Author: william

We’ve been considering a 3rd century text called the ‘Revelation of the Magi’ that purports to tell the story of the Magi in the Christmas story. To recap: we saw that Adam’s son Seth founded something like an ‘Order of the Magi’, and that generations of Magi in this Order have been keeping watch with…

We’ve been considering a 3rd century text called the ‘Revelation of the Magi’ that purports to tell the story of the Magi in the Christmas story. Last week we saw that Adam’s son Seth founded something like an ‘Order of the Magi’, and that generations of Magi in this Order have been keeping watch with…

When revisiting the Christmas story, folks living almost two thousand years ago asked many of the same questions we do. Such as — don’t we all want to know more about the Magi? Traditions have grown up adding to the details in the Gospels: there were three of them (the Gospels don’t say how many,…

Once upon a time there was a pilgrim on a long pilgrimage. And at the end of each day, he would sit by his campfire, massaging his aching feet. One day he was walking through a village, and a vendor approached him: “Sir, if you buy my comfortable folding chair, you will have somewhere comfortable…

Once upon a time there was a knight on a Quest, who heard of a wise Sage living high up in the mountains. So after a long and arduous search the knight found the Sage’s remote cabin. The Sage welcomed him, and the knight sat at his feet. “Wise one,” the knight asked, “please tell…

Once upon a time, a beautiful princess sat at the edge of a clear, ornate pool in her palace grounds. As she leaned over to gaze at her reflection, her priceless crown tumbled from her head and into the water with a loud splash. At the sound of her scream, royal attendants rushed to her…

This is one of those Music Boxes where I introduce two seemingly unrelated ideas and then weave them together. So I ask your indulgence… Thread 1: When working with texts from antiquity, we have the problem that we don’t have the original manuscript in Plato’s or St. Luke’s handwriting. What we have are copies of…

Some believe that all you need to understand the Bible is the Bible itself. And there’s certainly plenty there to keep you very busy without learning about the language and culture of Jesus day. Let’s consider the parable of the Good Samaritan: And behold [a] certain lawyer stood up testing him saying: Having done what…

We’re nearing the end of the Gospel of Nicodemus — a 4th century account of Jesus’ trial, crucifixion and resurrection that didn’t make it into the official New Testament. Even if this book doesn’t rise to the level of Holy Writ, I still find that it brings a deeply devotional imagination to the Text, which…

The Gospel of Nicodemus (a fourth century account of Jesus’ death and resurrection that didn’t make it into the official New Testament) contains this “prayer of the people”: (16.8) And all the people sang praises to the Lord, and said: Blessed is the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all…