Podcasts about judean

In today's Gospel Spice lesson, Stephanie Rousselle takes us on a historical journey to frame the Old and the New Testaments, the 400 years between Malachi's time until the arrival of John the Baptist. This period, often referred to as the "intertestamental period," spans remarkable historical developments that are essential to understanding the world Jesus was born into. Imagine living in our day and age, but having no idea of what happened to our country, world, and culture in the last 400 years. Imagine that the latest “news” you have date back from the 1620's or so. Would this affect our understanding of our day? In the same way, we cannot cut 400 years of Jewish history, and assume we lose nothing. Malachi delivered his message around 420BC; John the Baptist. Malachi's successor called to “make a highway in the wilderness” to proclaim the arrival of Messiah, came onto the Judean scene in the 20's AD. But Scripture is silent about this span of time. These "400 years of silence," as they are often called, were not so silent politically, religiously, and socially. By studying the events during this time, we gain insight into how the world was meticulously prepared for Jesus's arrival. While these events are not recorded in the Bible, they hold much significance to know Christ more. Beginning with Alexander the Great's conquest in 333 BC, the world saw Greek culture and language take hold, influencing many aspects of life, including the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, known as the Septuagint. This was pivotal, as it allowed for greater access to the Scriptures and laid the foundation for the New Testament to reference these texts. The era is ripe with hostile dynamics between the Hellenistic influences from Greece and the resistance that arose from the Jews, who sought to preserve their traditions. This tension is encapsulated in the Maccabean Revolt led by Judas Maccabeus, a significant event that ultimately led to the celebration of Hanukkah. Another important theme from this period is the rise of different Jewish sects, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. These groups played crucial roles in the religious landscape of Israel and were directly involved in the societal structure during Jesus's time. These historical layers formed a backdrop against which God chose to reveal His Son. The development of Greek as a universal language and Roman infrastructure, like roads facilitating trade and communication, enabled the rapid spread of the Gospel. Our historical exploration ties to biblical prophecy, specifically how this time fits into Daniel's prophecy of seventy weeks. This provides an eschatological perspective to the discussion. Understanding these details, as part of grasping the broader biblical narrative, challenges the modern tendency to focus solely on personal applicability of Scripture without considering its historical and theological context. Our lesson is an invitation to (re)discover this rich tapestry of history. We encourage you to use the Gospel Spice workbook and additional resources provided to further explore this period's influence on Jesus's earthly ministry and its legacy in the New Testament church. DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries. In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God. In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus. PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family. PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with! PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people! Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking. Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog (*ListenNotes ranking, 2023) You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer  There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God's eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement. But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I'll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn't prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision? As an unassuming student, I'm going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray. If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don't miss out! A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God's Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts. We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation. So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is. There's only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this. Let's begin. THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don't really know how to pray. I'm a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn't really about what I've learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I've sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings. So, I'll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ. Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it's up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let's make it delightful together! So, let's get started. Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

In chapter 13 of 1 Kings we read of two prophets and Yahweh's denouncement of Jeroboam's altar and himself. God sent an unnamed prophet from Judah to prophesy what Josiah would do some 350 years later. As king Jeroboam stretched forth his hand to order the arrest of the dissident prophet he was struck with leprosy. Jeroboam had to plead for healing, which he was granted. The Judean prophet had been commanded by God to return immediately after the denunciation of Jeroboam and the prophecy that men's bones would be burnt on the altar by a man named Josiah. But the old prophet was beguiled into accepting hospitality from another unnamed prophet. While at the meal table the latter prophet told of the doom awaiting the Judean prophet. When the Judean prophet was returning to his home town he was met by a lion which slew him. The lion stood by his carcass. The Judean prophet's ass was not harmed by the lion. The ass remarkably did not flee but also stayed near the body of the slain prophet. The old prophet from Israel heard of these incredible signs and went and took the body of the Judean prophet and buried him in his sepulchre. The lying prophet from Israel commanded his sons that upon his death he should be buried in the same location as the Judean prophet. Although the punishment for the lying prophet seems severe Yahweh cannot tolerate falsity, especially when the impostors claim to be speaking the LORD's word. Deuteronomy is full of God's opposition to these liars as also we have seen in our readings in Jeremiah. What a wonderful record is contained in the 39th chapter of Jeremiah. It delivers the final judgment on the wicked Zedekiah - the day had come when iniquity had an end. That end came in the overturning of the kingdom of Judah. We are told that Jeremiah was saved by Royal command from Nebuchadnezzar. We note that Rabmag was present when Jerusalem fell. Rabmag was a title meaning "the chief of the Magi" and belonged to Daniel himself. Likewise Ebed-melech was delivered due to his trust in God Almighty, and his kindness to Jeremiah. As God had promised Ebed-Melech through Jeremiah the prophet. No doubt Daniel ensured that both Jeremiah and Ebed-Melech were rescued. Our 13th chapter in Mark tells us of the Olivet prophecy. Jesus, in response to his disciples pointing out to him the magnificence of the temple precinct, tells them all stones of that Temple will be overturned. Peter, James, John and Andrew ask him three questions in verse 4; which he answered in the subsequent verses to 27. Verses 5-13 answer the first question and the concluding statement was relevant to that generation, and for all time - the one who endures to the end will be saved. The 14th to the 23rd verses link the prophecies of Daniel 8 and 9 to our Lord's message. They have special reference to the Roman desolation of Jerusalem that would be fulfilled in the overturning of Zion by the emperors Vespasian and his son Titus in AD 70. The following 4 verses relate to the interval from then until Israel's regathering and national identity in 1948. This is outlined in the parable of the fig tree from Vv28 to 31. An exhortation to watchfulness is from verses 32-37. These final verses should be slowly read aloud by each of us as we meditate the message for the need for each of us to ready ourselves for our Lord Jesus Christ's coming. https://christadelphianvideo.org/christadelphian-daily-readings/

What a tragedy confronts the reader in Solomon's defiance of Yahweh's instructions. The record tells us of the foreign wives who corrupted the king (see Nehemiah 13 verses 25-27). Deuteronomy 17 had commanded the kings to write a personal copy the law, which contained commandments on the very matters Solomon contravened - see verses 14-29. And so the kingdom, to a large extent, would be torn from Solomon's son - Rehoboam. The circumstances of the rending of the civil fabric of Israel's society are described in the bulk of the chapter. The kingdom would pass to a diligent, but ambitious servant of Solomon's - whose name was Jeroboam. When this man came to the throne of Israel, also called Ephraim and Samaria he was to set up an idolatrous rival system of worship and is frequently called "the man who made Israel to sin". Solomon's death is recorded and his actions are said to have been written in "the Acts of Solomon".Jeremiah warns the vacillating king Zedekiah to obey his divine Sovereign. The corrupt and vacillating king is told that Judah would receive no help from Pharaoh's army who had returned to Egypt. Chaldean captivity was inevitable and the king and his realm were instructed to submit to Babylon's authority. The Judean princes plot Jeremiah's imprisonment on the false charge of treason, ie supporting the Chaldeans. The prophet is shamefully beaten and imprisoned. Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and the king, who was fearful of his nobles, and secretly questioned him. However, Jeremiah pleads to be spared by the king. Zedekiah places the prophet in custody and commands that he receives a daily ration of bread from the city's bakery. Jeremiah in his sufferings is a remarkable servant of God and a type of the suffering servant - the Lord Jesus Christ. In the 11th chapter of Mark we read of Jesus' triumphal entry to Jerusalem. He rode on a donkey, a colt the foal of an ass, in fulfilment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9 verse 9 and also that of Genesis 49 verses :10-12. It was an animal that had never been ridden. It seems to suggest that our Lord Jesus would be the ruler/rider of the Gentiles. The crowds strewed their clothes and palm branches before Christ's path, and shouted, 'Hosanna' (save now) as the prophecy predicted. We are additionally told they recited Psalm 118 verses 26. It is recommended that we read Psalm 118 verses 19-29 and meditate on the many messages from that Hallel - or Passover Psalm - this being Passover time. As it was late, our Lord and his Apostles headed to Bethany. The next morning, as they left Bethany, Jesus saw a fig tree that showed promise of early fruit; just like Israel, whose symbol that tree was. But finding no fruit on the tree our Lord cursed it. It was like the fruitless nation: Matthew 21 verses 43 - read and consider the context of these words. That day Jesus cleanses the temple from corruption - the second time see John 2 verses 13-17 this was first done three and a half years earlier at the commencement of our Lord's ministry. That evening Christ returns to Bethany. The next morning the disciples were amazed at the withered tree and our Lord uses the opportunity to tell the power of persistent prayer. Jesus' foes were confounded the following day by his masterful answer on the source of his authority.More here https://christadelphianvideo.org/christadelphian-daily-readings/

