New scholarship reconsiders the apostle St. Paul, who turned a Jewish sect into a world religion—and whose legacy remains contested two millennia later. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/xR5Oqq

I'm trilled to share a just-published article in Judaica with brilliant contributions by @mauat.bsky.social and @monikaamsler.bsky.social! An emphatic thanks to Monika for the vision, editorial care, and persistence it took to see this fantastic (all‑women!) issue through. judaica.ch/thematic-sec...

I recently sat down with C.J. Cornthwaite (www.footnotefamous.com) for a conversation on the Greco‑Roman contexts that shape how early Christian texts were written and read. Check it out! 🤓 Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QJY... More context here: robynfaithwalsh.com/latest/conve...

With contributions by @zafulotus.bsky.social @mauat.bsky.social, Julie van Pelt, Barbara Crostini and yours truly.

Not for the first time, I am begging for a dishy history podcast series on the Avignon papacy.

“I am thinking about tomorrow,” said Toad. “I am thinking about all of the many things that I will have to do.” “Yes,” said Frog, “tomorrow will be a very hard day for you.”

Toad sipped his tea. “Frog,” he asked, “are you making this up?” “Maybe yes and maybe no,” said Frog.

After a HECTIC day at work, my message to you is this: find someone or something in life that makes you feel like this.

An ancient woolly sock from #Roman Egypt - with a split between the big toe & the other toes so that you could wear it with sandles! #AncientBlueSky

Deadline is on Wednesday!

Broke: Cat Owner Woke: Cat Dad Bespoke: αἰλουροβοσκός, ailouroboskos ("herder of the sacred cats") * *A position for slaves of a temple of Bastet attested to in a Ptolemaic document.

Bis vor einigen Jahren waren die beiden von hinten beleuchtbaren Altäre für Sol und Luna aus dem Mithräum von #Mundelsheim wunderschön, das #Mithras- Relief von #Fellbach flankierend, präsentiert - im römischen Lapidarium im NeuenSchloss #Stuttgart, das inzwischen leider geschlossen ist. #Römer

I joined the Bible and Archaeology podcast to talk about “The Real Paul”—who he was (and wasn’t), early Christian texts, and whether or not Paul actually baptized a talking lion. 🤓 Check it out! 🎥 YouTube: youtu.be/sJqX-7NxVMg?... 🎧 Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Surely we didn’t miss #SuperbOwl 😅 As far as we’re concerned, owls are always in season and worthy of celebration! This charming Attic owl serves as a mascot for the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. With its inquistive expression, what's not to love!

Yessir that's my colleague Jorell Meléndez-Badillo (@jmelendezbadillo.bsky.social) and here's his history of Puerto Rico - available in English and Spanish press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

Which Superb Owl Are You Today? Every #SuperbOwl is from @newberrylibrary.bsky.social!

Call for papers for the Greco- Roman Religions Section for the November Annual Meeting of the SBL:

Remains of a war elephant and catapult ammunition from the Second Punic War found in Córdoba, a unique discovery in Europe www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/01/r...

The deadline is fast approaching! Apply for a Shohet Scholars Grant from the International Catacomb Society!

“The researchers suspect it once contained an ointment used for pain relief, because the woman’s skeleton shows signs of lesions and joint inflammation” I disagree. This looks exactly like a dice 🎲 box that you hold game pieces and dice in. As a Roman historian: I don’t think it’s ointments. 1/2

We also hope you'll join us on March 18 in person at Fordham University for a lecture with Candida Moss (@candidamoss.bsky.social) on "Who Wrote Your Bible? Enslaved Scribes and the Material History of Scripture"!

Congrats to all @scsclassics.bsky.social outreach award winners last night! Outreach sustains our field and grows our community to include everyone interested in the ancient world. Can’t thank @candidamoss.bsky.social, Anne Groton, @lexie-henning.bsky.social, & @tastinghistory.bsky.social enough.

The Apostle Paul:

So many of my recent pieces for National Geographic would have suffered were it not for my ability to link to the amazing resources supplied by @nasscal.bsky.social. If you are interested in early Christian literature you must check out this invaluable site. www.nasscal.com

The high quality of Hellenistic metalwork was applied to many everyday objects, including box mirrors, an example of which is below. This beautiful repoussé relief of a woman with a silver earring and necklace once covered a polished, reflective bronze surface within. 🏺 1/ #ancientbluesky 📸 me

What was the Star of Bethlehem and do we have historical evidence for it? www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti... Featuring astrophysicist Grant Matthews and Bible scholar @zafulotus.bsky.social

I didn't want to write this piece on Christmas stealing from pagan festivals because I have always thought that was a myth. BUT in researching it I realized something interesting 1/6 www.nationalgeographic.com/history/arti... featuring: @praxeas.bsky.social @zafulotus.bsky.social

I was delighted to visit Bible & Archaeology (bam.sites.uiowa.edu) recently to talk about early nativity scenes! 🤓 youtu.be/nKBm6FYKoEc?... We cover the catacombs, frescoes, Life of Brian. And it's the closest I've ever come to invoking "Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals"...

It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans. 🧵 1 of 9

Possibly the most sublime Roman fresco of a temple. The architectural detail of the spiky-topped wooden barrier, the painted relief in the pediment, & the offerings burning on the altar; it’s a symphony of observations. Archaeological Museum of Capri (no provenance) #FrescoFriday

🎉 SOLIDARITY SATURNALIA! 🎉 IO SATURNALIA! Our annual festive giveaway is here! 12 bundles of gifts, and all you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is: 🎄Follow us, 🎄Repost this thread, 🎄And fill out this form: forms.gle/zMcHKZqGNC... Read on for prizes and T&Cs (UK&I only)...🧵

The editors of the Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, @srollens.bsky.social & Robert Myles, have made it a space that does history in really *interesting* ways. Its articles are often resources for thinking critically not just about Jesus, but history and religion, and why they matter. 👍

Rome just opened two new Metro C stations featuring archaeological finds displayed inside Colosseo/Fori Imperiali, allowing commuters to experience ancient amphorae and Roman walls during their daily journeys.

Many thanks to @janheilmann.bsky.social for helping me publish a piece in Zeitschrift für Neues Testament: "Jenseits der Gemeinde. Eine Neubewertung der Entstehungskontexte der Evangelien." Please reach out for a copy! 🤓 www.narr.de/znt%20%E2%80...

Congratulations to @candidamoss.bsky.social for this honor!!God’s Ghostwriters is a field-altering book, as truly all of her work has been. 🤓

Finally getting some theological clarity on the ethics of reclining in one’s plane seat