(6 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
Loading...From Jen:
You’ve hopefully heard the big news by now. After more than three decades of teaching, Bart will soon step away from the classroom. (But don’t worry, he’s not stepping away from the blog!)
This December marks his retirement from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where generations of students have sat in those lecture halls, scribbling notes while Bart brought the ancient world vividly to life.
To honor that extraordinary career, Bart will return to the UNC campus one last time to deliver a final public lecture:
“The Greatest Discovery in the History of Biblical Studies”
When: Sunday, December 7, 2025, 5:00 pm
Where: UNC Chapel Hill (Building TBA)
Free and open to the public (registration required)
It’s hard to overstate what this moment represents. Bart has spent his life teaching others how to read the New Testament with both rigor and curiosity, stripping away assumptions to see what the texts actually say. This will be his final time doing so in a UNC classroom; the space that shaped so much of his work and his voice.
We’d love to fill the room to bursting; with students, readers, friends, and anyone whose thinking has been shaped by his work.
If that includes you (and if you can make it to North Carolina), we hope you’ll come.
Reserve your free seat for Bart’s Last Lecture
Our team will be there and will host a casual meetup the night before—Saturday, December 6—for anyone in town early (Bart won’t be at that one, but we will, and you’ll likely spot some familiar faces from his podcast and courses). Additionally, Bart will be holding a blog dinner for any blog members who would like to attend. Click here to learn more about that and how to let us know you’re interested in attending.
This will be a night of gratitude and good company, a fitting close to Bart’s long teaching career and the beginning of an exciting new chapter devoted to what he loves most: writing, blogging, podcasting, and building new courses for all of us.
See you in Chapel Hill!
Motoring from northern Maine would be a long haul for a senior visitor so to speak. So, Bart, please enjoy your last class day.
Steve Sutter, Presque Isle, Maine
The landing page says “Dec. 7th, 2026”
Scribal corruption of the text!
Bart:
You have opened my eyes to a new way of looking at my beliefs. Continue with your research and writing skills. You have nothing but good to offer future generations with your willingness to see other perspectives. We should all be kinder to the less well off and more understanding of our obligation to the poor.
WOW! I would dearly love to hear what is the Greatest Discovery in the History of Biblical Studies, but alas I live on the other side of the world (NZ). Could blog members also get the answer after Dec 7?
THe talk will be recorded and made available to those who can’t come.
I would love to come see this. If I was a single man without a family it would probably be feasible, but a house full of people in central Ohio being mad at me for flying to Chapel Hill sounds like a bad December.
Yeah, probably not a smart move….
Dr Ehrman, I’d like to know your opinion on this question. When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey that last week of his life, who did he think he was? Did Jesus think he was only a Galilean peasant, a rabbi, a prophet, a Messiah, or the future King of the Jews? Of course we have no idea what Jesus was actually thinking, but based on his words and actions what do you think he thought who he was?
I’m not sure he did enter on a donkey. If he did, it was probably because he was tired of walking, just as others would have been riding donkey’s into town. I’d say Jesus certainly thought he was a teacher and a prophet, I strongly think he considered himself the future messiah/king as well, the one whom God would appoint to rule Israel after the Son of Man brought widespread destruction upon God’s enemies.
Congratulations on reaching this monumental milestone! I have a personal question: If you had to join a Christian denomination, which one do you think most closely reflects the faith and practice of the first-century church, particularly those shaped by Pauline influence and broadly consistent with the core beliefs held by the apostles and early disciples (recognizing, of course, that even then there were different “flavors” within the early church)?
None that I know of. I suppose in some ways maybe the Plymouth Brethren churches are closer than most?
If I joined a church (they wouldn’t have me, I suppose) it would be the Episcopalian.
For what it’s worth, I can easily imagine a scenario where Jesus returns and commends you for inspiring more people to study Scripture and learn about Him and His teachings than anyone else… and for having personally done more tangible good for the “least of these” than many large churches combined. They would do well to have you. It’s unfortunate that so many Christians place greater emphasis on orthodoxy than on orthopraxy, especially considering that Jesus didn’t give the thief on the cross a theology exam. Like that man, you recognize that the historical Jesus was innocent of the charges brought against Him and that He wasn’t attempting to spark a rebellion. Moreover, unlike many of His followers, you understand that He sought to be the eternal King of Israel. In my view, that puts you pretty close to the penitent thief.
You’ve devoted your life to following Jesus and to live by his teachings. Well done.
You have just as much right to join a church than anyone else. Perhaps you and your family could enjoy a nice Christmas festivity this holiday season.
Oh Boy, that’s super tempting! I would totally use some of my Delta miles for this, Bart! Our two trips to Greece with you were some of the best things Stuart and I have ever done.
I just did a quick search on the blog for “Was Matthew neurodivergent?” Doesn’t look like that’s been discussed before? A friend just introduced me to the idea which he seems to have gotten from The Chosen series. He does have a few neurodivergent family members so I get that this line of thinking would interest him but when he took it a step further, beyond, “Matthew had this thing about patterns, numbers, and rules” into “Mathew could totally have been multi-lingual and taken notes while Jesus spoke, and written his gospel in Greek” he lost me for good. “Neurodivergent individuals can do extraordinary things,” he said. Even ChatGPT wasn’t buying it.
“Highly speculative,” I told my friend.
And that’s a low bar!
If you decide to come, better register soon. It’s starting to get a bit tight.
Wishing you all the best as you retire from the professorate into concentrating on what you love most. (I’ve tried it out myself for the past two months, and recommend it highly!)
In deep gratitude for your continuing scholarly work,
Lee Krähenbühl
Thanks!
December 7th? Why does that date ring a bell… and what would a conspiracy theorist make of it?
Right. Still lives on infamy.
All booked up for our first trip to NC!
Fantastic!!
Recently, I spent a day off perusing the Damascus Document from the DSS, alongside a Wikipedia article on John Hyrcanus and using ChatGPT. I explored a hypothesis that the DSS community originated from priests displaced after the destruction of the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim in 128 BC. My conclusion was “unlikely but inconclusive.” But I learned a lot just from following my curiosity! AI helped me tremendously during this one day study. I see enormous potential for AI in learning.
Discussions about AI often focus on its dangers, like undermining assessments and hindering writing skills. I write my own thoughts and use AI to polish them, which improves my writing by forcing me to rethink my expression. But I’ve experienced the dissertation process and graduated before AI and worry that young people with AI might miss out on learning to write, a crucial skill that’s hard to outsource.
As you get ready to retire, are you feeling hopeful or uneasy about where academia is headed? Do you think we’ll be able to keep the good and manage the challenges that come with it?
Completely uneasy. I don’t know how the challenges will be dealt with, but the problem with AI is that it circumvents learning and one wonders why it makes sense to go to university if you can do just as well asking a machine. The problem isn’t just getting dubious answers a lot of the time (given the algorithms and data bases, I don’t see how that can change) but not learning how to analyze arguments and evaluate evidence….