When I sat down with Dr. Ory Amitay, his passion for myth, history, and ancient cultures was infectious. Our conversation about his new book, Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History, Oxford University Press, 2025, quickly revealed that for Ory, the real intrigue isn't whether Alexander literally visited Jerusalem, but how and why this story was created and retold for centuries. Ory traced his fascination with this intersection of myth and reality back to his Israeli upbringing and Berkeley days, where he mastered ancient languages and ventured beyond traditional Jewish sources. He described how, over time, different versions of Alexander's visit to Jerusalem reflected shifting political climates—from the Seleucid takeover to Roman conquest. Myths, he explained, were tools to help communities navigate upheaval, envisioning themselves in relation to powerful foreign rulers.  Pressed for the historical “truth,” Ory smiled and emphasized that the stories' meaning—how they address the anxieties and hopes of their tellers—outweighs whether Alexander's visit “really” happened. As he pursues new projects, translating ancient versions of these tales and writing a book on Western civilization, I left inspired by his view that exploring old myths is also about understanding how we shape, and are shaped by, our stories about ourselves. Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History discusses four different stories told in antiquity about the meeting between Alexander the Great and the Judeans of Jerusalem. In history, this meeting, if it happened, passed without noticeable events. Into the historical void stepped various Judean storytellers, who wrote not what was, but what could (or even should) have been.The tradition as a whole deals with an issue that resurfaced time and again in ancient Judean history: conquest and regime installment by new foreign rulers. It does so by using Alexander as a cipher for a current Hellenistic and Roman foreign rule. The earliest version can be traced to the context of the Seleukid monarch Antiochos III "the Great", and postulates a Judean text from that time that has been hitherto unknown, and which survived in a Byzantine recension (epsilon) of the Alexander Romance. The second and third chapters turn to rabbinic sources, and deal with the Judean approaches and attitudes towards Roman occupation and rule, first at the advent of Pompey and then at the institution of Provincia ludaea at the expense of the Herodian dynasty. The final story is the most famous, previously considered the earliest, rather than the latest; that of Josephus.Alexander the Great in Jerusalem demonstrates how the historical tradition consistently maintained the moral and sacral superiority of the Jerusalem temple and of Judaism, making Alexander either embrace monotheism or prostrate himself before the Judean high priest. This not only bolstered Judean self-confidence under conditions of military and political inferiority, but also brought the changing foreign rulers into the fold of Judean sacred history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

When I sat down with Dr. Ory Amitay, his passion for myth, history, and ancient cultures was infectious. Our conversation about his new book, Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History, Oxford University Press, 2025, quickly revealed that for Ory, the real intrigue isn't whether Alexander literally visited Jerusalem, but how and why this story was created and retold for centuries. Ory traced his fascination with this intersection of myth and reality back to his Israeli upbringing and Berkeley days, where he mastered ancient languages and ventured beyond traditional Jewish sources. He described how, over time, different versions of Alexander's visit to Jerusalem reflected shifting political climates—from the Seleucid takeover to Roman conquest. Myths, he explained, were tools to help communities navigate upheaval, envisioning themselves in relation to powerful foreign rulers.  Pressed for the historical “truth,” Ory smiled and emphasized that the stories' meaning—how they address the anxieties and hopes of their tellers—outweighs whether Alexander's visit “really” happened. As he pursues new projects, translating ancient versions of these tales and writing a book on Western civilization, I left inspired by his view that exploring old myths is also about understanding how we shape, and are shaped by, our stories about ourselves. Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History discusses four different stories told in antiquity about the meeting between Alexander the Great and the Judeans of Jerusalem. In history, this meeting, if it happened, passed without noticeable events. Into the historical void stepped various Judean storytellers, who wrote not what was, but what could (or even should) have been.The tradition as a whole deals with an issue that resurfaced time and again in ancient Judean history: conquest and regime installment by new foreign rulers. It does so by using Alexander as a cipher for a current Hellenistic and Roman foreign rule. The earliest version can be traced to the context of the Seleukid monarch Antiochos III "the Great", and postulates a Judean text from that time that has been hitherto unknown, and which survived in a Byzantine recension (epsilon) of the Alexander Romance. The second and third chapters turn to rabbinic sources, and deal with the Judean approaches and attitudes towards Roman occupation and rule, first at the advent of Pompey and then at the institution of Provincia ludaea at the expense of the Herodian dynasty. The final story is the most famous, previously considered the earliest, rather than the latest; that of Josephus.Alexander the Great in Jerusalem demonstrates how the historical tradition consistently maintained the moral and sacral superiority of the Jerusalem temple and of Judaism, making Alexander either embrace monotheism or prostrate himself before the Judean high priest. This not only bolstered Judean self-confidence under conditions of military and political inferiority, but also brought the changing foreign rulers into the fold of Judean sacred history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I sat down with Dr. Ory Amitay, his passion for myth, history, and ancient cultures was infectious. Our conversation about his new book, Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History, Oxford University Press, 2025, quickly revealed that for Ory, the real intrigue isn't whether Alexander literally visited Jerusalem, but how and why this story was created and retold for centuries. Ory traced his fascination with this intersection of myth and reality back to his Israeli upbringing and Berkeley days, where he mastered ancient languages and ventured beyond traditional Jewish sources. He described how, over time, different versions of Alexander's visit to Jerusalem reflected shifting political climates—from the Seleucid takeover to Roman conquest. Myths, he explained, were tools to help communities navigate upheaval, envisioning themselves in relation to powerful foreign rulers.  Pressed for the historical “truth,” Ory smiled and emphasized that the stories' meaning—how they address the anxieties and hopes of their tellers—outweighs whether Alexander's visit “really” happened. As he pursues new projects, translating ancient versions of these tales and writing a book on Western civilization, I left inspired by his view that exploring old myths is also about understanding how we shape, and are shaped by, our stories about ourselves. Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History discusses four different stories told in antiquity about the meeting between Alexander the Great and the Judeans of Jerusalem. In history, this meeting, if it happened, passed without noticeable events. Into the historical void stepped various Judean storytellers, who wrote not what was, but what could (or even should) have been.The tradition as a whole deals with an issue that resurfaced time and again in ancient Judean history: conquest and regime installment by new foreign rulers. It does so by using Alexander as a cipher for a current Hellenistic and Roman foreign rule. The earliest version can be traced to the context of the Seleukid monarch Antiochos III "the Great", and postulates a Judean text from that time that has been hitherto unknown, and which survived in a Byzantine recension (epsilon) of the Alexander Romance. The second and third chapters turn to rabbinic sources, and deal with the Judean approaches and attitudes towards Roman occupation and rule, first at the advent of Pompey and then at the institution of Provincia ludaea at the expense of the Herodian dynasty. The final story is the most famous, previously considered the earliest, rather than the latest; that of Josephus.Alexander the Great in Jerusalem demonstrates how the historical tradition consistently maintained the moral and sacral superiority of the Jerusalem temple and of Judaism, making Alexander either embrace monotheism or prostrate himself before the Judean high priest. This not only bolstered Judean self-confidence under conditions of military and political inferiority, but also brought the changing foreign rulers into the fold of Judean sacred history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

