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Josephus, the first-century Romano-Jewish scholar, takes on Apion's wild accusations in his work Against Apion, and it’s a doozy. Apion, in his eagerness to smear the Jewish people...
The Midrash of Philo – and when we say Midrash, we're talking about a way of interpreting scripture that fills in the gaps, making the stories speak to us today – offers a fascinat...
Take the story of Cain and Abel. A foundational story. We all know it: the first brothers, the first offering, the first murder. So, why is it that in Genesis 4:5, it says, "And Go...
The Torah, in the story of Cain and Abel, grapples with this very question. Genesis 4:4 tells us that God respected Abel and his offering, but not Cain and his. But what's the mean...
Cain, in the biblical story, might have known that feeling all too well. We all know the story: Cain and Abel, brothers, offering sacrifices to God. Abel's offering is accepted. Ca...
Genesis 7:2 lays it out: seven pairs of every clean animal, but only one pair of unclean animals. Seems straightforward, but... why? That’s a question that’s been puzzling interpre...
Now, Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish philosopher who lived way back in the first century. He tried to bridge the gap between Greek philosophy and Jewish tradition, and his writing...
It must have been overwhelming. And the very first thing he does? He builds an altar. But here's the kicker – God didn't tell him to! So, why did Noah build an altar without being ...
That feeling, that impulse – it gets to the heart of what it means to be truly grateful, and what it means to connect with the Divine. The Midrash of Philo touches on this very poi...
