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 […]
The Gospel of John, contrary to the Synoptic Gospels, describes several visits by Jesus to Jerusalem prior to his final visit on the Passover of 30 CE. According to chapter 5 of John, Jesus came to Jerusalem for an unnamed Jewish festival and famously healed a paralyzed man on the Sabbath, attracting the criticism of […]
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 pattern: obliviousness followed by identification, fear and finally recognition. For example, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene at the tomb (John 20:11-18), to the disciples in Jerusalem (Luke 24:36-49), and to […]
This year, 2016, the world’s two main Christian calendars mark Easter more than a month apart. Western Christians, who follow the Gregorian calendar, celebrated Easter on March 27. Eastern Orthodox Christian, who use the older Julian calendar, will not celebrate Easter until May 1. Given that we are currently in the intermediate period between these two Easters, I […]
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 […]
In the first half of chapter 7 of the Gospel of Mark Jesus gets into a heated argument with a group of Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem regarding the issue of hand-washing prior to eating. Mark tells us that Jesus and his disciples were eating with “defiled hands”, whereas the “the Pharisees, and all the Jews, […]
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