Buying the best Bible Software

As time permits I am trying to catch up on some of the blogs that I follow. I see that C. Michael Patton has a post at Parchment and Pen (I love that title) on “The Other Best Bible Software.” He is talking about Logos Bible Software. The other one he reviewed earlier is BibleWorks 8. Michael says he uses both. So do I.

Every young preacher should stop buying junk, ready-mixed pabulum, and get some real tools. Another advantage is that you will have no books to loan! Read Patton’s review here.

You will find some comments about the free software that so many preachers and teachers use.

The earlier review about BibleWorks 8 is here.

David Instone-Brewer, Tyndale Tech, has also written recently about Logos Libronix 3 here.

Morris Proctor is an (the?) authorized trainer for Logos Bible Software. His Tips and Tricks are helpful. You might also find a helpful note at the Logos Blog.

You will also find notes about both of these programs at Biblical Studies and Technological Tools.

Recently I wrote here about the problem of having to use Pradis to have access to Zondervan publications. In recent weeks, Zondervan and Logos announced that Zondervan books will be available from Logos. Good news. Now we must wait to see have much (or little?) we will have to pay for the conversion of the programs we already have.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV)

Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately. (2 Timothy 2:15 NET)

Luke Chandler on Israel National Radio

We have had several things to say about Luke Chandler and his participation in the archaeological dig at Khirbet Qeiyafa (the Elah Fortress) a few weeks ago. This is because Luke is a friend and a former student. Luke has been interviewed by Gordon Govier on The Book and the Spade program. That interview emphasized the role of volunteers in archaeology.

Willner & Selevan

Now he has been interviewed for the Judean Eve program on Israel National Radio to discuss the use of blogs in reporting on archaeological work. To hear this interview you must look for the program entitled Tell Me About Digs. Click on Part 2 to listen or download the mp3 file. Follow this link for the interview. Luke’s blog may be found at lukechandler.wordpress.com.

There is another interview on the same program with some guy named Herschel Shanks.

Khirbet Qeiyafa is an important site historically because of the part it plays in the account of the conflict between Israel and the Philistines (David and Goliath). See 1 Samuel 17 for the full story.

Reaching 200,000 hits

Overnight we registered our 200,000th hit on this blog. Our first post was May 2, 2007. Since that time we have covered two trips to Israel, two trips to Turkey, a trip to Greece and the Greek islands, a trip to Egypt, and a trip to Scotland. In addition we have reported on numerous archaeological developments and posted info on many biblical places and customs.

Actually we passed the 200,000 mark more than a week ago. Back in May we reported here on losing 3380 hits on our counter overnight.

Thanks should be extended to several people.

• Thanks to WordPress for making this wonderful opportunity available at no cost. I would like to encourage everyone who thinks they have something worthwhile to say to get a blog and begin writing.
• Thanks to our readers. The number has grown consistently in the past two years. We are delighted that you continue to check our blog. It has been fun to watch the increase of the traffic ranking at Alexa.
• Thanks to everyone who has sent tips about items of interest that you think we should cover. Most of these come from acquaintances by email rather than as comments to the blog.
• Thanks to Todd Bolen at blog.bibleplaces.com and BiblePlaces.com for his link to our page. Todd has called attention to this page several times and it has helped to increase the number of our readers.
• Thanks to my wife for proofing many of the posts. I always appreciate her help.
• Technological thanks to Nikon, Canon, and Adobe PhotoShop.

I would like to share a photo that is large enough to be of use to those who use visuals in teaching. This is a picture of St. Paul’s Bay on the island of Rhodes. Click on the photo for a larger image. For information about the place check our post for May 17, 2008.

St. Paul's Bay at Lindos, Rhodes. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Laodicea Photos

Laodicea is known to us from the book of Revelation (1:11; 3:14-22), and from Paul’s epistle to the Colossians.

