Egypt is a key ancient power to be understood by any serious student of the Bible. But who has the time to study their vast culture in detail? Thankfully general understanding of the topic can be gained pretty fast these days, and Encyclopedias are a huge help here. This is...
What kind of wine would Jesus drink in his lifetime? Leonardo Da Vinci’s iconic painting, “The Last Supper,” missed a few marks, but it got the wine part right. Biblical historians have long pondered what dishes may have been on the table at the Last Supper. One thing that’...
This enlightening video explores the profound message of love conveyed in the three sacred books (Megilot) read during the festivals of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. Guided by the esteemed Rabbi Sacks, this teaching session will not only inspire you but also cultivate a deep desire to explore the depths of...
This is a lecture by Prof. Rachel Elior of Hebrew University. If you are interested in Kabballah, Hassidism, Zohar, and the development of esoteric spirituality in Judaism, you will find this lecture very insightful. Dr. Elior is an expert in this area. However, a disclaimer needs to follow: Dr. Elior...
This is a video of a lecture by Rabbi Sacks called "The Dignity of Difference" delivered at Duke University in 2007. The lecture is about 40 minutes long and starts a bit slow (Rabbi Sacks begins it @ 12 min marker). But if you enjoy deeper and broader thinking...
This is the third, final installment of the conversation between Pinchas Shir and Dr. Cyndi Parker about food and the Bible. We move into the Greco-Roman context of meals with questions regarding how Roman families ate and feasted in contrast to Jewish ways. And thinking within that context, why would...
Food shapes culture and identity, so what did it mean for the Israelites to gather and feast at God's table? In this second segment of the dialogue, Professor Pinchas Shir and Dr. Cyndi Parker discuss food and the Bible with a focus on feasting with God and the...
Professor Pinchas Shir joins Dr. Cyndi Parker in dialogue about food and the Bible. What was the Israelite diet like? How does food shape cultural identity? Where do we go to look at food issues (hint: it's practically on every page!)? How did the Israelites think about animals...
The Dead Sea Scrolls, considered by many to be the most significant archaeological find of the 20th century, are thought to have been written or collected by an ascetic Jewish sect that fled Jerusalem for the desert 2,000 years ago and settled at Qumran, on the banks of the...