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Some people read the Bible as a codex of religious law, others as ancient moralistic philosophy, and many see it as a book of fairy-tale-like legends and stories. We live in exciting days when, thanks to science, many legends start to look very real. Modern technology allows us to see
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Not long ago, an acquaintance of mine, a seasoned gentleman, asked me, "What is sin?" It was an honest question, not a trick one, and without any sarcasm or ulterior motive. He was completely sincere and open-minded to hear my answer. It stunned me for a moment because
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If you don't know what shofar is, it's an obscure item, a ritual instrument, and its name comes from ancient Hebrew. It is a special trumpet used in Jewish holiday observance, connected to the Jewish new year and Day of Atonement (Lev 23:24). Shofar (שׁ
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What are the Dead Sea Scrolls? In the area of biblical and historical studies, the Dead Sea Scrolls are considered one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time. That is not an exaggeration. The documents were awaiting the day of their discovery in 11 caves near the Dead Sea
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A while back, I was asked to teach a course surveying the prophetic books of the Bible to a college class. As I compiled my notes together, I wanted to present my students not merely the information about the ancient texts themselves, but to describe the world in which the
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Thanks to everyone who supports the PSHIR.COM publication with a subscription! For only $7 per month, you help me develop and publish new learning resources week after week. I am excited that I finally finished the "World of Hebrew Prophets" series, which ended up being 15 hours.
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The 9th of Av (Tisha B'Av) stands as one of the key solemn dates on the Jewish calendar, marking a day when tragedies have repeatedly befallen the Jewish people throughout history. According to the Talmud, Ta'anit 29a, the origins of this day of mourning among Jews
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What happens at a synagogue service? What are the rules for keeping kosher? How do I light the Hanukkah candles? What is in the Hebrew Bible? What do the Jewish holidays signify? I frequently get questions about Jewish culture and life, both ancient and modern, practical and theoretical. A general
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I periodically meet people who are hesitant to read books designated as Pseudepigrapha or Apocrypha. I was even flat-out told "they are forbidden." Admittedly, these are both scary-sounding technical and academic terms, but with really simple meanings. If I am describing you, and Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha make you
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In 2013 a volunteer looking through the dirt that had been excavated from Robinson’s Arch (near the Western Wall) found a 1-cm seal impression. After closer examination, some archaeologists came to believe that this was a First Temple era seal. The impression, or in Latin bulla, would have sealed
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The Psalms of Solomon are sometimes called Songs of Shlomo (מזמורי שלמה), a book that should not be confused with the Wisdom of Solomon and the Odes of Solomon. Solomon was popular in antiquity, so a number of ancient books bare his name. Psalms of Solomon is a collection of
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In modern Shavuot celebrations, it is customary to stay up late and to study Torah into the morning hours. Why? Many rabbis would say that we follow this custom because when Hashem decided to give Israel the mitzvot (commandments), they were asleep at the foot of Sinai. They were not