My research is focused on the interpretations of biblical texts in the contexts of ancient culture, languages, and history.
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In a touching Torah story, Judah offered himself instead of Benjamin to the Egyptian ruler. Judah has come to terms with an intense attachment Jacob had to Rachel's sons. He was not angry with Jacob for favoring Benjamin anymore, not like he was jealous of Joseph earlier. Moments
Articles
A tree grows in Israel, in Kibbutz Qetura – a Methuselah date palm tree. It is a very unusual tree, a living palm from the days of Jesus which was named Methuselah because of its origins.
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This book is not intended for someone who is new to the Bible or has never seriously studied it. It is meant for those who took plenty of time but still feel like something is missing.
>Seminars
These seminar videos touch on the foundations of "Distinction Theology" - a teaching that maintains the continuity of the relevance of Israel and Jews and recognizes the nations that embrace Israel's God in solidarity with Israel but distinct from Israel. The video sessions touch on the
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In Bereshit, in Gen 34, Jacob and his family settled near Shechem. Dinah was socializing with the local girls when Shechem the Hivite, a town’s nobleman, took advantage of her and violated her. Torah says he was drawn to her and so desperately wanted to marry her. So he
Articles
The first time I heard about heaven’s pearly gates, I wondered how people knew what those gates looked like. The reason why many people believe that heaven’s gates are made from pearls is a reference in the book of Revelation. “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each
>Books
Jodi Magness is a Distinguished Professor of Early Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This book is cleverly subtitled "Jewish daily life in the time of Jesus" to afford it a broader Christian
Articles
Few symbols have a tradition as long and as rich as the dove. A particular favorite in art and iconography, the dove often represents some aspect of the divine, and its use has been shared, adapted, and reinterpreted across cultures and millennia to suit changing belief systems. From the ancient
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If you obey my laws, says Hashem, I will maintain a covenant with you, and you will experience a life of blessing. I am sure you have heard this before. We all want a blessing. It’s the obeying part that is not always easy. In fact, the hardest part
Audio
Pinchas Shir joins us to continue the exploration of his course, The Stories of Jewish Church. We keep in mind the conversation in the previous episode about the initial believers being Jewish. Today we talk about Peter's use of the Psalms, the added cultural memory of the timing
Audio
Professor Pinchas Shir joins me to talk about his course The Stories of Jewish Church. This is a wildly popular course at IBC because it takes familiar stories and brings to life new ideas. This week we talk about how Jewish the original church was, why we know they were
Do you like to listen to your books? I am excited to announce that thanks to my partnership with Amazon and Audible, some of my new translations are now available as audiobooks! The Apocalypse of Abraham HERE and The Apocalypse of Moses HERE. I personally love holding paper books in