When I sat down with Dr. Ory Amitay, his passion for myth, history, and ancient cultures was infectious. Our conversation about his new book, Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History, Oxford University Press, 2025, quickly revealed that for Ory, the real intrigue isn't whether Alexander literally visited Jerusalem, but how and why this story was created and retold for centuries. Ory traced his fascination with this intersection of myth and reality back to his Israeli upbringing and Berkeley days, where he mastered ancient languages and ventured beyond traditional Jewish sources. He described how, over time, different versions of Alexander's visit to Jerusalem reflected shifting political climates—from the Seleucid takeover to Roman conquest. Myths, he explained, were tools to help communities navigate upheaval, envisioning themselves in relation to powerful foreign rulers.  Pressed for the historical “truth,” Ory smiled and emphasized that the stories' meaning—how they address the anxieties and hopes of their tellers—outweighs whether Alexander's visit “really” happened. As he pursues new projects, translating ancient versions of these tales and writing a book on Western civilization, I left inspired by his view that exploring old myths is also about understanding how we shape, and are shaped by, our stories about ourselves. Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History discusses four different stories told in antiquity about the meeting between Alexander the Great and the Judeans of Jerusalem. In history, this meeting, if it happened, passed without noticeable events. Into the historical void stepped various Judean storytellers, who wrote not what was, but what could (or even should) have been.The tradition as a whole deals with an issue that resurfaced time and again in ancient Judean history: conquest and regime installment by new foreign rulers. It does so by using Alexander as a cipher for a current Hellenistic and Roman foreign rule. The earliest version can be traced to the context of the Seleukid monarch Antiochos III "the Great", and postulates a Judean text from that time that has been hitherto unknown, and which survived in a Byzantine recension (epsilon) of the Alexander Romance. The second and third chapters turn to rabbinic sources, and deal with the Judean approaches and attitudes towards Roman occupation and rule, first at the advent of Pompey and then at the institution of Provincia ludaea at the expense of the Herodian dynasty. The final story is the most famous, previously considered the earliest, rather than the latest; that of Josephus.Alexander the Great in Jerusalem demonstrates how the historical tradition consistently maintained the moral and sacral superiority of the Jerusalem temple and of Judaism, making Alexander either embrace monotheism or prostrate himself before the Judean high priest. This not only bolstered Judean self-confidence under conditions of military and political inferiority, but also brought the changing foreign rulers into the fold of Judean sacred history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

When I sat down with Dr. Ory Amitay, his passion for myth, history, and ancient cultures was infectious. Our conversation about his new book, Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History, Oxford University Press, 2025, quickly revealed that for Ory, the real intrigue isn't whether Alexander literally visited Jerusalem, but how and why this story was created and retold for centuries. Ory traced his fascination with this intersection of myth and reality back to his Israeli upbringing and Berkeley days, where he mastered ancient languages and ventured beyond traditional Jewish sources. He described how, over time, different versions of Alexander's visit to Jerusalem reflected shifting political climates—from the Seleucid takeover to Roman conquest. Myths, he explained, were tools to help communities navigate upheaval, envisioning themselves in relation to powerful foreign rulers.  Pressed for the historical “truth,” Ory smiled and emphasized that the stories' meaning—how they address the anxieties and hopes of their tellers—outweighs whether Alexander's visit “really” happened. As he pursues new projects, translating ancient versions of these tales and writing a book on Western civilization, I left inspired by his view that exploring old myths is also about understanding how we shape, and are shaped by, our stories about ourselves. Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History discusses four different stories told in antiquity about the meeting between Alexander the Great and the Judeans of Jerusalem. In history, this meeting, if it happened, passed without noticeable events. Into the historical void stepped various Judean storytellers, who wrote not what was, but what could (or even should) have been.The tradition as a whole deals with an issue that resurfaced time and again in ancient Judean history: conquest and regime installment by new foreign rulers. It does so by using Alexander as a cipher for a current Hellenistic and Roman foreign rule. The earliest version can be traced to the context of the Seleukid monarch Antiochos III "the Great", and postulates a Judean text from that time that has been hitherto unknown, and which survived in a Byzantine recension (epsilon) of the Alexander Romance. The second and third chapters turn to rabbinic sources, and deal with the Judean approaches and attitudes towards Roman occupation and rule, first at the advent of Pompey and then at the institution of Provincia ludaea at the expense of the Herodian dynasty. The final story is the most famous, previously considered the earliest, rather than the latest; that of Josephus.Alexander the Great in Jerusalem demonstrates how the historical tradition consistently maintained the moral and sacral superiority of the Jerusalem temple and of Judaism, making Alexander either embrace monotheism or prostrate himself before the Judean high priest. This not only bolstered Judean self-confidence under conditions of military and political inferiority, but also brought the changing foreign rulers into the fold of Judean sacred history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

The Book of Daniel follows the Judean exiles' journey in Babylon. For us, it is a reminder that we are not home yet. We belong to a greater kingdom. So how do we live for God and His Kingdom, while in Babylon? Let's look at the book of Daniel to see. #Daniel #Daniel1 #OldTestament #Biblepodcast #Christianpodcast #Spirituallife #gospel #culture #culturalcurrents

When I sat down with Dr. Ory Amitay, his passion for myth, history, and ancient cultures was infectious. Our conversation about his new book, Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History, Oxford University Press, 2025, quickly revealed that for Ory, the real intrigue isn't whether Alexander literally visited Jerusalem, but how and why this story was created and retold for centuries. Ory traced his fascination with this intersection of myth and reality back to his Israeli upbringing and Berkeley days, where he mastered ancient languages and ventured beyond traditional Jewish sources. He described how, over time, different versions of Alexander's visit to Jerusalem reflected shifting political climates—from the Seleucid takeover to Roman conquest. Myths, he explained, were tools to help communities navigate upheaval, envisioning themselves in relation to powerful foreign rulers.  Pressed for the historical “truth,” Ory smiled and emphasized that the stories' meaning—how they address the anxieties and hopes of their tellers—outweighs whether Alexander's visit “really” happened. As he pursues new projects, translating ancient versions of these tales and writing a book on Western civilization, I left inspired by his view that exploring old myths is also about understanding how we shape, and are shaped by, our stories about ourselves. Alexander the Great in Jerusalem: Myth and History discusses four different stories told in antiquity about the meeting between Alexander the Great and the Judeans of Jerusalem. In history, this meeting, if it happened, passed without noticeable events. Into the historical void stepped various Judean storytellers, who wrote not what was, but what could (or even should) have been.The tradition as a whole deals with an issue that resurfaced time and again in ancient Judean history: conquest and regime installment by new foreign rulers. It does so by using Alexander as a cipher for a current Hellenistic and Roman foreign rule. The earliest version can be traced to the context of the Seleukid monarch Antiochos III "the Great", and postulates a Judean text from that time that has been hitherto unknown, and which survived in a Byzantine recension (epsilon) of the Alexander Romance. The second and third chapters turn to rabbinic sources, and deal with the Judean approaches and attitudes towards Roman occupation and rule, first at the advent of Pompey and then at the institution of Provincia ludaea at the expense of the Herodian dynasty. The final story is the most famous, previously considered the earliest, rather than the latest; that of Josephus.Alexander the Great in Jerusalem demonstrates how the historical tradition consistently maintained the moral and sacral superiority of the Jerusalem temple and of Judaism, making Alexander either embrace monotheism or prostrate himself before the Judean high priest. This not only bolstered Judean self-confidence under conditions of military and political inferiority, but also brought the changing foreign rulers into the fold of Judean sacred history.

A Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity St. Luke 5:1-11 by William Klock Our Gospels during these first few Sundays of Trinitytide—so far—have all had us following Jesus as he made his way to Jerusalem to observe the Passover for the last time.  But today's Gospel—from the Fifth Chapter of Luke—takes us back to the beginning of Jesus' ministry—those early days when he was travelling around the region of Galilee a long way from Jerusalem.  Luke gives a series of vignettes in Chapter 4.  Every sabbath, he writes, Jesus was teaching in the synagogues.  He read from Isaiah one sabbath in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth and then he told the people, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your own hearing!”  The people were so angry that they tried to stone him and he fled from the town.  So he went to Capernaum and taught in the synagogue there.  That's where a demon-possessed man stood up and shouted at Jesus: “I know who you are.  You're God's holy one!”  And just to prove it, Jesus then cast out the demon and word went out throughout the whole region.  On another sabbath, after preaching in the synagogue, he was invited to the house of Simon Peter.  Peter's mother-in-law was sick with a high fever.  Jesus rebuked the fever and straightaway she recovered and served them lunch.  Pretty soon everyone who was sick or who had a demon showed up and Jesus healed them all.  And because of that, no matter where Jesus went, Luke writes, the crowds hunted for him.  And that's how today's Gospel begins.  One day Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.  Finally a moment of peace.  An early morning walk on the beach.  He found a little cove.  The shores of Gennesaret (or Galilee as it's otherwise known) are full of little coves.  He watched as the fishermen dragged their boats ashore after a night of hard work.  But then someone came down the trail to the beach.  And he saw Jesus.  And he went running back up the trail out of sight shouting, “He's here!  He's here!  I've found him!”  And others began to follow the man back down the trail to the beach.  And more and more until another crowd had gathered and was pressing in on Jesus.  They had seen for themselves or they had heard the stories of the amazing things the God of Israel was doing through Jesus and they wanted to see more.  They wanted to hear more of the good news that Jesus was proclaiming. But it was no good trying to preach from the middle of the crowd.  People kept interrupting them with their problems.  Even if he could get a few words out, the crowd just couldn't hear him.  So Jesus had an idea.  Sound travels wonderfully over water and the little beach cove was a perfect amphitheatre.  So he made his way down to the water where he'd seen the two boats, and got into one of them, and standing there, he called to one of the fishermen.  Jesus recognised the man.  It was the same fellow who'd invited him to lunch after the synagogue service.  It was the same fellow whose mother-in-law he'd healed.  “Hey you!  Was it Simon or Peter or Simon Peter.  Yes, this is your boat isn't it?  Row me out a little way from the land.”  Maybe Peter felt like he owed Jesus something or maybe he was flattered that Jesus had chosen his boat and remembered him from the other day.  Whatever the case, Peter set aside his net, got in the boat, and rowed Jesus out into the middle of the cove.  And Luke says that Jesus sat down in the boat and began to teach the crowd. It was probably some version of Jesus' favourite sermon.  Luke has preserved one version of that sermon that we sometimes hear called “The Sermon on the Plain”—because Jesus preached it in a flat, open place, but mostly because it contrasts with the version preserved by Matthew, where Jesus preached from a hillside.  We call that version “The Sermon on the Mount”.  That's the sermon where Jesus preaches about the kingdom of God.  It's the sermon in which he calls the people of Israel to trust in the Lord because he never fails to provide.  He clothes the flowers of the field that wither tomorrow.  He feeds the birds so that they have no need to worry.  How much more important are you—the Lord's elect, chosen, called covenant people—than flowers and birds?  So stop worrying and trust him.  Pursue, seek his kingdom above everything else, and trust him to take care of you.  Israel had struggled for forever with idolatry—in one form or another—instead of trusting in and giving her full allegiance to the Lord.  That's what got them exiled to Babylon.  The Pharisees were right.  That idolatry and fickle faith was what kept them in a sort of in-house exile in their own time.  So, in other words, Jesus is saying to the people of Israel: Give the Lord your allegiance.  Give your all to his agenda: to holiness, to being light in the darkness, stop being so fickle.  You do that and, just as he promised, the Lord will take care of you—he'll even pour out his blessings on you. And Peter sat there right in front of Jesus, holding the oars, keeping the boat in position and Jesus facing the shore, and he listened.  The Bible doesn't tell us anything about Peter's past, but just like anyone else, he had one.  I don't think Peter was any great or notorious sinner or anything like that.  Reading between the lines, I think it's safe to conclude that he was just your ordinary, average Judean who obeyed torah as best he could, who celebrated Passover with his family every year, who went to the temple in Jerusalem as required—at least most of the time.  But he knew he wasn't perfect.  He could be impetuous at times.  He could fly off the handle.  But most of all, as Jesus preached, I think Peter was convicted of his own fickleness.  He tithed, but sometimes he did so grudgingly.  He kept the sabbath, but sometimes he worried where the money was going to come from when he took off that one day a week from fishing.  Some days, especially in the summer, sunset on Saturday just couldn't come soon enough for Peter so he could get back to work. Jesus got Peter thinking.  Did he really trust in the Lord?  Or did Peter trust in Peter?  Had he really given his full allegiance to the God of Israel or was Peter really serving Peter?  And Peter mulled on these things as Jesus finished speaking and said to him, “Put out into the deeper part, and let down your nets for a catch.”   Peter was still playing through in his head what Jesus had been saying about trusting the Lord and giving him his full allegiance.  This snapped him out of it.  No more introspection.  It's like Jesus knew what he was thinking.  Peter didn't really want to let down his nets.  He'd fished all night and they hadn't caught anything.  They certainly weren't going to catch anything in the daylight.  That's because they fished with nets made of linen.  The fish could see them in the day, but they'd swim right into them in the dark at night.  And Peter had just finished cleaning and mending his nets.  Now he'd have to clean them—and if they hit a snag, maybe mend them too—all over again.  Peter was born and bred to fishing.  He knew everything there was to know about it.  He knew the habits of fish, he knew about nets, he knew about the seasons, the time of day, and the play of light in the water.  He knew about boats.  He knew about marketing and selling fish.  He was a fisherman!  And if First Century fishermen were anything like Twenty-first Century fishermen, the last thing you'd want to do with Peter is start an argument over fishing—especially if you're not a fisherman.  And, of course, Jesus was not.  His father had taught him the carpentry and the building trade. Peter really, really didn't want to cast his net into the water again and he wouldn't have for anyone else.  But this was Jesus.  Just like everyone else, Peter wasn't quite sure exactly what to make of him, but he'd not only heard the stories; he'd seen it for himself.  His mother-in-law had been on the verge of death, but Jesus made her well—so well that virtually instantly she was up serving them lunch.  And so he says to Jesus, “Master”.  Let me pause there.  Master is okay, but it might not be the best translation.  In the Gospels people address Jesus as “teacher” or “rabbi” or even as “lord”, but unique in Luke's Gospel, people occasionally address him as epistata.  An epistates is someone in charge, someone with authority.  The ten lepers address Jesus as epistata.  The disciples, when they were in the boat being tossed around by the storm, addressed him as epistata.  That's how Peter addresses Jesus here.  “We were working hard all night and caught nothing.  But okay, Master.  You're the boss, you're calling the shots here.  So if you say so, I'll let down the nets.”   Peter sounds like he's letting down his nets grudgingly.  I wonder if that's how it really was.  He's been convicted in his own heart of how he's been half-hearted in serving the Lord.  He's just been hearing Jesus preach about God taking care of flowers and birds.  Or something along those lines, because we know Jesus liked to preach on that topic.  It was exactly what fickle, half-hearted Israel needed to hear.  So Peter probably didn't want to go through the hassle of letting down his nets again, but I think he wanted to trust that through Jesus, the God of Israel really would look after him.  Jesus might not know anything about fishing, but Peter had seen that Jesus had authority and that he took charge of things—whether demons or blindness or sickness or even the fish in the sea.  He could see, plain as day, that the God of Israel was working through Jesus.  Peter was thinking on those words: “Seek first the kingdom of God and all these thing will be added to you.” I think the main reason Luke records these words from Peter about having fished all night and caught nothing is that he wants to remind us that this is the way the Lord works.  Jesus is telling Peter to fish at the worst possible time to fish.  Jesus does this throughout the Gospels.  He hears that Lazarus is sick and near to death, but then he waits three days before going—time enough for Lazarus to be well and truly dead.  So instead of healing Lazarus from sickness, he raises him from the dead and calls him out of his tomb.  Or think of the woman who was bleeding for twelve years or the man who was blind from birth.  In that last instance Jesus had the opportunity to explain why these things happened.  The disciples with their conventional wisdom assumed that either the man or his parents were great sinners and that the Lord had punished him with blindness.  But Jesus said that, no, the man was born blind that God might reveal his glory.  Because that's how the God of Israel works and Israel is the chief example.  The Lord allowed his people to become slaves in Egypt so that he might display his glory both to them and to the watching nations.  In the events of the Exodus the God of Israel exposed the king and the gods of Egypt as frauds, totally lacking the great power and authority they claimed to have.  The God of Israel single-handedly beat the gods of Egypt at their own games and humbled mighty Pharaoh—the greatest king on earth—and drowned his army in the sea.  And at the same time, in Israel, he created a people who would forever be singing his praises and announcing his glory to the nations.  All because they had watched him do the impossible.  Every newborn baby boy was circumcised and, in that, he was given the sign of God's covenant promise.  And every year the fathers of Israel led their families as they ate the Passover meal and recalled the Lord's promises and the glory he displayed on their behalf in the Exodus. Jesus was doing the same thing.  He had come to lead the people in a new exodus and along the way, he was acting out that exodus, that divine deliverance as he did the impossible—and the more impossible the better, because the more power and authority it displayed.  Why had Peter (and James and John, his partners) why had they been skunked that night?  I don't know.  Maybe Peter said something unkind to his wife before leaving that night.  Maybe he'd shorted the Lord in his tithing that week.  Maybe he'd dallied too long with that dancing girl the day before.  Maybe Peter thought his empty nets were punishment for some sin.  But if he'd asked Jesus, “Why did I toil all night and catch nothing?  Did I sin?”  Jesus would have said, “No, Peter.  It was so that the Lord, the God of Israel, would be glorified.” And that's exactly what happens.  Luke writes, beginning at verse 6 that when they let down their nets, they caught such a huge number of fish that their nets began to break.  Usually they'd fish all night for a catch that wouldn't break their nets, but now Peter let down his net and before he could even pull it back into the boat to keep from becoming over-full of fish, the catch was so great that it strained the integrity of the net.  I assume it was just he and Jesus in the boat and he and Jesus were, themselves, straining to pull the net in.  They signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, Luke writes.  So they came, and filled both the boats, and they began to sink.   And right there, in a sinking boat, with fish wriggling all around them, Luke writes that Peter took stock of everything that had just happened.  He fell down at Jesus' knees.  “Depart from me, Lord!” he said, “Because I'm a sinful man!”  James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon Peter's partners were just as amazed, Luke writes.  But being in the other boat, they couldn't kneel at Jesus' knees.  But Peter knelt there convicted of his sins by this amazing display of God's glory.  I found myself asking this week why Peter didn't have this same reaction when Jesus healed his mother-in-law.  Why was Peter's mother-in-law sick?  For the same reason: so that Jesus could display the glory of the God of Israel.  Presumably Peter was impressed when he saw the healing.  But it didn't impact him the way the multitude of fish did.  And maybe that's because Peter was a fisherman, not a doctor.  It highlight the fact that God gets to each of us in different ways to convict us of sin and to move us to faith.  Every one of us has a different story of how God got hold of us.  That, too, is how he works.  But one way or another, each of us has been amazed and captivated by the glory of God. Our reactions to that revelation are often different too.  Some people encountered God's glory and were moved to faith as Jesus wiped away their tears.  Peter, however, is met by that glory and is moved to tears.  He knew how the prophets had preached about the coming judgement of Israel for her sins.  He'd heard Jesus preach—not just the warm-fuzzies, but also the announcement of soon-coming judgement.  And when he saw the glory of God, when he experienced the presence of the holy, Peter found himself overwhelmed by his own sinfulness.  He knew he didn't belong in the presence of the holy.  He knew he belonged with those people who would find themselves in the outer darkness weeping and gnashing their teeth.  He responded just like Isaiah when he found himself in the presence of the holiness of God.  Remember Isaiah.  He cried out, “Woe is me!  For I am lost.  For I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.  For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5).  But it was just as Isaiah acknowledged his sinfulness that an angel flew down to touch his lips with a cleansing and holy fire.  The angel announced that his guilt had departed and that his sin had been blotted out.  And when the Lord called out, “Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?  Who will proclaim my message to Israel?”  Isaiah cried out, “Here I am!  Send me!” And it's that scene all over again in that sinking fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee with fish wriggling all around.  Peter knelt there shaking at Jesus kneels and Jesus said, “Don't be afraid.  From now on you'll be catching men!”  Jesus is, himself, the holy fire who purifies us from our sins. Now, it doesn't come across in our English translations, but when Jesus says that Peter will be catching men, that “catching” isn't usually a word associated with fishing.  It has the sense of catching someone or something alive—like a warrior catching an enemy, but sparing his life.  There's a reason behind Jesus' odd choice of words.  What he's doing is echoing the words of Jeremiah 16.  There, through the Prophet, the Lord announced the judgement that was about to come on the people of Judea for their unfaithfulness and their idolatry.  The Babylonians would come and none would escape.  The Lord says, “I am sending for many fishers, declares the Lord, and they shall catch them…For my eyes are on their ways.  They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed form my eyes.”  Jesus draws on the common Greek translation of the prophet.  He uses the same word: catch.  The people of Judea in those days wouldn't be killed, but neither would they escape the judgement of exile.  But now Jesus flips the imagery around.  The people of Judah are still in their long exile, still experiencing the punishment brought by their sins, but now the Lord will send fishers again, this time to catch sinners and to rescue them alive from the coming judgement.  What was in Jeremiah's day an image of the Lord's judgement on sinners, Jesus now turns into an image of God's mercy for them.  As Jesus says in John's Gospel, “God did not send the son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world could be saved by him.”  That's what Jesus has come to do.  And even though only he can go to the cross to accomplish the redemption of sinners, he's not going on this fishing trip alone.  He's calling Peter (and James and John and eventually a whole host of men and women that we call the church) to go fishing with him, to catch men and women that they—that we—might be delivered from our sins and from the coming judgement. How much of this did Peter understand that day?  Probably not much.  But what he did know is that in Jesus the God of Israel was at work.  He knew that judgement was inevitable and he knew that somehow and in some way the Lord was making deliverance possible through Jesus.  He had seen the glory of the Lord and there was no going back.  And so, Luke writes, They brought their boats to land, then they abandoned everything and followed him.   Peter walked away from all of it.  The boats, the net, the sea, the fish.  They had been his source of security.  That's what he'd trusted.  But he heard that reminder from Jesus: Seek first God's kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.  If the Lord could fill his nets to bursting just to make this point, Peter was ready to trust him with everything—to give his full allegiance to Jesus the Messiah.  If God could do this, he could do anything.  And so Peter gave his allegiance to the Lord Jesus.  And he knew hardship and he knew persecution and eventually he would even come to know martyrdom.  His faith and his love for Jesus would eventually lead him from Jerusalem all the way to Rome and all along the way he proclaimed the glory of God.  All the way he proclaimed the good news that Jesus died to forgive sins and rose to restore God's life to us and to the world, and that this Jesus is the Lord of all who shows us the glory of his Father.  Peter went out into the world to challenge the fake gods and the fake kings in whom we trust, and proclaimed the crucified and risen Lord so that everyone would know the glory of the one, true God.  Peter eventually died for that message.  But Peter knew that his risen Lord was master over death itself, just as he'd been master over all those fish that one morning years before.  And so he trusted Jesus' promise: Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness—even if it means martyrdom—and he will take care of you. Let's pray: Father, you have called us and made us your people.  You send us out, like Simon Peter, to fish for people that they might know the life of your kingdom.  When we're tempted to protest, thinking that we are unworthy of the task, that we are too sinful, that we aren't up to it, remind us that in Jesus you have forgiven us, that you have made us holy, that you have filled us with your Spirit, and that you have given us this remarkable and irresistible story to tell the world, this story of your goodness, your love, your grace, your mercy, and your faithfulness.  Your glory.  Give us the grace to do the work of your kingdom as we trust in your faithfulness to us and to all who hear it.  Amen.

