>Welcome Back

It has been several days since I posted an entry to the blog. My wife and I were on vacation and we just came back from the Virgin Islands where we went to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary. It was a great time of fun and relaxation. But, it is good to be back home again.

During this time of vacation and relaxation, I was able to read five books and only one was somewhat related to the Old Testament. In a future post I will make reference to a novel I read that has some relation to the Old Testament. It was a good novel with an interesting plot.

While on vacation I did not write any post for the blog, except a brief post to note the death of Tikva Frymer-Kensky, an author whose writing was always very informative.

My last post was the puzzle on the hidden books of the Bible. The response to the post was overwhelming. I received many emails with the proposed solution. There were 32 hidden names of biblical books in that paragraph. Several readers found all 32 books while many others came close but fell short of finding all 32 books.

I will respond to everyone who sent me an email with the solution to the puzzle, even to those who had the right answer. However, it will take me some time to respond to every email. Please, be patient; I promise that sooner or later I will be in contact with you to give you the names of all 32 books and to thank you for participating in the solution to the puzzle.

I also received an email from a pastor requesting my permission to print the puzzle in his church newsletter. Any pastor who desires the print the puzzle in a church publication is free to do so. They are also free to print any article that appears in the blog. I would appreciate a mention of where the information was found.

I have also received several emails from readers with questions and requests. I will also answer all these emails as soon as possible. However, it will take me some time to answer your questions and requests, but I promise that every email will be answered.

Goodbye Again

Even though I have just come back from vacation, I will be away again for several days. Tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday I will be in Wisconsin for our annual Faculty Retreat. Every year the members of the Faculty at Northern Seminary gather for a time of prayer, planning, and fellowship in preparation for the new academic year, which for us, begins at the end of September.

Then, on Thursday, I will have cataract surgery, which will put me out of commission for two or three days. For this reason, I will be unable to post until Monday, September 18. At that time I hope to post on a regular basis. At that time, I will also begin to answer your emails and hopefully catch up with my correspondence.

It has been a busy summer. As I begin a new academic year, much will be required of me, not only as a professor, but also as the Chair of the Self-Study Committee for Northern Seminary. Those who are in academic life understand the demands of Self-Study work.

I want to thank you, the reader, for your patience and for your support. If the many emails I receive every day is any indication, the content of my blog is meeting a need. I consider you a partner in this venture.

Before I go, I have two requests from you:

First, if you have a question or an Old Testament topic you would like to see addressed in a future post, send me an email. Many of the topics I address in my blog come from suggestions sent by readers.

Second, in the next few weeks I will be updating the links to my blog. If you have linked my blog to your blog or if you want to have a reciprocal link, please let me know. I will be glad to link your blog to my blog.

Goodbye again. I will be back on Monday, September 18, 2006.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tags: Puzzle, Blog