My research is focused on the interpretations of biblical texts in the contexts of ancient culture, languages, and history.
The New Year of the Trees – rosh hashanah la'ilanot (ראש השנה לאילנות) is a special day on the Jewish calendar more commonly called - Tu BiShvat. The Bible is filled with agriculture, yet many of us today are city dwellers, and we feel distant and disconnected from these...
Joseph, Jacob’s youngest son, foolishly tells his dreams to his brothers. Torah tells us that the disposition of Joseph’s brothers towards him was extremely negative. In Gen 37:4 we read venisneu oto “and they hated him” velo yakhlu davro leshalom “and could not speak shalom, speak well...
The Temple is a very important institution in the Bible. It is unique, deeply spiritual, and a key foundation for understanding countless biblical passages. This educational video is a quick, concise, to-the-point explanation of the structure and function of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Gain a better understanding or simply...
The walls of today's Jerusalem are beautiful, but they are not very ancient, going back to the days of Suleyman in the 1500s. Well beneath those walls are the foundations of older walls, but only in some areas. In many instances, the new walls were moved to expand...
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem has not been excavated in modern times. It's a political and religious powder keg. But archaeological artifacts from the Temple Mount are being uncovered by Israeli archeologists. How? An illegal renovation was conducted on the site some time ago. The dirt was simply...
If you are looking for a way to dig into the Hebrew and Greek of the Bible and get access to great dictionaries and research tools I frequently use, I have just partnered with Logos - my favorite Bible Software. We share a common value of putting the Bible first,...
Misconceptions about ancient Jewish sacrifice have led scholars to overlook the significance and symbolism of the Jerusalem temple to the ancient Jewish worshippers. The author of "Purity, Sacrifice, and the Temple," Jonathan Klawans, challenges the idea that the eucharist replaced ancient Jewish sacrifice and that these cultic rituals...
Have you ever felt as you read the Bible that it makes no sense? You understand the words but not the meaning or the point the text is trying to make. The truth is - you are not alone. I have just published a new book entitled "Missing Ingredients:...
In Leviticus 16:1, our reading begins with the words, acharei mot shnei benei Aharon bekarbatam. It says that “Aaron’s two sons died because they drew too close to Hashem.” This is interesting because that is not how their story is always seen. Most readers focus on them behaving...