Dan Brown’s novels: Fact or Fiction?

On the plane from Rome last week I noticed someone reading The Lost Symbol. I think the Today Show made a lot of the book a few weeks ago. I gave some attention to The Da Vinci Code here, but don’t plan to do the same for this new book.

The Telegraph, in an article by Tom Chivers, mentions 50 factual errors in the two books by Dan Brown.

Dan Brown’s new novel The Lost Symbol opens with a bold word: FACT. “All rituals, science, artwork, and monuments in this novel are real”, it says.

The Da Vinci Code, his previous bestseller, began in a similar fashion. “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate”, Brown says before the prologue.

Chivers discusses the categories of History, Geography, Science, Symbols, Religion and Mythology, Language, and Miscellany.

Swiss Guard at the Vatican. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Here is one of the mistakes that would not matter much except for the fantastic claim that everything in the books are true.

Langdon says the Swiss Guard’s outfits were “designed by Michelangelo himself.” This is an urban myth: Michelangelo had nothing to do with them. The current uniforms were designed by Commandant Jules Repond between 1910 and 1921.

The Vatican’s official web site says,

The colours which make the uniform so attractive are the traditional Medici blue, red and yellow, set off nicely by the white of the collar and gloves. The blue and yellow bands give a sense of lightness as they move over the red doublet and breeches. The Guard’s every-day uniform is completely blue. With the passing centuries there have been a few minor changes, but on the whole the original dress has been maintained. It is commonly thought that the uniform was designed by Michelangelo, but it would seem rather that he had nothing to do with it. However, Raffaello certainly did influence its development, as he indeed influenced fashion in general in Italy in the Renaissance, through his painting.

I wondered how I would ever use this good photo of a Swiss Guard at the Vatican.

HT: Biblical Paths

200th issue for Biblical Archaeology Review

Yesterday I received the 200th issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. I have all issues of the magazine since that first small single color issue in March, 1975. When I bought the earlier issues in Libronix format for the computer I gave my paper copies to a young teacher.

Not everyone likes BAR. It has been a controversial magazine. No wonder. Editor Herschel Shanks has been controversial. But, I have enjoyed it all the way. I first met Herschel and his right hand gal, Suzanne Singer, at the ASOR meeting in New Orleans in 1979. I ate at the same round table with them, Prof. David Ussishkin, and Prof. William Sanford LaSor. Still, every time I see Herschel. I have to go through the introduction process.

Before BAR, unless we attended the annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research, we had to depend on the reports in Biblical Archaeologist for popular articles on archaeology. My recollection is that the magazine was often late and the photography poor. Agree or disagree about Shanks and the magazine, one thing is for sure. It has made biblical archaeology a popular topic.

More information about this issue, with an opportunity to buy and subscribe, may be found at the magazine web site: Biblical Archaeology Review.

This special issue of BAR contains the following features:

• A first personal article by Gabriel Barkay on “The Riches of Ketef Hinnom.” It was during this excavation that Iron Age tombs were found, one of which contained the tiny silver plaque with the oldest known text of a Bible reference.
• Photos by the late photographer David Harris.
• Ten top discoveries.
• BAR’s Crusades, like the one to get the Dead Sea Scrolls published.
• Letters we loved.
• Much more.

In typical Shanks fashion, we are told that “The best is yet to come!”

ESV Study Bible online free (for a while)

Recently I received a copy of the ESV Study Bible from the publisher, Crossway Books and Bibles, for review. Hopefully I will be able to get to this in the next week or two.

Meanwhile, you have the opportunity to use the ESV Study Bible online free of charge until March 31, 2009. The Bible has been available online and in several computer Bible programs for some time. The Study Bible has many additional features such as explanatory notes, charts, maps, diagrams, etc. This will give you a few weeks to read some passages you may be studying and check the additional resources.

Check the ESV Bible Blog for complete information.

ESV Study Bible

Or, you may go to this link, create a login and password and begin using all features of the ESV Study Bible.

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)

Review: Views That Have Vanished

Todd Bolen, BiblePlaces.com, has released an extremely valuable CD that will be helpful to all students of the Bible lands. Views That Have Vanished is a collection of more than 700 high resolution photographs made by David Bivin beginning in 1963.

Views That Have Vanished - Photos of the 1960s.

These photographs were made with one of the best cameras available at the time with the intent to be able to share them with family and friends who were unable to visit Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Greece. Bivin has now lived in Israel more than 30 years. Many of the places he visited in the 1960s have changed since then because of natural erosion. Some of the changes occurred because of archaeological activity, and the normal deterioration that takes place once a site is uncovered. Primarily the sites have changed because of the building activities of man.

My first visit to the Middle East was in 1967. Since then I have returned nearly 40 times and I have observed the tremendous changes made. Some sites, in preparation for visitors, are necessarily changed. Other sites are neglected and become dangerous for all but the most intrepid explorers to visit. Bivin had the wonderful opportunity live in Israel and record his experience in full color. I observe that many of the landscape photographs he made have a beautiful clear sky. Perhaps the sky was clearer 40 years ago. But, this is the advantage of living in the country and being able to go out when the weather is just right.

