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“on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal” (Judges 6:32). Archaeologists excavating at a site called Khirbet al-Ra‘i, a site located about 4 km west of Tel Lachish, have found an ancient jug with an inscription written in Proto-Canaanite. A palaeographic study of the inscription reveals that the writing is consistent with the archaeological context of the site, thus the inscription is dated to the…

The manuscript for my book Divine Violence and the Character of God has been accepted for publication. The book will be published probably next January. The research, the writing, and the editing of the manuscript took more than one year of my time. This is the reason I have not published my blog as often as before. There is much violence in the Old Testament, both human and divine. Christians…

On August 16, 2005, with the help of my son JR Mariottini, I began blogging for the first time. My first post was a simple message, a message in which I announced that I was beginning to post articles dealing primarily with the Old Testament and archaeological issues related to the Old Testament. On August 16, 2021, I will celebrate the 16th anniversary of my blog. From a humble beginning, where,…

Standing Stones: Marking Our Defining Moments – Encountering God’s Presence

The people of Israel used standing stones to mark defining moments in their lives and in the history of their nation. These standing columns were erected to celebrate special occasions in the life of an individual. Absalom erected a standing stone as a memorial to himself. His monument was designed to keep his name in remembrance in Israel since he had no sons (2 Samuel 18:18). When Rachel died,…

God’s Promise to Abraham

The call of Abraham is the beginning of a story of holiness, mission, and community. Abraham left a legacy that affects all believers today. He became a “model for living as a sojourner in a foreign land.” Abraham’s legacy as a model of a believer living as a sojourner in a foreign land is based in part on God’s promise to Abraham. At the time God called Abraham, God told Abraham to leave his…

Introduction to 1–2 Chronicles

The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles were the focus of scholarly debate in the nineteen and twenty centuries. This debate centered on the issue of authorship and the relation of 1 and 2 Chronicles to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Today I begin a series of studies on 1 and 2 Chronicles. These studies will address several topics, including the historical background of the book, the date and authorship…

Samuel: Lessons From a Remarkable Child – Hearing God

The story of the boyhood of Samuel is remarkable because the young Samuel lived with a dysfunctional family and yet the evil ways of Eli’s son did not diminish Samuel’s commitment to serve the Lord. Samuel’s father and mother had committed their son to God and from early in his infancy, Samuel was brought to Shiloh and entrusted to Eli so that the boy would grow up to serve God. It was in the…

A Father’s Day Meditation: The Challenges of Parenthood

There are many genealogies in the Old Testament. The first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles are composed of a series of genealogies. Most people who read the Bible regularly, generally skip these genealogies because they are boring to read. It is true that a simple list of names may be irrelevant to many, but they display the complicated relationships between distant generations and provide…

Samuel: Lessons From a Remarkable Child – Living Upstream

After Hannah had dedicated her son to the Lord and had left Samuel with Eli at Shiloh, she and her husband Elkanah returned home to Ramah. Samuel remained in Shiloh to serve the LORD under the tutelage of Eli the priest. Since the days of his dedication, Samuel was being trained as an apprentice of Eli. Three times the biblical writer affirms that Samuel was ministering to the Lord as Eli’s…

The Queen Mothers of the Kingdom

Valerie McQueen, a reader of my blog, wrote two small books that are filled with good material that can be used is small Bible study groups. The first book is Queen Mothers of the Kingdom: Mothers of the Kings of Judah. In this book Valerie studies the role of the Gebirah in the kingdom of Judah. The Gebirah was the official title of the mother of the ruling king of Judah. After introducing the…

God’s Commitment and Human Faithfulness

Although the Bible is the most beloved and the most read book in the world, it is probably also the most misunderstood. One of the reasons for this condition is that many people read the Bible but never take time to study it in detail. People who love the Bible read those holy words for knowledge, edification, and spiritual nourishment. They may read the words of the Old Testament over and over…

Ramesses II was probably the greatest pharaohs who ruled Egypt. This is the reason he is known as Ramesses the Great. “Ramesses II was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom, itself the most powerful period of Ancient Egypt” (Wikipedia). Ramesses II ruled over Egypt for more than…

The Call to the Ministry and the Community of Faith

Can a person have a call to the ministry if nobody else hears it? What role does the community of faith have in the life of a person who hears the voice of God calling them to the ministry? In deciding who should be in the ministry, the community of faith must consider the call of an individual. How can a community of faith determine whether an individual’s call from God is genuine? The answer is…

Samuel: Lessons From a Remarkable Child – Dedication

The birth of Samuel is evidence that God answers prayers. Hannah was unable to give children to her husband, so she went to God in prayer, asking him to give her a son. Hannah prayed for a son for a long time. Her rival, Peninnah had “sons and daughters” (1 Samuel 1:4), a clear indication that her struggle to conceive lasted several years. Although Hannah’s prayers went unanswered for many years,…

The Sermons of Jeff Griffin

Over the past several months, I have written a series of posts based on sermons preached by Jeff Griffin, my pastor. Jeff Griffin is the Senior Pastor of The Compass Church in Naperville, Illinois. Jeff is a great preacher who loves the Old Testament and archaeology and often uses archaeological discoveries to illustrate his sermons. Jeff has been the Senior Pastor of The Compass Church since…

Samuel: Lessons From a Remarkable Child – Broken Dreams

The ministry of Samuel took place during a crucial time in the life of Israel. Many people who read the Old Testament do not realize the important work of Samuel as a leader at a time when Israel was facing its greatest challenge as a nation. During his lifetime, Samuel serves as a priest, as a judge, and as a prophet. During his many years of service, Israel had to fight for its survival. The…

The Old Testament contains stories of many remarkable women whose lives have inspired other women throughout the ages. Out of all the stories about these amazing women, one that has captivated the hearts of many is the story of Esther, a Jewish woman who became the Queen of Persia. Queen Esther is better known for her willingness to sacrifice her life to save her people. At a time when the Jewish…