Tag Archives: ancient history

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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Book Review: The Government And Geography Of Ancient India

Posted on July 3, 2024 by nathanalbright

The Government And Geography Of Ancient India, by Gina Hagler This book touts itself as a model guide for student research on its subject matter, but if any student came to me with research taken from this book, it would … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Xenophon’s Retreat

Posted on March 11, 2024 by nathanalbright

Xenophon’s Retreat: Greece, Persia, And The End Of The Golden Age, by Robin Waterfield What is the value of a book like this, which seeks to summarize Anabasis by Xenophon, a classic work that had world-historical importance in showing to … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Empires Of Ancient Persia

Posted on March 1, 2024 by nathanalbright

Empires Of Ancient Persia (Great Empires Of The Past), by Michael Burgan Whether or not this is the author’s intention, this book is basically a juvenile version of the excellent work Shadows In The Desert, a book which this one … Continue reading →

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Book Review: A Short History Of Humanity

Posted on February 5, 2024 by nathanalbright

A Short History Of Humanity: A New History Of Old Europe, by Johannes Krause and Thomas Trappe, translated by Caroline Waight About the only thing to fault this book on, and that probably isn’t the fault of the authors, who appear … Continue reading →

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