Archeologists have uncovered more information about the 2,000-year-old stone inscription that they say has the oldest record of the full name of Jerusalem. 

The inscription on the remnant of a stone column reads “Hananiah son of Dodalos of Jerusalem” and dates to the First Century A.D. – the time of Jesus – and uses the full Hebrew spelling for the city, “Yerushalayi.” It is the oldest-known inscription using the city’s name. The shorthand spelling of “Yerushalem” often was used during the time. Most spellings in the Bible use the shorthand version, according to a press release from the Israel Museum.

Dudy Mevorach, senior curator of archaeology at the Israel Museum, said archaeologists don’t know anything about Hananiah but believe he likely “was an artist-potter, the son of an artist-potter, who adopted a name from the Greek mythological realm, following Daedalus, the infamous artist.” 

Inscriptions mentioning “Jerusalem” from the First and Second Temple period “are quite rare,” according to Yuval Baruch, Jerusalem regional archaeologist of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and Ronny Reich of Haifa University.

“But even more unique is the complete spelling of the name as we know it today, which usually appears in the shorthand version,” they said in a statement. “This is the only…

A new study finds that a majority of Americans believe that abortion is a sin.

According to Ligonier Ministries “State of Theology” survey, 52 percent of Americans agree that abortion is a sin compared to the 38 percent who believe it is not. 

In a press release issued by Ligonier Ministries, they note that there has been a slight increase in opposition to abortion since 2016, increasing from 49 percent opposition in 2016 to 52 percent in 2018. 

Today’s climate seems to suggest the opposite result and as such, Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow and president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Dr. Albert Mohler notes, “These survey results may surprise some people, but pro-life beliefs have definitely been gaining ground in recent years.”

He continues, “Pastors and local churches have played a big part in this by teaching about the sanctity of human life. Ultrasound images plainly show the humanity of the child in the womb, and they are provoking the consciences of Americans. Christians are playing a lead role in providing counsel and practical care for those in need.” 

Mohler added, “For almost five decades now, abortion has been a central issue in the life of America. With a majority agreeing that abortion is a sin, we have a clear indication that many Americans want the state to restore protection to the unborn…

Eugene Peterson, the man who penned The Message Bible, has died at the age of 85.

“It feels fitting that his death came on a Monday, the day of the week he always honored as a Sabbath during his years as a pastor,” Peterson’s family said in a statement to NavPress, which published The Message.

“After a lifetime of faithful service to the church — running the race with gusto — it is reassuring to know that Eugene has now entered into the fullness of the Kingdom of God and has been embraced by eternal Sabbath.”

Peterson was the author of 35 books.

His latest, Every Step an Arrival: A 90-Day Devotional for Exploring God’s Word, was released earlier this month.

Peterson’s most famous work, however, is without a doubt The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, in which he paraphrased the Scriptures into modern parlance with the goal of giving those distant from the Bible a more accessible take.

He retired from pastoring in 1991 and became a professor of spiritual theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He retired from there in 2006.

Peterson’s last years were spent studying and writing at his home in Montana, where he and his wife, Jan, lived in a home Peterson’s father built.

“Among his…

As actress Candace Cameron Bure released her first-ever children’s book, she shared a message with her kids to remember their Christian faith.

Bure became a household name from a young age when she starred as DJ Tanner in the 1980s sitcom Full House. Her role was reprised in 2016 on the hit show’s spinoff Fuller House. 

But Bure is interested in more than just acting. 2018 marks a career milestone for the multi-talented mother of three with the publication of her first-ever children’s book, Candace Center Stage.

The story follows Candace, a little girl with a larger-than-life personality, as she attends her first dance class. Candace enters the class thinking that she’s the finest dancer around and that she couldn’t possibly need instruction. Soon, however, she realizes that her dancing abilities might not be as exceptional as she thought. With her mother’s encouragement, the bright-eyed ballerina is determined to follow through and overcome the roadblocks she encounters with grace and confidence.

In an interview with US Weekly, Bure explained that “There’s always a little lesson learned in the book, and it really encourages kids to have confidence, keep trying, don’t be afraid to fail, and at the end of the day it’s okay to be yourself.”

