work, wedding, and walton

7 July 2009 — art

It’s been a busy past few weeks to which my sporadic blogging bears witness. I’ve been working nearly everyday both at a pizza shop in Chestnut Hill as well as on a project I’m working on for Accordance Bible Software. I’ve also been working on articles for the Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary that is being edited by Peter Enns and Tremper Longman III. When I’m not doing one of those then I’m busying doing wedding stuff, such as doing the calligraphy for all of our invitations (should have just done them in Helvetica Extra Light and been done with it!). Besides all of that I am moving Lizzy up to Princeton this weekend!

So, needless to say, I’ve been busy. I also just got a hold of John Walton’s Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Oh Life. Tags: , , . 4 Comments »

midrash mondays 53

5 July 2009 — art

Every Monday there will be a midrashic fable posted from Louis Ginzberg’s classic collection Legends of the Jews. This week the midrash is about Abraham’s rise to power.

This midrash has some interesting facts about Abraham’s rise to power. One of the more interesting points of the story is how the priesthood transferred from Melchizedek to Abraham because of Melchizedek’s placing of Abraham’s name before God’s name. Read the rest of this entry »

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authorship in antiquity

30 June 2009 — art

The second chapter of Karel van der Toorn’s book Scribal Culture and the Making of the Hebrew Bible brings up some very interesting points on authorship in the ancient Near East. His first chapter dismantled the idea that the “books” of the Hebrew Bible should be understood as “books” in the modern sense, showing that these “books” were actually viewed as the collective property of the scribal community as they wrote and copied sacred texts for centuries. They were better understood as a collective deposit of traditions. “Books” in the modern sense did not show up on the scene until the Hellenistic period. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Hebrew Bible. Tags: , , , , . 12 Comments »

quote of the day

29 June 2009 — art

My tattoo artist while finishing my tattoo of Moses (it’s of the Dore engraving pictured; photos of the tattoo will be posted later):

I never understood why Moses smashed the tablets after God gave them to him. I mean, if God gave me something I would have framed it and put it on my mantle. That way when people came over I could point at it and say, “Yo, check out what God gave me.”

Posted in Oh Life. Tags: , , . 7 Comments »

another manifesto

26 June 2009 — art

Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola recently posted A Magna Carta for Restoring the Supremacy of Jesus Christ a.k.a. A Jesus Manifesto for the 21st Century Church (known, less bombastically, as A Jesus Manifesto). It’s been making its rounds on various blogs and podcasts, so I thought that I’d mention it here.

I’m not sure what to think about it. Part of me is wondering if we really need another ‘manifesto’ and wondering what they are attempting to accomplish. Another part of me thinks that the church needs as many manifestos (or is it ‘manifestii’? ‘Manifestae’? Whatever.) as it takes to wake her up to the supremacy of Christ. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Emerging Movement. Tags: , , , , , , . 1 Comment »

which fountain pen do you prefer?

26 June 2009 — art

I’m not sure how many people out there use fountain pens, but if you are as sophisticated as I am (or, at least, insecure enough about your sophistication that you need to get a fountain pen, which may be closer to the truth in my story!) and use a fountain pen, here’s the question:

Which fountain pen do you prefer?

I have been using various Parker fountain pens, my favorite, and most often used, being my Matt-Black Lacquer Sonnet pen with nickel-palladium trim (pictured left). I use a medium nib with Private Reserve Velvet Black ink, as I’ve found it to be the darkest when dried. I also use my Parker Latitude, Facet, and Vector fountain pens every once in a while, although my Sonnet is the one I normally use. I’d like to upgrade to a Parker Duofold Fountain Pen, but that is above my paygrade.

Any other fountain pen connoisseurs out there?

Posted in Random. Tags: , , . 31 Comments »

he who has ears…

24 June 2009 — art

…let him hear.

