Christian History Institute

A find from 2008 exhibits the oldest Hebrew text unearthed so far. A pottery shard from 3,000 years ago, or about the time of David (dated through pottery comparisons and radiocarbon analysis of associated material) is written in an early Canaanite script, a precursor to modern Hebrew. The find was from the region of Elah, near where David killed Goliath.

Its importance is in helping show the development of writing in Israel, and in demonstrating the cultural level of that time. To read more, visit this page at the New York Jewish Times.

"History of Hell" resource

Thousands of readers of Christian History magazine responded to our survey, and this is what you told us: Keep the magazine coming in printed format! Here is what we are planning for the next few months.

This summer we are producing a small handbook on Christian thought on hell. All who subscribed by June 30th will receive this handy resource for free. We are also hard at work on Christian History magazine issue #101 on the history of healthcare in the mission of the church. Look for this issue in the mail in the fall. Be sure your interested friends subscribe now to receive this next magazine. Learn more about both these projects at the Christian History magazine’s “Coming Next Time” page.

We are committed to making Christian History magazine available on a donation basis. If you have not already done so, please consider making your donation today.

Thank you for your encouragement and support!

Jerry Griffith accepts WorldFest 2011 Award. Photo by Krishna Giri of WorldFest

Christian History Institute’s documentary KJV: The Making of the King James Bible won a Special Jury Award at the 2011 WorldFest in Houston. Producer Jerry Griffith (shown at left) accepted the honor.

At the same festival, three other Christian History Institute productions also won awards; History of Christian Worship, Part 1: the Word won a Gold Remi; Wesley: a Heart Transformed Can Change the World won a Platinum Remi; and our recent documentary, Perpetua: Early Church Martyr, won a Silver Remi.

WorldFest Houston is a 50-year-old film and video festival for independent filmmakers. Since 1968 it has been international. It issues awards in twelve categories, and is attended by over 500 international filmmakers with entries from about 40 countries. In addition to feature and short films, it gives awards for TV Productions, Documentaries, Corporate & Business Films, Student & Experimental, TV Commercials, Film & Video Productions, Music Videos, New Media (Interactive & Web Sites) and unproduced Screenplays.

Issue #100

Christian History Institute is pleased to announce the publication of Christian History magazine commemorative issue #100. Through engaging articles, captivating images and thought-provoking extras this issue explores the fascinating story behind the making of the King James Bible, on the 400th anniversary of this monumental event. Explore all this publication has to offer on our brand new website www.christianhistorymagazine.org. While there, be sure to take our short survey, order your personal hard copy of Issue #100, sign up for future mailings and updates and become a Facebook fan. In addition to an electronic copy of the new magazine, you will find fully searchable PDFs of all 99 back issues, along with the ability to order hard copies of selected back issues.

Christian History magazine was begun in 1982 by Ken Curtis, the founder of Christian History Institute. Dr. Curtis’ passion to educate believers on the rich stories of our collective past was first realized through the production of Christian films and then through the creation of the Christian History magazine. This magazine has been a source of historical treasure for tens of thousands of readers for nearly thirty years. (A selection of www.christianhistorymagazine.org and tell us what you think!

Our People DVD cover

While walking the poverty-stricken streets of London’s East End late one night in 1865, William Booth saw desperate people who had been neglected by society. He and his wife Catherine decided that night “These will be our people.” Their commitment, bravery and dependence on the Lord eventually led to the founding of the Salvation Army, an organization that continues to assist hurting people worldwide!

Their fascinating story is now available in a top notch documentary, titled Our People. You can get this DVD through Vision Video.

William and Catherine’s story will also be told through an upcoming episode of the Torchlighters! Stay tuned for more information in the next few months.

Cover of the first issue of Christian History Magazine.

Welcome to Christian History Collection.

It is hard to believe Christian History magazine is almost thirty years old now. As a matter of fact, however, it was founded in 1982 by Christian History Institute. While researching the name to make sure it was not taken by someone else, we were intrigued to learn it had an 18th-century heritage.

Thomas Prince, a New England pastor, founded a magazine named The Christian History to report on revival events of his day. Prince’s ground-breaking magazine, the first of its kind in the world, survived only two years.

Today, moving with the times, Christian History is moving toward becoming an online venture.

The James Ossuary.

In 2002 Oded Golan, an antiquities collector, was accused of forgery when an old stone box for storing bones turned up in his possession with the inscription “James son of Joseph brother of Jesus.” No one disputed the age of the box, which was about 2,000 years old. Scholars even accepted the first half of the inscription, “James, son of Joseph.” Where experts disagreed was on the second half, “brother of Jesus.”

This, some claimed, was inaccurate grammar and faked. However, molecular evidence shows that the patina (a film caused by oxidation) is natural and is at least 200 years old. Most who followed the five-year court proceeding felt the prosecution had completely failed to prove its case. Even Dan Bahat, the lead prosecutor, admitted in court that if the ossuary had been the only exhibit in the trial, he would probably not have proceeded with the case, which was based in part on alleged forgeries found in Oded’s studio, including a stone tablet referring to Joash, which also passed molecular tests.

The judge is now considering his verdict, which could be months in coming, given the extent of expert evidence presented at trial.

Amy Carmichael DVD

As Amy begins missionary work in India in the early 1900’s, she is shocked to learn of the plight of young girls who are being held against their will in harsh temples to serve the gods of the land. Young Preena is such a girl who desperately longs for freedom. Follow the action as little Preena attempts a daring escape in order to find the gentle woman who follows a God like no other — the woman known as Amy Carmichael!

Amy’s groundbreaking work among the forgotten children of India has been an inspiration to countless believers for more than a century. Now you can bring the action-packed story of this remarkable woman of faith to the children in your life through our latest episode of The Torchlighters Heroes of the Faith: The Amy Carmichael Story.

Visit the Amy Carmichael page at Torchlighters web site for more information and activities.

Check out the new Torchlighters’ Kids Zone filled with fun activities kids won’t want to miss! Explore the interactive jigsaw puzzles, paintbox pictures, and fun quizzes, all featuring your favorite Torchlighter Heroes! Be sure to visit often to see new features and updates.

Come take a look at the new fun page at Torchlighters.

Snapshot of the new Torchlighter web site.

Thanks to our loyal audience, Torchlighters is celebrating over 100,000 Torchlighters DVDs in homes, churches, and schools throughout the United States, with untold thousands in other parts of the world! We rejoice that many thousands of children have found faith heroes they can depend on!

In celebration of this important milestone, CHI has re-designed the project website, www.torchlighters.org. Check out our inviting new site for many free resources for kids, parents, and teachers, along with the latest news on Torchlighters! We will continue to enhance the site with exciting new features in months to come.

Looking ahead, CHI is planning a Fall release of The Amy Carmichael Story. Amy’s miraculous work to free the temple girls of India will be featured. Also under production is the story of William Booth and the beginnings of the Salvation Army.

Visit www.torchlighters.org for current information on future releases.