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
From time to time, I hear beautiful spiritual teachings drawn from the apostolic writings that are sadly misunderstood by modern readers of the New Testament. Misunderstandings repeated often enough eventually harden into “obvious truths,” and over time, they can even become official theological doctrines that define entire religious traditions and
Many people have heard an excuse: “The devil made me do it.” The great tempter, the Adversary, is often blamed for humanity’s weakness and moral collapse. The story of evil and sin usually begins in the Garden of Eden, where the serpent persuades Chava to eat from the forbidden
War is among the darkest realities of human existence. It leaves cities in ruins, families divided, and generations marked by trauma and loss. No sane person celebrates war, and few emerge from it unchanged. Yet history repeatedly reminds us of an uncomfortable truth: war is sometimes unavoidable. Nations invade. Empires
If you read the words of Moses' Prayer (which was probably also a song), you will see how the lyrics are thoroughly inspired by his poetic verses. God's unique name Adonai Maon is somewhat mysterious, but to me it brought a sense of realization that everything, including
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?
In this day and age, most Christian readers are aware that the "New Testament" is a Jewish composition. Yet because these writings have been read as anything but Jewish documents for so many generations now learning how to
It's Yom HaShoah today, an annual day of reembrace of the Holocaust. The question about certain Christian interpretations of the Bible and their role in the events of the Holocaust is a hard question that many people would
In Exodus 13:17, the Torah says that God did not lead the Israelites through the land of the Philistines, a much shorter route. Hebrew texts literally says, ki karov hu “though it was closer.” Instead, God led the Israelites
We live in the age of science, logic, and information, when many spiritual beliefs that cannot be rationally explained are questioned and dismissed. There is one particular belief that lies at the core of Jewish and Christian faiths that is
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
One of the main features of the Jewish Passover celebration is Matzah (מַצָּה), the unleavened bread. In fact, there is no Passover without this basic ingredient. Its tale is central in the ritual of remembering the Exodus deliverance.
In Chayei Sara we read the story of Abraham commissioning his servant to search for a wife for his son Isaac. Abraham is certain that he does not want a wife from any of the local families in Canaan. Why?
In October of 2016 Israel Antiquities Authority unveiled a papyrus that is believed to be 2,700 years old. Israeli archaeologists have discovered an ancient wine ledger that they believe contains the earliest written reference to Jerusalem outside the Bible.
This is an audio lecture by Rachel Elior, a Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Jewish Mystical Thought at the Hebrew University, a talk given in front of an audience of peers. Her research is current and meticulous and often challenges
It is hard to speak of trust in a world filled with deception. It is very hard to trust, especially if you have been misled and taken advantage of in the past. Life experiences often drive us to put up
Was Jesus truly a Rabbi? What did it mean to be a Rabbi in antiquity? What are some of the earliest historical references we have to rabbis? How did he go from Rabbi to Lord, and why? How did Hebrew
Midrash Rabbah is a homeletic, ethical, and moral commentary on the Torah expounded by the Rabbis during Talmudic times. The Midrash represents the essence of Judaism, its ethical standards, and its insight into the human heart in a unique literary
