12,014 related texts · Page 13 of 251
“Even jackals take out a breast, nurse their pups; the daughter of my people has become cruel, like ostriches in the wilderness” (Lamentations 4:3).“Even jackals take out a breast,...
Take the story of Noah and his sons after the flood, specifically Ham and his son Canaan. We read in (Genesis 9:27) that Canaan, not Ham, is cursed to be a servant. Why? What's goi...
Another [explanation]: "For the Conductor..." For He who [it is as if He] leaps like a deer, as He gives light to the world in [its] dark hour. And when does He give light at night...
"The righteous will give thanks to Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence" (Psalm 140:14). The rabbis noticed something beautiful in this promise — God does not judge I...
Esau sees that the women of Canaan displease his father Isaac (Genesis 28:8). So what does he do? He goes and marries a daughter of Ishmael. Adding trouble upon trouble, the rabbis...
The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text considered scripture in some traditions but not included in the Tanakh, gives us a glimpse into just such a story, focusing on none other t...
That’s the feeling I get when I read the story of Abram leaving Haran in the Book of Jubilees. Jubilees, if you’re not familiar, is an ancient Jewish text that retells the stories ...
It's easy to skim over those verses in Genesis, but the Book of Jubilees gives us a peek into his immediate reaction. The text tells us, “And Abraham fell on his face, and rejoiced...
Let’s talk about brit milah, circumcision, and a fascinating text called the Book of Jubilees. This ancient Jewish work, considered scripture by some but not included in the standa...
This particular section, chapter 15, speaks of a profound covenant between God and the children of Israel, a covenant sealed with the act of circumcision – in Hebrew, brit milah. T...
The Book of Jubilees, a text not found in the Hebrew Bible but considered scripture by some, pulls back the curtain on some pretty intense family drama, and the consequences of not...
That feeling resonates deep within a fascinating text called the Book of Jubilees. The Book of Jubilees, also known as Lesser Genesis, was widely read during the Second Temple peri...
We're talking about Abraham, and his son, Isaac. Specifically, when Isaac was weaned. Now, weaning might not seem like cause for a huge shindig today, but in ancient times, it was ...
Hagar knew that feeling intimately. We find her story, or at least a piece of it, echoed in the Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that retells and expands upon stories from ...
The Book of Jubilees gives us glimpses into just such moments. In chapter 22, we find Isaac sending a thank-offering to his father, Abraham, via Jacob. A "best thank-offering," no ...
Today, we're looking at a brief but thought-provoking passage from the Book of Jubilees, specifically chapter 23. It's a short reflection on aging and righteousness. "And he lived ...
The Book of Jubilees, a text that expands on the narratives in Genesis and Exodus, offers a fascinating glimpse into this very idea. It presents a world where our actions have cosm...
In Chapter 36, we get a glimpse into the stark consequences awaiting those who intentionally harm their brothers. It’s heavy stuff. The text minces no words. It speaks of those "ap...
We're diving into the Book of Jubilees today, specifically chapter 44. Now, Jubilees – sometimes called Lesser Genesis – is a fascinating text. It's considered scripture by some, l...
We're diving into the Book of Jubilees, specifically chapter 46. Now, the Book of Jubilees isn't part of the standard Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, that you'd find in most synagogues. ...
It all starts with preparation. And that's exactly what we see in the Book of Judith. When faced with a looming threat, what's the first thing you do? You prepare! And that’s preci...
Talk about pressure! And that's exactly where we find him in the Book of Judith. Holofernes's inner circle—the chief men, those living by the seaside, and even the Moabites—are a c...
That’s exactly the feeling gripping the Israelites as we turn to the Book of Judith. Chapter 7 opens with a chilling description. The Assyrian army, a seemingly endless wave of war...
The text paints a grim picture. "Now these men will wipe clean the face of the earth, for neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills, are able to bear their weight....
That’s the feeling you get reading the Book of Judith, especially as our heroine approaches the enemy camp. Judith, remember, is the brave widow from Bethulia who's taken it upon h...
But then, Judith. She steps forward, a woman of courage and faith, and changes everything. And in Chapter 14, we witness the aftershocks of her incredible act. "Blessed are you in ...
And Chapter 15 of the Book of Judith? It's the moment when everything shifts. Imagine the scene. The head of Holofernes, the dreaded Assyrian general, is displayed for all to see. ...
That’s where our story begins, with the Prayer of Manasseh. It's a short, powerful text, not found in the Tanakh, but preserved among the Jewish writings of the Second Temple perio...
The story of the Maccabees is just that: a story of forging a Jewish identity amidst empires clashing and cultures colliding. Today, let's journey with Jonathan Maccabee, son of Ma...
As we read in the Book of Maccabees I, things were looking pretty grim. "Then all the heathen that were round about then sought to destroy them: for said they, They have no captain...
That’s the kind of pressure Simon Maccabeus and his family were facing. Our story picks up in the Book of Maccabees I, Chapter 16. Simon, the leader of the Maccabees after the deat...
It's not just dry history; it's a vibrant snapshot of a people, their struggles, and their unwavering faith. Imagine this: it’s a time of upheaval. The land of Israel is under the ...
After journeying from Shechem to Hebron to be with their father Isaac, Jacob's sons settled in the valley. The pastures of Shechem were still good, and that’s where they tended the...
It’s a relentless chronicle of life and death, battles and betrayals. We're in Egypt, some seventy-nine years after Jacob and his family arrived. The years are marked by a somber r...
When Amram separated from his wife after Pharaoh's decree to drown all Hebrew boys, it was his young daughter Miriam who brought them back together. The Spirit of God came upon the...
When Pharaoh sought counsel on what to do about the growing Israelite population, he summoned three men: Reuel the Midianite, Job, and Balaam of Petor. Their answers determined the...
Why did God Himself attend to the burial of Moses? Because of what Moses had done decades earlier in Egypt, when everyone else was busy loading up silver and gold for the exodus. W...
We know the destination, the covenant, the near-sacrifice of Isaac... but what about the very beginning? According to Legends of the Jews, a vast compilation of Jewish folklore by ...
As we read in Legends of the Jews, a masterful retelling of Jewish lore by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, Joseph began to reap the rewards for his unwavering commitment to virtue. It's a po...
It’s a terrifying place to be. But sometimes, in those moments of absolute solitude, something miraculous can happen. Let's turn to the tale of Abraham, long before he was the Abra...
It all starts with Terah, Abraham's father. He marries Abraham's mother, and soon enough, she’s pregnant. But something’s… off. After just three months, she looks like she's about ...
No parents, no comfort, just the cold, hard stone and the echoing silence. Abraham, left to fend for himself. According to Legends of the Jews, he began to wail, as any infant woul...
It wasn't exactly smooth sailing, especially when it came to his own family. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, Abraham actually encountered his parents in B...
How would you react? Overwhelmed? Maybe a little puffed up with pride? That's the situation Abraham found himself in, according to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews. Afte...
He, his mom, and his nurse finally venture out of the cave where they'd been hiding. Why? Because, thankfully, the king and his cronies had completely forgotten about the whole "ba...
It wasn't exactly a straight and narrow path, at least according to some fascinating stories tucked away in Jewish tradition. Let's go way back. Young Abraham is living with his fa...
So, picture this: Abraham saddles up his mule, ready to head to the local inn. This wasn't just any inn, mind you. It was the place where merchants from Fandana in Syria stayed whe...
According to Legends of the Jews, Terah, Abraham's father, was an idol merchant. Imagine that! When young Abraham questioned him about the true God, the one who created everything,...
