Posts by Kenneth Way

Kenneth Way

Kenneth Way's passion is teaching the Old Testament in its ancient Near Eastern environment. His research interests include the book of Judges, Israelite religion/archaeology, Northwest Semitic inscriptions and the fauna of the ancient Near East. He regularly presents at academic meetings and has been published in Ugarit-Forschungen, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Journal of Biblical Literature, Levant, and Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books. Ever since his college days, Way has sensed God's calling to teach Bible (especially Old Testament) in a classroom setting and to mentor students who desire more of God in their lives.

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The Good Book Blog
Strange Fire
Kenneth Way — November 30, 2012
What was the sin of Nadab and Abihu? The text of Leviticus 10:1-7 is ultimately unclear about this. One Pentateuch scholar aptly calls this an instance of “intentional ambiguity” on the part of the storyteller/author (see Schnittjer, 99, 324, 413-414). So perhaps we will never know the answer for sure. Nevertheless, many people have contemplated this question, and there are many suggestions out there. How do we evaluate the relative merits of these suggestions? Is there a way to distinguish the plausible theories from the implausible ones? I think so.
The Good Book Blog
A Day in the City of David
Kenneth Way — September 15, 2012
Where is one place that you can go in Jerusalem to see possible remains of King David’s palace, Nehemiah’s wall, Hezekiah’s tunnel, the Pool of Siloam and royal tombs? That would be the City of David, which is the name given to the small spur of land that extends southward from the Temple Mount. I want to share with you five highlights from this small area.
The Good Book Blog
Psalms Study Resources
Kenneth Way — August 15, 2012
I want to announce a new resource, as well as make a shameless plug, for small group Bible studies and Sunday School classes. It’s a DVD providing four 15-minute sessions about the book of Psalms. It is part of the new Deepening Life Together video series published by Baker Books, LifeTogether and Lamplighter Media.
The Good Book Blog
Digging Dan
Kenneth Way — July 12, 2012
I recently returned from an excavation at Tel Dan in Israel. The season was for four weeks (June 25-July 20, 2012), but I only stayed for the first two. I was accompanied by Ivan Haq, an MA-OT student at Talbot/Biola. Neither of us is a professional “field” archaeologist, but we paid for our room & board and flights and we offered our labor as volunteers.
The Good Book Blog
How to Keep Up: Reading, Writing and Networking
Kenneth Way — May 30, 2012
A frequently asked question from my graduate advisees is this: How do you keep up with the latest scholarship in your discipline? Or, how do you stay on the “cutting edge” in your academic field? There are at least five maintenance disciplines that come immediately to my mind.
The Good Book Blog
The Futility of Footnotes?
Kenneth Way — May 04, 2012
I was recently reflecting on my doctoral training and I realized that I learned a few things (ten, to be precise) beyond the actual subject matter of my discipline. For starters, I learned that footnotes can be overdone.
The Good Book Blog
Museum of Biblical & Sacred Writings Comes to Biola
Kenneth Way — April 18, 2012
The Museum of Biblical and Sacred Writings joins the Biola community and invites you to view a new exhibit.
The Good Book Blog
The Horror and Splendor of Human Sacrifice
Kenneth Way — March 19, 2012
Human sacrifice is at once a most disturbing and inspiring theme of the Scriptures. It can demonstrate both what is wrong with the world and what is right. Let me explain.
The Good Book Blog
Can You Dig It? (2012 Edition)
Kenneth Way — January 24, 2012
Early last year I did a blog post by this same title, and I want to revisit the subject again. Around this time every year the excitement begins to build for archaeologists and for those who are interested in archaeology. The reason for elation is that summer plans for excavation in Israel are announced every January. This summer, there are around twenty excavations in Israel that are open for volunteer participation. Yes, that means YOU can be a part of unearthing the next great discovery in Israel!
The Good Book Blog
Thinking in Circles about the Bible
Kenneth Way — November 23, 2011
