Having sent out notice of my blog's revamping I immediately received an inquiry about the significance of the name. My wife asked, "...Ancient Paths instead of Path? Isn't there only one path? Or do you mean something different?" Some explanation is called for.
First, the name alludes to a scripture passage out of Jeremiah (6:16) where the LORD addresses His people through the prophet saying, "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
In this verse both the Hebrew and the Greek for "paths" is plural. This clause is in parallel with "the good way," which is singular. Whatever the significance behind this shift in number it seems to be a common one in old testament wisdom literature.
The wise father warns his son about keeping company with sinners saying, "...my son, do not walk in the way (singular) with them; hold back your foot from their paths (plural)" Proverbs 1:15 ESV.
Similarly, Wisdom calls out "On the heights beside the way (singular), at the crossroads (or 'paths,' plural) she takes her stand" Proverbs 8:2 ESV.
Both a reference to the covenant, which is the one way of fellowship with God and therefore to life; and a reference to the Torah, the covenant's law and its manycommandments may be implied. I wouldn't be surprised if this underlies the variation in some way. At any rate the prophet is calling God's people to the way of wisdom instead of folly.
Secondly though, I wanted to raise the banner of continuity with that ancient "faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3) and so dissent from the chronological snobbery of today's Evangelicalism, which only values what it has produced in the last five minutes.
