Elitzur, Yoel, and Doron Nir-Zevi.  “A Rock-Hewn Altar Near Shiloh.”  Palestine Exploration Quarterly 135, no. 1 (2003): 30-36. [Israel/Shiloh/Furnishings]

Abstract:  The Bible refers frequently to sacrifices offered on high places (bamot) and altars ‘on every high hill and under every leafy tree’. Archeological finds in the Land of Israel, however, include only a few altars for animal sacrifices. The altar described here is unique, an unprecedented find in the Land of Israel. It is hewn in the rock about 1.5 km west of Shiloh, in an area quite rich in ancient ruins and near a spring. There are no building remains, nor pottery relevant to the period, in its immediate vicinity. At the side is flat, blackened stone, apparently broken off the altar top because of the heat of its fire. The altar has four ‘horns’ and a levelled top, and its dimensions resemble those of the altar in the book of Exodus (27. 1–2). It stands not on a summit but in mid-slope. It may thus be conjectured that the altar was Israelite and used for monotheistic worship. The orientation of the altar is interesting: its corners, rather than its sides, are aligned with the four cardinal directions (north and south, east and west). In this respect the altar is similar to that discovered on Mount Ebal. The altar shares some features with ‘Manoah’s altar’ below ancient Zor’ah; however, there are some basic differences, and the Shiloh altar is much more impressive

Faust, James E. “Standing in Holy Places.” Ensign 36 (May 2006): 62, 67-68. [Mormon/Sacred Space]

Because of the encroachments of the world in our lives, in order to be holy we must stand in holy places. Elder Faust mentions three: the temple, home, and chapel, but he concentrates mostly on the Temple. Temples are our most holy and sacred places. He defines holiness and explains that it is achieved by faith and obedience; it is the standard of righteousness. He illustrates this with quotes from Brigham Young, President Hinckley about the need to leave the noise and tumult of the world occasionally, and a great statement about Joseph Smith Sr., in the temple. “Holiness to the Lord” used to be found on many of our buildings, now a vanished reminder of faith and devotion. Temples will help us secure holiness of character. “In our desire to create in our people more commitment to the holy work of the temple, we must urge them to look deeper to the profound spiritual meaning to be found there.” President Hinckley is cited on the blessings to be obtained in the temple. President Faust concludes by saying, “We should go to the temple…to safeguard our personal holiness and that of our families.” We must try harder to be a holy people.

Keel, Othmar. “The Temple: Place of Yahweh’s Presence and Sphere of Life.”  In The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms, translated by Timothy J. Hallett, 111-76.  Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1997. [Israel/Mountain/Design/Furnishings/Ritual/Liturgy/Worship/Presence/Theology/Symbolism]

I first encountered Keel through William Dever.  In his book, Does God Have a Wife, Dever devotes a portion of an early chapter to a discussion of how Biblical scholars have neglected archaeology as a resource.  An exception is what Dever referred to as the “magisterial 1992 German work by Othmar Keel and Christoph Uehlinger, translated into English as Gods, Goddesses, and Images of God in Ancient Israel.” (p. 54) Such high praise led me to search for this book on the Internet.  I found it to be quite expensive, but I obtained the work in which the chapter herein being reviewed was found.  It too merits high marks. Continue reading →

Paulsen, David L., Kendel J. Christensen, and Martin Pulido.  “Redeeming the Dead: Tender Mercies, Turning of Hearts, and Restoration of Authority.” Journal of Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scriptures 20, no. 1 (2011): 28-51. [Mormon/Salvation of the Dead/Priesthood]

In collaboration with two students, Professor Paulsen has done a four part study of salvation for the dead.  This one looks at the period of early Christianity up through the Restoration. Continue reading →

Penrose, Charles W.  “Leaves from the Tree of Life.”  Ninth Leaf.  The Contributor 2 (June 1881): 264-66. [Mormon/Theology/Salvation of the Dead]

This is an excellent article which treats the plan of salvation of the dead.  It has some very elevated and eloquent passages in it.  Baptism is a fixed law pertaining to both mortality and the spirit realm and it and other ordinances are necessary in the divine plan.  Without them the “blessings which spring from them, as their natural fruit, cannot be enjoyed.”  Laws and ordinances can be taught in the spirit world, but ordinances can only be done on earth.  The beauty and magnificence of this plan is extolled, the results of this light proclaimed.  Penrose makes this  unusual statement: “The first-born son in each family has rights of priority connected with this vicarious work if he has proven himself worthy,” but he makes no further comment on this subject.  Another eloquent paragraph concerns the “principle of proxy” and the blessings of laboring for the dead.   Yet another unusual teaching speaks of  the gospel having key to the communication with the dead, only in Temples.  Refers to the vast scope of the work for the dead remaining and concludes with an eloquent summary statement about the plan.

