"...the Bible is a Myth"
Dr. Tom Tribelhorn is Academic Dean at St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, where he also chairs the Doctoral Studies Program. Dr. Tribelhorn came to the Christian faith at a young age. He soon realized, while only in his teens, a full comprehension of the Bible would require a strong grasp of the social, historical and linguistic contexts within which the Bible was written.
In pursuit of better Biblical understanding, he moved to Israel for intense study. “I was studying at the ruins of Tell Al-Sultan, the site of the city of Jericho,” Dr. Tribelhorn says. “My historical geography professor told the class that, the historical evidence proved that Jericho would have already been destroyed by the time Joshua arrived. He said that, as evangelicals, we did not have any answer for this dilemma."
For more than 20 years, he has vowed to amass the information contained in My Professor Says the Bible is a Myth, so that other Christian students who have been facing similar crises of faith can know they do have solid ground on which to stand … ground which supports the Bible from the disciplines of archaeology, philosophy, language and ancient literature.
“There are some people who can take a dichotomous view of the Bible,” Dr. Tribelhorn says, “that it’s meant to be a book of spiritual instruction, not a history book. I’m not one of them. My feeling was – and still is – if you can’t trust the Bible to be reliable about events that allegedly happened in history, why should you trust it to be reliable about spiritual matters?”
Dr. Tribelhorn holds a Ph.D. (cum laude) in Judaic Studies from the Netzer David International Yeshiva which included extensive primary research in Israel; a Doctor of Ministry in Judaeo-Christian studies from St. Petersburg Theological Seminary; an M.A. in Judaeo-Christian studies from Jerusalem University College (Israel); an M.Ed. from William Paterson University; and a B.A. in Bible from Northeastern Bible College. He has done post-graduate studies at the Selly Oak Centre for the Study of Judaism, University of Birmingham UK and Seton Hall University; graduate studies at the University of London and Westminster Theological Seminary.
Prior to his current position at St. Petersburg Theological Seminary, Dr. Tribelhorn chaired its Division of Bible and Theology for ten years. He has also held teaching and administrative posts in New Jersey, Israel, France and Florida. He holds state and Association of Christian Schools International teacher and administrator certifications … and has served in the pastorate. Dr. Tribelhorn lived in Israel for nearly four years while completing his degree at Jerusalem University College … and has since led and co-led numerous tour groups to Israel, Egypt and Jordan, bringing to life the landmarks of the Bible … an activity he continues to perform.
Dr. Tom is a member of the Bronze and Iron Age Chronology of the Ancient Near East scholars study group (BICANE) and Arbeitsgruppe für Biblische Archäologie (ABA). Both international groups are headquartered in Germany where you can typically find him lecturing in the fall.
