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This one involves a king, a temple, and a whole lot of stones. We find ourselves in the story told in 2 Maccabees, specifically 2 Maccabees 1. Now, 2 Maccabees isn't actually in th...
That’s how I feel about the story of Susanna. We're diving into a small but potent piece of Jewish tradition: The Book of Susanna. It's a short story, often included as an addendum...
We find ourselves at a pivotal, agonizing moment. Susanna, a woman known for her piety and beauty, finds herself accused of adultery. Two elders, powerful figures in the community,...
But maybe there's a deeper reason. Maybe the Torah, in its infinite wisdom, is trying to teach us something profound about our relationship with the world around us. Philo, the 1st...
The verse in question, from Genesis 6:13, states that "all things which existed upon the earth shall be consumed." But why? The text grapples with this apparent injustice. One expl...
Take the flood narrative in Genesis, for example. We read that "the fountains of the deep were broken open and the floodgates of the sky were opened" (Genesis 7:11). Straightforwar...
The ancient stories of the flood, like the one starring Noah, resonate so deeply because they speak to that very human experience. We all know the story: God saw wickedness and sen...
A dove, sure, feels right. But a raven? What's that all about? Well, let's dive into what Philo of Alexandria, the great Jewish philosopher who lived in Egypt around the time of Je...
It offers a reading that's surprisingly insightful, telling us it’s actually a praise of the wise person. Yes, you read that right: praise! But how can nakedness be praiseworthy? P...
