mary and joseph

mary and joseph Latest

1342 tempera painting by Ambrogio Lorenzetti titled The Presentation in the Temple. Uffizi Gallery/Public Domain

Mar 5 Blog

Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First Recognized Jesus as Messiah?

By: Ben Witherington III

Who was the first person to truly recognize Jesus as the messiah and understand the implications? Biblical scholar Ben Witherington III takes a close look at the account given in Luke, and sheds some light on what the Biblical narrative has to say about who was the first to recognize Jesus as the messiah.

Baroque artist Guido Reni depicts the apostle James, son of Zebedee, in his painting 'Saint James the Greater' (c. 1636–1638).

Jan 29 Blog

James or Jacob in the Bible?

By: Mark Wilson

How did the Jewish name Ya’akov, properly translated as Jacob, become James in English versions of the Bible?

Illustration by Jim Padgett shows Mary and Joseph in the Bible. Credit: Biblical Illustrations by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Sweet Publishing, Ft. Worth, TX, and Gospel Light, Ventura, CA. © 1984 / CC-by-SA 3.0

Dec 11 Blog

The Betrothal of Mary and Joseph in the Bible

By: Megan Sauter

With Christmas around the corner, many people read the Nativity stories in Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2. Tucked into these narratives are the engagement and […]

Mosaic of the Journey to Bethlehem from the Chora Church in Istanbul.

Nov 6 Blog

Were Mary and Joseph Married or Engaged at Jesus’ Birth?

By: Mark Wilson

Were Mary and Joseph married or engaged when they traveled to Bethlehem? Biblical scholar Mark Wilson examines what the gospels say in this Bible History Daily guest post.

Jul 12 Blog

The Enduring Symbolism of Doves

By: Dorothy Willette

Few symbols have a tradition as long and as rich as the dove. Read about what it represents and how its use has been shared, adapted and reinterpreted across cultures and millennia to suit changing belief systems.

Jul 8 Blog

The Split of Early Christianity and Judaism

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Northern Renaissance painter Robert Campin’s Marriage of the Virgin dramatically captures the split of early Christianity and Judaism.

Dec 3 Blog

The Origins of “The Cherry Tree Carol”

By: Mary Joan Winn Leith

“The Cherry Tree Carol” is a Christmas carol that first appeared in 13th-century England; an American version was discovered in Appalachia in the 20th century. Stonehill College Biblical scholar Mary Joan Winn Leith explains the carol’s roots in early Christian Syrian churches.

Dec 27 Blog

Is the Earliest Image of the Virgin Mary in the Dura-Europos Church?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

In the oldest known Christian church, located at the site of Dura-Europos in eastern Syria, a wall painting depicts a woman leaning over a well. […]

Nov 17 Blog

Witnessing the Divine

By: Robin M. Jensen

The legend of the magi has fired the imagination of Christians since the earliest times. In art, the adoration of the magi appeared earlier and far more frequently than any other scene of Jesus’ birth and infancy, including images of the babe in a manger.

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