This offspring of the legitimate marriage between theological ignorance and religious intolerance, blessed by a sleep-walking philosophy, succeeds in making itself so completely ridiculous that it renders any serious reply unnecessary. (D. F. Strauss)

HT: Daniel Kirk.

Posted in Pipes Cigars and Alcohol (PCA), WTS, You Down With the OPC. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

consistent errancy 9

23 June 2009 — art

Focusing on single texts when discussing the issue of inerrancy/errancy does not usually yield a very fruitful discussion. At times it can, but most times it ends up with both sides digging in their heels and constantly explaining their own viewpoint and why they do not see the validity in the other side’s viewpoint. The reason this seems to be the case is because each side of the debate is approaching the text with different epistemological and theological presuppositions that shape both the way they view the text and how they believe the text should behave. Without understanding one’s own presuppositions, one will be forever blinded by them. Read the rest of this entry »

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esv apocrypha

22 June 2009 — art

I recently had the chance to pick up the new English Standard Version apocrypha that has been published by Oxford. It was worked on by three distinguished scholars: Dan McCartney of Redeemer Seminary, David deSilva of Ashland Theological Seminary, and Bernard Taylor of Loma Linda University and was edited by David Aiken of Ada, MI. It, oddly, is placed at the end of the ESV text of the NT, which makes reading Rev 22.18 and then turning the page a bit intimidating.

The translation is smooth and is consistent with the translation philosophy of the ESV. For instance, where the NRSV has ‘ancestors’ the ESV replaces it with ‘fathers’ and where the NRSV has ‘offspring’ the ESV has ‘descendants’ and so on and so forth. It also draws from the line of preceding translations, such as the RSV and NRSV, and includes all the books of the ‘expanded apocrypha,’ which includes 3 and 4 Maccabees as well as Ps 151 (2 Esdras, which is not found in the LXX, is also included). The textual base for the translation was the Götingen LXX, except for 4 Maccabees (Rahlf’s LXX) and 2 Esdras (1983 Vulgate). Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Books. Tags: , , , , . 6 Comments »

midrash mondays 52

22 June 2009 — art

Every Monday there will be a midrashic fable posted from Louis Ginzberg’s classic collection Legends of the Jews. This week the midrash is about the first Pharaoh, who Abraham meant in last week’s midrash.

This week’s midrash explains how the first Pharaoh became known as pharaoh with a tale of him collecting taxes from the dead.

The Egyptian ruler, whose meeting with Abraham had proved so untoward an event, was the first to bear the name Pharaoh. The succeeding kings were named thus after him. The origin of the name is connected with the life and adventures of Rakyon, Have-naught, a man wise, handsome, and poor, who lived in the land of Shinar. Finding himself unable to support himself in Shinar, he resolved to depart for Egypt, where he expected to display his wisdom before the king, Ashwerosh, the son of ‘Anam. Perhaps he would find grace in the eyes of the king, who would give Rakyon the opportunity of supporting himself and rising to be a great man. When he reached Egypt, he learnt that it was the custom of the country for the king to remain in retirement in his palace, removed from the sight of the people. Only on one day of the year he showed himself in public, and received all who had a petition to submit to him. Richer by a disappointment, Rakyon knew not how he was to earn a livelihood in the strange country. He was forced to spend the night in a ruin, hungry as he was. The next day he decided to try to earn something by selling vegetables. By a lucky chance he fell in with some dealers in vegetables, but as he did not know the customs of the country, his new undertaking was not favored with good fortune. Ruffians assaulted him, snatched his wares from him, and made a laughing-stock of him. The second night, which he was compelled to spend in the ruin again, a sly plan ripened in his mind. He arose and gathered together a crew of thirty lusty fellows. He took them to the graveyard, and bade them, in the name of the king, charge two hundred pieces of silver for every body they buried. Otherwise interment was to be prevented. In this way he succeeded in amassing great wealth within eight months. Not only did he acquire silver, gold, and precious gems, but also he attached a considerable force, armed and mounted, to his person. Read the rest of this entry »

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