The Land of Israel can feel like paradise for many Christian pilgrims. Within a relatively small area, one can visit dozens of world famous churches built upon the very sites where events mentioned in the Bible actually took place. Among these famous churches, one of the least visited (indeed few people have even heard of […]
In many languages, the word “donkey” (or its older form “ass”) is commonly used to refer to a fool, a person who is so stubborn that their very intelligence is called into question. For example, in Farsi the word for donkey (olagh), is a common way of saying “stupid person.” Similarly, in Spanish the word pollino is used for […]
Is this the Site of the Expulsion of the Money Changers? King Herod the Great, who ruled the Land of Israel as a client of the Romans from 37-4 BCE, was among the most widely feared individuals who ever sat on a throne in Jerusalem. He was wildly despotic, manipulative, murderous, and paranoid. But today, these less savory aspects […]
Among the many stories of warfare that are described in the Hebrew Bible, perhaps the most famous is the epic battle between David and Goliath (1 Samuel chapter 17). David, still a shepherd boy living in Bethlehem, is able to fell the greatest Philistine warrior with a mere stone. Most readers of this story have focused on the fascinating […]
Michelangelo’s famous sculpture of Moses – exhibited in the Church of St Peter in Chains in Rome – is one of the most celebrated pieces of High Renaissance art. It depicts a seated Moses nobly holding the tablets of the Law after having descended from Mount Sinai for the second time (Exodus chapter 34). The statue, which […]
TL;DR: The Gospel of John describes Jesus healing a paralyzed man near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, next to a pool called Bethzatha, whose name and five-portico structure have been clarified through manuscript analysis and archaeology. The Gospel of John, contrary to the Synoptic Gospels, describes several visits by Jesus to Jerusalem prior to his […]
TL;DR: The post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus, including the Road to Emmaus story, served as concrete evidence that Jesus had physically risen from the dead, not merely spiritually. Following the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, the Gospels describe several incidents in which the risen Jesus miraculously appears to his followers. The reactions of all these witnesses follow a similar […]
TL;DR This blog post explores the question of whether the Palm Sunday entry of Jesus into Jerusalem may have originally been connected to the Jewish festival of Sukkot rather than Passover, based on the use of palm branches. This year, 2016, the world’s two main Christian calendars mark Easter more than a month apart. Western Christians, who follow […]
Many of the trees that are indigenous to the Land of Israel are mentioned dozens of times in the Bible. The palm, oak and olive trees are notable examples. But one tree that is mentioned a mere six times in the Bible is just as important. This tree is so typical of the Land of […]
One of the most famous narratives in the Hebrew Bible is the tale of three men (angels?) who visit Abraham in Genesis 18. It is a beloved story for many reasons. For Jews, Abraham is a paragon of hospitality, rushing around to make his guests as comfortable as possible. This story exemplifies the virtue of hachnasat […]
Fill in your details and we will contact you shortly
