The 2025 National Jewish Book Awards are a liberal balm in the midst of a miserable year+ of hostage crisis and war and two+ miserable years of Kahanist government in Israel and spikes of anti-Semitism in the Diaspora and the election of Donald Trump in the United States. History...
Many of the traditional beliefs about the messiah preclude a discussion of the resurrection of Jesus. However, with more understanding of the background of Second-Temple Judaism, many long-held beliefs about the messiah are being re-evaluated. The three main issues discussed i...
Origin of the Essenes. To arrive at a better understanding of the Essenes, the start must be made from the Ḥasidim of the pre-Maccabean time (I Macc. ii. 42, vii. 13; II Macc. xiv. 6), of whom both the Pharisees and the Essenes are offshoots (Wellhausen, "Israelitische und...
Paul recounts his visit to Jerusalem wherein “the truth of the gospel” for the Galatians was said to have been maintained (2:5) by Titus’s not being compelled to be circumcised (2:3). Key to understanding the issue at stake in Jerusalem, Antioch, and Galatia is Gal 3:8, wherein...
Are those O’s and U’s really necessary? What are they for? Do Rabbis really bless the food? A lot of hate groups talk about this, without any understanding of the subject. Here’s the truth. Halloween and Jews? Are Judaism and Halloween compatible? Can it fit into Jewish life?
This series aims to enrich our understanding of the Jewish origins of Christian mystical traditions through in-depth explorations into the Jewish matrix of Christian theology and spirituality. Its primary purpose is to bring attention to recent scholarly developments in Jewish pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea ...
intrinsic value (Soṭah 40a); the evil tendency of freedom from anxiety (Ber. 32a); the limitations of human knowledge and understanding (Sanh. 39a); the advantage frequently resulting from what appears to be evil (Niddah 31a); conversion (Shab. 153a); purity of soul and its reward ...
In the New Testament, the Jewish leaders and bystanders play significant roles in the narrative of Jesus Christ's ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. These groups are often depicted in various interactions with Jesus, highlighting themes of authority, belief, and fulfillment of prophecy.Jewish ...
Of course, that is not the whole story. Careful Jewish readers of the NT will come to a better understanding of the vast theological differences between Jews and Christians–for example, on the issue of whether God can have a son, and whether God can be incarnated in a human body. Jews...
To address these tensions, it is essential to promote a more balanced understanding of Jewish history and identity. Christian love and reverence for Jesus should be balanced with respect for biblical figures like Samson and King David, who embodied military courage and assertiveness. Similarly, Holoca...