One of my favorite magazines that I don’t subscribe to is Christian History & Biography. I used to subscribe but somewhere along the way I thought that I didn’t have time to read each issue and I stopped. That and foreign subscription fees are always about double. Each issue is in fact like a mini-book, focused on a particular period of time or person. But I received the latest issue of the magazine in the mail today and so I was reminded of it. This issue is about C. S. Lewis, so if that’s an interest of yours, you might find the magazine a quicker read than a book about his life.
The issue ends with an editorial on “Why read Christian biography?”, which is something I knew the answer to because of what he does, and not just that he tells us to (the “he” being John Piper, the “what” being his biographical sermons). I received the magazine because they featured a nice photo of the Pool of Siloam in it, and even quoted some obscure website as predicting that it would be “the archaeological discovery of the decade for biblical studies.” One quibble: they repeat the Charlesworth quote that “we have found the Pool of Siloam…exactly where John said it was.” Somebody please explain exactly where John said that
it was, and if not, please stop repeating this stupid quote.
BTW, did you know that you can buy an audio book read by C. S. Lewis himself? I bought The Four Loves as a gift once (and I, of course, borrowed it :-)). I don’t remember it as being stellar, but it’s something to hear a voice that you normally only see.
Todd,
I think that Charlesworth quote comes from me. Charlesworth, when I interviewed him, said that Jesus was making a quick getaway from the Temple Mount (John 8:59), which would have logically led him downhill towards the Kidron Valley, in some vicinity of the Pool of Siloam. A bit of sanctified imagination perhaps but that’s what he meant, I think.
Gordon – I’m not so certain that chapter 9 happened the same day as chapter 8. Indeed, it hardly seems likely that the pharisees would have tried to stone Jesus on Shabbat. And it’s not John’s style to give a blow-by-blow account. In any case, if Jesus is fleeing, he literally could go anywhere in Jerusalem from the Temple Mount, and so about the location of the Pool of Siloam, we could only say that it is in Jerusalem. My students wouldn’t accuse me of not having a sanctified imagination, but perhaps it’s repressed in this instance :-).
On the other hand, there’s no reason not to think they happened on the same day. (Chapters were added later, of course.) On the other hand, good point about stoning on the Sabbath.
Oops. I just ran out of hands.