Digital Commons Network^™

Human Skeletal Remains From Ḥorbat Ma’Aravim (Hebrew, Pp. 7*–17*; English Summary, Pp. 234–235), Yossi Nagar

'Atiqot

Human skeletal remains were found in 83 cist graves in the Byzantine-period cemetery of Ḥorbat Ma’aravim. At least 121 individuals were identified, including infants, children and adults of both sexes, as is expected in a normal civilian population. The morphological characteristics of the skulls indicate a local desert population, perhaps Nabatean in origin.

Aspects Of Phoenician Burial Customs In The Roman Period In Light Of An Excavation Near El-Kabri (Kabri) (Pp. 91–123), Edna J. Stern, Nimrod Getzov

'Atiqot

Seven tombs were excavated, belonging to three types: three loculi (kokhim) tombs, with clay coffins; three shaft tombs; and one pit grave. The first two types date to the Late Roman period, and the third type, to the Ottoman period. The burial goods found within the Roman-period tombs are typical of Phoenician burials, thereby identifying the ethnic identity of the deceased. This observation is further confirmed by historical sources describing the geographical border between the Jewish and Phoenician populations in western Galilee during the second and third centuries CE.

Burials From The Intermediate Bronze Age And The Roman Period At Bet Dagan (Pp. 23–30), Martin Peilstöcker

'Atiqot

Nine tombs were excavated: seven dated to the Intermediate Bronze Age (IBA), and two, to the Early Roman period. The IBA tombs were all simple burial pits, dug into hamra soil. The Roman-period tombs were cist graves. The pottery finds from the IBA pits included a bowl, cups, jars, amphoriskoi and a lamp, all resembling Dever’s Southern Family. The finds from the Roman period comprised two pottery vessels and a rare bronze jug with a decorated handle.

A Middle Bronze Age Burial Cave At Tur‘An, Lilly Gershuny, Emanuel Eisenberg

'Atiqot

The burial cave, carved into limestone, consists of a square, vertical shaft and an elliptical room. The cave’s contents, which included pottery vessels, carnelian beads, a bronze toggle pin and a stone pommel, were scattered on a fill on the floor. Six adult individuals and one child were identified. The bones of sheep and cattle, which served as food offerings, were found as well. The pottery included bowls, a storage jar, a large krater with loop feet, jugs, dipper and piriform juglets, and a unique Tell el-Yahudiyeh juglet with a zoomorphic protome. The cave is a typical Early Bronze Age …

Doctor Of Ministry Final Portfolio: Addressing The Lack Of Christian Education In The Local Church Through Podcasting, Workshops, Flowcharts, And Advertisement For Ministry Launch, Tracy (Trey) Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Why Theology? The "Why Theology" question will be defended to highlight the truths of systematic theology. The truths of systematic theology within the biblical text are rooted in the doctrines of biblical truths. Answering the why question of theology within Christian education from a systematic theological perspective empowers the local church with doctrinal truths about God's nature, character, and identity. Introducing Christian education to the local ministry offers next-level learning opportunities and a learning center for theological education. Theological education may not solve the entire ministry problem of the local church, but theological education will answer the why and enhance …

The Apologetic Method Of Thomas B. Warren: A Presentation Of His Case And A Biblical Assessment, George F. Beals

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Philosopher of religion and biblical theist Thomas B. Warren insists that the philosopher and theologian, and all, must do more than try to collect information and leave the matter there. Especially when dealing with matters of great import, to make one’s case, one must take the added step of forming an argument. “What is your argument?” he often asked. Accordingly, he worked out a precisely worded argument, valid in form, all of whose premises, he believes, are true, that he then defends as the basic argument of biblical Christianity. He specifies that its conclusion is the overall theme of the …

Arguments For The Sovereignty Of God In The Book Of Job, Elizabeth J. Welch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The book of Job is a complex piece of wisdom literature studied for centuries using various methodologies to elucidate theological doctrines, biblical themes, and literary motifs. This dissertation aims to demonstrate that a midrashic form of exposition significantly expands the understanding of the Joban arguments for and against the sovereignty of God within the context of the ancient views of divine retribution and human suffering. Encapsulated in the legal motif, the disclosure and discussion of these views with associated themes, such as theocracy, theodicy, justice, and theophany, identified God’s sovereignty as the most prevalent doctrine in the book. The three …

A Philosophical, Theological, And Biblical Defense Of The Hebrew Concept Of Resurrection, Daniel M. Danciu

