2,692 texts · Page 2 of 57
The altar is ready, the fire is burning, and the priests are preparing the offering. Jubilees says: "offer them all together on the altar of burnt-offering; it is a sweet savour be...
Ancient texts give us some pretty specific instructions! to a fascinating little corner of the Book of Jubilees and see what we can uncover. The Book of Jubilees, for those unfamil...
To a tiny but fascinating corner of the Book of Jubilees, a text brimming with instructions and insights into the lives of our ancestors. Specifically, we're looking at chapter 21,...
The Book of Jubilees, a text not found in the Hebrew Bible but considered sacred by some, gives us a peek behind the curtain, fleshing out stories we think we know. And one of thos...
This ancient Jewish text, considered canonical by some but not others, pulls no punches when it comes to predicting the future – or, perhaps more accurately, warning us about the c...
Our focus today is on Jacob, later to be named Israel, and a very specific moment in his journey. The text places him at the "Well of the Oath" – Beersheba in Hebrew – in a very pa...
In it, we find a powerful blessing, overflowing with hope for the future. This blessing is delivered by a parent to their child, and it's rich with imagery of fertility, peace, and...
It’s a feeling that’s been around for millennia, and nowhere is that tension more palpable than in texts like the Book of Jubilees. The Book of Jubilees, for those of you who haven...
The Book of Jubilees, a text not included in the standard Hebrew Bible but valued in some Jewish traditions, certainly has something to say about it. Jubilees chapter 30, in partic...
Our scene opens with Jacob, newly blessed and carrying the weight of his future. He ascends to Bethel, a place already heavy with significance – the very spot where he had that ear...
The passage comes from chapter 31, and it's essentially a profound blessing bestowed upon someone special. We're not told exactly who is doing the blessing or who is receiving it i...
The Book of Jubilees gives us a peek into the morning after. Imagine Jacob, still buzzing with the memory of his encounter with the Divine, rushing to tell his father, Isaac. He re...
The Book of Jubilees, for those unfamiliar, is an ancient Jewish text that retells stories from Genesis and Exodus, but with a unique spin, adding details and interpretations not f...
We often hear about it in religious contexts, but its origins are actually quite fascinating, steeped in ancient traditions and family dynamics. to one such story, found in the Boo...
Sometimes, they're right there in the Torah. Other times, we find echoes of them in texts that didn't quite make it into the official canon. Take the Book of Jubilees, for example....
After Jacob's direct encounter with the Divine, something unexpected happens. The text says, "He finished speaking with him, and He went up from him, and Jacob looked till He had a...
The Book of Jubilees, a text from around the 2nd century BCE, offers a pretty stark perspective. It dives deep into the laws and history of Israel, and it doesn’t shy away from lay...
That’s where Jacob found himself when he heard the news – unbelievable news – that his beloved son, Joseph, was not only alive but thriving in Egypt. Can you imagine the scene? His...
Not just any Passover, but the Passover as envisioned in the Book of Jubilees. The Book of Jubilees, for those unfamiliar, is an ancient Jewish text that retells the stories of Gen...
It's considered apocryphal by some, pseudepigraphal by others (meaning, falsely attributed to a biblical figure), but no matter what you call it, it's a fascinating window into a w...
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...
The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that expands on the Torah, gives us a glimpse. It paints a picture of a day so special, so infused with the divine, that it forever alt...
It wasn't pretty. Imagine the stories filtering in – whispers of entire cities laid waste, populations decimated, all resistance crushed under the iron fist of the Assyrian war mac...
That’s exactly where the people of Judea found themselves in the Book of Judith. Imagine this: You’ve just returned from exile, painstakingly rebuilt your temple, and rededicated t...
We’re not talking about a casual prayer here. The situation is dire. Holfernes, the general of Nebuchadnezzar's army, is poised to crush Israel. The people know they're in deep tro...
It's a moment of sheer, unadulterated panic. The people knew they were in trouble. Real trouble. So, what did they do? They cried out to God. The text tells us, "They cried to the ...
The Book of Judith offers some profound insights. In chapter 5, we hear a fascinating, albeit biased, account of Jewish history and resilience. The speaker is Achior, the leader of...
We find them in dire straits, besieged by the Assyrian army. Despair is setting in. They're starting to lose faith. And that's when Judith steps forward, her words a beacon in the ...
Besieged by the overwhelming Assyrian army, their water supply cut off, they were desperate. They were ready to give up. And that's where Judith steps in, a woman of strength, fait...
That's the situation Judith finds herself in, and her prayer in the Book of Judith, chapter 9, is a raw, impassioned plea for divine intervention. "Throw down their strength in you...
It’s a hymn, a song of praise erupting from the heart of Judith herself after her incredible victory. : a woman, acting with courage and faith, saving her people. And then, this ou...
We celebrate the victory, of course. But what about the practicalities? The aftermath? Well, the Book of Judith gives us a glimpse. The story's climax—Judith's daring assassination...
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 filled with diplomacy, royal patronage, and a little bit of legend. It all starts with a king – Ptolemy Philadelphus, ruler of Egypt back in the 3rd century BCE. He wa...
Among the oldest Jewish texts outside the Hebrew Bible is a peculiar document called the Letter of Aristeas — not a letter in scripture, but a letter about scripture, recounting ho...
That’s precisely the scene that unfolds in the Letter of Aristeas. It’s not just any letter; it’s a record, a moment frozen in time, detailing a remarkable exchange between a Jewis...
Our story comes to us from the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating historical text. Think of it as a first-hand account – or at least, a very cleverly written piece of ancient PR – d...
The Letter of Aristeas gives us a peek behind the curtain. It's a fascinating text, purporting to be from an official in the court of Ptolemy Philadelphus, telling the story of how...
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text that purports to describe the creation of the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible), gives us a glimpse into this questi...
This letter, purportedly written by a Greek official named Aristeas, gives us a glimpse into the creation of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. But amidst t...
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text that purports to describe the translation of the Hebrew Bible into the Septuagint, gives us a glimpse. But within its pages, there are al...
Within its pages, we find a glimpse of the artistry involved in constructing the vessels of the Temple. One small detail in particular catches our eye, an ornate foot that supports...
We catch a glimpse of it, not from the Bible itself in this case, but from an ancient letter – The Letter of Aristeas. This fascinating text, though not part of the core biblical c...
There’s also another set of treasures that had a similar effect: the vessels created for the Temple in Jerusalem during the time of the Second Temple. And the Letter of Aristeas gi...
It's not just about the bling, you know. It's about the dedication, the artistry, the sheer audacity of the project. Take, for instance, the story told in the Letter of Aristeas. W...
It’s a fascinating document, purporting to be written by a Greek official named Aristeas to his brother Philocrates. In it, he describes the process of commissioning the translatio...
The Letter of Aristeas asks us to do just that, to linger in the details. It’s a fascinating ancient text purporting to be a letter from an official in the court of Ptolemy II Phil...