The release of this children’s book was a long-awaited dream for the actress. She…

Just two months after his controversial firing from his lead pastor role at the multi-campus Crossroads Christian Church in Indiana, Patrick Garcia re-emerged amid a standing ovation Sunday as the lead pastor of The Hills Church, created by former Crossroads leaders and members.

“Thank you so much. It is such an honor to be here. It is an honor to be a part of this family. And it doesn’t go without saying that we stand on the shoulders of so many of you including Rick and Dave and Darryl who took steps of faith early on to start this thing and so we’ve got to give credit where credit is due. And so thank you for stepping out in faith guys,” Garcia, 31, said to applause at the church Sunday.

In August, after dissension erupted at Crossroads Christian Church among members and leaders over Garcia’s firing, elders accused him of being an inexperienced power-hungry leader who wanted “complete control.”

In an interview with The Christian Post Monday, Garcia admitted to having philosophical differences about leadership and purpose with the elders at Crossroads Christian Church.

“When you get down to the heart of it that’s what it was. When you see Paul and Barnabas…

JOS, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Muslims attacked a market in Kaduna state, in north-central Nigeria, on Thursday (Oct. 18), killing dozens of Christians and burning a church building, sources said.

Area residents said a Muslim at the market in Kasuwan Magani, 36 kilometers (22 miles) south of the city of Kaduna, began yelling “Thief!” in the late afternoon in a move calculated to cause pandemonium ahead of an attack on Christians and their homes and businesses.

“A Muslim raised a false alarm about a thief in the market, which caused stampede, and then other Muslims started chanting ‘Allahu Akbar [the jihadist slogan, God is Greater],’ attacking Christians, burning houses and shops belonging to Christians in the town,” area resident Kefas Mallam told Morning Star News.

The Rev. James Moore of the town’s Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), told Morning Star News that the assailants burned down one church building belonging to the Cherubim and Seraphim movement.

“There was an alert of a thief in the market,” he said. “When people heard ‘Thief! Thief!’ they were confused and started running. Unknown to the people, it was a strategy by the Muslim youth to attack the people. They went into killings, looting and burning.”

Moore, who is the area district secretary of the ECWA, said it was difficult to give a definitive casualty…

Movie theaters are reportedly dropping “Gosnell,” the film that details the trial of abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell.

“Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer” opened in theaters Oct. 14, but nearly 200 theaters have since pulled the film and given no explanation. 

“I can tell you from my experience in 15 years of releasing movies independently, we’re in uncharted territories,” the film’s marketing director, John Sullivan, told Daily Wire. 

“It is an impacted fall, no doubt about it, but the fact that we’ve been dropped from theaters where the movie is the number 6 or number 9 movie is just something you don’t see. It’s hard not to believe it isn’t about the content of the movie.”

The film tells the story of Gosnell, a Philadelphia abortion doctor who was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder in 2013.

The movie made it into the top 10 at the box office last week and earned about $1.2 million.

But Sullivan said many theaters are even telling moviegoers that the film was sold out when it was not.

“One report out of Nashville had people being told the movie sold out simply because they didn’t have the staff to cover the theater, and they chose our [movie] to do that to. Why? Too many things have stacked up and it just doesn’t smell right.”

According to The Christian Post, some moviegoers said they were…

American author, biblical scholar and pastor Eugene Peterson died Monday, October 22, at 85 years old.

About one week ago it was announced that Peterson was admitted into hospice care due to his declining health. The Message writer’s son, Eric, made an announcement via email to the family’s friends and loved ones to inform them of the move. 

In the email, Eric explained that Peterson was admitted into the hospital for his declining health which “took a sudden and dramatic turn” in the wrong direction caused by an infection. Peterson was suffering from heart failure and dementia and according to his son, both were “advanced and progressing.”

Peterson was a well-respected member of the Presbyterian Church, biblical scholar and author of over 30 books. Relevant Magazine even called Peterson “one of the most recognized Bible scholars in America.”

The pastor was most famously known for the writing of his contemporary translation of the Bible, The Message. 

Peterson is also known for founding Maryland’s Christ Our King Presbyterian Church where he was the pastor for nearly 30 years before he retired in 1991. 

Peterson was born in Washington state but grew up in Montana where he attended a Pentecostal church. The pastor attended university at Seattle Pacific University where he received a B.A. in philosophy. He went on to get an S.T.B. from NY Theological Seminary before…