2,514 texts · Page 1 of 53
We read the first chapter of Genesis and it feels so…orderly. But there are other stories, wilder tales, that offer a glimpse into creation’s messy, mysterious birth. Let's journey...
Jewish tradition has some pretty incredible ideas about that. Let's peek inside God's house, shall we? According to some accounts, God didn't just create the universe, He built a p...
It offers a rather…unique take on the second day of Creation. We all know the story: God creates the rakia, the firmament, on the second day. He separates the waters above from the...
One figure looms large in this discussion: Satanael. In the ancient text of 2 Enoch, this was the name of the highest angel, and the story surrounding him is… complicated, especial...
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...
Let’s talk about Anafiel. Now, Anafiel isn't exactly a household name, even in circles that discuss angels. But, according to some ancient texts, this angel is a big deal. Tree of ...
We often think of Adam as simply the first man, made of dust. But some ancient traditions paint a far more…celestial picture. A picture of Adam as an angel. Now, before you picture...
We often think of him in the Garden of Eden, or perhaps being expelled from it. But Jewish tradition holds some truly fascinating ideas about his ultimate fate. One such idea, foun...
We often picture God directly shaping him from dust, but some fascinating traditions tell a slightly different story, involving heavenly helpers. The story goes that when the time ...
The ancient texts offer tantalizing, awe-inspiring visions, and one of the most vivid comes from the story of Enoch. Enoch, as we learn from 1 Enoch, wasn't just any man. He was ri...
One such story, preserved in Vita Adae et Evae (The Life of Adam and Eve), tells of a remarkable vision. It's a bit obscure, not as well-known as other heavenly journeys like Enoch...
Jewish tradition is filled with stories of those who dared to try. One of the most famous of these accounts involves four prominent sages who, according to the Talmud (Hagigah 14b)...
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...
What we see here is just a reflection of something far grander: the rainbow of the Shekhinah (the Divine Presence). The Shekhinah, often translated as "Divine Presence," is the asp...
This is the journey of Enoch, a figure shrouded in mystery and legend. Led by the angel Michael, Enoch climbs through the heavens until he reaches the highest of them all: Aravot. ...
He’s not exactly a household name, even in well-versed Jewish circles, but this heavenly prince has a pretty important job. He's the Keeper of the Book of Records. Think of it as t...
It speaks of a place far, far removed from the familiar landscapes of heaven and earth. A sort of cosmic timeout corner. Imagine this: You’re at the very edge of everything, where ...
We know King Solomon, wise and powerful, but he was also, according to tradition, a master of summoning and controlling demons. The Testament of Solomon is practically a who's who ...
Jewish tradition gives us a few different, evolving, and sometimes contradictory answers. One early picture, found in the ancient text 1 Enoch (specifically, chapters 22:1-14), dat...
We often think of Mashiach – the Messiah – as a future figure, the one who will usher in an era of peace and redemption. But what about now? Where is he? What’s he doing? Jewish tr...
We often picture Moses on Mount Sinai, receiving the divine word directly from God. Forty days and forty nights of dictation. But what if I told you there's another story, a fascin...
In fact, the Sabbath isn't just a terrestrial observance; it's a celestial one, too. Imagine this: right after creating the Sabbath, God gathers all the angels – the angels of the ...
I'm talking about the Akedah, the binding of Isaac. We all know the story: Abraham, tested to the absolute limit, raises his knife to sacrifice his son Isaac. It's a scene that chi...
Jewish tradition is rich with stories of dreams and visions, and the power they hold. One particularly striking tale, found in Tree of Souls by Howard Schwartz, tells of a dream th...
Was Jacob, the patriarch, just an ordinary man? Tradition whispers secrets, suggesting his story is far grander than we might imagine. Some even say his true name was Israel, and t...
After Pharaoh's daughter discovered the infant Moses nestled among the bulrushes, she brought him back to the palace. She presented him to her father, claiming that the Nile itself...
Jewish tradition offers some powerful and moving images of what happens to the souls of the righteous after death. And some of these images paint a picture of them continuing to fi...
Jewish tradition envisions a future where Jerusalem isn't just a city on a hill, but a city that becomes the hill—elevated, literally, until it reaches the very Throne of Glory. Th...
The bite taken. The realization dawning. But what happened next? We often skip ahead to the consequences, the exile, the shame. But let's linger for a moment on God's arrival. Acco...
We don't often get to hear Adam's side of the story directly. But Jewish tradition, in its beautiful, layered way, offers us glimpses. One fascinating account, preserved in Howard ...
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...
Can you imagine the fear, the uncertainty? There were no books, no doctors, no one to ask for advice. It was just her and Adam, facing the unknown. The text Penitence of Adam (20:3...
It involves fallen angels, forbidden knowledge, and a whole lot of trouble. This isn't just a story of two rogue angels, Shemhazai and Azazel. According to some accounts, like the ...
Jewish tradition has some pretty fascinating, and sometimes terrifying, answers. to the story of Azazel, a fallen angel whose lair is the source of some seriously dark magic. The s...
Jewish tradition has some pretty ideas about it. One vision, described in Tree of Souls, paints a picture so vivid, so intense, it’s hard to ignore. Imagine this: in the very gener...
Jewish tradition grapples with this very question, imagining a reality beyond our comprehension, a concept called the Olam Ha-Ba (עולם הבא), "The World to Come." It's not just abou...
Ben Sira, that wise sage whose words dance between scripture and folklore, grapples with this very question. And what he offers us is both comforting and challenging. "According to...
Ben Sira, that ancient sage whose wisdom dances between the canonical and the apocryphal, wrestles with this very feeling in his writings. He captures that whisper of doubt that cr...
Let’s journey for a moment into the world described in the book of Ben Sira, also known as Sirach or the Wisdom of Yeshua ben Sira. It's part of the Apocrypha, writings associated ...
Ben Sira, in chapter 46 of his wisdom text, paints a vivid portrait of Samuel, a leader renowned for his unwavering faith and powerful connection to God. It's a portrait that reson...
Or Eliyahu, as he's known in Hebrew. He wasn't exactly known for his gentle touch. Ben Sira, in chapter 48, paints a picture of a man of intense zeal. “And he shattered their staff...
Incense fills the air, music swells, and then Simon the High Priest appears. He's just completed the sacred service, and the sight is so breathtaking, so imbued with holiness, that...
Our story begins not just at the beginning of time, but with the very blueprint for it. We’re talking about the Book of Jubilees, a text that, while not part of the canonical Hebre...
That’s where texts like the Book of Jubilees come in. It's a fascinating ancient Jewish work, considered scripture by some, that expands on the Genesis account. to its version of c...
We often gloss over those opening chapters of Genesis, but the details… they’re breathtaking. And what if I told you there's another ancient text that expands on that cosmic bluepr...
The sheer magnitude of creation, neatly organized into a divine schedule. It’s mind-boggling, isn't it? Our little peek into that schedule comes from the Book of Jubilees, a text s...
The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that expands on the stories we find in Genesis and Exodus, really emphasizes this point. It paints a picture of creation itself as a mo...
Garden, apple, serpent... But have you ever felt like there's more to the tale than meets the eye? Well, let's pull back the curtain a bit, and look at a fascinating, lesser-known ...