Everyone who has old photographs and slides knows that they begin to deteriorate after a few years. This happened to some of Bivin’s photographs. Todd Bolen has scanned these old negatives with high quality equipment. In many instances the color has been restored.

The photographs are available in high-resolution (1600 x 1200 or higher) in jpg format and also in PowerPoint with explanatory notes. I was especially impressed with the large number of photographs of some of the well known archaeologists of the past (Glueck, Yadin, et al.) and some historic views such as people in Jerusalem mourning the death of Anwar Sadat, president of Egypt.

Views That Have Vanished is a great addition to the already long list of photographic materials published by BiblePlaces. The CD belongs in the library of every church and every person who teaches Bible classes with an emphasis on the land in which these historical events took place. Frequently I say to my groups, “I wish you could have seen this before….” Now, you can see it through these photographs.

The CD is available for only $20 during October. Take a look here. If you would like to see some examples of Views then and now, take a look here.

Man of Galilee now available

The Man of Galilee by Atticus G. Haygood is a small book that should be read by every person interested in the identity of Jesus of Galilee. The book was first published in 1889, and has been republished several times. I published it as part of Evidence Quarterly in 1963. It has been available at our Biblical Studies Info Page for a number of years. Now DeWard Publishing Company has published The Man of Galilee in an attractive paperback edition of 108 pages. This book will make an excellent gift to any young person who is of an age to be thinking about the Jesus of the New Testament.

Melvin Curry comments about this book:

Some big books need to die; this little one needs to live. Haygood’s Man of Galilee is a profound argument about the uniqueness of Jesus.

Dan Petty says,

Haygood discusses the truly unique and universal quality of the character of Jesus in a manner that is thoughtful, thorough, and logical. It is presented in terms that the student will find interesting, refreshing, and in the end, compelling.

Order The Man of Galilee.

I wish to commend DeWard Publishing Company for making this book available. Take a look at their web page.

Resources on the Book of Revelation

Yesterday I received an Email from Dr. Georg S. Adamsen in Denmark, asking that I change the link to his Revelation Resources page on my Biblical Studies Info Page. First, let me say I appreciate his notifying me of the change. Many individuals ask to include a link but never notify us when they close down the page.

Revelation Resources is now presented in blog format. Adamsen describes the blog this way:

Revelation Resources – about 250 hand-picked references on valuable resources for the study of the Book of Revelation. Many topics have separate introductions…

My Old Testament in the Book of Revelation has been included at Revelation Resources for several years. I was pleasantly surprised this evening when I was checking the URL to see that the book is featured on this page (January 7).

Because the current publisher of the book does not have a marketing strategy many people think the book is out of print. You may secure a copy from the Florida College Bookstore. I wasn’t able to locate the book on the website, but you can send an Email to bookstore@floridacollege.edu for information. I think the book now sells for $4.95. I saw a used copy on Amazon recently for $59.96!

Florida College also recently reprinted my Studies in the Book of Revelation. It sells for $5.99. In my judgment this is an excellent source for a class study of the Revelation.

Studies in the Book of Revelation (90 page paperback) is composed of these sections.

Introducing the Book at the End of the Bible
Worthy Is the Lamb
Saints Victorious
Does Revelation Teach Premillennialism?
Letters to the Seven Churches
Emperor Worship in the Book of Revelation

If you prefer to call Florida College Bookstore and speak to one of the friendly staff, use their toll free number (1-800-423-1648).

What does this have to do with travel, you wonder. The Revelation was written to the seven churches of Asia, the Roman province of Asia Minor, in the late first century A.D. The seven cities were Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Several of them have significant ruins that can be visited. We have included them on several study tours we call Steps of Paul and John, including Turkey, Greece, and the Aegean Islands. During the course of this tour we spend some time lecturing on the setting of the Book of Revelation. We plan to do that in May when we again visit these and other cities associated with Paul and John.

This photo shows the reconstruction of the Temple of (Roman Emperor) Trajan ( A.D. 98-117). This was the second temple in Pergamum dedicated to the Emperor. The first temple in all of Asia was erected to Augustus in 29 B.C. Altogether Pergamum had three imperial temples.

Psychological Study of Herod the Great

A historian from Tel Aviv University (Kasher) and a psychiatrist from Ben-Gurion Uniersity of the Negev (Witztum) have written King Herod: A Persecuted Persecutor: A Case Study in Psychohistory and Psychobiography. This book sells for $193, so I suspect that most of us will be satisfied to read a good review. Magen Broshi, a well-known Israeli archaeologist, has a review in Haaretz. Don’t expect this review to stay online very long. I suggest you go immediately and copy this good review.

With the recent interest in Herod due to the discovery of his tomb at the Herodium, this book is timely. If you had thought Herod was cruel, just wait till you read this.

I copy (print) article like the one mentioned above in Adobe PDF, and then save them in the appropriate folder on my computer (the new filing cabinet!).

HT: Paleojudaica.