Mythicist Papers

In my 2015 book NazarethGate (Chp. 6) I showed that Dark’s main conclusion is untenable: there was no Roman-period dwelling at the Sisters of Nazareth site (see post #4). Of course, this should surprise no one, for the venue is the site of a Roman-period tomb complex. The walls are low and rock cut, suitable for agricultural installations but not for the domestic habitation that Dark proposes, a “model courtyard house” with bedroom, living room, upper story room, and storeroom (2012:51–52). In fact, many of the Early Roman-era walls that Dark claims are conjectural (NG 107–12). In my 2015 book I concluded that there was an “evident disconnect between the underlying physical remains and Dark’s reconstruction” (NG 108). Dark’s recent … Continue reading →

General Overview and Series Landing Page This post is part of an ongoing series examining Ken Dark’s three recent books on Nazareth archaeology (2020 – 2023). The series focuses specifically on the archaeologist’s claims about the first century CE, especially his argument that a dwelling “from the time of Jesus” existed at the Sisters of Nazareth site. Topics include kokhim, Galilean chronology, rolling stones, and superposition. I will be posting an expanded and fully footnoted version of this critique to Academia.edu after the series concludes. General Overview (Mobile) and Series Landing Page This post is part of a series examining Ken Dark’s recent claims about first‑century Nazareth. The focus: his argument for a dwelling “from the time of Jesus” at … Continue reading →

General Overview and Series Landing Page This post is part of an ongoing series examining Ken Dark’s three recent books on Nazareth archaeology (2020 – 2023). The series focuses specifically on the archaeologist’s claims about the first century CE, especially his argument that a dwelling “from the time of Jesus” existed at the Sisters of Nazareth site. Topics include kokhim, Galilean chronology, rolling stones, and superposition. I will be posting an expanded and fully footnoted version of this critique to Academia.edu after the series concludes. General Overview (Mobile) and Series Landing Page This post is part of a series examining Ken Dark’s recent claims about first‑century Nazareth. The focus: his argument for a dwelling “from the time of Jesus” at … Continue reading →