E.J. Parker

Yes, Jesus & Mary are in the Quran-
This page is from Surah Maryam (Chapter 19) of the Qur’an and focuses on the birth and early identity of Jesus (Isa) and the defense of Mary (Maryam).

The passage describes Mary returning to her people carrying the infant Jesus after giving birth in isolation. The people accuse her of wrongdoing and express shock, calling her “Sister of Aaron” and reminding her of her family’s honor. Instead of answering herself, Mary points to the child. The crowd is confused, asking how a baby in the cradle could speak.

Then, in one of the Qur’an’s most famous scenes, the infant Jesus miraculously speaks. He declares himself a servant of Allah, a prophet, blessed by God, devoted to prayer and charity, kind to his mother, and destined for peace through birth, death, and resurrection. The passage emphasizes Jesus’ prophetic role and purity while rejecting the idea that God literally begot a son. It concludes by affirming that Allah simply says “Be,” and creation comes into existence, while warning that religious sects later fell into dispute over Jesus’ true nature.

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15 hours ago | [YT] | 3

E.J. Parker

A Lesson in Restraint
Gamaliel the Elder’s lesson in the Book of Acts is a timeless argument for restraint, humility, and patience in moments of conflict and uncertainty. Rather than reacting with fear or aggression toward the apostles, he urged the council to pause and allow time to reveal the truth, warning that movements built only by men eventually collapse on their own, while those rooted in something greater cannot be destroyed by force. His wisdom suggests that true strength is not found in rash action or domination, but in disciplined judgment, measured response, and the ability to resist the chaos of immediate emotion. Gamaliel himself was a real historical first-century Jewish teacher and respected Pharisee remembered not only in the New Testament, but in early rabbinic tradition as well, and according to Acts, he was the teacher of Saul of Tarsus — the man later known as the Apostle Paul.

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20 hours ago | [YT] | 4

E.J. Parker

Biblical Numbers
In the biblical world, numbers often carried symbolic meaning beyond simple mathematics. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, the Septuagint, and the New Testament, certain numbers repeatedly appear in connection with themes such as creation, covenant, judgment, restoration, and divine order.

This collection explores those recurring numerical patterns — not as secret codes, but as symbolic structures used by ancient Jewish and Christian traditions to communicate spiritual and theological ideas. From seven as completion to forty as testing, these numbers helped shape the language and imagery of the biblical narrative.
It’s been intriguing to reread biblical texts applying these numbers and the symbolism behind them. Let’s take a look:

1 → Unity, God, singularity
(“The Lord is One” — Deut. 6:4)
2 → Witness, division, duality
(Two witnesses establish truth in Jewish law)
3 → Divine completeness / heavenly fullness
(Later associated with Trinity in Christianity)
4 → Earth, creation, universality
(Four directions, four winds)
5 → Grace / favor
More common in Christian symbolic traditions than explicit biblical teaching.
6 → Humanity, incompletion, labor
Humanity created on the sixth day; often contrasted with 7.
7 → Completion, sacred perfection, covenant rest
One of the most important biblical numbers:
* seven days of creation,
* Sabbath,
* Revelation symbolism.
* (A personal favorite) 7 = union of heaven (3) + earth (4) also known as: heaven on earth.
8 → New beginning, renewal, resurrection
Symbolically “beyond” the completed cycle of seven.
10 → Law, order, completeness of structure
Ten Commandments.
12 → Government, tribes, apostolic fullness, cosmic order
* 12 tribes of Israel,
* 12 apostles.
40 → Testing, transition, purification
* 40 days flood,
* 40 years wilderness,
* 40 days Jesus fasting.

2 days ago | [YT] | 4

E.J. Parker

Bar-Jesus, who was he?
In the world of early Christianity centered around places like Antioch (modern day Turkey), Bar-Jesus (also called Elymas) appears in Acts 13 as a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet who opposes Paul and Barnabas before the Roman proconsul.
In one of the first miracles attributed to Paul in the New Testament, Paul rebukes Bar-Jesus publicly and declares temporary blindness upon him, symbolizing spiritual darkness and divine judgment during a dramatic clash of faith and authority in the first-century Roman world.
"Bar-Jesus" literally means:
"Son of Jesus/Joshua"
because bar in Aramaic means "son of." At that time, "Jesus" (Yeshua/Joshua) was a common name, so the name itself was not considered shocking in the text.

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5 days ago | [YT] | 4

E.J. Parker

I love the beaver teeth marks on the ends of these logs I found down by my local river. They add another dimension to this crucifix. I respect the determination of the beaver and its ability to control its environment. I believe there is a lesson in that for us humans. As an antique dealer I know that the maker’s mark on an object holds importance, these teeth marks are of natural determination.