Shmuel, currently the Director of Lech L'cha Discipleship Ministry, served as the Associate Pastor of Adonai Roi (The Lord is My Shepherd) Congregation before joining the team of Lech L'cha. Shmuel was born in Tel Aviv to Jewish parents who immigrated to Israel fromIndia. He attended a Messianic Congregation for much of his childhood,and became serious about his own faith when he was 15 and, at a youth camp, decided to give his life to the Lord.After graduating from high school, he served as a combat medic in the Israeli army on the Golan Heights and in Lebanon. Later, while majoring in Geography at Tel Aviv University, Shmuel was drawn to serving in summer camps with a strong aspiration to reach out to youth - knowing how important it is for this age group to have someone to challenge them in the Lord.  After working for several years in security for El Al (Israeli Airlines) and the Israeli Consulate in New York, Shmuel returned to Israel and began attending Adonai Roi Congregation in the spring of 2003. That same year, he was invited to become the Youth Pastor. Through meetings with other youth leaders from different congregations around Israel, Shmuel met Suzie, who is also a native-born Israeli. In 2006, they married and currently have four children: Together they continued to be involved in leading youth and young believers in the inter-congregational youth group Neged Hazerem (Against the Flow) gathering the youth of multiple congregations together for weekly events. They were also actively involved in Katzir (The Harvest) organizing nationwide youth camps. Shmuel and his family moved to Yad Hashmona, a Messianic village in the Judean hills a few years ago, and they are blessed to have him serve in Lech L'cha. Shmuel's passion is to disciple the next generation of believers in Israel, equipping them to continue in their God-given callings.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com  Do you want to change the world? Heck if you just want to change yourself… It doesn't take much actually, all you gotta do… all you gotta do is simply be willing to tick people off - pretty much every day. If you can handle that you are on your way…. And thats where were going today.  World-changing leaders, by their very nature, disrupt the status quo and challenge existing norms. This often leads to strong reactions, and anger can be a common response. Here are five main reasons why world-changing leaders make people mad: Threat to the Status Quo and Established Power: World-changing leaders often advocate for radical shifts in societal structures, economic systems, or deeply ingrained beliefs. This directly threatens individuals and groups who benefit from the current system, hold power within it, or are comfortable with the familiar. Their anger stems from a perceived loss of control, privilege, or stability. Who was most mad at Jesus? The pharisees… and they had the power. They made the money, they called the shots. Jesus wasn't just a threat to their Judean belief system, he was a threat to their power. They could no longer make money at the temple courts if Jesus keeps tipping over tables. The pharisees no longer had sway over the people as long as they were enamored by Christ teaching… the status quo had to go if you were a follower of Christ.  Uncertainty and Fear of the Unknown: Change, especially on a grand scale, inherently brings uncertainty. People are often resistant to change because it pushes them out of their comfort zones and into unfamiliar territory. The visions of world-changing leaders can seem daunting, unrealistic, or even dangerous to those who prefer predictability and fear the potential negative consequences of such profound shifts. This fear can easily manifest as anger or resentment. When a husband becomes sober all to many times the wife leaves him and marry's another alcoholic… why? She doesn't know how to live with a sober husband and the fear is to much to handle.  Challenge to Personal Beliefs and Values: Many world-changing leaders challenge deeply held cultural, religious, or personal values. When a leader proposes ideas that contradict what people believe to be fundamentally right or true, it can feel like a personal attack. This can provoke a strong emotional response, including anger, as individuals feel their identity and moral framework are being undermined. You may be to young to remember this, but when drums were introduced into the church worship service it split congregations. People would comment that if they wanted drums they would go to the bar… The values and beliefs were that this is corrupt music, it is sinful. But many pastors knew that to reach the lost they needed more contemporary music… HOW RADICAL RIGHT?    Disruption of Personal Comfort and Routine: Even for those who might agree with the ultimate goals, the process of world-changing transformation can be disruptive to daily life and established routines. It might require significant personal sacrifice, adaptation, or a re-evaluation of how things are done. This inconvenience and the effort required can lead to frustration and anger, especially if people feel the change is being imposed upon them without their full consent or understanding of the immediate personal cost. Lets say you are 50 years old and you really have not done anything to prepare financially to retire… but now you are. You put your wife and yourself on a strict budget and you start investing monthly… but your wife is used to shopping, and spending and getting what she wants… its a disruption to her normal life.  Or a wife wants to grow spiritually with her husband. She wants him to be the spiritual leader… she wants to get up early and read and pray with him… uhm… can anyone say disruption?  Perceived Arrogance or Unrealistic Expectations: Visionary leaders often possess immense self-belief and an unwavering commitment to their goals. While this can be inspiring to some, it can also be perceived as arrogance or a disregard for practical realities by others. When their ambitious visions face setbacks or prove difficult to implement, those who were skeptical can become angry, viewing the leader as detached from reality or overpromising. Furthermore, if the leader pushes people too hard or has unrealistic timelines, it can lead to burnout and resentment among followers. One of the most arrogant things Jesus said to the pharisees was if you destroy this temple I will rebuild it in 3 days. John 2:19.  How cocky… how ridiculous and how Right he was.  But not everyone will see it.  Look if you want to change the world or again just yourself - ask God to give you the strength to do just that regardless of what people think. 

