What is Kosher? by BimBam
This is a very simple introduction to kosher for everyone. Learn why people keep kosher, the basic rules, how to get started, or how to be thoughtful as a guest in a kosher home. A great intro to the topic
>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,
What Kinds of Fish Were Eaten in Ancient Jerusalem?
Over the past century and a half, archaeologists have excavated a variety of sites in Jerusalem, bringing to light many aspects of everyday life in the biblical city. The examination of ceramic vessels for cooking and serving, as well as
Synagogues and the Spread of Christian Beliefs
What do Synagogues have to do with the spread of Christian beliefs? If you are asking yourself this question, then you probably need to reread the Book of Acts. Early believers in Jesus were all members of synagogues, and wherever
One's Own Enemy
The Book of Ovadyah, or Obadiah, is very short. Only one chapter. The prophet's entire message is about Esau, or Edom, as he is also known. And since the Torah reading with which it corresponds is all about
New Wind in the Early Jewish Church
A while back, I had an opportunity to develop a course for the institution where I teach, entitled "The Stories of the Jewish Church." The title was intended to be somewhat provocative, designed to emphasize that the early
Multiple Heavens in the Bible and Three Books of Enoch
The corpus of texts attributed to the biblical figure Enoch represents some of the most significant apocalyptic literature from the Second Temple period. Named after the seventh patriarch from Adam, who, according to Genesis 5:24, “walked with God; then
The Revival of the Modern Hebrew Language
Hidden away between the dense trees of the Hebrew University’s Givat Ram campus lies the past, present, and future of the Hebrew language. Disguised by its modest exterior and dwarfed by impressive new university faculties, two small buildings are
The Angels Made Them Do It: The Origins of Evil
Many people have heard an excuse: “The devil made me do it.” The great tempter, the Adversary, is often blamed for humanity’s weakness and moral collapse. The story of evil and sin usually begins in the Garden of Eden,
Follow The Steps
Have you ever assembled one of those pieces of furniture that comes in a flat box? I have. You open a box and pull out a hundred tiny components. They come with many screws, bolts, and pegs of various sizes.
Featured
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
Du Tillet Hebrew Matthew
For a long time, some have known the gospels are Jewish stories, assembled by Jews in the first century, and it is logical that many have hoped to find their Hebrew manuscripts. The Hebrew Book of Matthew, known as Du
Are Those Horns on Moses' Head?
One of the most magnificent statues of Moses was crafted by Michelangelo, a famed Italian artist from the 14th and 15th centuries. It was commissioned by one of the popes, and today it graces the church of St. Peter in