Psalm 150 in Hebrew (with English Translation)
Psalm 150 in Hebrew is a song of praise that should ring in the hearts of all who live and move. The very breath we breathe is the breath of Hashem who made us alive. הַלְלוּ יָהּ
>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,
Jesus: Nazarene or Nazarite?
After reading the gospels some people walk away thinking that Jesus was a Nazarite. “And came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.” (Mat
03 Hanukkah in First Maccabees Audio
This lesson on Hanukkah was recorded live with audience participation. Flavius Josephus describes the days before the Maccabean Revolt. His version is not that different from the book of First Maccabees, which paints those events as a story of heroic
02 Hanukkah in Josephus Audio
his lesson on Hanukkah was recorded live with audience participation. A late first century CE Jewish writer, Josephus Flavius, describes the history of the days before the Maccabean Revolt. How and why did Antiochus IV get involved in Israel’s
01 Three Ways to See Hanukkah Audio
This lesson on Hanukkah was recorded live with audience participation. Three ways to see the holiday: Pop-culture, Spiritual and Historical perspectives. How far back do Hanukkah traditions go?
Beyond Menorahs and Dreidels (~1.5hrs)
Many people have heard about Hanukkha and know that its a happy and festive winter celebration. But Hanukkah is so much more than Menorahs and Dreidels. The story behind the holiday is one of brutal war and desperate struggle for
Who Was Judah the Maccabee? by Breaking Matzo
Spend a couple of minutes and get a quick summary about Judah Maccabee in this informational video by Breaking Matzo. Learn who Judah was and why he is significant in Jewish history.
God's Name in the Hebrew Bible: Yahweh, Jehovah & Adonai
I was lecturing to a group of students at a Christian University and one of the students asked me about God's name in the Hebrew Bible. Is it Yahweh, is it Jehovah? This video an excerpt from my
Was Jesus the First Christian? by Bible History
If Jesus was a Jew, and Christianity became his religion, then it makes sense that Jesus was the first Christian. However, Dr. James Charlesworth, of Princeton Theological Seminary argues that this was just not the case; Jesus did not part
Did Paul Actually Convert to Christianity? by Bible History
The late Dr. Krister Stendahl, of Harvard Divinity School, suggests that he did not. This video summarizes his reasons why. Stendahl notices that Paul and the author of Acts describe Paul's transformative experience with Jesus in the same
Have Kosher Laws Been Abolished? by Bible History
In his book, Torah Praxis After 70 CE: Reading Luke-Acts as Jewish Texts, Dr. Isaac Oliver of Bradley University argues that Peter's vision in Acts is not about the abolishment of kosher laws, but the “purification and
3 Ways Scholars View Paul's Relationship to Judaism by Bible History
In the Jewish Annotated New Testament, Dr. Paula Fredriksen summarizes 3 of the top ways scholars view Paul's relationship to Judaism. Was Paul against Judaism? Alongside? Or did he remain within Judaism throughout his entire life?