Rabbi Meir Kahane represents strength and Judean values to Zionists, and an 'extremist' to antisemites of all stripes, which includes self-hating Jews. But who really was Kahane? Why the relentless negative smearing of his accomplishments from the Establishment Jewish organizations and 'leaders'? Please join TBTN's conversation featuring Yisrael Yaacob ben Avraham, JDL 613's (https://www.jdl613brotherhood.com/) President as we discuss all the aforementioned plus numerous other supporting topics - from ancient Judean history, to what actually are Judean values, where did Israel go wrong on Arab occupier policies, and why exactly is Kahane fully vindicated today, post the Jewish genocide, which occurred not even two years ago. www.tbtnisrael.com

Was it Abraham and Sarah's choices that made a nation, a people, a world where a poor teenage Judean girl could answer an angel? Yes, I am the Lord's slave. May it be to me according to your word. Or was it all God acting, directing, intervening? Yes. And yes, God has willed and designed his creation to be partnership. That is something we have to reckon with every day. A covenant includes two parties and that's the world you live in. The story you've received that is not yet finished, that has come and is coming. And the fulcrum of righteousness is partnership, and trust, and passivity is never an option. 

Today we discuss 4 topics.1. The identification of the Temple altar as a historic site of sacrifice.2. The image of the palm tree as a Judean royal symbol3. Interesting Hebrew words in ch.2 and 34. The "outward facing" cherubs.

The fate of the Persian empire—and possibly the Judean people—hang in the balance and in the persuasive power of one ordinary woman. Bestselling author Tessa Afshar shares from her book "The Peasant King."   Originally aired November 27, 2023  Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: click here 

Welcome back to season eleven with Aramaic Word of the day: "Laahana" which means My Vacation or my Rest i pray you are enjoying these short in depth aramaic words that shaped first century mindset of the early followers of Yeshua and deepen our understanding for Today by learning the aramaic language  The Western word “vacation” comes from Latin vacare “to be empty, free.” In the Western world, vacation often means:"Stopping work so I can rest, escape, or entertain myself." In Aramaic, we don't say “vacation.” That's a modern word, born from the idea of escaping work, escaping responsibility, escaping noise. But in our tongue, the word is (Laahna). It means rest, yes but not the way the West imagines it. Laahna is soul-rest. It's not absence of work. It's the presence of stillness. Not a schedule-free week, but a heart returned to rhythm. You see, Westerners plan their “vacations” like military operations: flights, hotels, bucket lists. They miss what our ancestors knew: real rest begins inside. Laahna is what Yeshua did on the seventh day not because He was tired, but because He was satisfied. But in the Eastern (Semitic) mindset, the concept of “vacation” is not absence of duty, but presence of restoration, purpose, and inner stillness. As a guide from the Judean hills and the alleyways of Jerusalem, I've walked with many pilgrims well, they call themselves “tourists.” They come with cameras and checklists, ready to “see the Holy Land,” but often miss something far holier: rest. I've watched travelers rush through the Garden of Gethsemane, take a photo, and say, “Done!” But did they ever sit under the olive trees and breathe? Did they let the silence speak? That silence is Lahna. It's what Elijah found on Mount Horeb not in the wind or the earthquake, but in the still, small voice. Laahna is restoration, not recreation. It's when your insides are aligned again. That's why Yeshua said, “Come to me, all who are weary and I will give you rest. Not a sabbatical from your job. A homecoming to your purpose. This is not simply about physical exhaustion it's about being weary in your being, tired from the weight of life, expectations, and performance. Yeshua wasn't offering a Mediterranean cruise. Yeshua was offering Laahna a rest that reorders the soul and returns you to the rhythm of Eden. I live in Texas now, in a small space with no office but back home in Jerusalem, even our stones breathe history. Even our desert has rhythm. I take the train sometimes just to write, to slow my soul down, to remember that Laahna is not about location. It's about intention. So next time you think of coming to Israel not for a vacation, but for something deeper remember Laahna. Come not just to see the land, but to let the land see you. Come not just to hear the stories, but to let your story be rewritten by sacred stillness. Because the Holy Land doesn't just want your footsteps. It wants your quiet. It wants your confession. It wants your transformation. Think of it as a Laahna moment. A pause not of emptiness, but of presence  where the land  doesn't just receive you, but recognizes you. You don't come here merely to see ruins or landscapes. You come to be seen by olive trees that have outlived empires, by waters that have heard the whispers of prophets, by hills that still hold the echo of Yeshua's footsteps. In the West, we “go on vacation” to escape. But in the East, we withdraw to return. To withdraw, like Elijah to the cave. Like Yeshua to the wilderness. Like monks to the Judean cliffs where the silence isn't empty, it's full of God. So come not to walk where Jesus walked but to walk with Him again, in your own inner desert. Let the stories of Scripture stop being museum pieces and start becoming mirrors  where your soul sees what it forgot. Finally my prayers to you let Laahna not vacation be your guide. Not rest from work, but return and rest Laahna to what you were made. The Land is waiting for you in 2026, and i pray i will be your guide. you can check my Signature tour by going to my website twinsbiblicalacademy.com see you soon!   