One of the best books I have read in the last couple of years is Thinking in Circles (Yale, 2007) by Mary Douglas. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in hermeneutics, literary approaches to the Bible, or the cultural background of the Bible. It is a non-technical read that is filled with fresh and provocative insights, and since it is only about 150 pages, one could read it in just one or two sittings.
Biola Magazine
Handling ‘Heroes’ in Hebrews 11
Kenneth Way — September 19, 2011
The Last Word features posts from the Talbot School of Theology faculty blog, The Good Book Blog. An extended version of this post was first...
The Good Book Blog
Imitating God Our Rescuer
Kenneth Way — September 18, 2011
It’s a simple concept: God is our Rescuer, and we are to be imitators of God (Eph 5:1). Therefore, we should be rescuers of others.
The Good Book Blog
Donkeys in the Biblical World
Kenneth Way — August 23, 2011
My first book is finally available (http://www.eisenbrauns.com/item/WAYDONKEY )! It can tell you everything you never knew you needed to know about donkeys in the biblical world. It's actually quite a technical read since it began long ago as my dissertation project at Hebrew Union College (Cincinnati, OH). So it may not be the best book for, say, small group Bible studies or local book clubs. But if you want a dose of ancient Near Eastern and archaeological analysis, then this one is just for you.
The Good Book Blog
Handling "Heroes" in Hebrews 11
Kenneth Way — May 09, 2011
I can understand why the so-called “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11 includes luminaries like Abel and Enoch who have untarnished records in Genesis. I can also appreciate why imperfect people like Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses and Rahab are included among the faithful. But what about characters like Jephthah and Samson in Hebrews 11:32? These infamous figures from the book of Judges appear to be severely faith-challenged. So what are they doing in this august list?
The Good Book Blog
Can You Dig It?
Kenneth Way — April 06, 2011
Around this time every year the excitement begins to build. Well, at least this is true for archaeologists and for those who are interested in archaeology. The reason for elation is that summer plans for excavation in Israel are announced every spring. This summer, there are around twenty-two excavations in Israel that are open for volunteer participation. Yes, that’s right. YOU can be a part of unearthing the next great discovery in Israel!
The Good Book Blog
Hello, My Name Is YHWH
Kenneth Way — March 08, 2011
I recently read an article by a renowned scholar in an obscure publication that really got me thinking. The article was by the prolific Jewish commentator, Jacob Milgrom (“The Desecration of YHWH’s Name: Its Parameters and Significance” in Birkat Shalom: Studies in the Bible, Ancient Near Eastern Literature…Presented to Shalom M. Paul, eds., C. Cohen, et al., 69-81. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2008). Towards the end of the article Milgrom makes some compelling suggestions about the meaning of the name YHWH based on the testimony of God himself in the account of the burning bush (Exodus 3:9-15).
The Good Book Blog
Archaeologist James Hoffmeier to Speak at Biola
Kenneth Way — February 15, 2011
All faculty, students, and local alumni are encouraged to attend the lectures by James K. Hoffmeier who will be our guest for the annual Robert Saucy Lecture Series on March 1-3, 2011. His two chapel addresses (Tues./Thurs., 9:30 am; Calvary Chapel) will be respectively on "Yahweh Versus Pharaoh: God's Purposes in the Exodus" and "The Key to Finishing Strong: Lessons from the Life of Solomon." He will also offer an evening lecture that is open to the general public on "The Exodus From Egypt in Light of Recent Archaeological Evidence" (Wed., 7:30-9:00 PM in Mayers Auditorium [Marshburn Hall]).
The Good Book Blog
Why Did I Study With the Rabbis?
Kenneth Way — February 09, 2011
“Why did you study with the Rabbis?” This is a question I am often asked after people hear that I did my doctoral work at the Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion (in Cincinnati, OH). There are a number of good answers to this question, but I rarely get to explain my reasons in the course of a brief conversation. So I thought I would take this opportunity—in my very first blog post—to summarize why I chose to do doctoral study at a Jewish seminary.
Biola Magazine
The God of Noble Character?
Kenneth Way — February 28, 2009
Proverbs 31 is not just for mothers and wives. The poem to the “wife of noble character” is actually about wisdom itself. It is therefore equally...