My research is focused on the interpretations of biblical texts in the contexts of ancient culture, languages, and history.
Articles
There is a beautiful old song, often heard around the holidays, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” It was written sometime in the eighteenth century and is based on Luke 2:8-14, which explains its connection to Christmas. But I have to ask a question, “Do the angels actually sing?” You
>Audio
The story of Eliyahu ha-navi, Elijah challenging the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18, is iconic. A showdown between 1 prophet of Hashem and 450 prophets of a storm god on the slopes of the Carmel Mountain range. The contest is simple: each of them set up a sacrifice,
Articles
Most people know that Apostle Paul was a pious Jew. Many New Testament readers would note that he was a Pharisee trained with the rabbis at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). And at the same time, an overwhelming majority of Christians also see Apostle Paul as a radical
>Audio
"The Books of Baruch: Four Oracles in New Translation" - this edition presents you with a new, easy-to-read, and culturally nuanced English translation of four ancient oracles: 1 - The Book of Baruch, 2 - The Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch, 3 - The Slavonic Apocalypse of Baruch, and
>Seminars
This series of lectures on Paul’s Letter to the Romans raises multiple questions that some may consider controversial, as the apostle's words are not explained in a traditional manner. The lectures are built on a presupposition of Paul not as a follower of a new religion (Christianity)
>Audio
In Deuteronomy Moses recounts the events that have already happened. He gives a summary of events that have transpired during many years in the wilderness. At the very beginning of his speech, he admonishes the Israelites to take possession of the land promised to them. And the way he spoke
Articles
The Letter to the Romans emerges from a complicated social world shaped by Roman imperial politics, shifting relationships between Jews and Gentiles, and the trauma of Jewish diaspora being expelled and later readmitted to Rome. Behind Paul’s letter, which teaches deep spiritual principles that stimulate abundant theological reflection, lies
Articles
If you are a GMAIL user, keep in mind that updates and emails from PSHIR.COM will likely end up in the "Promotions" tab and sometimes even in spam. Unfortunately, the Google server sees them as institutional emails sent to multiple users and tags them as "marketing,
>Seminars
This series of lectures addresses key passages and themes in Paul’s Letter to the Romans, a pivotal book for Christian theological understanding. They were delivered live to a mixed audience at a Messianic Synagogue. As such, they express a unique perspective, a presupposition of Paul as a traditional Jew
Articles
When you sign up at PSHIR.COM, your free account gives you access to piles of resources in Jewish and Biblical studies, select audio and video segments, and many extended topic previews. At PSHIR.COM, you don't have to keep up with passwords! Access to your personal account
Video
I wanted to share with you a video I made recently for my YouTube channel. I created several similar videos where I like to present samples of ancient Jewish compositions people might have never read that I have translated. I decided to put them up on YouTube because videos allow
>Audio
In Numbers, we encounter a story of a report brought back to the Israelite community. Ten investigators of the Land of Promise were pessimistic about conquering Canaan. The land was prosperous and fertile, but the enemy was too mighty to defeat. Of ten investigators, only two believed that God would