Extra-Biblical Evidence of the Reign of Saul?

Israel wanted a king. Well, at least some people in Israel wanted a king. And boy did they get it. According to the folktale in First Samuel, Saul, the first king of Israel, went to look for his father's donkeys but found instead a kingdom. (Don't worry, the donkeys returned home safely, without Saul's help.)

The prophet Samuel is believed to have anointed Saul in around the year 1020 BCE (Before the Common Era, or Before Christ, as you prefer). Until now, there has been no witness to the beginning of Israel's monarchy outside of the Bible.

But now, the May-June issue of Biblical Archaeology Review tells of the recent translation of the writing on a broken piece of pottery (commonly used for writing by ancient peoples) that may include the earliest reference to the beginning of Israel's monarchy.

Following the translation of French expert on ancient writings, Émile Puech, biblical historian Gerard Leval finds in the five-line text the following "list of narrative parallels between the Qeiyafa Ostracon and the Biblical text on Saul":

• the need for rulers who will not oppress the poor and the stranger
• the need for structures to be put into place to protect the lives of the poor and the stranger
• the need for a king
• the need for administrators and servants for the king
• the commandment not to oppress but to serve God
• the designation of a new leader, a king

Read the story of the installation of Saul as the first king in Israel in 1 Sam 8-15.

Then check out the translation and Leval's discussion for yourself at Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR) online: http://www.bib-arch.org/bar/article.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=38&Issue=3&ArticleID=4.

Congratulations Class of 2012

Catholic Biblical School Graduation

(RSVP required)

A prayerful and joy-filled celebration of the graduating Class of 2012 will be held at the St. Thomas Seminary Chapel, June 10, 2012, 3:00-3:45 pm. Reception follows in Alumni Lounge.



The following students are expected to receive one of our two certificates*:

Louise Arsenault

Kathryn Behrens

Clare Bernard

Santiago Berrios-Bones

Greg Bond

Linda Bond

Kathleen Bosse

Madalyn Caputo

Marie Connors

Margaret Dawson

Thomas Eysmans

Helen Finateri

Mary Elizabeth Hackett

Gail Hill

Judith Hines

Judith Keenan

Marie Listro

Anne Valentine Mackiewicz

Linda Markiewicz

JoAnn Masi

Thomas McCabe

Nadine Merancy

Maryrose Mistieri Pasco

Deacon Kevin Monahan

Lori Monahan

Kathleen O’Neill

Maura Pauli

Jay Pershing

JoAnn Pospisil

Mary Quinlan

Ann Siczewicz

Jeanne Smith

Gary Tatro

All are welcome. For details and to RSVP, contact Jill Costa at jcosta@adh-ore.org or 860-243-9465, ext. 2670.

*Certificate of Advanced Biblical Studies and Certificate of Participation in the Catholic Biblical School

Opening Scripture Day Scheduled

Mark your calendars now:

Advanced Year Scripture Day

Saturday August 25, 2012

9:00 am-3:00 pm ("Coffee And" at 8:30)

St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield

Dr. Harry Nasuti

Dr. Harry Nasuti, Professor of Old Testament at Fordham University, will introduce us to the prophets as we begin our study of the Exile and Restoration period in Israel.

Students entering their third and fourth years in the Biblical School are required to attend. Bring your written response to the summer reading, "Conversing with God in Scripture" by Stephen Binz. Click here for the assignment questions.

URGENT CBS Deadlines June 1, 2012

RESERVE YOUR PLACE in the Biblical School and St. Thomas Seminary's Certificate in Biblical Studies program. Enrollment determines class locations!


•    Tuition Payments for the Biblical School Years 2, 3 and 4 (St. Thomas Seminary courses CBS 200 and CBS 300). Half of your annual tuition is due by June 1: $150. (The remaining $150 will be due October 1.) Students in the St. Thomas Seminary (for-credit) program should also add their $80 administrative fee, for a total of $230 due at this time. Checks should be made out to “ORE” and directed to Shirley Morris in the Office of Religious Education. Shirley can answer any finance-related questions about the Biblical School.

•    Scholarship Applications for Years 2, 3 and 4 students.* Partial tuition scholarships to the Catholic Biblical School are available through the Sr. Jewel Renna Scholarship Fund. Applications are available online at www.orehartford.org or by contacting Jill Costa. (*Note: First-year students ONLY have until August 1 to apply.)

Archdiocesan Certificate in Basic Biblical Studies

First-year students study the Dead Sea Scrolls

Congratulations to the following students, who are expected to receive their Basic Certificates at the Office of Religious Education Award Ceremony at St. Mark the Evangelist in West Hartford on May 29.

