HOREB Institute

What Was Jesus' Bible? What the Gospels Reveal

What did “Scripture” mean in the world of Jesus? And which ancient texts do the Gospels actually place on his lips?

Long before the Bible existed in the familiar form we know today, sacred writings circulated as scrolls and occupied different places within Jewish religious life. Literature from the late Second Temple period, synagogue traditions, and the Gospels themselves preserve important clues to that world.

In this Sunday School session, Ross K. Nichols explores the Scriptures of the late Second Temple period and then conducts a different kind of Gospel survey. Setting aside the other New Testament voices, we listen only to Jesus as portrayed in the canonical Gospels and ask a simple question: Which Scriptures does he quote, cite, or allude to, and which ones never appear?

The results provide a fascinating glimpse into Jesus’ Scriptures and lead to an even bigger question: What did Jesus actually teach from the texts he used?

That question is where we will go next.

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The Mark of the Beast: Does Any of This Add Up?

The Mark of the Beast is one of the Bible’s greatest puzzles—a mysterious mark, a name, and the number 666.

What clues does Revelation actually give us? What might they have meant to its earliest readers? And does any of this really add up?

In this class, we’ll follow the biblical clues, examine the mystery of the number of his name, consider some famous historical interpretations, and even put the numbers to the test using several recognizable world leaders today.

The Mark of the Beast: Does Any of This Add Up?

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Jesus Said to Learn These Five Words

According to one Gospel writer, Jesus twice pointed his listeners to the same five words—and on one occasion told them, “Go and learn what this means.”

What were those words, and why did Jesus consider them so important?

In this study, we trace Jesus’ words back to an ancient prophet of Israel and begin to uncover a remarkable biblical thread. What emerges raises important questions about the character of God, what God desires, and what Jesus wanted his listeners to understand.

Five words. One ancient text. And a lesson Jesus said was worth learning.

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The Goliath Story Has a Giant Problem

We all know who killed Goliath, right? Well, I thought I did until I realized that the biblical writers who told the story were not on the same page.

We often assume that the stories of our heroes have always been told exactly as we know them. But stories can grow with time, and sometimes the ancient sources preserve traces of that growth.

In this class, Ross K. Nichols begins with the familiar story of David and Goliath before turning to a lesser-known account preserved elsewhere in the Bible.

The Goliath story has a giant problem, and the closer we examine it, the more fascinating it becomes.

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The Disappearance of the Bible's Most Holy Things

The Bible tells us that one family was entrusted with the care of Israel’s most sacred objects, including the ark of the covenant and the scroll of Moses kept beside it. The biblical writers use different terminology for this family. Were they priests or not?

In this study, we will survey competing priestly claims, disputed genealogies, and traces of an ancient struggle preserved by biblical writers.

Then something remarkable happens: the ark disappears, the scroll vanishes from view, and the family entrusted with their care is no longer mentioned.

What happened to the Bible’s most holy things, and could the words of one member of the chosen family help us carry on without them?

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The Truth About David They Tried to Hide

No human figure dominates the pages of the Hebrew Bible more than David — the sweet Psalmist and celebrated shepherd king of Israel. But one biblical writer dared to tell what another desperately tried to hide.

In this class, Ross Nichols compares Samuel, Chronicles, and the Psalms to explore how David’s story was preserved, reshaped, and, in one unforgettable case, quietly covered over.

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They Admitted They Changed the Bible!

Scribes changed our Bible. In some cases, they even told us where and why. These are called the Emendations of the Scribes: deliberate alterations, admitted in the fine print of the Masoretic notes by the very scribes credited with preserving the text behind our Bible. In this class, Ross Nichols of HOREB Institute examines their own admissions and what the text said before they touched it. It might surprise you.

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Five Exercises for Better Bible Study!

For more than two thousand years, a lion stood on the watchtower in the book of Isaiah — and readers struggled to explain why. Then a scroll was discovered in a cave near the Dead Sea, and the lion simply vanished.

In this informative session, Ross Nichols works through five fascinating cases where English translations differ, ancient witnesses matter, and footnotes open the door to better Bible study. Do our translations always reflect the best available reading of the source text? What can ancient manuscripts, early translations, and parallel passages teach us? And how can careful comparison help us study the Bible with greater clarity and confidence?

This class offers a practical demonstration of how textual criticism — properly understood — benefits serious students of Scripture.

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Jehoash Inscription: PROOF of David's Hidden Heir?

A queen seizes the throne. The house of David nearly disappears. One child survives.

Hidden away in the Temple for six years, Jehoash emerges from secrecy to become king of Judah. His story brings together Athaliah, the house of Ahab, the royal line of David, Jehoiada the priest, and one of the most dramatic rescues in the Hebrew Bible.

But the story does not remain on the page.

A mysterious inscription surfaced, claiming to speak in the name of King Jehoash and describing repairs to the house of YHWH. Some have called it a modern forgery. Others have argued that it may be ancient.

Who was Jehoash? Why was he hidden? And did this contested stone really bear his name?

Join us as we follow David’s hidden heir, the wicked queen who tried to erase him, and the inscription that still divides scholars.

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Shapira vs. Dead Sea Scrolls: An Authenticity Test

Two scrolls. Both were reportedly discovered by Bedouin in caves near the Dead Sea. One was condemned as a forgery. The other is accepted as ancient and authentic.

In this class, Ross K. Nichols revisits one of the most influential arguments against the Shapira Scroll: the claim that its leather strips were cut from the lower margin of a Torah scroll. First advanced in the nineteenth century, this “cut margin” theory became central to the verdict against Shapira — and it is still repeated today.

But was the case really closed?

This episode compares the old accusations against what we now know from the Dead Sea Scrolls, including one remarkable manuscript from Qumran that raises fresh questions about the long-standing verdict.

Watch the video [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]