A New Beginning of a New Life
Today I begin the first day of what I am calling my New Life. I officially stepped down as Chair of our Dept. of Religious Studies at UNC Charlotte after 10 years on July 1st, but then there was the …...
View ArticleThe Lubavitcher Rebbe As Messiah: Twenty Years After?
Do Lubavitch believe the Rebbe was the Messiah–twenty years after? This insightful piece by David Berger is long and complex but the article is well worth a careful reading for any wanting to...
View ArticleVisiting Jerusalem in 1873: A Virtual 3-D Time Machine
This incredible 13 x 17 foot zinc model of 19th century Jerusalem created was created by Hungarian Catholic Stephan Illes in the 1870s. It was first exhibited in 1873 at the Vienna International...
View ArticleShuka Dorfman z”l, Israel Antiquities Director, is Dead
“When the leftists think you are a rightist and when the rightists think you are a leftist, when the Haredi Jews think that you are not even Jewish, and when everyone attacks you – then you know that...
View ArticleTisha b’Av/The Ninth Day of the 5th Month: Its Meaning in History and Tradition
As sunset falls on this eighth day of the 5th lunar month, known in Judaism as the month of Av, Tisha b’Av–that is, the 9th of Av–is marked on the calendar. Last Sabbath (August 2nd or 6th of Av) began...
View ArticleThirty-five Years and Counting…
Tomorrow I begin my 36th year of university teaching…1979-2013 marking 35 years. I am as excited as I was the day I first walked into a university classroom in August, 1979 at the University of Notre...
View ArticleA Comprehensive Analysis of the Talpiot “Jesus Family” Tombs
You have heard about the “Jesus family tomb,” but If you have not read the book, check it out. It covers all the latest discoveries as well as a full and documented discussion of the three tombs on the...
View ArticleHand Made Baroque String Instruments from Vienna
If any of my blog readers have any interest in a hand-crafted Baroque stringed instrument–violin, viola, or cello, my son, Nathan Tabor, who lives in Vienna is one of the best among Luthiers with years...
View ArticleJesus Son of Mary…
Did you know that Joseph, husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is never mentioned in the gospel of Mark? Since Mark is our earliest gospel that seems all the more striking. Mark has no account of the...
View ArticleImagining the Shores of Magdala
This wonderful painting of the shores of Migdal or Magdala, home of Mary “the Magdalene,” was painted by my friend Daniela Ciubuc who traveled to Israel with us last year and gave it to us as a gift. I...
View ArticleRosh Hashanah: The Day of the Blast
Ever since I first began studying Judaism seriously as a young man, I have felt that there is something not quite right about Rosh Hashanah. In particular, there seems to be a complete disconnect...
View ArticleSpanking Children: The Bible Tells Me So?
The indictment of NFL player Adrian Peterson by a Texas grand jury for reckless or negligent injury to a child has generated an extensive discussion in the media on the topic of disciplining children...
View ArticleWho Was Gedaliah and Why Remember His Murder after 2500 Years?
Ross Nichols has a fascinating article on Gedaliah–a biblical figure whose name would register with very few people today outside of observant Jewish circles. Today marks one of the four “minor” fast...
View ArticleTwo Hairy Goats and Yom Kippur
One of the strangest ceremonies of ancient Judaism was that carried out on Yom Kippur with the “two hairy goats.” The ritual is described in Leviticus 16 in full detail. Two male goats were selected...
View Article13th Annual Davis Lectures Tonight: Last Days of Jesus
I am giving the 13th Annual Davis Lectures at Grace Baptist Church in Statesville, NC tonight and tomorrow night–Sun & Mon at 7:00pm. My topic is “The Last Days of Jesus: How Texts and...
View ArticleTaborBlog Just Tops 1,000,000 Page Views!
Yea! Pop the corks! My blog just topped 1,000,000 page views sometime today–this is since I installed the WordPresss Stats counter, which was in December 2009. I realize many Web pages get more...
View ArticleThe “Four Blood Moons” Nonsense: Why It Means Absolutely Nothing
Segments of the evangelical Christian and so-called “messianic” Jewish worlds are getting all stirred up by the “Four Blood Moons” nonsense being peddled by John Hagee in his latest bestselling book by...
View ArticleHappy Birthday to Jesus
Last night began the Jewish festival popularly known Sukkoth, the “feast of huts” or booths. The King James Version translated it as the “Feast of Tabernacles,” and that is how many thousands of...
View Article17th Annual BAS Bible and Archaeology Fest–The Word Is Out!
The program and all registration details are now out for the upcoming 17th Annual Biblical Archeology Bible and Archaeology Fest are posted. The line-up is pretty impressive. I love being called one of...
View ArticleApple Latest: Actually Believable
Okay, watched the Apple Keynote on the latest rollout of products, downloaded Yosemite and love it, will upgrade devices to iOS8.1 on Monday…life is good. For now I am sticking with our iMac, this Mac...
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