5,036 texts · Page 2 of 105
The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text expanding on the Torah’s narratives, takes us into just such a moment with Judah, son of Jacob. It’s a raw, human story, full of mistakes a...
Years ago, you thought you'd lost your beloved son, Joseph, to a tragic death. The grief must have been unbearable. Now, after all this time, his brothers are returning from Egypt ...
The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that expands on the biblical narrative, gives us a beautiful glimpse into those moments. It tells us that Joseph and his brothers gathe...
We all know the story of Joseph. Sold into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned, but ultimately rising to become second-in-command in Egypt. But what happened after he interpreted ...
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 ...
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 ...
We all know the broad strokes – the decree, the basket, the river. But have you ever stopped to consider the details, the near-miraculous chain of events that had to unfold just so...
We know he was found in the reeds, destined for greatness. But what happened between that moment and the burning bush? Well, the Book of Jubilees, a fascinating ancient text not in...
We all know the story of Moses striking down the Egyptian taskmaster to save a Hebrew slave. But what happens next? The Book of Jubilees, a text considered canonical by some but ex...
We all know the story: Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Epic. But what about the moments before all th...
We all know the story of the plagues visited upon Egypt. Blood, frogs, locusts… a greatest hits album of divine retribution. But what about the behind-the-scenes details? What abou...
The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating Jewish text from around the 2nd century BCE, gives us a peek behind that curtain. It’s like a director's cut of the Torah, filling in details an...
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...
The Book of Jubilees, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is an ancient Jewish text. Think of it as a retelling – and slight expansion – of the Book of Genesis and the first part...
To a fascinating, and sometimes surprising, peek into the origins of Passover and Shabbat, as seen through the lens of a text called the Book of Jubilees. The Book of Jubilees, som...
It's considered apocryphal – meaning it's not part of the biblical canon for most Jewish denominations. But it’s still a treasure trove of information about ancient Jewish thought ...
The Book of Jubilees claims that Moses received far more on Mount Sinai than the Ten Commandments—he received a cosmic download about the very fabric of time itself. The text prese...
Let's look at a moment from the Book of Judith, a story filled with intrigue and courage. We find ourselves listening to Achior, the leader of the Ammonites, recounting the history...
Our story begins with Tobi. He’s in exile in Nineveh, in Assyria. And right away, he’s calling out to God: “Remember me, my God, for good.” He’s not just asking for a favor; he’s r...
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 ...
Our heroes, Tobiyyah and the angel Raphael (disguised as a human, of course), are on a journey. They arrive at Agbatauis (Ecbatana), and Raphael drops a bombshell. "My brother," he...
That’s the feeling that hangs in the air as we turn to the Book of Tobit, specifically chapter 7. Remember Tobiyyah, our hero, sent on a quest to retrieve some much-needed silver? ...
That’s the space Tobiyyah and Sarah find themselves in in the Book of Tobit. Imagine this: you’re newly married, but your spouse has a bit of a history. A history of… seven dead hu...
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text that purports to describe the translation of the Torah into Greek, offers a glimpse into this very question. It suggests that these seemi...
That lifeline comes with a catch – a compromise of everything you hold sacred. That’s the agonizing dilemma faced by the Jews in Megillat Antiochus, a scroll recounting the events ...
It's a story that still resonates, a testament to courage and faith against all hope, found in the Book of Maccabees I. The scene is almost overwhelming. Imagine looking out and se...
The kind of betrayal that shakes your faith in humanity. That's the kind of situation we find ourselves in with a particular passage from the Book of Maccabees I. We're in the thic...
That feeling, that raw, desperate plea, it's woven deep into the fabric of Jewish history. And it echoes powerfully in the Second Book of Maccabees. This book, part of the Apocryph...
The story centers around the prophet Jeremiah, a towering figure in Jewish tradition, known for his prophecies and lamentations. The text tells us that Jeremiah, deeply concerned a...
Second Maccabees gives us a tantalizing glimpse into just such a mystery, a legend swirling around the prophet Jeremiah. Now, we all know Jeremiah. The weeping prophet, the one who...
The Second Book of Maccabees, a historical and religious text not included in the Hebrew Bible but important for understanding the Second Temple period, tells us a fascinating stor...
We find ourselves amidst the brutal reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a time when Jewish traditions were outlawed and the Temple in Jerusalem was desecrated. It was a dark, terrifyi...
That feeling, that unsettling awareness, is at the heart of the story we're about to dive into: the tale of Susanna. Our story opens with Susanna, daughter of Hilkiah. The text tel...
We've been following her story, a tale of beauty, faith, and unjust accusation in ancient Babylon. Two corrupt elders, consumed by lust, had falsely accused her of adultery. Her li...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), offers some pretty fascinating, and sometimes unsettling, glimpses.. The chap...
We often associate it with powerful Egyptian rulers, but its origins are a bit…unconventional, to say the least. Buckle up, because the Book of Jasher has a wild story to tell abou...
The Book of Jasher, a non-canonical Jewish text that fills in gaps in the biblical narrative, offers some fascinating glimpses. to one particularly dramatic episode from Chapter 15...
Sometimes, looking to other texts can give us a fuller picture. Take, for example, this passage from the Book of Jasher. It begins with a rumble of war. Chedorlaomer, king of Elam,...
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...
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...
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 a universal sting, and even Joseph, the dreamer of dreams himself, wasn't immune. Book of Jasher and see how this plays out. So, Joseph is still stuck in that Egyptian prison....
That’s exactly what happens to Pharaoh in Chapter 48 of the Book of Jasher. The story opens with a looming crisis: a famine. "In those days, after the death of Isaac, the Lord comm...
Remember Joseph? The Hebrew slave who correctly interpreted Pharaoh's dream about the famine? Well, Pharaoh hasn't forgotten. According to the Book of Jasher, after seeing that Jos...
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...
Remember, this is an ancient Hebrew text, not considered canon, but full of fascinating stories filling in gaps in the biblical narrative. Our story picks up with Jacob and his son...
To recap, the brothers have already journeyed to Egypt to buy food during a brutal famine, encountering the powerful and mysterious Egyptian viceroy– who is secretly their long-los...
Remember Joseph, the favored son sold into slavery in Egypt? He's now a powerful figure, and his brothers, unknowingly standing before him, are begging for the release of their you...
