What happens at a synagogue service? What are the rules for keeping kosher? How do I light the Hanukkah candles? What is in the Hebrew Bible? What do the Jewish holidays signify? I frequently get questions about Jewish culture and
I periodically meet people who are hesitant to read books designated as Pseudepigrapha or Apocrypha. I was even flat-out told "they are forbidden." Admittedly, these are both scary-sounding technical and academic terms, but with really simple
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
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
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
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
Many Jewish scrolls scribed between 300 BCE and 200 CE can be classified as “apocalyptical” because of their frequent focus on the heavenly scenes, secrets, revelations, and visions of the future. Apocalypse is a Greek word that means “to reveal”
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
The Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem carries a unique name, alluding to the "one who was sent." I have recently shared a couple of articles about the connection between this unique place and Jesus' miracles. I realize
To readers of the Bible, Siloam (Σιλωάμ) is a familiar water source in ancient Jerusalem. It was there that Jesus healed the man born blind (John 9). In Hebrew, the pool is called Shiloach (שִׁלֹחַ) or Shiloah, meaning
When Jews celebrate Passover today, the festive tables feature a special plate with traditional foods tased during the celebration. There are bitter herbs of several kinds to remember the bitterness of slavery in Egypt (Num 9:11). There is also
No doubt you have heard about the famed water source of ancient Jerusalem called Siloam. When someone hears Siloam, they immediately go to John’s gospel (Ch 9), and the story of Jesus healing a man born blind. Yes, that
