9,687 related texts · Page 45 of 202
And the Lord remembered Sarah (Gen. 21:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: That confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messeng...
And God did prove Abraham (Gen. 22:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: The Lord trieth the righteous (Ps. 11:5). R. Jonah maintained: If you pound a good-qual...
And the Lord spoke unto Moses (Exod. 7:19). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Surely oppression turneth a wise man into a fool; and a gift destroyeth the understa...
Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water (Exod. 7:14). Thus the Lord said: Through this (water) you shall cause him to know that I am the Lord. I will ...
That they take for me an offering (Exod. 25:2). May it please our masters to teach us: What did they do with the surplus offering?1The surplus offering was from the funds contribut...
This is the offering … and rams’ skins dyed red, and sealskins (Exod. 25:3). R. Judah and R. Nehemiah discussed this verse. R. Judah said: It was a large pure animal, with a single...
And thou shalt overlay it with brass (Exod. 27:2). R. Judah the son of Shalum stated: Moses had said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, You told me to make an ...
Ben Sira, in his wisdom, points us to figures who possessed just such insight. He begins with someone who, "with a great spirit… saw the end, and comforted the mourners of Zion." W...
It’s not just a vague "they went off and settled," but a detailed allocation. We find a fascinating, if somewhat cryptic, account in the Book of Jubilees. This ancient Jewish text,...
That tension, that agonizing silence in the face of wrong, that’s the heart of our story today, drawn from the Book of Jubilees. The Book of Jubilees, sometimes called Lesser Genes...
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...
In chapter 38, we read about what happened after Jacob’s sons came into conflict with the sons of Esau in the mountains of Seir. The sons of Jacob, fierce and determined, pressed h...
Today, let's talk about the number seventy. Specifically, the seventy souls of Jacob’s family who went down to Egypt. It's a seemingly simple statement, isn’t it? "And all the soul...
to one of those today, a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of Moses' infancy. We all know the story: Pharaoh, gripped by fear of the Israelites' growing numbers, decrees that ...
It’s a story etched in blood and freedom, a tale not just of liberation, but of divine protection. And it’s a story that gets even richer when we delve into texts beyond the famili...
That’s kind of the vibe as we jump back into the Book of Judith. Remember Nebuchadnezzar? Still king, still convinced of his own divine status, and still not thrilled that some nat...
It's more than just packing a lunch! The Book of Judith, a captivating story of courage and faith, gives us a glimpse into the logistics of ancient warfare. : it wasn't just swords...
The story of the Jewish people is nothing short of a miracle, really. And if you want to understand that miracle, you have to look at their journey. The Book of Judith, a fascinati...
It’s a story packed with adventure, piety, and a healthy dose of divine intervention. to a particularly intense moment from the beginning of the story. Our hero, Tobit, is in deep ...
It begins with a letter. Not just any letter, but the Letter of Aristeas. Now, the actual author of this letter is debated by scholars. But for now, let's just call him Aristeas. H...
It’s a story filled with intrigue, royal ambition, and a touch of the miraculous. It all starts with a letter… or rather, The Letter of Aristeas. This ancient text, attributed to s...
We know the basics: the wicked Antiochus, the brave Maccabees, the miracle of the oil. But what about the other stories? The ones that didn't quite make the cut for the Book of Mac...
We're going to look at the beginning of the Book of Maccabees I. Our scene opens with Antiochus. Now, this wasn't just any Antiochus; this was Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a king of the...
It's about resilience, faith, and the courage to stand up for what you believe in, even when it seems like everyone else is against you. And Chapter 3 of the First Book of Maccabee...
It's considered Deuterocanonical, meaning it's included in some versions of the Bible but not in others. Think of it as bonus content, filling in historical gaps and adding layers ...
We're turning to the Book of Maccabees I, a historical account that's part of the Apocrypha, those fascinating books nestled in some versions of the Bible but not in others. It’s a...
The Second Book of Maccabees, part of the Apocrypha, gives us a truly harrowing, yet ultimately inspiring, story of devotion in the face of unimaginable cruelty. It's a story that'...
It's a period marked by loss, divine warnings, and ultimately, a chance for renewal. Chapter 5 opens with a somber roll call. One by one, the righteous of the old generation pass a...
One fascinating source for these expanded narratives is the Book of Jasher, a work of Jewish folklore and legend. Now, it's important to note that this isn't the Sefer haYashar (סֵ...
Today, we're diving into one of those: a chapter from the Book of Jasher. Now, the Book of Jasher isn't part of the Tanakh. Its authenticity and origins are disputed by scholars. B...
According to Jasher, after Sarah's death, Abraham took another wife named Keturah, said to be from the land of Canaan. And she bore him six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Is...
There are so many fascinating texts just lurking on the fringes, offering alternative perspectives and filling in the gaps in ways you wouldn't expect. Today, we're diving into one...
They were definitely outnumbered, and not exactly popular with the neighbors. But then, something amazing happened. Chapter 35 of the Book of Jasher opens with all the kings of the...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), offers us a glimpse into just that – a world of expanded tales and alternativ...
We know the big story: the plagues, the Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the nitty-gritty details of those first few days of freedom? The Book of Jasher, a text m...
And according to tradition, the land wasn't exactly empty when Jacob's sons were destined to inherit it. No, no. It was provisionally granted to a whole host of Canaanite nations: ...
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...
It wasn't just about building altars, though he certainly did that. According to the legends, each altar he raised was the center of his missionary work. Imagine this: Abraham arri...
According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, when Abraham and his entourage finally arrived back in Canaan, they made a point of seeking out the same lodgings they'd u...
It sounds so ancient, so powerful, so… well, Egyptian! But the story behind it, according to some fascinating threads in Jewish tradition, is more surprising than you might think. ...
Even Abraham, our patriarch, wasn't immune. Imagine the scene: Abraham, fresh from his sojourn in Egypt, returns home. Life should be good. But trouble is brewing. It starts, as it...
You’re not wrong. to a classic tale of jealousy, longing, and a bit of divine intervention, straight from the heart of the Sarah and Abraham story. Imagine this: Sarah, Abraham's w...
Take Isaac, for example. His life, as the great compilation Legends of the Jews tells us, reads like a mirror image of his father Abraham's. Abraham had to leave his homeland. So d...
We read stories of righteous people facing hardship after hardship, and it just doesn't seem fair. Think about Jacob. After all he went through, you'd think he deserved a little pe...
Pharaoh certainly did. Remember the story? Seven fat cows, followed by seven skinny ones that devoured the healthy ones whole. And then ears of grain – plump and full, swallowed up...
Let’s talk about clothes, and a legend that stretches all the way back to Adam. It’s a tale wrapped in ambition, rivalry, and… well, garments of immense importance. We’re talking a...
It wasn’t just about wishing someone well. Think of them more like prophecies, hints of destinies intertwined with the character of a person or even a whole tribe. Let's look at tw...
The stories surrounding the burial of Jacob, Yaakov in Hebrew, are filled with profound insights into this very question. Jacob's journey back to Canaan for burial wasn't just a si...
