Tag Archives: ancient history

Appendix: Biblical Case Studies on Church Governance, Authority, and Accountability

Posted on August 5, 2025 by nathanalbright

A. Moses: Delegated Authority, Humility, and Limits Text: Exodus 18; Numbers 12; Numbers 20:7–13 Key Principles: Delegation of Authority: Moses was advised by Jethro to appoint capable men to share in decision-making (Exodus 18:13–26). This sets a precedent for organized leadership … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Strategic Situation of the Late Assyrian Empire

Posted on August 4, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary In the late 7th century BCE, the Neo-Assyrian Empire stood at the apex of its territorial reach but simultaneously approached a tipping point that would soon lead to its catastrophic collapse. The empire’s political and military dominance over … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Recovering the Authentic Voice of Ignatius: The Syriac Recension, Apostolic Continuity, and the Survival of the Apostolic Pattern

Posted on August 2, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The textual history of the letters of Ignatius of Antioch is complex, with three principal recensions: the long Greek recension, the middle Greek recension, and the short Syriac recension. While scholarly consensus since the 19th century has favored … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Collateral Victims: How the Hostility Between Jews and Hellenizing Christians Marginalized Apostolic Sabbath Keepers

Posted on August 1, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary In the centuries following the apostolic era, a widening rift emerged between Jewish communities and the increasingly Gentile, Hellenizing forms of Christianity. While this hostility had complex political, cultural, and theological causes, one group was caught in the … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Negative Consequences of the Consolidation of Episcopal Authority in the Post-Apostolic Church

Posted on July 31, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract In the period following the apostles, the Christian church underwent a structural transformation from the collegial eldership model seen in the New Testament to a system in which a single bishop presided over each city. This transition, visible in … Continue reading →

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White Paper: How the Biblical Command Against Murder Became Misinterpreted as a General Prohibition on Killing

Posted on July 21, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary This white paper examines how the sixth commandment of the Hebrew Bible—traditionally rendered in English as “Thou shalt not kill”—came to be misunderstood and misinterpreted in much of modern thought as a blanket prohibition on all forms of … Continue reading →

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White Paper: From Shame to Modesty — The Changing Connotation of the Veil Between Genesis 38 and Modern Times

Posted on July 5, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary This white paper explores the meaning of the veil in the biblical account of Genesis 38, where Tamar veils herself to pose as a prostitute, and contrasts it with the modern connotation of the veil as a symbol … Continue reading →

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Theophilus in Scripture and History: An Essay

Posted on July 3, 2025 by nathanalbright

The figure of Theophilus appears only briefly in the New Testament, yet he occupies a significant role as the addressee of both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Despite his importance as the literary recipient of … Continue reading →

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Deciphering The Elamite Language

Posted on December 20, 2024 by nathanalbright

Elamite was the language of Elam, an ancient civilization centered in what is now southwestern Iran. The language was written in cuneiform script and was used from around 2300 BCE to 350 BCE. The decipherment of Elamite presents an interesting … Continue reading →

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The Decapolis: A Hellenistic Federation In The Levant

Posted on December 16, 2024 by nathanalbright

The Decapolis: A Hellenistic Federation in the Levant The Decapolis stands as one of the most fascinating examples of Hellenistic cultural persistence in the Near East, representing a loose federation of cities that maintained Greek cultural and political traditions well … Continue reading →

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