original (as if Paul, when writing Romans, would think to number his sentences and call them [...]

This next week I'm heading out to San Diego for a debate on March 24 with a Catholic Apologist named Jimmy Akin on the question of whether the Gospels of the New Testament are historically reliable.  I've never debated a Catholic apologist before!  This should be fun. I also (obviously) haven't done a live event in over two years.   So, this will be interesting as well as fun. The event will be live streamed if you're interested, and even if you're not.  Here's the announcement, with ticket information, in case you might want to attend or listen in: Jimmy Akin vs Bart Ehrman - Campaign (catholic.com) MOREOVER (only distantly conntected):  It turns out I'll be free for breakfast that morning.  I'm happy to do a blog event ((as in live, and in person!) if anyone feels like shlepping out to Del Mar.   I'm thinkin' March 24 at 8:00 am.  Anyone interested?  Just send me an email at [email protected]   There'd be no obligation other than showing up, ordering what you want, eating what you order, and [...]