William Hamblin and Daniel Peterson

Daniel C. Peterson, professor of Islamic studies and Arabic at BYU, is editor-in-chief of the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative and a blogger for Patheos. William Hamblin is a professor of history at BYU and co-author of “Solomon's Temple: Myth and History.” Their views do not necessarily represent those of BYU.

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Recent Articles by William Hamblin and Daniel Peterson

Henry VIII's war against the monasteries of England

Published: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 4:47 pm MDT

King Henry VIII of England is notorious for his many wives and for the horrible fates some of them met. But his historical impact, and the damage he did, transcends his colorful marital history.

Reading other people's scriptures requires sympathy, not just facts

Published: Friday, April 19, 2013 11:59 am MDT

Reading scriptural texts, whether our own or from elsewhere, merely as literature strips them of precisely what causes people to regard them as scripture. They are, in the eyes and hearts of believers, far more...

Christian beliefs are rooted in reliable early records

Published: Friday, April 5, 2013 11:02 am MDT

Written materials eventually wear out, fall apart and are discarded in our modern economy of disposable and replaceable abundance. But in the ancient world, papyrus scrolls and parchments were expensive and mor...

The holy light of Easter in Jerusalem

Published: Friday, March 22, 2013 10:54 am MDT

Each year at Easter, Orthodox Christians join in an ancient ritual symbolizing the spread of the light and hope of resurrection to the world from the traditional tomb of Christ in Jerusalem.

Papal conclaves offer not only pageantry but living history

Published: Friday, March 8, 2013 1:26 pm MST

Papal conclaves have changed over time, but they offer a fascinating window into both the Roman Catholic Church and the history of Europe.

Jainism is rooted in nonviolence

Published: Saturday, February 23, 2013 12:00 am MST

India is generally known as the land of Hindus, who form a majority of more than 80 percent. But actually, like the United States, India represents one of the most religiously complex and diverse regions of the...

Might as well pray to a rock

Published: Saturday, February 9, 2013 12:00 am MST

In a very famous story from the history of science, Galileo climbed to the top of the leaning bell tower at Pisa in order to refute Aristotle's teaching that bodies of different mass fall at different speeds.

Old Testament divine council called a 'sod'

Published: Saturday, January 26, 2013 12:00 am MST

An intriguing feature of the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible, is the divine council, a body of celestial beings who meet with God in divine deliberations.

'Allah' is not pagan term — it means 'God'

Published: Saturday, January 12, 2013 12:00 am MST

Many in the West know that Muslims worship "Allah." Especially among Evangelical Protestants, though, some are under the misimpression that the term "Allah" refers to a pagan moon deity from pre-Islamic Arabian...

Advent refers to Christ's 2nd Coming

Published: Saturday, December 15, 2012 12:00 am MST

Many Western Christians observe a season called "Advent" (from the Latin "adventus" or "coming") during the month before they celebrate Jesus Christ's Nativity at Christmas. Advent begins on the fourth Sunday p...

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