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project challenges the consensus view on the origins, hermeneutics, and validity of resurrection hope in Hebrew thought. It provides a scientific, philosophical, theological, and historical defense against minimalist and moderate perspectives. The case against the minimalists offers empirical evidence for an afterlife. It demonstrates that the Hebrew Bible discloses the afterlife and that early passages express the Hebrew concept of resurrection. New scientific data for near-death experiences, as well as the existence of the soul, which contradict specific neuroscience perspectives, support this argument. The practices such as necromancy and the resurrection of Jesus provide additional evidence for an afterlife, …

What Hath Jerusalem To Do With Chile: Towards An Evangelical Understanding Of The Enneagram And Its Usage For Spiritual Development, Wesley E. Scholtz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Currently, it is estimated that the personality testing market is worth approximately $2 billion. The Church has expressed interest in understanding personality types through various testing methods. The Enneagram offers a possibly ancient method to help people understand who they are in a spiritual capacity, which can be an aid in connecting more closely with God. This dissertation addressed the research gap that exists within the current literature which is the lack of data concerning whether adults who are professional, ordained ministers are aware of, use, and may be skeptical of the Enneagram. The research method in this dissertation was …

Intermediate And Middle Bronze Age Settlement Remains, Domestic Worship, Pits And Burial Practices In Nahal RefaʼIm, Jerusalem, Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah, Alexander Onn

'Atiqot

Excavations on the northern bank of the Refa’im Valley uncovered four sites: a shaft tomb and building remains with a standing stone dating to the Intermediate Bronze Age; a concentration of eight pits dating to the Intermediate Bronze Age and the Middle Bronze Age II; and an Ottoman-period agricultural watchtower. The building remains and installations were probably part of the Intermediate Bronze Age settlement along Naḥal Refa’im. The standing stone’s prominent location, and the large concentration of pits and installations near it, may support its identification with domestic worship. The thin fill at the bottom of some of the pits …

Figurines And Their Makers: A View From A Canaanite Cultic Enclosure At Tel Burna, Jon Ross, Itzhaq Shai

'Atiqot

Plaque figurines are a well-established Canaanite tradition of the Late Bronze Age Southern Levant. In this paper, we go beyond typology to consider who made these ritual objects at Tel Burna, based on impressions of fingerprints from shaping these figurines using an open mold. The lack of care exhibited on the backs and sides of the plaques has enabled a fingerprint analysis using proven biometric methods to clarify the demographics of their producers and the division of labor. Such analyses, when possible, potentially add another dimension to existing debates over how these cultic objects functioned in society, who made them …

The Emergence Of Worship And Religion In The Neolithic Period: Direct And Indirect Evidence From Moẓa (Motza), Hamoudi Khalaily, Anna Eirikh-Rose, Ianir Milevski

'Atiqot

Evidence of worship and religion in the form of architectural remains is rather scanty before the shift in human behavior, from hunter-gatherers to sedentary communities, and the emergence of permanent settlements. Communal and ritual structures first appeared in the Natufian culture (12,500–9400 BCE) and expanded during the Neolithic period (9400–5300 BCE), alongside the treatment of burials linked to ritual related to ancestor worship. The excavations at Motza’s Final PPNB (7100–6700 BCE) layer exposed many non-residential structures, some presumably used for worship and ritual. Some burials, including the one interpreted here as a shaman burial, included objects of symbolic importance. Cultic …

Front Matter & Editorial, The Editorial Board

'Atiqot

No abstract provided.

Rereading Nick Joaquin As A Devil’S Advocate “La Naval De Manila” (1943) In Context, Luisa L. Gomez

Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia

Nick Joaquin characterized himself as a “devil’s advocate” for taking contrarian positions in Philippine cultural history. His early essay “ La Naval de Manila” is taken as an example of such. A re-examination of the essay within its original context of the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines, however, reveals that Joaquin’s early historical imagination must be understood less as an act of rebellion and more as a product of negotiation. It navigates multiple audiences and overlapping empires—the Spanish past it venerates, the American period whose language it uses, and the Japanese present that enabled its publication. Its power lies not …

Early Bronze Age Fauna From Tel Lod, Edward F. Maher Maher

'Atiqot

The excavations at Tel Lod yielded a small zooarchaeological assemblage, primarily dating to Early Bronze Age IB (Strata VII–IV); the material from the latest occupation (Strata III–II) dates to late EB IB or the EB IB/EB II transition. The fauna of both phases is dominated by domestic stock, comprising sheep, goats, cattle and pigs, which were used both for primary products, such as meat, and secondary products, such as dairy, wool, hair, traction and for breeding. Wild animals, such as boar, gazelle, deer and hare, were also occasionally exploited.