For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. (Col 4:13-16 NAU)

Ben Witherington has posted several nice photos recently made at Laodicea. Take a look here. These photo are high resolution and may be reduced and enhanced a bit for use in class and sermon presentation. Ben concludes his post with these words:

There is much more to be said, but let this be said at this juncture.  The archaeological evidence at Laodicea simply confirms what the NT suggests about the city– it was large,  rich in the first century, a city materially on the rise, but sometimes prosperity has a deadening effect on spirituality as John of Patmos reminds.   The reconstruction of the city today is a work still in progress— but then, so are we. If even Laodicea warrants a visit from the Master who knocks and promises to enter and sup with them, despite all its sin and shortcomings, then there is still hope for us.

The photo below is one I took showing what was labeled “North Temple” at the time. I see on the new sign Ben includes among his photos the structure (# 15) is labeled “Corinth Temple and North Basilica.” The white area on the hillside across the Lycus River valley marks the limestone formations of Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13; modern Pamukkale).

Temple ruins at Laodicea. View north to Hierapolis. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Thanks, Ben. We look forward to more good material from Turkey.

We called attention to the water distribution system of Laodicea here.

HT: Brooks.

Reverse Reading?

Overnight we lost 3380 hits. Long ago I put a simple counter, supplied by WordPress, on this page. There is also a stats chart that I can see when I login. The chart was based on some time zone other than the one in which I live. So, each morning when I am home I write down my own daily stats. When I opened the page to do that this morning I noted that I had 3380 hits less than yesterday morning.

What happened to all of my readers? Maybe you had been reading and decided to take it back! I don’t know what happened, but I see that WordPress has changed the stats chart to match my time zone. I don’t know how that could have messed up the total number. Anyway, deep in my heart I know you have been here. The count this morning should have been about 170,685 +/-. I was looking forward to a big 200,000-hit party and inviting each of you to come read and see. Don’t know what I will do now.

More importantly, my ranking at Alexa has continued to improve significantly. Thanks for coming my way.

Thanks for following our tours

Thanks to your interest we noticed an increase in readers during our trip to Egypt. We appreciate your interest in the subjects we write about.

A blog is different from a web page. On a web page, such as the Biblical Studies Info Page, there are many categories and pages available. When you check the blog you see the last entry at the top of the page. You must click on the Archives listing, or use the Search Box to locate earlier posts.

A list of some other trips we have covered on this blog might be helpful to you (from the most recent to the earliest).

• Egyptian Adventure (begin January 16, 2009).
• Israel (personal study) trip (begin August 20, 2008).
• Steps of Paul and John (Greece and Turkey) (May, 2008).
• Bible Land Tour of Israel and Jordan (April, 2008).
• Scotland Highlights (September 2007).
• Biblical & Historical Sites in Turkey (May and June, 2007).

The purpose of these trips is educational. We seek to relate the history and the land to the biblical account.

Suez Canal near Ismailia. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

This view of the Suez Canal at Ismailia looks from the east to the west. The ancient Egyptians dug numerous canals in the general area. This modern canal was officially opened November 17, 1869.

We would like for you to continue to check the blog several times a week as we write about other matters of interest to Bible students.

No opportunity to post tonight

We are on a Nile River cruise boat. Even though I uploaded some photos last night, I was told tonight that it would cost $25 for 30 minutes if I uploaded any photos, etc. Since I don’t have a “Donate to this web site now” on my blog I will just wait until I can get to an Internet cafe in Aswan tomorrow night, or Friday night in the hotel in Cairo.

Thanks for keeping in touch. I appreciate the interest you have in this trip.

Newsweek attacks biblical authority & marriage

Perhaps you have already seen the cover, and cover story, of Newsweek (Dec. 15, 2008). The cover, showing a drawing of a Bible, touts the main article by Lisa Miller, “The Religious Case for Gay Marriage.” Miller is the religion editor of Newsweek.

Rather than write my own reply, I would like to direct you to the Blog by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. Read it here.  Mohler correctly points out that the real issue in this discussion is one of biblical authority.

As always, the bottom line is biblical authority.  Lisa Miller does not mince words.  “Biblical literalists will disagree,” she allows, “but the Bible is a living document, powerful for more than 2,000 years because its truths speak to us even as we change through history.”  This argument means, of course, that we get to decide which truths are and are not binding on us as “we change through history.”

