Cumberland Academy

Apocrypha were transmitted throughout Christian history

It was once believed that after the Church had determined the contents of the canon, all of these additional (non-canonical) texts were abandoned, hidden or destroyed. In “‘Lost Gospels’—Lost No More” in the September/October 2016 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Biblical scholar Tony Burke challenges this assertion." The word “Apocrypha” means “Secret,” but by the… Continue reading Apocrypha were transmitted throughout Christian history

Cumberland Academy

The Bible reflects an intimate knowledge of herbs and spices

In ancient times, herbs—the edible leaves, blossoms and soft stems of annuals and perennials—were used primarily as medicine. According to the apocryphal Book of Jubilees,1 angels revealed to Noah all the illnesses of the world and their remedies so that he could “heal by means of the herbs of the earth” (Jubilees 10:12). The Bible… Continue reading The Bible reflects an intimate knowledge of herbs and spices

Cumberland Academy

Forgotten Foes — The US-Mexican War

Historian Brian DeLay unearths the forgotten role played by Native Americans in the U.S.–Mexican War. Zones of interethnic conflict in northern Mexico, circa 1844.(Image courtesy of Brian DeLay.) https://clas.berkeley.edu/publications/us-mexican-war-forgotten-foes "Consider the U.S.–Mexican War of 1846 to 1848. Historians on both sides of the border have framed the war as a story about states. They’ve crafted… Continue reading Forgotten Foes — The US-Mexican War