Early Bronze Age Remains At Tel Lod, Amir Golani

'Atiqot

A rescue excavation conducted in the southwestern part of the Early Bronze Age mound at Lod exposed an intensive settlement. The architectural remains of Strata VI–IV demonstrate the use of rounded exterior corners for domestic structures, characteristic of the end of EB I and the transition into EB II. The architectural remains associated with Strata IV–III include large, possibly public buildings dating to the end of EB IB. The ceramic assemblages from Strata VII–II are typical of late EB I in central and southern Israel. Two Carbon-14 dates from Stratum IV indicate a date at the beginning of EB IB …

Early Bronze Age Ia Settlement Remains At Ḥorbat Ḥammim (South), Near Modi‘In, Edwin C.M. Van Den Brink, Liora Kolska Horwitz, Ofer Marder, Henk K. Mienis

'Atiqot

The excavation at Ḥorbat Ḥammim (South) yielded a rock-cut basin and a small cave within a limestone bedrock outcrop. The basin is similar to other rock-cut installations previously exposed in the area and dated to the Chalcolithic period.
The manmade rock-cut cave was entered through a shaft. The sediments from the shaft and the cave consisted of many potsherds, stone tools and animal bones, that may have been washed into the cave, or intentionally discarded in it. The cave may have been quarried as early as the Late Chalcolithic period, although the bulk of the pottery dates to EB IA, …

A Ceramic Zoomorphic Figurine From Tel Bet Yeraḥ, Nadeshda B. Knudsen

'Atiqot

A well-made ceramic zoomorphic figurine was recovered from a domestic EB IB context (Stratum V) in the southern part of Tel Bet Yeraḥ. The physical characteristics of this figurine suggest that it was intended to represent an equid, possibly a donkey. Such animal figurines are common at Early Bronze Age sites, usually representing familiar domesticate animals. The purpose of these figurines remains obscure, with multiple suggestions offered, including their use as toys, talismans, teaching aids, exchange tokens, or for rituals.

Early Bronze Age Remains In The Southern Part Of Tel Bet Yeraḥ, Amir Golani

'Atiqot

Five strata were exposed during a salvage excavation near the southwestern fringes of Tel Bet Yeraḥ: late EB I (Stratum V), EB II (Stratum IV) and EB III (Strata III–I). The direct superposition of the strata suggests a minimal time interval between the occupations and a nearly continuous habitation. The architectural remains attest that this area was domestic in nature, a conclusion further supported by the small finds, which include a large quantity of holemouth vessels, probably used as cooking pots, fauna, flint, ground stones and mollusks. This part of the site appears to have been finally abandoned in EB …

How Pentecostals Living In The United States Experience, Interpret, And Respond To Depression, Robert Mcbain

College of Theology and Ministry Dissertations, Projects, & Theses

The prevalence of depression in society underscores the need for awareness and support, particularly within Pentecostal communities, where depression remains underexplored. While studies suggest how the Christian context shapes depression, the literature lacks depth about the relationship between Pentecostalism and depression. This gap risks fostering misconceptions, marginalizing sufferers, and allowing dominant voices to impose stigmatizing interpretations that discourage external help and reinforce unrealistic norms. These repercussions emphasize the need to research the relationship between Pentecostalism and depression to address stigma, create supportive environments, and ensure that sufferers retain ownership of their mental health narratives. This dissertation contributes to this need …

Not Forgotten, A. Sue Russell, Rochelle Scheuermann, Amanda Allen

Academic Books

No abstract provided.

Birth And Rebirth: The Fish In Mesoamerican Art And Its Implication On Stela 5, Izapa, Chiapas, Mexico, Diane E. Wirth

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

A revealing analysis of fish iconography in Mesoamerica, in relation to the ancestral couple on Stela 5, Izapa, Chiapas, Mexico, holds an unforeseen element that may reveal a key to the Tree of Life referred to in the Book of Mormon. This key is supported by Mesoamerican, Hebrew, and Egyptian traditions.

Contributors

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 1: Book Of Mormon Animals, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 2: Warfare In The Book Of Mormon, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 4: Ancient Culture, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chapter 8: Events In Third Nephi, Matthew Roper

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Calvin Forum: Winter 2025, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 35., WINTER 2025

Main Features: 2 - Letter from the President

6 - Where are the Pastors?

10 - Formation of Leaders in a Liminal season

16 - Where do Pastors come from?

23 - The minister as a manager of the mysteries of God

29 - Pastors are there and will be there

34 - Who will disciple the next generation of Disciple-makers?

39 - Raising up Ministry Leaders from the next generation

42 - Training Ministry leaders from the next generation

48 - Hope in the ruins

55 - A journey through Seminary in …