By Dr. Don Bierle, FaithSearch President

Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and arrayed Him in a purple robe…Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” (John 19:1,2,5 [Emphasis added]).

Christmas is in the rearview mirror and the headlights barely reveal the coming Easter celebration. But archaeology is already helping to illuminate some interesting details about the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. 

In 35 BC, Herod the Great built the Antonia Fortress to protect Jerusalem’s vulnerability to attack from the north. This palace or citadel was placed at the northwest corner of the Temple mount. Its towers stood 115 feet high with underground passageways that gave access to the city and the mount. Its footprint was more than the size of a football field, plus additional surrounding area. It served as headquarters for the Roman army in Jerusalem. At times, Roman Governors would stay there during visits. 

By Dr. Don Bierle, FaithSearch President

Is God knowable? All the religions of the world would answer “No” – except one. Christianity alone claims that God has made Himself known in history. The apostle John shows his excitement as he begins his first letter, 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared, we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard…

1 John 1:1-3 NIV, emphasis added

By Dr. Don Bierle, FaithSearch President

This year, 2022, marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the first Dead Sea Scroll discoveries in 1947, by some shepherds exploring caves on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. Subsequently, an amazing library of hundreds of scrolls and thousands of fragments were uncovered in eleven caves, with texts dating from the third century B.C. to the first century A.D.

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