a picture of a tomb with the words he is risen on it ALT: a picture of a tomb with the words he is risen on it

Happy Easter!

a man with a beard is wearing a wig and saying i don 't follow your logic ALT: a man with a beard is wearing a wig and saying i don 't follow your logic

Preachers, please stop using biblical languages in your sermons if you don’t know what you’re talking about. You may think you’re adding depth but often it has the opposite effect in making errors. Please take Greek/Hebrew at a Seminary and it will benefit your ministry for life.

My paper for the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) has been accepted! I’ll be presenting insights from a forthcoming chapter where I draw upon Persian period inscriptions to better understand Nehemiah’s role as a cupbearer! I’ll see y’all in November!

I published my first Japanese article! It’s titled “Biblical Archaeology of the Persian Period.” Although Japanese is my mother tongue, because all my theological education is in English, this was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. May this bless the Japanese believers.

I was just having an extensive conversation on Exodus!

Where is everyone with their Bible reading? I’m a bit behind where I’d like to be, but I’m on 1 Kings 13!

Vote for Jin to win $20,000, learn from Jeff Corwin, and appear in a Ranger Rick magazine! Jin Loves Adventure, Exploring, And Nature! He Is Fascinated With The Way Things Work, Rocks, Animals, And Creating Fun In All Seasons.

Could yall help by voting for my little boy? jr-ranger.org/2026/jin-49b1

a close up of a cartoon sheep with big eyes making a face . ALT: a close up of a cartoon sheep with big eyes making a face .

Good luck to those submitting paper proposals today for SBL’s annual meeting. I look forward to hearing some of your brilliant papers in November!

a blue submit button with a white background ALT: a blue submit button with a white background

SBL proposal submitted! Good luck to those trying to make the March 4th deadline!

I presented my paper on AI and spiritual formation! It’s nice to be back at my Alma mater and attend Baylor’s Symposium on Faith and Culture!

It’s in the impact of AI in Christian higher education! I specifically address the question of how generative AI makes educators reassess the importance of spiritual formation in our teaching!

why do you write like you 're running out of time? ALT: why do you write like you 're running out of time?

Me prepping my conference paper in presenting next week at Baylor University’s Symposium on Faith and Culture.

Happy Valentines Day! Did you know that the first time the Hebrew word אהב “love” appears in the Bible is when God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac whom Abraham “loves” (Gen 22:2)? This story captures the main themes of the Bible “Love God” and “Love your neighbors” (Matt 22:37-40)

In Memoriam: Takamitsu Muraoka (1938-2026) I have just received news that Prof. Dr. Takamitsu Muraoka died yesterday, 10 February. He passed away peacefully in his sleep, just one day after his 88th birthday. According to an announcement by…

One of my academic heroes passed away. Muraoka was the most influential Japanese Semitic linguist. But his life as a Japanese Christian is what really inspired me. I worked with him on a forthcoming publication and he was supportive of me as a junior scholar.

williamaross.com/2026/02/11/i...

a girl is standing next to a bed with a broom on it . ALT: a girl is standing next to a bed with a broom on it .

Another article submitted…

a screenshot of a send and to icon ALT: a screenshot of a send and to icon

Chapter revisions completed and sent!

a close up of a pikachu with a surprised look on its face . ALT: a close up of a pikachu with a surprised look on its face .

The most expensive Pokemon card (a Pikachu Illustrator PSA 10) owned by Logan Paul is up for auction and is currently at 3.4 million dollars!

goldin.co/item/logan-p...

a picture of a chicken with the words did i say that ALT: a picture of a chicken with the words did i say that

Me revising a manuscript I submitted last year…

a man is sitting in front of a laptop computer . ALT: a man is sitting in front of a laptop computer .

First article of the year done! (It’s an article I’ve been working on this Christmas break!)

I want to go to this Batman museum… imagine all the artifacts from Gotham.

Why does every streaming services have every language except Japanese when watching Pokemon which is a Japanese anime? I don’t get it. 😞

a man with a beard praying with his hands together ALT: a man with a beard praying with his hands together

Scholarship is humbling. I spent days researching and I thought I learned everything I need to know about a topic. Then I found a publication on an inscription I didn’t know about which completely made me revise my draft. We have to be carful not to make rash conclusions!

tony tony chopper from one piece is wearing a christmas outfit ALT: tony tony chopper from one piece is wearing a christmas outfit

Merry Christmas!

a man in a hat is looking out of a hole with the words hmmm written below him ALT: a man in a hat is looking out of a hole with the words hmmm written below him

It’s one of those days when you’re researching Old Persian inscriptions using books published in German. #academia #historian

a close up of a person 's face with a tear running down their face ALT: a close up of a person 's face with a tear running down their face

Me catching up on One Piece watching the story of Bartholomew Kuma. It’s one of the most emotionally moving story.

a man in a suit and tie is holding a coffee pot ALT: a man in a suit and tie is holding a coffee pot

What I usually do immediately…

a sign that says 5 hours later is on a colorful background ALT: a sign that says 5 hours later is on a colorful background

One struggle when publishing on biblical archaeology, finding pictures and getting permission for pictures takes hours and sometimes even requires payment…

hello kitty is writing on a piece of paper with a green pencil ALT: hello kitty is writing on a piece of paper with a green pencil

Cycle of a professor working at a teaching institution. I teach full time during the semester, I grade full time at the end of the semester, and I write full time once the semester is over.

a woman in a red and white striped shirt is throwing papers into the air ALT: a woman in a red and white striped shirt is throwing papers into the air

I am finally done grading hundreds of pages of papers after three days straight of grading…

Milestones: Thomas W. Davis (1956–2025) Remembering Thomas W. Davis (1956–2025), a dedicated archaeologist, educator, and scholar whose decades of fieldwork, leadership, and teaching left a lasting influence on the study of biblical archaeo...

I will cherish the memories I have with Tom. I read his book Shifting Sands at TEDS, and I got to meet him when he visited my class. While I was a PhD student at Baylor, we had lunch at conferences and shared a good laugh and talked about archaeology.

www.biblicalarchaeology.org/milestones/t...