4,035 texts · Page 6 of 85
Remember Tobiyyah (sometimes called Tobias), our hero? He's on this epic journey to retrieve some money for his blind father, Tobit. And he's got the angel Raphael disguised as a h...
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? ...
Seems like a happy occasion. But this isn't your typical "happily ever after" beginning. Sarah, poor thing, has been through the wringer. She's been married seven times before, and...
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...
To a little story from the Book of Tobit that might just offer a glimpse. Our hero, Tobiyyah, has just married Sarah, a woman who, shall we say, had a complicated dating history. S...
We’re at a wedding, a joyous occasion. Tobiyyah has finally won the hand of Sarah, overcoming incredible obstacles with the help of the angel Raphael. You'd think the story would b...
He was a good man, generous and righteous, but life had dealt him a seriously cruel blow: blindness. But don't worry, this isn't a tragedy; it's a story of hope, faith, and a serio...
The Book of Tobit, a beautiful story nestled within the Apocrypha, touches on just that. It's a tale filled with faith, healing, and the surprising intervention of angels. We find ...
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...
That’s where our story begins, with the Prayer of Manasseh. It's a short, powerful text, not found in the Tanakh, but preserved among the Jewish writings of the Second Temple perio...
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 –...
Psalm 154, a beautiful text found amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls, speaks to exactly that feeling. It's about being close to, or far from, the divine presence. And it paints such a vi...
It paints a picture of a community whose very speech and thoughts are a force for good. It begins by telling us where their minds are: "Their meditation is on the Law of the Most H...
That’s the picture painted for us in the opening of the Book of Maccabees I. The scene is Israel, and a pall has fallen over the land. "Therefore there was a great mourning in Isra...
The First Book of Maccabees, a historical text not included in the Hebrew Bible but considered canonical by some Christians, offers a powerful glimpse into this very question. It r...
We pick up the story after the desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem and the persecution of the Jews by the Seleucid Empire. Things looked bleak. Really bleak. But then, a spark i...
"Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness, there was none of her children that went in or out." It's a stark, desolate image. The mikdash, the sanctuary, is "trodden down." The joy of Ja...
That's the world Judas Maccabeus and his followers inhabited, a world vividly depicted in the Book of Maccabees. In the First Book of Maccabees, we find ourselves amidst a struggle...
We often hear about the heroic moment, the pivotal battle, the seemingly impossible triumph. But what about the days, weeks, and months that follow? What about the messy reality of...
Sounds like something out of a movie. But this actually happened, according to the Book of Maccabees I! to this intriguing historical moment. The passage we're looking at comes fro...
That feeling echoes through the ages, all the way back to the time of the Maccabees. And it’s where our story begins. These aren’t my words, mind you. This is straight from The Sec...
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 a fascinating slice of ancient history from the Book of Jasher, a non-canonical Jewish text filled with captivating stories and alternative perspectives on...
We know the broad strokes of Abraham, the patriarch, and the destruction of Sodom. But what about the details? Sometimes, the lesser-known texts fill in the gaps, offering a richer...
We all know the story of their destruction, but the Book of Jasher, a non-canonical Jewish text that elaborates on stories from the Hebrew Bible, really paints a vivid picture. Cha...
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...
We often focus on the big, dramatic moments – the covenant, the near-sacrifice of Isaac. But what about the everyday stuff? The family dynamics? The sibling rivalry? The Book of Ja...
While not part of the accepted biblical canon, Jasher (meaning "Upright" or "Correct Record") offers a fascinating, if sometimes embellished, account of biblical events. And Chapte...
We all know the ending – the angel intervenes, a ram is sacrificed, and Isaac is spared. But what about the emotional turmoil, the agonizing choices, and the sheer human drama unfo...
Beyond just having it, I mean. What does it take to establish a claim that lasts for generations? Chapter 24 of the Book of Jasher, an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (...
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, Ishbak, and Shuach. Tha...
The Book of Jasher, a non-canonical text with roots possibly stretching back to the Second Temple period, offers some fascinating glimpses. Isaac and Rebecca. We begin with a probl...
Sefer haYashar, as it's known in Hebrew, is an ancient text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), though the version we have today is likely a medieval...
Chapter 28 opens with a famine, a stark reminder of the challenges faced by our ancestors. Just as his father Abraham had done before him, Isaac considers going down to Egypt for r...
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...
The Book of Jasher, an ancient Hebrew text referenced in the Bible itself (Joshua 10:13 and (2 Samuel 1:1)8), fills in some fascinating details.. Jacob, now on the run toward Haran...
The chapter opens with Jacob finishing his seven years of service to Laban, all for the hand of Rachel. The wedding day arrives, a feast is prepared, and everyone gathers to celebr...
The story doesn't end there, and the Book of Jasher, a fascinating and often overlooked text, fills in some of the blanks.. After twenty long years with Laban, Jacob is finally hea...
So, picture this: Jacob, after leaving his previous location, arrives in the land of Shalem, near the city of Shechem – a place in Canaan. He buys a piece of land for five shekels ...
We all know the story from Genesis 34 – how Shechem, son of Hamor, defiled Jacob's daughter, Dinah, and how Jacob's sons, particularly Simeon and Levi, exacted a brutal revenge. Bu...
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 with Jacob, now 99 years old, receiving a divine instruction. "Arise, go to Bethel," God tells him, "and remain there, and make there an altar to the Lord who appeareth ...
We all know the story from Genesis 34: how Jacob's daughter Dinah is defiled by Shechem, son of Hamor, and how Simeon and Levi exact a brutal revenge, slaughtering all the men of t...
We read about their exploits in the Torah, but sometimes the details feel…sparse. That's where books like the Book of Jasher come in. It's considered a type of Midrash (rabbinic in...
Today, we're diving into one of those: a chapter from the Book of Jasher. This isn't the Biblical Book of Jasher referenced in Joshua and Samuel, mind you (that one's lost to time,...
That’s where texts like the Book of Jasher come in, offering us a glimpse into those "untold" stories. Chapter 40 of Jasher picks up right after the sons of Jacob have plundered Ga...
After journeying from Shechem to Hebron to be with their father Isaac, Jacob's sons settled in the valley. The pastures of Shechem were still good, and that’s where they tended the...
The Book of Jasher, a collection of Jewish legends and lore, fills in some of those gaps, offering a more detailed (and sometimes surprising) account.. So, the brothers have just t...
