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Evangelical

2026-07-25T14:45:51-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Oldest Church in eastern Turkiye— St. Jacob’s Church

Last updated on: July 25, 2026 at 2:45 pm By Ben Witherington

Notice the ‘Box of Help’. This building apparently is only used for special services… Mardin was on the major trade routes for all sorts of commerce, including on the silk and spice trades… Interestingly, it appears that the earliest church here was built on top of the ruins of a Zoroastrian temple. Read more

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Ephrem of Syria was here

2026-07-25T11:30:19-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Mardin on the Margins– Part Two

Last updated on: July 25, 2026 at 11:30 am By Ben Witherington

There is a fine little archaeology museum in Mardin and the following pictures come from there. I’m thankful we got to visit it. This is the view from the museum out into the desert and on the horizon is indeed Syria. The Museum is up those stairs, and has considerable holdings for a small museum. Most Christians are unaware that the Byzantine Empire lasted a lot longer than the Roman Empire, in fact it lasted until the Osmanli Muslims (otherwise... Read more

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You see em at the Museum

2026-07-25T14:14:31-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Monastery at Midyat

Last updated on: July 25, 2026 at 2:14 pm By Ben Witherington

The monastery is just as large as the one at Mardin, and actually has the name of Gabriel monastery. On the left in the first picture you can see the dormitory where the refugees from Syria will have stayed. This monastery is right on the border of Syria. There are various pictures of the previous bishops and monks who have lived and served here. It is claimed to have been founded by St. Samuel in 397 A.D. but the buildings... Read more

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More monasteries

2026-07-25T10:57:22-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Mardin on the Margins

Last updated on: July 25, 2026 at 10:57 am By Ben Witherington

The city of Mardin is located in Turkiye but very close to the border with Syria. During the Syrian war, many Syrian orthodox Christians fled to Mardin and Midyat, which was even closer to the border, and took refuge in the Orthodox monasteries in those two cities. With the war over, many have gone back to Syria, but the monasteries are still alive and well. I and three of my doctoral students and my friend and constant guide in Turkiye,... Read more

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Serious Syriac

2026-07-24T10:11:13-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Martyrdom of Polycarp– a Review

Last updated on: July 24, 2026 at 10:11 am By Ben Witherington

Clayton Croy, The Martyrdom of Polycarp. Translation, Introduction, and Commentary, (Leiden/Boston: E.J. Brill, 2026), 394 pages. Of late, Izmir (=ancient Smyrna) has become a beehive of activity about early Christianity. The excavations at the ancient harbor area, have produced walls with interesting graffiti of ships, and fish symbols, leading to speculation that possibly early Christians in Smyrna. (see Rev. 2-3) were signaling to Christ followers coming to town where they might begin to find their fellow believers. ... Read more

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A persecution complex?

2026-07-13T16:36:07-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Paul’s Anatolian Harbors- by Mark Wilson

Last updated on: July 13, 2026 at 4:36 pm By Ben Witherington

Sometimes, the best things come in small packages, or in this case books. This book is only 120 pages long but it is loaded with information and beautiful pictures of the various harbors along the coast of Turkiye (i.e. Anatolia). Had Mark chosen to do all the harbors Paul visited outside of Turkiye, for instance in Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, and Italy the book could have been considerably longer. But considering the detail research and work that went into... Read more

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The truth about history will set you free

2026-07-07T17:06:37-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

After All

Last updated on: July 7, 2026 at 5:06 pm By Ben Witherington

The death mask of Lincoln AFTER ALL After all the wars are over, And all the battles won After all the blood’s been spilt From here to Kingdom come Do you think it really matters In the larger scheme of things That this nation took the prize And that one got no rings? So what if one endures longer Outlasting all their foes While another bit the dust And sooner tasted woes. For all Empires rise and fall... Read more

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Exercises in fultility

2026-07-11T20:30:44-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jason Borges’ Christian Life in the Greco-Roman City

Last updated on: July 11, 2026 at 8:30 pm By Ben Witherington

It is not often you come across a book by a young scholar at the beginning of his career that reflects this much good research in primary sources, and this much critical acumen to analyze the data accurately. In addition, this book fills a void in NT scholarship, is not hard to read, and pushes the conversation forward on several fronts. The focus of the book is on civic culture and how understanding its influence enhances our understanding of various... Read more

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The only good bookworm is a human one.

2026-07-16T21:12:52-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Odyssey– The Review

Last updated on: July 16, 2026 at 9:12 pm By Ben Witherington

Christopher Nolan’s colossal retelling of the epic The Odyssey, clocking in at 2 hours and 52 minutes has a bit of everything– big stars, a big plot chock full of all kinds of interesting vignettes and episodes producing non-stop action, the first movie ever made totally in IMAX, good acting, absolutely no CG (yes those huge number of men dragging the Trojan horse into Troy and really some of the 1500 extras in this film). And in total. IMAX everything... Read more

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Show me the way to go home

2026-07-14T20:05:50-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Brief Explanation of the Odyssey

Last updated on: July 14, 2026 at 8:05 pm By Ben Witherington

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Cyclops!

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