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Roger D. Isaacs

@rogerdisaacs.bsky.social

100 followers 37 following 230 posts

Researcher and author specialising in Hebrew Bible studies. Member of the Advisory Council - Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, University of Chicago Learn more about my work at talkingwithgod.net

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Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Nov 21

Hey there! If you're into Hebrew Bible studies, ancient cultures, or just love a good chat about archaeology (maybe even the Ark of the Covenant 👀), let's connect! Whether you're a fellow scholar or just curious about the ancient world, I’d love to swap ideas and discoveries. 🏺📜

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 29

Even if you know the Babylonian flood stories that predate Genesis, the differences matter more than the similarities. Those shifts reveal how ancient Israel saw itself, God, and its place in the world. #AncientTexts #BiblicalStudies #History

www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archae...

Noah and the Flood

Explore how the Biblical account of Noah’s Flood reveals ancient Near Eastern influences and distinctive theological insights. Learn how flood stories from Mesopotamia compare and contrast with the Ge...

www.biblicalarchaeology.org

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 19

Passover recalls lamb’s blood on doorposts, a onetime act never repeated. Yet later, blood was used for protection in the Wilderness. Why the change? Talking With God explores the deeper meaning. #Passover #Exodus #BibleStudy

Once Upon the Doorposts

Read the original article at Medium The season of Passover celebrates the freeing of the Hebrews from their years of slavery in Egypt. There was only one reason they were able to make a safe…

talkingwithgod.net

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 18

Chicago, once the humanities’ stronghold, froze PhD admissions across every department. If the “scholars’ scholars” cave to market logic, the endgame isn’t underfunding: it’s erasure. #Humanities #Academia #PhD

If the University of Chicago Won’t Defend the Humanities, Who Will?

Why it matters that the University of Chicago is pausing admissions to doctoral programs in literature, the arts, and languages

www.theatlantic.com

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 18

Why does “the anger of the Lord” spark so much interest? Are we drawn to divine wrath—or to our own struggles with anger? From Cain to Moses, anger fuels both destruction & justice. What does it mean for us today? #Anger #BibleStudy #Faith

talkingwithgod.net/2011/05/25/m...

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 17

Your favorite artifact might be rotting because of its display case. New research: the Conservation Soft Box seals artifacts in pollutant-free, customizable micro-environments. A quiet revolution in heritage care. #Museums #Preservation #Innovation

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 17

Exod. 28 & Num. 27: urim & thummim appear rarely, yet always in contexts of divine inquiry. Linguistic links (Hebrew zawchar, Akkadian zakaru, Ugaritic zg) suggest “stones of communication” rather than mere memorials. #BiblicalStudies #Philology #AncientNearEast

talkingwithgod.net/2012/04/20/u...

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 16

In the Song of Songs, the pomegranate marks love & enticement. Exodus & Kings place it on priestly garments & temple capitals. By the 13th c., de León cast it as Shekhinah itself, its seeds embodying the commandments. #BiblicalStudies #Mysticism #Symbolism

The Pomegranate in History and Myth - JSTOR Daily

Used heavily in early medicine and at times for opposing aims, the pomegranate shows a marked versatility in its cultural connotations and connections.

daily.jstor.org

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 16

Did God step back after Sinai? The laws were given, the covenant made—but communication grew rare. God’s role was legislative, leaving people to live by the rules. Beyond that, a personal God, not a national one. #Theology #BibleStudy #God

God’s Nature, Love and Life After Death (Part 2)

His nature and will and role in the universe Now searching Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers for “His nature and will and role in the universe,” it seems to me that the purpose of God from Abraham to …

talkingwithgod.net

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 15

Archaeologists in Türkiye found a 3,500-year-old dining set 🍷🍽️—jug, pot, and plate—still together after millennia! Toys, goddess figurines, and merchant silver nearby show daily life & belief in ancient Anatolia. #Archaeology #Anatolia #History

3,500-Year-Old Dining Set Found at Konya Karahöyük, in Türkiye

Archaeologists in Türkiye have uncovered an extraordinary 3,500-year-old dining set, including a jug, plate, and cup, during excavations at Konya’s...

arkeonews.net

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 15

The Ophel Inscription remains contested: Proto-Canaanite? Early Alphabetic? Hebrew? Galil’s reading = low-quality wine marked in a king’s regnal year. Minimalists & sensationalists clash; nuance is needed. #Epigraphy #Archaeology #BiblicalStudies

The Ophel Inscription Debate

Last year’s discovery in Jerusalem of an inscription on a broken piece of a ceramic jar has been greeted with much excitement and the usual arguments within the archaeological community as to its s…

talkingwithgod.net

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 14

New excavations at Çatalhöyük reveal sacred spaces: a “House of the Dead,” ritual platforms, & painted walls. Early urban life blended domestic and spiritual worlds.

#Neolithic #Çatalhöyük #WorldHeritage #AncientRitual

Çatalhöyük excavations uncover “House of the Dead” with evidence of ritual practices

Archaeologists uncover ritual buildings and burials at Çatalhöyük, revealing spiritual practices in one of Türkiye’s earliest towns.

archaeologymag.com

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 14

Why was Moses barred from Canaan? At Meribah (Num 20), the issue wasn’t striking a rock, it was forgetting to protect Israel when God’s glory appeared. A lapse in sacred duty, not mere temper. 📜⛅️

#BibleStudy #Numbers #Moses #Canaan #BiblicalInsight

Was God unfair to Moses?

