Biblical Heritage Center Blog

#1 Most people believe 31 October is an ancient pagan festival associated with the supernatural. In fact, it has religious connotations   – although there is disagreement among historians about when it begun. Some say Hallowtide was introduced as All Saints’ Day in the 7th century AD by Pope Boniface IV, while others maintain it was created in the 9th century AD by Christians to commemorate their martyrs and saints. In medieval Britain, ‘Halloween’ was the eve of the Catholic festival All Saints or All-Hallows (from Old English ‘Holy Man’) on 1 November, and was followed by the feast of All Souls on 2 November. #3 Much of the modern supernatural lore surrounding Halloween was invented as recently as the 19th century.   Scots and Irish settlers brought the custom of Mischief Night visiting to North America, where it became known as ‘Trick or Treat’.  Until the revival of interest in Halloween during the 1970s, this American tradition was largely unknown in England. ...

Gold, chemical symbol Au (from the Latin   aurum   meaning ‘shining dawn’), is a precious metal which has been used since antiquity in the production of jewelry,   coinage, sculpture, vessels and as a decoration for buildings, monuments and statues. Gold does not corrode and so it became a symbol of immortality and power in many ancient cultures. Its rarity and aesthetic qualities made it an ideal material for ruling classes to demonstrate their power and position. First found at surface level near rivers in Asia Minor   such as the Pactolus in   Lydia, gold was also mined underground from 2000 BCE by the Egyptians and later by the Romans in   Africa, Portugal and Spain.  See pictures and read article at -- http://www.ancient.eu/gold/

You have probably read about the Church Councils that met back in the days of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, Eusebius, Athanasius, Augustine, etc. Their votes produced the foundational doctrines of Christianity. The bishops have continued to meet over the centuries and the English translation of the report from their most recent meeting -- Synod14 - "Relatio Synodi" of the III Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: “Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization” (5-19 October 2014) – is now online. Take a moment to glance over it and get a feel for the process that has governed the Roman Catholic Church since the first meeting in 325 CE – the Council of Nicea . Read the current report at -- http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2014/10/18/0770/03044.html

A 6,000-year-old temple holding humanlike figurines and sacrificed animal remains has been discovered within a massive prehistoric settlement in Ukraine. Built before writing was invented, the temple is about 197 by 66 feet in size. It was a "two-story building made of wood and clay surrounded by a galleried courtyard," the upper floor divided into five rooms. See pictures and read article at -- http://www.livescience.com/48352-prehistoric-ukraine-temple-discovered.html

Dr. Ike Tennison and I have been working with the Greek text of Galatians. We believe it provides one of the best sources for understanding how Paul viewed himself and understood his calling and message. Galatians is loaded with clues that are often overlooked because of the attempts of later Christian writers to recast Paul and make him better fit into the context of the original Jesus Movement – specifically Luke’s (or whoever the unknown specified author was) in the Book of Acts . Pay close attention to what Paul wrote in the first chapter of Galatians: Paul, an apostle, not from men nor through a man . . . For I make known to you, brothers, the gospel preached by me is not from a man. For I received it not from man, nor was I taught (the gospel) it; but (I received the gospel) through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:1a, 11-12) We find these points very interesting: (1) My authority did not come from any human being. – In our opinion, the...

I'm responding to a question on the TOV Center Blog about why I placed the term “Higher Power” in parenthesis in an earlier blog. I am a rabbi, counselor and police chaplain. I work with all kinds of people from many different backgrounds, cultures, religions with different beliefs about God, as well as some with no concept of any "Higher Power." During my years working in hospice as a bereavement counselor/chaplain, I came into contact with a number of people and families with different or no spiritual/religious beliefs. I needed to find a way of bringing them comfort, healing and peace as life was coming to an end. Read Rabbi Leynor’s complete blog at -- http://tovcenter.blogspot.com/2014/10/my-higher-power.html

A lunar-crescent-shaped stone monument that dates back around 5,000 years has been identified in Israel. Located about 8 miles (13 kilometers) northwest of   the Sea of Galilee, the structure is massive  — its volume is about 14,000 cubic meters (almost 500,000 cubic feet) and it has a length of about 150 meters (492 feet), making it longer than an American football field. Pottery excavated at the structure indicates the monument dates to between 3050 B.C. and 2650 B.C., meaning it is likely older than the   pyramids of Egypt. It was also built before much of   Stonehenge   was constructed.  See picture and read article at -- http://www.livescience.com/47835-massive-5-000-year-old-stone-monument-revealed-in-israel.html?adbid=524041584480768000&adbpl=tw&adbpr=15428397&cmpid=514645_20141020_31671126