Category Archives: Books

Resources on the Book of Revelation

Yesterday I received an Email from Dr. Georg S. Adamsen in Denmark, asking that I change the link to his Revelation Resources page on my Biblical Studies Info Page. First, let me say I appreciate his notifying me of the change. Many individuals ask to include a link but never notify us when they close down the page.

Revelation Resources is now presented in blog format. Adamsen describes the blog this way:

Revelation Resources – about 250 hand-picked references on valuable resources for the study of the Book of Revelation. Many topics have separate introductions…

My Old Testament in the Book of Revelation has been included at Revelation Resources for several years. I was pleasantly surprised this evening when I was checking the URL to see that the book is featured on this page (January 7).

Because the current publisher of the book does not have a marketing strategy many people think the book is out of print. You may secure a copy from the Florida College Bookstore. I wasn’t able to locate the book on the website, but you can send an Email to bookstore@floridacollege.edu for information. I think the book now sells for $4.95. I saw a used copy on Amazon recently for $59.96!

Jenkins, The Old Testament in the Book of Revelation

Florida College also recently reprinted my Studies in the Book of Revelation. It sells for $5.99. In my judgment this is an excellent source for a class study of the Revelation.

Jenkins, Studies in the Book of Revelation

Studies in the Book of Revelation (90 page paperback) is composed of these sections.

Introducing the Book at the End of the Bible
Worthy Is the Lamb
Saints Victorious
Does Revelation Teach Premillennialism?
Letters to the Seven Churches
Emperor Worship in the Book of Revelation

If you prefer to call Florida College Bookstore and speak to one of the friendly staff, use their toll free number (1-800-423-1648).

What does this have to do with travel, you wonder. The Revelation was written to the seven churches of Asia, the Roman province of Asia Minor, in the late first century A.D. The seven cities were Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Several of them have significant ruins that can be visited. We have included them on several study tours we call Steps of Paul and John, including Turkey, Greece, and the Aegean Islands. During the course of this tour we spend some time lecturing on the setting of the Book of Revelation. We plan to do that in May when we again visit these and other cities associated with Paul and John.

Temple of Roman Emperor Trajan at Pergamum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

This photo shows the reconstruction of the Temple of (Roman Emperor) Trajan ( A.D. 98-117). This was the second temple in Pergamum dedicated to the Emperor. The first temple in all of Asia was erected to Augustus in 29 B.C. Altogether Pergamum had three imperial temples.

The Middle East Conflict and the Bible

Shortly before the first Gulf War I pulled together some of the material I had prepared about various problem associated with the Middle East conflict and the Bible. After going through several printings I allowed Mark Roberts to put the material for sale online at BibleClassMaterial.com. A single copy may be purchased, or a church may secure a license to use the material in classes. Take a look.

The Middle East Conflict and the Bible by Ferrell Jenkins

The book deals with the Arab-Israeli problem, whether the modern state of Israel is in fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and other important issues. There is also material about Iraq and Islam. At the BibleClassMaterial website you will find more details about the content.

From Oban to Iona (and back)

This morning we left Oban on the ferry for the Isle of Mull. It took about 50 minutes. From there we drove about 1 1/2 hour on a single track road with pull over area to the end of the island. There we took another ferry for a few minutes to Iona in the Atlantic Ocean. These islands are part of the Inner Hebrides.
Along the way we had nice sunny weather. One of the beautiful sights was the lush pastures and contented sheep. Another was the heather growing along the roadside — the heather on the hill. In Brigadoon, one of the songs goes like this:

Can’t we two go walkin’ together, out beyond the valley of trees?
Out where there’s a hillside of heather, curtsyin’ gently in the breeze.
That’s what I’d like to do: see the heather–but with you.
The mist of May is in the gloamin’, and all the clouds are holdin’ still.
So take my hand and let’s go roamin’ through the heather on the hill.

Heather on the Hill. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

When we reached Iona it was windy and a bit chilly. In 597 A.D. Saint Columba came from Ireland to Iona to spread Christianity. From here Columba prepared the famous Book of Kells, an illuminated Gospels, now displayed in the Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland. It is not certain that anything remains on the island from the time of Columba, but there are numerous medieval ruins. Here is a photo of the ruins of the Iona Nunnery.

Iona Nunnery. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

By the time we left the island the rain had begun. This is the way it looked when our ferry arrived at the Isle of Mull to take us back to Oban.

The Oban-Mull Ferry in the rain. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

 

 

 

Psychological Study of Herod the Great

A historian from Tel Aviv University (Kasher) and a psychiatrist from Ben-Gurion Uniersity of the Negev (Witztum) have written King Herod: A Persecuted Persecutor: A Case Study in Psychohistory and Psychobiography. This book sells for $193, so I suspect that most of us will be satisfied to read a good review. Magen Broshi, a well-known Israeli archaeologist, has a review in Haaretz. Don’t expect this review to stay online very long. I suggest you go immediately and copy this good review.

With the recent interest in Herod due to the discovery of his tomb at the Herodium, this book is timely. If you had thought Herod was cruel, just wait till you read this.

I copy (print) article like the one mentioned above in Adobe PDF, and then save them in the appropriate folder on my computer (the new filing cabinet!).

HT: Paleojudaica.

Lonely Planet Turkey

Today I received the April, 2007, edition of Lonely Planet’s Turkey from Amazon. What a thrill to get a book that is so recently updated. The book totals 724 pages. Lonely Planet guides are most useful to independent travelers, but I find lots of good information even for someone on a tour. Today I checked several places that I have been studying about recently. I picked up a few interesting tidbits, but also observed that several important historical things are omitted. One guide is not enough. Many group travelers would be content with Turkey in the Eyewitness Travel Guides.

Visit our Biblical Studies Info Book Store and order either or both of these books.