Stanley, Steve.  “Hebrews 9:6-10: The ‘Parable’ of the Tabernacle.”  Novum Testamentum 37, no. 4 (1995): 385-99. [Israel/Christian/Tabernacle/New Temple]

Stanley provides an exegesis of the parables of the Tabernacle and sacrifices found in Hebrews 9:6-10.  This passage has been difficult for students and scholars.  One reason is it is one continuous compound sentence with two major clauses in which the author of Hebrews deals with comparisons, illustrations, a parable, or type regarding the tabernacle and regulations concerning service therein and the sacrifices offered there. Continue reading →

Holzapfel, Richard Neitzel.  “The Prophet’s Final Charge to the Twelve, 1844.”  In Joseph Smith the Prophet & Seer, edited by Richard Neitzel Holsapfel and Kent P. Jackson, 495-524.  Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2010. [Mormon/Theology/Priesthood]

In this article professor Richard Holzapfel of BYU studies the last six months of Joseph Smith’s life to make the case that there was a chronological sequence to what B. H. Roberts described as the “crescendo” of Joseph Smith’s life. Continue reading →

Scott, Richard G.  “Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need.” Ensign 39 (May 2009): 43-45. [Mormon/Ritual/Liturgy/Worship]

In this sermon Elder Scott stressed that we have many stories of faithful people sacrificing much and traveling long distances for temple ordinances, but many who live close to a temple do not attend.  He urged them to set goals and not allow anything to interfere with their attendance.  He has been doing so himself on a weekly basis for fourteen years.  He gives ten suggestions of how to gain more benefit from temple attendance.  He alluded to visionary experiences while attending temple dedications which apparently involved seeing an inverted funnel of people waiting for their ordinances and release from prison.  He also explained how the temple was especially meaningful to him with the loss of a daughter at childbirth, then six weeks later a son following surgery, and finally the loss of his wife fourteen years ago.  He thanks the Lord for the opportunity to grow and learn, and with the knowledge of the sealing power of the priesthood ordinances and the plan of salvation he can rejoice in the gospel and his family.

Torrey, Charles C.  “The Foundry of the Second Temple at Jerusalem.” Journal of Biblical Literature 55 (December 1936): 247-60. [Israel/Second Temple/Furnishings]

According to this article a foundry was a feature of Zerubbabel’s temple which took the precious metal brought to the temple as revenue and offering and which came in the form of lumps, fragments, utensils and trinkets of every description and shape, and form it into standard forms for subsequent use.  (See an example in Aaron’s building of the golden calf in Ex. 32:2-4, 24.)  This article goes to great lengths to show that a word referring to this was mistranslated and has misled students, scholars, and translators for generations.  This study is intended to be a corrective to that problem.  It is good for background and to see the potential influence of the temple in non-religious aspects of culture such as performing banking functions, but adds nothing to the study of the temple and its rituals.

Knibb, Michael A.  “Temple and Cult in Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Writings from Before the Common Era.”  In Temple and Worship in Biblical Israel.  Proceedings of the Oxford Old Testament Seminar, edited by John Day, 401-16.  London: T&T Clark, 2007. [Israel]

This article overviews the major references to the temple found in Sirach, Jubilees, 1 Enoch, Tobit, Jubilees, 1-3 Macabees, Judith, and 1 Esdras, all from around 200-150 BCE.  The dating is important as it provides political and religious context for the various views of the authors of these books and their points of view about the temple.  Sirach is positive about the temple and the priesthood while many of the others are probably written by dissident priests who oppose the political and religious administrations of the time.  Disappointingly, the author makes little attempt to draw significant conclusions from his review.