Jewish Ecclesia in Acts (~1hr)
The book of Acts mentions the church, which is a translation of the Greek word "ecclesia." This Greek term is ancient, but the word "church" is actually not. Where does this new word come from? What
>Books
"Hearing Distant Echoes" by Pinchas Shir
This book captures many ancient voices, a collection of literary excerpts from ancient Jewish books: Jubilees, Josephus, 4 Ezra, Qumran Scrolls, Talmud, Enoch, Baruch, Maccabees, Mishna, Judith, Apocalypse of Moses, Philo, Mishna, Ben Sira, and many others, fifty passages to be exact. The excerpts are mostly short, sometimes even intentionally
/Articles
You Are God's Temple: 1 Corinthians 3:16
Apostle Paul was a first-century religious Jew, trained at the feet of the best rabbis of his time. Though he addresses primarily non-Jewish audiences, Shaul often writes as a rabbi, resorting to midrash and employing metaphors to illustrate his ideas. Sadly, his readers are not used to this
/Video
A Morning Prayer: May Your Will Always Be...
I wanted to share with you a Morning Prayer and, more specifically, a musical piece I created based on it. The words of this song are inspired by the words of the traditional morning blessings found in the Siddur (Jewish Prayer Book). The person who is praying in the early
>Seminars
The Sign of Jonah and Something Greater (~3hrs)
What is this Sign of Jonah? The traditional thinking is that it's Jesus' resurrection, three days and three nights... But the passage may not be so simple as it appears on the surface. Interested in taking a closer look and discovering another way to read the text?
/Articles
Study the Three Visions of Enoch!
Over the years of teaching, I have often referred my students to the books of Enoch. But most of the time, I did so with some reservations. I knew that the broadly distributed copies they would likely come across would be littered with archaic and hard-to-digest language. Finally,
The Words We Speak This Pesach
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev used to teach his students an interesting spiritual lesson about Passover. This is how he explained the meaning of the Passover holiday (Pesach). “Pesach” literally means “the mouth" פה (peh) and "talks"
A New King
In Shemot, Exodus 1:8 says that “a new king rose over Egypt” – vayakam melekh chadash al mitzraim. As generations pass, new leaders rise all the time. New leadership often brings changes, and most of us are resilient enough to
Researching the Last Supper Menu
What did Jesus and his disciples eat during the Last Supper? What was on the menu? New research reveals a list of likely foods. A bean stew, lamb, olives, bitter herbs, a fish sauce, unleavened bread, dates, and aromatic wine
Rest is Trust
Taking a break from cultivating the land for the whole year sounds good in theory, but it can impact people economically in a major way. Most of us are not farmers today, but it is not hard to imagine the
The Riddle of Passover Charoset
First of all, what is Charoset? It is a special Passover menu item found on every Jewish table that celebrates the exodus from Egypt. Today Charoset (חֲרֽוֹסֶת), a sweet brown mixture eaten as a part of
The Riddle of Passover Bone
The Jewish Passover Celebration is a remembrance of the chosen people’s exodus from Egypt. During this celebration, a special plate with symbolic items is set as the centerpiece of every festive table. One of the items on this special
Over 2000 Egyptian Deities - Ancient History
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
What Wine Would Jesus Drink?
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
"2 Enoch, The Book of Secrets: New Translation" by Pinchas Shir
Many have heard about "The Book of Watchers," largely because it's a platform for some very sensational claims. But "The Book of Secrets" (Slavonic Enoch), or what scholars call 2 Enoch, seems to elude
Embrace Your Kin
In the Torah (Genesis 28), we encounter a story of Jacob meeting his relatives in Haran. Jacob waters Rachel’s flock. He kisses her and breaks down crying. He tells her that he is Rebekah’s son. Rebekah was her
Dust and Ashes: Jewish Mourning Customs
The world of the Bible is full of symbolism that modern readers at times notice and do not appreciate, but very often miss entirely. People’s customs, traditions, and folkways about most ordinary matters of life often reflect deep into