Articles
In 2013 a volunteer looking through the dirt that had been excavated from Robinson’s Arch (near the Western Wall) found a 1-cm seal impression. After closer examination, some archaeologists came to believe that this was a First Temple era seal. The impression, or in Latin bulla, would have sealed
Video
Since I recently released a new book, I am sharing some videos that offer people a peek into the texts of the Books of Enoch. It's a bit of self-promotion. But many of my students have been asking me questions about these books for years, and I worked
>Audio
Torah describes the laws of shemitah, the laws of the sabbatical year, and also yovel, a Jubilee year. This was a time when Israel was challenged to let the land have its Shabbat, a complete rest from agriculture. And yet this rest was not going to bring economic suffering upon
>Seminars
In efforts to raise awareness of my latest book release, I am sharing some videos that present select segments from the Books of Enoch. Naturally, I want to promote my new book, and this video is a way for me to provide a peek inside the ancient text. The Second
Articles
The Psalms of Solomon are sometimes called Songs of Shlomo (מזמורי שלמה), a book that should not be confused with the Wisdom of Solomon and the Odes of Solomon. Solomon was popular in antiquity, so a number of ancient books bare his name. Psalms of Solomon is a collection of
Video
I recently released a new book, so in my efforts to promote it, I wanted to share some videos and let people experience the texts that captivated my attention for a while. The First Book of Enoch (Ethiopian Enoch), also known as "The Book of Watchers," is a
Articles
In modern Shavuot celebrations, it is customary to stay up late and to study Torah into the morning hours. Why? Many rabbis would say that we follow this custom because when Hashem decided to give Israel the mitzvot (commandments), they were asleep at the foot of Sinai. They were not
>Audio
Has anyone ever complained to you that you are a difficult person? Have you been described as “rough around the edges”? Don’t despair. It just means you are human, and you do not hide it very well. I will tell you, though, that life may throw you around a
Articles
We live in a world full of people who think they know how everything works. The audacity of science and investigative thought is often revealed in claiming to have figured it all out, as mere theories are too often presented as facts. This is sadly true with all human knowledge
>Seminars
What makes one a prophet? How can their words be validated? How can their calling from above be verified? In this socio-cultural study of ancient Israelite prophets, it would not be proper to only discuss the lives of those who left us books named after them, such as Isaiah, Amos,
>Seminars
In this segment, the Hebrew Prophets are presented in the context of the broader Near Eastern culture. Israel is not the only people group that has had individuals endeavor to reach out and interact with the supernatural world. Understanding who the prophets were against the broader cultural backdrop of enquiring
>Seminars
The words of the prophets can only be understood in their context. Only the books of the prophets themselves do not always give much context. Usually, we encounter their oracles without any explanations. To make sense of the world of the biblical prophets, we have to develop a grasp of