In this episode, we venture just 15 minutes from Jerusalem into the heart of the Judean desert to discover one of Israel's hidden gems: the spring of Ein Prat. Flowing quietly through the rugged cliffs, magical pools, canyons, gorges and ancient pathways, Ein Prat is more than just a natural spring-it's a place where history, nature and spirit meet. One of our favorites!

Welcome to season eleven Aramaic Word of the day: Noura — Fire. As a Middle Eastern guide shaped by the ancient stones of Jerusalem, I often stand by a campfire in the Judean hills and watch the flames dance alive, unpredictable, and warm. That fire, in Aramaic, is Noura. But it is not just physical heat or chemical reaction. No In our world the Semitic world Noura is presence. It is life, purification, judgment, revelation, and divine encounter. Noura as Manifestation In the Bible, Noura is how God appears not in abstraction, but in relational intensity. Think of Exodus 3: “The bush was burning with fire but it was not consumed.” Noura is theophany - God made visible. But Western thinking? It reduces fire to a thing. An element. A force to be studied, measured, and controlled. Fire in science labs. Heat on thermostats. A survival tool. In our world, fire is not tamed it is encountered. Noura as Purification In Semitic thought, Noura purifies. Daniel's friends in the furnace (Daniel 3) weren't burned they were cleansed. Fire revealed their faith and the presence of the divine Fourth Man walking with them. Fire is not punishment; it is refinement. Western theology often frames fire as hellfire, destruction, and fear. “You will burn if you fail.” But the Aramaic heart sees Noura as the flame that refines gold, not the one that destroys straw. Fire tests. It does not torment. It reveals. Noura and Light The root of Noura is also tied to light. The fire of God gives vision. In Psalm 119, the word is a lamp to my feet that's Noura guiding the soul through darkness. In Western thought, light is often symbolic of knowledge illumination of the mind. Think Enlightenment, progress, reason. But in our Semitic walk, light is relational clarity, not just cognitive. It's how you see God, not just how you learn facts. In Aramaic, to have Noura is not to know more it's to walk closely. Noura in the Heart When the disciples walked with Yeshua on the road to Emmaus, they said: “Did not our hearts burn within us?” (Luke 24:32). That is Noura not intellectual persuasion but heart ignition. A Middle Eastern man does not say, “I agree with your argument.” He says, “My heart burns.” That's how we know truth—by inner fire. In contrast, Western thought often seeks truth through cold logic and philosophical systems. But our ancestors knew: if the truth does not burn, it is not yet alive. My brother, my sister have you experienced Noura? Not just the warmth of emotion, but the fire that reveals, refines, and invites you closer? Ask yourself: Is the Word just ink on a page, or is it fire in your bones? Is your theology cold, or does it set hearts ablaze? My hope is this:That you no longer fear fire, but welcome it.That the presence of Noura in your life would not consume you,but illuminate the face of the One who walks beside you in the furnace. Please always remember that the fire of God is not against you. It is for you. Come closer to the fire in your heart.  For more in depth studies check our website: www.twinsbiblicalacademy.com 

Welcome to season eleven Aramaic Word of the day As an Israeli guide who's spent years walking the dusty roads of ancient Galilee and praying beneath the arches of many monasteries, I often pause when I hear Western believers speak of the "Holy Spirit." They say Spirit, and I nod but my heart whispers: Ruḥa You see, in the Aramaic world of Jesus, Ruḥa isn't just “spirit” the way the Western, Indo-European mind understands it as something abstract, immaterial, or metaphorical. In the West, shaped by Greek dualism and Enlightenment rationalism, “spirit” is often divorced from breath, body, and movement. It becomes a concept something to analyze, categorize, and sometimes, to doubt. But in the Semitic world — in Aramaic — Ruḥa is breath. It is wind. It is life itself. Ruḥa comes from the verb (raḥ) to blow, to exhale, to cause movement. Every time someone in ancient Israel said Ruḥa, they were speaking of something felt  the stirring of a breeze across your skin, the warm exhale of a mother over her newborn child, the final sigh of a man at death, and the first gasp of a baby at birth in the Aramaic mindset, Ruḥa is never separated from action. It's not a distant, ethereal presence it is the invisible that moves the visible. Like the wind over the Sea of Galilee, it cannot be seen, but its power is always known by what it stirs. Now compare this with the Western idea. In Indo-European thought take Latin spiritus, or Greek pneuma we begin to move toward abstraction. Spiritus is elevated, intellectual, something more philosophical than personal. The body is often seen as separate or even lesser. But in Semitic thinking, and especially in Aramaic, there is no separation between the breath of God and the life of a human. The two are intertwined. God's Ruḥa animates us moment by moment. That's why when Yeshua breathed on His disciples in John 20:22 — “And he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit”  the Aramaic understanding is not metaphorical. It is literal. The breath of the risen one is the Spirit. He didn't give them a “doctrine of pneumatology.” He gave them His Ruḥa His presence, power, and nearness in breath. Let me tell you something I've learned from standing in the prayer caves of the Judean desert in Qumran. If you quiet your soul enough, you can feel the Ruḥa there not because it's emotional, but because it's reeal. The Aramaic word doesn't ask, “What is the Spirit?” It asks, “Where is the Spirit blowing?” And that question implies a sacred responsibility: to move with it. Reflect and Breathe My question for you, my friend:Are you walking with the Spirit like an idea, or like a breath? Are you analyzing God or inhaling Him? My hope is that as you learn the language of Jesus, you learn to breathe again with Him. Slowly. Deeply. Without rush. Because Ruha is already within you. All you have to do is listen for the wind. That was the Aramaic word of the Day, for more in depth Aramaic words check our website www.twinsbiblicalacademy.com  

Friends of the Rosary,Today, June 24, is the Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist, the precursor and forerunner of the Lord.Along with Jesus and Mary, John the Baptist's nativity is one of the three birthdays on the Church's calendar.John had a special place in God's salvific plan. His conception was a miracle; he was sanctified and cleansed of original sin in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth, at the Visitation.Elizabeth was Mary's cousin and Zachary was a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem. As a baby in the womb, John recognized Jesus' presence in Mary's womb when Mary visited Elizabeth soon after the Annunciation. Both women were pregnant at the same time.The Angel Gabriel had visited Zachary and told him that his wife would bear a child, even though she was already past the childbearing age.John was probably born in Ain-Karim, located southwest of Jerusalem. As a young adult, he lived as a hermit in the Judean desert until approximately A.D. 27.At the age of 30, he began preaching on the banks of the Jordan, calling for repentance and baptizing people in the river's waters.When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John recognized Jesus as the Messiah and baptized Him, saying, “It is I who needs baptism from you.”John the Baptist spent his adult life preparing the way for Jesus, proclaiming that “the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.”He preached the baptism of repentance that was necessary to prepare for Christ, the Lamb of God, as he identified Him. He preceded and heralded the Redeemer.John continued to preach after Jesus was baptized, but was imprisoned by Herod Antipas after he denounced the king's adulterous marriage with Herodias, wife of his half-brother Philip.John was beheaded at the request of Salome, daughter of Herodias, dying as a martyr and anticipating Christ Jesus' saving death on the cross.Many came to know Jesus through John, namely the Apostles Andrew and John.Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠June 24, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Dr. Joan Taylor has spent her career studying first-century Judaism. In this podcast, I have the chance to walk through some of the content of her new book which presents a fuller picture of Jesus as a boy. I think you will find this study and podcast fascinating.Youtube - https://youtu.be/5ObcWJEM_HYAudio - https://andymilleriii.com/media/podcastApple -  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-to-the-story-with-dr-andy-miller/id1569988895?uo=4Here's a link to Joan's book - https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Jesus-Growing-Judean-Turbulent/dp/0310174651If you are interested in learning more about my two video-accompanied courses, Contender: Going Deeper in the Book of Jude andHeaven and Other Destinations: A Biblical Journey Beyond this World , visit courses.andymilleriii.comAnd don't forget about my most recent book, Contender, which is available on Amazon! Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching - Recently, I updated this PDF document and added a 45-minute teaching video with slides, explaining this tool. It's like a mini-course. If you sign up for my list, I will send this free resource to you. Sign up here - www.AndyMillerIII.com or Five Steps to Deeper Teaching and Preaching. Today's episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.eduThanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net