Emelda A. Alexander, Sacred Heart, Bloomfield
William F. Baker, St. Patrick-St. Anthony, Hartford
Sr. Carolyn J. Brown, Mount Sacred Heart, Hamden
Patti L. Cacciabaudo, St. Mary, Milford
Louis M. Daniels, St. Catherine of Siena, West Simsbury
Susan Davis, St. Bridget, Manchester
Laury M. DiMarco, St. Mary, Milford
Evelyn Garrow, St. Bridget, Manchester
Sanita E. Gingras, Immaculate Conception, New Hartford
Karin Kaczynski, St. Stanislaus, Bristol
Sr. Cara Grace Kissell,Mount Sacred Heart, Hamden       
Claudette LaChance, St. Bridget, Manchester
Rita Mary Lashenske, St. Mark the Evangelist, West Hartford
Joseph S. Marcucio, St. Bartholomew, Manchester
James B. McCauley, St. Bridget, Cheshire
Michelle McNulty, Holy Infant, Orange
Antoinette Mintel, St. Christopher, East Hartford
Ernest J. Mintel, St. Christopher, East Hartford
Marie Amelia Moura, St. Joseph, Shelton
Grayce Mower, St. Mary, Milford
Kimberly Petrillo, St. Vincent Ferrer, Naugatuck
Sr. Katie Press, Mount Sacred Heart, Hamden
Sr. Christine Rattini, Mount Sacred Heart, Hamden
Mahilia Roache, St. Mary, New Haven
Sister Mary Alma Sakowicz, Sacred Heart, New Britain
Deacon William J. Sayles, Church of the Assumption, Woodbridge
Sr. Maria Sciaroni, Mount Sacred Heart, Hamden
Michael J. Scougall, St. Paul, Glastonbury

Twenty parishes will be enriched by these students' diligent devotion to Sacred Scripture. How about your parish or school? Might your participation in the Biblical School enliven the faith in your community?

Office of Religious Education Award Ceremony

Archdiocesan Certificates in Basic Biblical Studies will be awarded at the annual Office of Religious Education Award Ceremony, on Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 7:30 pm at St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in West Hartford. Biblical School students, pastors, faculty, family and friends are invited to celebrate the achievement of some of our Class of 2014 students.

Remember: Get Student Workbooks at ORE!

While all other textbooks need to be purchased online or at a bookstore,  your student workbooks must be purchased from the ORE to ensure that you get the current edition of the text. The cost is $16.95. Pick up your workbook at your Opening Scripture Day in the Fall.

Or pop into the ORE during the summer (M-F 8:30-4:30) at 467 Bloomfield Ave., Bloomfield, CT.

Summer reading books, of course, should be purchased asap, so you can begin your written assignment, due on Scripture Day.

A list of all textbooks (including summer reading titles) can be found online by clicking here.

Textbooks 2012-13

The Catholic Bookstore at St. Thomas Seminary is closing.

Your required textbooks are no longer available at the Catholic Bookstore, so here are some options for purchasing textbooks:

• Patrick Baker & Sons in Southington has committed to ordering many of our textbooks. Ask for Maureen to assist you at (800) 243-6385 or contact her by email at info@patrickbaker.com
• Online ordering is usually the least expensive way to get your books—many titles at almost half off. Check out especially Christian Book Distributors, http://www.christianbook.com. Amazon.com is also a good choice.
• For those who prefer not to purchase textbooks, a few copies of most of our textbooks can be borrowed from St. Thomas Seminary’s Archbishop O’Brien library at 467 Bloomfield Ave., Bloomfield (860-242-5573 ext. 2608 or 2609).
• A few used textbooks are available at half price in the Office of Religious Education. Contact BJ for details.

And please consider helping your classmates out, once you've found your own books!

Will You Come?

You’ve been invited to the banquet. Will you come? In the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus invites his disciples to the great Feast with the Risen Christ when our life comes to its climax

The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son….  When the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, “My friend, how is it that you came here without a wedding garment?”… Then the king said to his attendants, “Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside....” Many are invited but few are chosen. (MT 22:2-14 NABRE)

Will you come? And will you be prepared to remain with Christ for all eternity? Matthew’s gospel insists that we prepare ourselves for the banquet (put on a wedding garment). That is, we only remain at the banquet if we know Christ intimately (through faith formation and ongoing spiritual discipline). Will you come?

The Catholic Biblical School is the Archdiocese of Hartford’s best resource for adults to come to know the Word of God in Scripture. Those who take on its rigorous discipline blossom in faith through their encounter with God’s Own Word who is Jesus the Risen One (the very one who invites us to the Banquet). Will you come?

Right now we are beginning enrollment of the Class of 2016. Students can even get college credit for their work, if they choose. Information about how to apply can be found by clicking here contacting our offices. Will you come?

May the Risen Christ welcome us all to his Banquet with Joy!