This book captures many ancient voices, a collection of literary excerpts from ancient Jewish books: Jubilees, Josephus, 4 Ezra, Qumran Scrolls, Talmud, Enoch, Baruch, Maccabees, Mishna, Judith, Apocalypse of Moses, Philo, Mishna, Ben Sira, and many others, fifty passages to be exact. The excerpts are mostly short, sometimes even intentionally
Apostle Paul was a first-century religious Jew, trained at the feet of the best rabbis of his time. Though he addresses primarily non-Jewish audiences, Shaul often writes as a rabbi, resorting to midrash and employing metaphors to illustrate his ideas. Sadly, his readers are not used to this
I wanted to share with you a Morning Prayer and, more specifically, a musical piece I created based on it. The words of this song are inspired by the words of the traditional morning blessings found in the Siddur (Jewish Prayer Book). The person who is praying in the early
What is this Sign of Jonah? The traditional thinking is that it's Jesus' resurrection, three days and three nights... But the passage may not be so simple as it appears on the surface. Interested in taking a closer look and discovering another way to read the text?
Over the years of teaching, I have often referred my students to the books of Enoch. But most of the time, I did so with some reservations. I knew that the broadly distributed copies they would likely come across would be littered with archaic and hard-to-digest language. Finally,
What is the difference between “Testament” and “Covenant”? In the Western world, many people are familiar with a “Final Will and Testament” — a legal document read when someone dies. The document expresses the wishes of the deceased, often in connection
Jump into a segment of the teaching about the symbolism of TuBiShvat delivered in front of a mixed audience of Jews and Christians. To fully appreciate the pattern of restoration and redemption, we explore the agricultural concepts of orlah, bikkurim,
If you like perusing Pshir.com, then what are the odds you might enjoy my books? I invite you to consider the titles I highlight below in print, in digital format, or as audiobooks. Paid Subscribers can flip through full
This etiquette of shelomim offering may sound strange to us today if we do not fully grasp the symbolism and the implications of the scenario Torah presents us. Shelomim is a special offering of well-being, shalom, and wholeness. It
Meditating and especially hearing God's voice is a challenge in a world filled with noise and distractions. But it's a healthy spiritual exercise, especially if you feel unsettled and agitated. If you have 30 minutes, I
The Second Book of Enoch (Slavonic Enoch) or "The Book of Secrets or Enoch" is an ancient Jewish spiritual composition that follows the tradition of 1 Enoch. Analyzing the medieval manuscripts, scholars estimate the text's composition
Israelis tend to take their history seriously, and it is not unusual for students to assist archaeologists to excavating, for example, the remains of a Jewish settlement dating to the Second Temple period. A group of Jerusalem high school students
Have you ever heard the saying "free as a bird?" Birds are considered free creatures because they have an amazing ability to fly. They can get away from danger very quickly. We observe them sitting on tree branches,
Shaye J. D. Cohen is a Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University. He is a well-known historian who also holds rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Have you ever wished you did not hear or see something? What we see and hear is hard to put back into a box of non-existence. Once we experience something we simply cannot put it out of our minds.
It's not a secret that even surface familiarity with biblical languages opens a doorway to a better understanding of ancient texts. Recently, I ran across some videos by The Greek Academy that teach how to read Greek! I
Peek into the life of a prophet caught between exiles, navigating through divine visions and relaying a timeless message of hope and restoration amidst judgment. In this lecture, originally delivered to a class at a Christian college, I explore how
