3,200 related texts · Page 31 of 67
“Remember, Lord, what befell us; look, and see our disgrace” (Lamentations 5:1).“Remember, Lord, what befell us.” Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “The greyhound, or the goat” (Proverbs 30:31)...
Jewish tradition offers some pretty fascinating, and sometimes unsettling, answers. Take the story of Satan's fall from grace. It's not just a simple tale of rebellion; it's a comp...
Jewish tradition certainly sees more. There's a place, called the "Place of the Stars." And it’s far more wondrous than any observatory. Imagine a realm where the stars aren't just...
We read about death all the time, but imagine being the first person… ever… to face it. Well, Jewish tradition has a lot to say about the death of Adam, the first human. And it's n...
(Genesis 6:4) mentions the Nefilim. That word, Nefilim, generally understood to mean “giants.” But who were they, really? And where did they come from? The Torah just kind of drops...
Let’s delve into what this sage has to say about divine retribution – or the lack thereof. Ben Sira, a Jewish scholar from the Second Temple period, offers a stark reminder: "In th...
Ben Sira, also known as Ecclesiasticus, is a book of wisdom literature, a treasure trove of insights into Jewish thought and practice, though it's not included in the Hebrew Bible'...
We tend to think of "nature" as this impersonal force, but Jewish tradition often sees things differently. It paints a picture of a vast, intricate cosmic bureaucracy, teeming with...
to a fascinating, if troubling, passage from the Book of Jubilees. Now, the Book of Jubilees isn't part of the standard Jewish biblical canon, the Tanakh. But it's a hugely importa...
Think of it as a really old "director's cut" of the Bible. Specifically, we're looking at Jubilees 6. The passage is talking about a particular festival. What festival? Well, that’...
Let me tell you a story from the Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that expands on stories from the Torah. It’s sowing season. The time when farmers scatter seeds, entrustin...
The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text, grapples with this very human tendency in its own powerful way. Chapter 12 dives right into a crucial moment of religious awakening, a...
This ancient text, considered apocryphal by some but deeply revered in others, offers a unique perspective on biblical narratives. Picture this: it’s the new moon of the seventh mo...
And it led him on a journey, not just geographically, but a journey of the mind and soul. The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text that expands on the stories we find in Genesis, g...
For a home, for a future, for a connection to something bigger than himself. And then he arrives at Shechem. The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text that expands on the stories we...
It paints a vivid picture of Abraham’s arrival and his immediate actions. Imagine this: Abraham, having journeyed from Ur of the Chaldees – a long and arduous trek, no doubt – fina...
It tells us, plainly and powerfully, that "Abram was very glorious by reason of possessions in sheep, and cattle, and asses, and horses, and camels, and menservants, and maidservan...
He’s just received a profound promise from God, a promise of protection and immense reward. "Fear not, Abram; I am thy defender, and thy reward will be exceeding great." It sounds ...
That feeling is ancient. It’s woven right into the stories we tell about our ancestors. Let’s look at one such moment with Abraham, from the Book of Jubilees. Now, the Book of Jubi...
We often trace them back to the Torah, to Moses at Sinai. But what if some of those traditions, the feel of them, actually predate the Torah itself? to the Book of Jubilees, a fasc...
The Book of Jubilees gives us a glimpse into one of those moments – a moment of profound blessing and recognition. We're talking about Abraham. Imagine him, standing at a crossroad...
The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text from around the 2nd century BCE, offers a glimpse behind the curtain. Let's take a peek. Imagine Abraham, nearing the end of his days. He's...
And it's one that the Book of Jubilees tackles head-on. Jubilees, for those unfamiliar, is an ancient Jewish text that retells the stories of Genesis and Exodus, but with a distinc...
Let’s turn to the Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text from around the 2nd century BCE. It's not part of the standard Hebrew Bible, but it was highly regarded by some Jewish commun...
Think of it as a behind-the-scenes look at some of our most beloved stories. Our scene: Jacob, nearing the end of his long and eventful life. The text tells us, "And he placed two ...
The story of Jacob and Esau, and their mother Rebecca, is a powerful, sometimes troubling, example of maternal love… and perhaps, a bit of manipulation. to the Book of Jubilees, a ...
We find ourselves right in the heart of that moment in the Book of Jubilees, chapter 26. It's a scene loaded with deception, a father's blindness, and a blessing that will echo thr...
But sometimes the ancient texts offer us a glimpse behind the curtain, a little more color, a little more… well, human drama. Let's turn our attention to the Book of Jubilees. This...
That’s kind of where Jacob finds himself in the Book of Jubilees. Jacob, is about to leave Egypt. A pivotal moment. But before he goes, he receives a divine message, a glimpse into...
The ancient text of the Book of Jubilees, a fascinating work expanding on the narratives of Genesis, gives us a poignant example. We find ourselves in the midst of the story of Jac...
Our tale begins in the Book of Jubilees, a text that expands on the stories we find in Genesis. It's a fascinating, sometimes controversial, work that offers a unique perspective o...
Let’s talk about Leah. We often hear about Rachel, Jacob's great love. But what about her sister, Leah? The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that retells and expands upon t...
It seems like it's been around for millennia! We find a great example of this generational tension in the Book of Jubilees. Now, if you're not familiar, the Book of Jubilees is an ...
Today, let’s pull one of those stories out into the light. It’s a dramatic, violent, and frankly, surprising tale found not in the Torah itself, but in a fascinating apocryphal boo...
That feeling, that tension, is right at the heart of the story we find in the Book of Jubilees as Jacob, now also known as Israel, prepares to leave the familiar for the unknown. T...
It comes from the Book of Jubilees, specifically chapter 46. The Book of Jubilees, for those who aren't familiar, is an ancient Jewish text that retells the stories of Genesis and ...
Let’s set the stage. We're in the ancient world, amidst powerful kings and shifting empires. The passage in question drops us right into the aftermath of a royal assassination. Acc...
The Book of Tobit, part of the Apocrypha, gives us just that—a deeply personal glimpse into the values and concerns of a father as he prepares his son for life's uncertainties. Let...
The Book of Tobit, a beautiful story nestled in the Apocrypha, knows all about that feeling. We find ourselves with Tobiyyah, son of Tobit, who's just married Sarah, daughter of Re...
And just when things seem darkest, light breaks through. Chapter 13 of the Book of Tobit isn't just a story; it's an explosion of joy, a testament to faith, and a reminder that eve...
That’s precisely what happened back in the 3rd century BCE, according to the Letter of Aristeas. This fascinating text, attributed to a courtier named Aristeas in the service of Eg...
The Prayer of Manasseh, though considered apocryphal by some, gives voice to that very human feeling. It's a raw, honest cry from the heart of someone who knows they've messed up –...
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...
We pick up the story of Joseph in Egypt, after his brothers sold him and he's been bought and sold a couple more times. According to Jasher, the Ishmaelites who initially bought Jo...
It's one of those fascinating texts just outside the mainstream of the Hebrew Bible, referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), yet remaining somewhat myste...
According to the Alphabet of Ben Sira, a medieval text composed between 700 and 1000 CE, the child prodigy Ben Sira mastered the entirety of human and divine knowledge in just seve...
When God told Moses that his time had come, Moses refused to accept it. He drew a circle on the ground, stood inside it, and declared: "I will not move from this place until the de...
Paradise has two gates made of carbuncle, and sixty myriads of ministering angels guard them. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle compiled by ...
