Another year, another 12 Days Before Christmas Book Giveaway. Last year I was privileged to cohost this giveaway with my friend and fellow-blogger Shaun Tabatt. This year, Shaun continues the tradition on his own, but with even more prizes than ever.
From time to time, I have shared how bloggers can get books from publishers in exchange for a review. I try to maintain a list of publisher-sponsored book review programs here for the benefit of my readers.
Today, I want to point out another resource for those who are looking to do book reviews in exchange for a free book. My former business partner, Shaun Tabatt, of BibleGeekGoneWild.com has relaunched CrossFocusedReviews.com as a new site connecting book review bloggers and available books for review. He has three titles available for review so far, from Christian Focus Publications and The Good Book Company. And knowing Shaun’s success with the 12 Days of Christmas Book Giveaway, I’m sure there will be many more titles in the months to come.
With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, it’s almost time for the 4th annual 12 Days Before Christmas Book Giveaway. In years past, I’ve participated in this giveaway, hosted at Bible Geek Gone Wild by Shaun Tabatt. This year, I’ve teamed up with Shaun, and the giveaway will be held across three of our websites:
The giveaway will run from December 13th through the 24th, with a new contest taking place each day. Be sure to stop back later in December and try your hand at some of the contests for a chance to win some fabulous prizes.
Here are a few of the publishers who will be sponsoring prizes for this year’s contests:
If you’re a publisher or vendor and would like to participate in this giveaway, please drop me a note through the contact page.
I had the opportunity of a lifetime. Last night, fellow biblioblogger and good friend, Shaun “the Bible Geek” Tabatt and I went to see the Dead Sea Scrolls! They are on display at the Science Museum of Minnesota from now through mid-October.
Words cannot describe the experience. A picture might help. Notice the smiles…
Unfortunately, they don’t allow photography inside the exhibit. But I don’t know how you’d be able to take in the exhibit with flash photography all around.
The exhibit has plenty of information and artifacts to hold your interest for 2 hours or more, easily. I felt like we were rushing and we spent more than an hour and a half. If it was just Shaun and I and no babysitters to worry about, we’d have spent all night there…. As it was we had our wives and another couple along with.
I enjoyed learning more about the history of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Duke University refused to purchase some of them when first found. And three were advertised for sale in a newspaper, if you can believe it.
The scroll jars and artifacts from 2,000 years ago were also fascinating. The coins dating back to before Christ were even more interesting. I couldn’t help but thinking of National Treasure (the movie), when we noticed the humidity and temperature gauges in the display cases.
The highlight, of course, were the scrolls themselves. They had 5 manuscripts on display. I’ve heard that a total of 15 mss will be rotated through the exhibit. Of the 5 I saw, only 3 were Biblical: Isaiah, Psalms and Genesis. The other texts were the Temple Scroll, and the Damascus document.
With my limited Hebrew (and with some help from the English translations), I was able to make out some words in the Hebrew. On the Psalms manuscript, which was by far the largest manuscript there (portions of six or seven columns), a proto-Hebraic script was used for the name of the LORD (Yahweh). On the other scrolls I was able to read the tetragrammaton (YHWH). On the Genesis scroll I was able to see Jacob’s name twice. I also clearly observed that there were no vowel points in the Hebrew script. (A point that some King James Onlyists dispute, siding with John Owen against the unified testimony of evangelical scholarship.)
The whole exhibit was exhilirating, but there was something extra special about a couple of the text choices. Isaiah’s manuscript started with 53:10. They don’t mention how Christianity interprets that text, however. Even more thrilling to me, was seeing Ps. 119:89 written there in a 2,000 year old manuscript. “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens”. These manuscripts attest that God has preserved His Word for us faithfully down through the ages on earth, even, like it is in heaven.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is widely proclaimed as one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. God in His providence has given us more insight into the original text of Scripture. And while there remain some questions as to particular readings here or there, the Dead Sea Scrolls witness to the stability and accuracy of the text of the Bible. It was a privilege to see some of that in person.
For more on the Dead Sea Scrolls, you’ll want to come up to Minneapolis and visit the exhibit. Or you can learn more at some of the following links.
My blogging friend Shuan Tabatt is doing it again. He has 12 giveaways planned on his blog, sponsored by various Christian publishers. Be sure to follow his blog this Christmas season. Today, enter the contest for your chance to win a DVD from Franklin Springs Family Media.
Another year, another 12 Days Before Christmas Book Giveaway. Last year I was privileged to cohost this giveaway with my friend and fellow-blogger Shaun Tabatt. This year, Shaun continues the tradition on his own, but with even more prizes than ever.