Debby’s supposition is very interesting, and it brings up two points about how I’ve gone about writing Talking With God. First, in all my research throughout the book, I have tried my best to stick…

talkingwithgod.net

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 13

Plutarch’s De Facie may hint at Greek voyages to N. America in the 1st century. Using eclipse data & Saturn’s alignment, Dr. Liritzis dates such a journey to 56–58. Some scholars see possibility; many remain skeptical. #Archaeology #AncientHistory #GreekStudies

greekreporter.com/2025/08/29/a...

Did Ancient Greeks Reach America Long Before Columbus? - GreekReporter.com

The suggestion that ancient Greeks reached America before Columbus may seem far-fetched, but certain researchers think otherwise

greekreporter.com

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 13

What was the Ark of the Testimony for? ⚡ In Talking With God, Roger Isaacs redefines words like holy, sin & glory, uncovering meanings lost in translation. A mind-expanding look at ancient Israelite practice. #BibleStudy #Theology #AncientHistory

talkingwithgod.net/why-read-tal...

Reposted by Roger D. Isaacs

Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · Sep 13

I am amazed and delighted to announce that my book 'The Road to Mons Graupius' has been longlisted for the Saltires, Scotland's National Book Awards! www.thesaltires.org.uk
#RomanSiteSaturday

The cover of the book The Road to Mons Graupius, which features a Roman bronze mask superimposed on an image of a Roman road running through trees.

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Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 12

Deciphering lost scripts takes brilliance—and a touch of madness. 🌀 From Champollion to Ventris, each breakthrough unlocked voices long silent. Now Linear Elamite may have joined the list. Could we be hearing Elam again after 4,000 years? #Archaeology #AncientScripts #History

Tom Stevenson · Beyond Mesopotamia: Linear Elamite Deciphered

Three things are necessary to decipher ancient writing. You need lots of examples of the script. You need a good...

www.lrb.co.uk

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 12

Isaacs traces the semantic shift from edut (communication) in Exodus–Numbers to b’rith (covenant) in Deuteronomy. The ark’s function changed from technical to theological—a shift mirrored in modern search patterns. #BiblicalStudies #Hebrew #Theology

In the Spirit of Lexical Curiosity

In the spirit of lexical curiosity, which originally drove me to write Talking With God, I did a bit of Google research to see how people are accessing information about the same ancient words I st…

talkingwithgod.net

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 11

Ancient recycling? 🧵 Bronze Age wicks from Newe Efrayim were made from old textiles, reused to light oil lamps. Early innovation or necessity—or both? #AncientTech #Archaeology #SustainabilityHistory

publications.iaa.org.il

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 11

Why a whole book on a gold-covered box? 🗝️ The Ark of the Covenant has inspired awe, fear, wars, films, and endless questions. Roger D. Isaacs reveals the one correct, text-based purpose. #TheGoldenArk #BibleStudy #AncientHistory

What’s inside The Golden Ark?

The Golden Ark: A Pictorial History By Roger Isaacs Roger D. Isaacs wrote this graphic book with one goal in mind: to explain the actual purpose of the ark. Why devote an entire pictorial volume to…

talkingwithgod.net

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 10

A 2,200-year-old gold coin of Queen Berenice II has been unearthed in Jerusalem’s City of David, making it the first ever found in a controlled dig. It’ll be on display this September. Would you go see it? #Archaeology #AncientHistory #Jerusalem

Rarest gold coin of Queen Berenice II of Egypt discovered in Jerusalem.

A 2,200-year-old gold coin with a portrait of Berenice II, Hellenistic queen of Egypt, has surfaced in excavations at the City of David in Jerusalem. This is the first time such a specimen has been…

www.finestresullarte.info

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Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 10

Archaeologists dated Jerusalem’s Siloam Dam to 800 BCE ⛲. Built amid droughts & floods, it redirected spring waters into a massive reservoir. A bold response to crisis—or a display of power? #Archaeology #Jerusalem #AncientHistory

Radiocarbon dating of Jerusalem’s Siloam Dam links climate data and major waterworks | PNAS

Using well-established microarchaeological sampling methods, we reached a precise radiocarbon date of 800 BC for the Siloam Pool’s monumental water...

www.pnas.org

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 9

Ever noticed the palmette motif 🌿 in ancient art? In Iron Age Judah, it wasn’t decoration, it symbolised divinity & royal authority. New research shows Assyrian influence reshaped its meaning. What do you think symbols can reveal? #Archaeology #AncientHistory

Rooted in power: the transformation of the palmette motif from an elite symbol to a marker of royal authority in Iron Age Judah

The palmette, a representation of the sacred tree, was a prevalent motif in the southern Levant, often associated with divinity and royal authority. Its earliest attestations in Iron Age Judah date...

www.tandfonline.com

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 9

The Hebrew kodesh, often rendered “holy,” may be a mistranslation. Alternative readings suggest a different nuance, reshaping our understanding of ancient practices. How should we translate it today? #BiblicalStudies #Hebrew #Theology

talkingwithgod.net/2010/08/22/h...

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 8

Ancient Egyptians worshipped crocodiles then sacrificed and mummified them. 🐊 A new study of a 2.2m mummy reveals a fish hook still inside. What do you make of this ritual devotion? #Archaeology #AncientEgypt

Why Did The Ancient Egyptians Worship And Sacrifice Crocodiles? - GreekReporter.com

Ancient Egyptians once worshipped crocodiles, offering them bread, meat and wine, and also sacrificing and mummifying them.

greekreporter.com

Roger D. Isaacs @rogerdisaacs.bsky.social · Sep 8

Roger D. Isaacs, in Talking With God & The Golden Ark, argues that familiar biblical terms have been mistranslated. Their original meanings reshape how we view ancient rituals. Do new translations unlock new truths? #BiblicalStudies #History

talkingwithgod.net/2010/08/17/1...