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5 days ago | [YT] | 2

E.J. Parker

My latest work. “Crux Prima” ( the first cross) Beaver cut logs I found at my local riverbank.
The Corpus & Placard are repurposed vintage metal items from my shop. 30x15”

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1 week ago | [YT] | 13

E.J. Parker

Faith Crisis Specific Shot Placement Theory:
The reaction of the tin plate provides a "ballistic fingerprint" that strongly supports my theory of a targeted, close-range strike on the fish. In the mid-18th to mid-19th century, retablos were painted on thin sheets of coke-plate (iron dipped in molten tin), which reacts very specifically to the kinetic energy of a soft lead ball. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Muzzle Contact (0–2 inches)
If the 19th century owner of this painting held the barrel directly against the fish, the reaction would be the most violent:
• Stellate Tearing: At contact range, the expanding gases from the black powder blast would enter the hole immediately following the bullet. This creates the "petaled" or star-shaped outward tearing seen in the close-up second image, as the pressure has nowhere to go but through the metal.
• Thermal Damage: The "flash" of the muzzle would deposit a concentrated circle of soot and sulfuric salts. Over time, these corrosive residues would cause the deep, localized pitting and heavy oxidation visible around the repaired crater in the close-up.
2. Close Proximity (2–12 inches)
A shot from a few inches away would still be highly accurate but would show different physical markers:
• Powder Tattooing: You would see "stippling" or small unburnt grains of powder embedded in the paint around the impact site.
• Clean Punch: Without the concentrated gas pressure of a contact shot, the hole would likely be a cleaner "punch" through the tin with less jagged "flowering" of the edges.
3. Across the Room (5+ feet)
A "random" shot from across the room would likely produce a very different result:
• Denting and Deformation: Tin is flexible. From a distance, the energy of a low-velocity .31 or .36 caliber ball might cause the entire plate to bow or "oil-can" upon impact.
• Inaccuracy: Mid-1800s pocket pistols were notoriously inaccurate due to short barrels and rudimentary sights. Hitting a target as small as the fish in this painting from across a room would be statistically unlikely, favoring the theory of a deliberate point-blank shot.
The "Rusted Wound" Evidence
The state of the metal in the second image is consistent with muzzle contact. The way the iron core of the tin has flared, or flowered and showing a rust-like surface was likely caused by the physical force and the heat of the muzzle blast.
This physical evidence reinforces a potential conclusion: the owner didn't just fire at the painting; they specifically targeted the fish by pressing the iron to the tin and pulling the trigger to ensure the "medicine" was destroyed.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 9

E.J. Parker

A Crisis of Faith & Devotional Punishment:
Upon closer examination and contemplation of this Saint Raphael the Archangel retablo, a notable 19th-century painting from the Red Bole Group, represents a rare and visceral example of "devotional punishment". The owner likely acquired this specific icon to seek a cure for blindness for themselves or a loved one, as the Archangel Raphael and his fish are the primary symbols for restoring sight based on the Book of Tobit (11:8). When the expected healing of blindness failed or the condition worsened, the owner of the painting —driven by the "really upset" state described in the accompanying note on back of the work —performed a ritualistic execution by shooting the "medicine" (the fish) at point-blank range. This specific shot placement intentionally obliterated the miraculous attribute (the fish) while leaving the Saint unharmed, allowing the owner to destroy the failed remedy (the fish) without committing direct sacrilege against the Archangel himself.

Handwritten Note on back : “Unusual face on the fish. Also note the owner of this retablo put a bullet through the painting. Probably the saint was doing bad things to its owner. Many times if the saints did bad things, the owner would simply turn the retablo toward the wall. The owner of this one must have been really upset.”

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1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 6

E.J. Parker

This 19th-century retablo depicts San Rafael Arcángel (Saint Raphael the Archangel), identifiable by his traditional attributes of a walking staff and the fish he carries. What makes this particular piece extraordinary is the physical evidence of a "punishment" inflicted upon it by a previous owner. As the handwritten note on the reverse explains, the painting features a jagged hole where a bullet was shot through the tin. In the tradition of folk Catholicism, saints were often treated as active members of the household; if a prayer went unanswered or misfortune befell the family, the owner might "punish" the retablo by turning it toward the wall, hiding it in a drawer, or, in this extreme and rare instance, shooting it.
The note also points out the "unusual face" on the fish, a common characteristic of provincial retablos where artists relied on imagination or oral descriptions rather than biological accuracy. The combination of the artist's stylized execution and the violent history of the object provides a visceral window into the intensity of personal devotion and the complex, reciprocal relationship between a believer and their patron saint. This "bullet-hole" retablo stands as a fascinating intersection of religious iconography and raw human emotion, illustrating a moment where a devotee’s frustration reached a literal breaking point.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 9

E.J. Parker

This is a 19th-century Mexican retablo, specifically a painting on tin depicting the Holy Family (the Sagrada Familia). These devotional works were a cornerstone of folk Catholicism in Mexico, serving as intimate, portable altars for home use rather than grand church displays. The iconography here—showing the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph flanking the Christ Child with the Holy Spirit as a dove above—was a popular subject intended to model the virtues of family life and domestic sanctity. The heavy oxidation on the reverse and the characteristic "pitting" of the paint on the front are hallmarks of the period, as the oil paint struggled to adhere permanently to the slick tin surface over many decades.
The significance of this piece lies in its role as a bridge between high European religious art and regional folk expression. During the 1800s, as tin became more affordable and accessible due to industrial imports, self-taught artists (known as retableros) adapted traditional Baroque compositions into a simplified, more emotive style that resonated with the common person. These objects were often believed to possess protective qualities, acting as a direct conduit for prayer within the household. Today, they are highly valued not just as religious artifacts, but as historical records of a specific artisanal era in the Southwest and Mexico, representing a period when faith and everyday materials like scrap tin intersected to create enduring cultural icons.
Quick Reference Table

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1 week ago | [YT] | 11