Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Biblical Archaeology: Understanding Jesus

Nathan JonesWatch MP3 PDFBy Nathan Jones



Archaeology Panel

Dr. Reagan: Art sometimes has an impact upon our mental biblical images, and it can be an incorrect impact. Just like the song, "On a Hill Far Away Stood an Old Rugged Cross," which is a beautiful song, but it's an artistic interpretation. It just doesn't coincide with reality because they didn't crucify people on hills far away.

Dr. Fleming: Also, "Up Calvary's Mountain," and hymns like that.

Dr. Reagan: The crosses were instead put on the road to get an impact, weren't they?

Nathan Jones: Right outside the gate, right?

Dr. Fleming: The word "hill" is not mentioned in the text, right, but our hymns are. Part of this is to elevate the meaning of the cross. That's why often the middle cross is normally taller than the ones on either side for the theological importance. But, yes, normally the crosses would be placed along the sides of roads, and usually using rooted trees. That's why half the textual references will say, "crucified on a tree." It is not just meaning "wood," but most crosses where the criminal carried the crossbar, that is the word "cross." The crossbar was fastened to a tree on the side of the road.

Biblical Cross





Dr. Fleming: That's to intimidate the people as they come to the town along the roads. A road could be in a valley or it can go up a slope. Many could see the crosses from a far distance, but it doesn't have to be a hill. There is also a lower valley one could see down.

Dr. Reagan: Another example of art is Leonardo Da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper" which has been etched in all of our minds. Just about everything in that picture is wrong.

The Last Supper

Dr. Fleming: Church art is the culture of the artist, not the culture of the Bible. People ate at tables and chairs in the time of Leonardo, so he painted tables and chairs. They didn't at the time of Jesus, though. In fact, the text actually said the Apostles reclined at the table. Remember how much trouble artists had for the beloved disciple leaning on Jesus' chest sitting at a table on chairs? But, no, they reclined at the table. Over 1,000 First Century reclining tables have been found in the Mediterranean world.





Dr. Reagan: I know from personal experience that when you go to Israel and you actually see these things, it brings the Bible to life. I remember one time when I was in Caesarea Philippi, I read the story to the people of Peter making his confession of Jesus there and then Jesus saying to him, "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." I was told that this huge cavern there was considered by some to be the Gate to Hades. I could just see Jesus gesturing towards there.

Dr. Fleming: Any entrances to the underground were called the Gates of Hades. That particular place is a grotto, and it was a pagan place of worship. Many times the New Testament is phrased in a way so we can get a picture. Caesarea Philippi is famous for its grotto entering the underworld. Also, it is the bottom of a 9,000 foot high mountain, so "on this rock I will build my church." Jesus probably as a good teacher is using what's around him.





Billy said...


When I click on the PDF link at the top of this article I do not get that article in PDF format but another one.

Can you please check that out because I do use that feature and it appears to have a problem.

Thanks. (Like you don't have enough to do, right?)

Nathan Jones said...

Billy, the pdf is the entire transcript of the show, unedited to article format. If you want just the pdf of this portion, click the snazzy green Print PDF button just under the article.

Expected Imminently said...

Has anyone else notice that the tree appears to be singing Opera?


Talia said...