Newsweek editor Jon Meacham says,

No matter what one thinks about gay rights–for, against or somewhere in between–this conservative resort to biblical authority is the worst kind of fundamentalism. Given the history of the making of the Scriptures and the millennia of critical attention scholars and others have given to the stories and injunctions that come to us in the Hebrew Bible is more than intellectually bankrupt–it is unserious, and unworthy of the great Judeo-Christian tradition. (Newsweek, Dec. 15, 2008, p. 4)

Well, there you have it. The editor of Newsweek has resolved this matter with one editorial.

If you are interested in a good study of this subject you might enjoy the video by Dr. Robert Gagnon, author of  several works on Homosexuality and the Bible, here. Or, read Dr. Gagnon’s 26 page response to the Miller article here.

McGarvey’s Land of the Bible

J. W. McGarvey was one of the best scholars of the 19th century Restoration Movement. He was president of the College of the Bible in Lexington, KY. One of my first books was his practical New Commentary on Acts of Apostles (1892). He had earlier (1868) written A Commentary on Acts of Apostles dealing with some of the critical issues of the book. McGarvey addressed some of the critical questions of the day in The Authorship of Deuteronomy, Jesus and Jonah, and Biblical Criticism.

McGarvey visited Palestine in 1879. His former students paid for the trip [I like that!], with the understanding that he would write a book. They would get their money back from the sale of the book. His book, Lands of the Bible, was published by J. B. Lippincott & Co., London and Philadelphia, in 1881. The title page indicates that 15,000 copies were printed. Impressive for a book on that subject.

J. W. McGarvey’s Lands of the Bible is available at the Restoration Movement pages here. For other works by McGarvey and other Restoration leaders begin with the home page here.

When I led my first group to the Bible Lands in 1967, one friend in the group had studied McGarvey’s book carefully. He took a tape measure with him. When we came to certain sites he took out the tape to take measurements. He wanted to be sure he was at the same place McGarvey visited.

Chapter IX in McGarvey’s book is titled “Argument from the Agreement of the Land and Book.” I have an outline of this material in my Introduction to Christian Evidences [OP], and use some of this material in my Daily Life in Bible Times series. One would be mistaken not to move beyond McGarvey, Thompson, Robertson, and the other early explorers. On the other hand, it would be amiss to dismiss what these scholars wrote.

What prompted all of this? Todd Bolen recently wrote a post on The Acoustics of Mounts Gerizim and Ebal in which he quotes from one of McGarvey’s letters here. I urge you read his post now. Also follow the link to the Biblical Studies and Technology Tools post showing the valley between Ebal and Gerizim using digital mapping tools.

I wanted to contribute something to this study by including here a scan of the plate from my original edition of Lands of the Bible (opposite page 288).

Shechem from the West. McGarvey, Land of the Bible.

Todd Bolen has a great photo of Mount Ebal from Mount Gerizim. I would like to add the other side of the valley. Here is a photo showing Mount Gerizim from above Mount Ebal. It is an aerial shot made for me by the well known photographer Zev Radovan.

View of Mount Gerizim from above Mount Ebal.

Maybe later we will discuss some of the important biblical events that took place in this area. For not let us note that this is where the blessings and curses of the law were read after the children of Israel entered the promised land (Deuteronomy 11:19). Here is the account of that event:

All Israel with their elders and officers and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had given command at first to bless the people of Israel. Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law.  There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women and the little ones and the strangers who were living among them. (Joshua 8:33-35 NASB)

An invitation from Issuu by mistake

A short time ago I received a notice that a newsletter I was interested in was available. When I followed the link I ended up at something called Issuu. When I registered I was able to get the newsletter. In the process of registering I allowed Issuu to begin issuing invitation to my Gmail mailing list. I have no way of knowing how many invitations when out.

Several of you have already joined.

Sorry about that. It may be a wonderful service, but I don’t like to receive unwanted Emails and I normally try to avoid sending them.

Please forgive!