What is the Kingdom of Heaven?
The “Kingdom of Heaven” (מַלְכוּת הַשָׁמָיִם, malchut hashamaim) is an ancient Jewish idea easily traced back to the Hebrew Bible, where the prophets speak of a coming messianic age when God will establish
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Enjoy hundreds of articles written for learners of all levels. Many are open to everyone; others are fully accessible only to subscribers. Use the search feature to quickly locate the topics of your interest.
Standing by Heaven’s Gates
From time to time, I hear people make references to the pearly gates of heaven, where St. Peter stands and admits people into eternity. I have seen all sorts of depictions of this scene. I never understood this tradition until
Dan Shall be a Serpent
There is an intriguing and cryptic text about Dan in the Torah. In Jacob’s final blessing on his sons, in Genesis 49, Dan is compared to a “serpent” (נָחָשׁ; nachash). Dan shall judge his people as one
The Worship of Reason...
The worship of reason is arrogance and betrays a lack of intelligence. The rejection of reason is cowardice and betrays a lack of faith. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel Anyone who reads Rabbi Heschel's writings knows that he was
Byzantine Coins Found Near Highway
A buried treasure of nine well-preserved bronze Byzantine coins found by archeologists during an excavation near Highway 1 serves as evidence of the Persian invasion of Jerusalem at the end of the Byzantine period, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced.
How much do you know about Hanukkah?
For many people, Hanukkah is the Jewish Christmas. The Western (Christian) world has Christmas, so Jews have something similar, the holiday they call Hanukkah. Simple, right? I know that many of my readers and subscribers know better. In case you
Season's Greetings from Pinchas
It' December... To all my subscribers who celebrate Hanukkah, may Hashem continue to do miracles as he did for our ancestors so long ago. And may your light burn ever brighter! To all my subscribers who celebrate Christmas, may
Was Naboth's Vinyard found?
Not long ago, archaeologists in Israel might have identified Jezreel winery featured in the Bible. The ancient winery was first discovered in 2013 and then explored in several seasons of excavations in the following years. The ancient production facility consists
Thankfulness beyond Hebrew
Most of us like it when someone values us. It feels good to know when we are appreciated. And it is not because we have some exigent need to be recognized. Many gifted and talented people do amazing things and
Glimpses of Shiloh Excavation
Shiloh (שִׁלֹה) is a historic town situated in the lot of Ephraim, where Israel assembled under Joshua during the war of conquest (Joshua 18:1). It served as the location for the distribution of territories among the seven
Does God Ever Tempt us?
You may have heard it said that “God tests but does not tempt.” Such conviction is usually based on a well-known verse: “No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted
The Son of Man and The Serpent
One of the best-known verses from the Gospels is John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world..." But just before that, Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the