Shaena Cantor Abramowitz, an educational leader and mother, shares her remarkable journey from her Modern Orthodox upbringing in New Jersey to living on the Arugot Farm in Israel. Shaena discusses her experiences of making Aliyah, the challenges of finding her bashert at 37, and her unique life raising three young children on a hilltop in the Judean hills. She also touches on the hardships and miracles related to fertility treatment, living through the Intifada, and the current Israeli war. Despite the adversities, Shaena and her husband Ari find deep meaning and purpose in their unconventional life. This heartfelt conversation provides listeners with inspiration and a profound insight into resilience, faith, and the power of community.Facebook Instagram Email01:26 - Childhood and Upbringing03:25 - High School and Seminary Years06:58 - Graduate School and Early Career09:48 - Making Aliyah and Early Experiences in Israel16:16 - Life on a Hilltop: Challenges, Rewards, and Community37:55 - Navigating Fertility Treatments46:20 - Postpartum Challenges and Support01:02:29 - Being An "Older" Parent*For updates and conversations about these episodes, follow me at @talesoftamar on Instagram. You can also reach out to Tamar@tales-of.com with questions, comments, or inquiries, and/or check out my website tales-of.com to learn more about who I am and what I do. If you would like to donate to continue the initiative, please send money via Zelle to tberg93@gmail.comThank you for listening!

John the Baptist Exalts Christ 22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison). 25 Now a discussion arose between […]

Daily Dose of Hope May 22, 2025 Day 4 of Week 8   Scripture – Matthew 4:1-11   Prayer:  Holy and Almighty Father, We come to you today with humble hearts.  We know we are broken and need you.  We are weak.  We are vulnerable to temptation.  Lord, fill us with your strength.  Give us your stamina and wisdom.  We can't do this life without you, Lord.  It's in the powerful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.   Welcome back, everyone, to the daily devotional that complements New Hope Church's Bible reading plan.  This is the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin Matthew 4.   In the first portion of this chapter, Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan.  The Judean wilderness doesn't look like a forest, by any means.  Rather, it is dry, rocky, and hot.  It is more like a desert with rocks.  Let's start by envisioning that.    The first big question is why did the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness knowing what would happen?  We can assume that this is part of getting Jesus ready for his public ministry.  Jesus has the credentials and the authority, but now he gets to have the experience of coming face to face with evil.  Consider this: He has just been baptized and the Spirit is with him.  Afterall, the Spirit didn't leave him in the desert.  But he then allows himself to be made weak with lack of food.  Remember, Jesus was God but he was also human.  He allows himself to be made physically weak for this purpose – to demonstrate that he could still resist temptation.   Now, he is ready to face his main adversary.  And as you read this, notice that the devil is never in control of the situation.  Jesus is.  He may be weak, tired and hungry, but he is totally in control.  Jesus is strong and ready for each and every temptation.  In this scene, Jesus gives us a powerful picture of how to go into a spiritual battle, leaning totally and completely on the Word of God.    What were the temptations?  There is the temptation to make stones into bread (remember, he was fasting), the temptation to hurl himself down from the top of the Temple and have God rescue him, and the temptation to have political leadership over all the Kingdoms of the world.  Satan's temptations get immediately to the core question of Jesus' identity, calling into question his relationship with God by beginning with, “If you are the Son of God….” This relationship, announced earlier at his baptism, is now confirmed through Jesus' unwavering trust in God.   These temptations in the wilderness are not one-time experiences, they are tests that are preparing Jesus for his earthly ministry.  Jesus is going to be confronted with all kinds of evil.  He will cast out demons.  He will battle Satan on many fronts.  He will face all kinds of physical and emotional pain.  Think about the cross.  This is good news for us.  Jesus has, after all, already gone before us into the most forsaken places in the wilderness.  Jesus has been tempted and won the victory over temptation and Satan.  We can too, with his help.  But he isn't asking us to go anywhere he hasn't already been.   Spiritual warfare is real. At least a quarter of Jesus' ministry dealt specifically with the conflict between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of darkness.  Jesus was God with flesh on and he came to crush Satan under his feet.  On the cross, Jesus has won the victory and the ultimate divine victory is not in doubt.  But the spiritual forces of evil have not totally conceded.  We live in this in between time.  Victory in Jesus Christ is ours.  In the spiritual sense, we possess everything necessary as Kingdom people, we are children of God, redeemed, reconciled, and make right in Christ.  That being said, in this in between time, there will still be spiritual warfare, there are still difficult battles to be fought, there will still be destruction, and there will be casualties.  The apostle John wrote in I John 5:19, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”   And so the church stands its ground and uses everything God has equipped her with to resist evil.  In today's passage, Jesus gives us a great example of how to do this.    When it comes to spiritual warfare, here are some things to consider:   -God has an enemy who is committed to working against his people and his work in this world.    -This isn't really our battle.  It is God's battle.  We are simply joining him in this mission of fighting back darkness.  And we have nothing to fear in the midst of it, as long as we stay close to Jesus.  It's when we start wondering off on our own that we may have problems.  So, submit yourself to God.  The enemy wants to keep you from growing in your walk with Jesus.  Give yourself over to God; stay focused on him.    -As believers, we aren't to go on the offensive but rather to be prepared for a defensive battle.  Stand firm in doing good and obeying God's will.  Stay faithful.  When you do that, you are pushing back darkness. Don't be surprised if the enemy tries to trip you up and make you ineffective.  Keep proclaiming Jesus but expect opposition.  Anytime we do something significant for the Kingdom, expect opposition.    -God will give us the equipment and strength we need to stay strong.  God provides us with everything we need, the Bible, the armor, the protection, and the prayer connection.   -Be careful not to open yourself up to things that are not of God.  There are some things that we think are kind of harmless, like psychics, tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystals, a lot of the new age stuff.  While some of it might have no power, some of it does.  I've known of people who had really powerful and scary experiences with some of this.  At times, it can be really accurate.  Please know that power doesn't come from God.  As Christians, we should not be exposing ourselves to anything that is remotely evil; it isn't something to play around with.  It's serious.    I truly think Satan's attacks are getting more intense at the same time that many western Christians are not taking spiritual warfare seriously at all.  Satan rejoices in self-centered Christianity.  Satan loves the fact that so many of our churches could care less about leading people to Jesus.  But we are at war – we are at war for the souls of our children, our grandchildren, and our greatgrandchildren.  If the Kingdom of Darkness makes the church ineffective, then they are winning the battle.  And the casualties are really huge.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope May 21, 2025 Day 3 of Week 8   Scripture – Matthew 3   Prayer: Amazing Father and Lord, Thank you for who you are.  Thank you for how you care for us.  We get distracted.  We veer away from you and your Word.  For that, we are so very sorry.  Forgive us, Lord.  Help us to abide in you.  Help us to remain close so that we can be fruitful and effective for your Kingdom.  Help us get outside ourselves and see others as you see them.  Lord, we belong to you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we are taking a look at Matthew 3.   Matthew begins by quoting from the book of the prophet Isaiah about a messenger who would be sent ahead of Jesus to prepare the way for him.  And this person, Scripture says, is John the Baptist.  We learn from reading other Gospels that John the Baptist is actually Jesus' first cousin.    The whole Judean countryside came out to see John the Baptist.  Picture this, masses of people were leaving their villages and coming into the wilderness (which looks more like desert than forest) to get baptized by John.  But why?  I mean, he was a weird dude, wearing camel hair and eating locusts dipped in wild honey.  He had taken a vow of poverty.  Maybe they wanted to check out this really bizarre guy but that doesn't explain everything.  John was offering them something they desperately needed – good news, forgiveness, cleansing.  And the good news he offered wasn't that they would receive something good when they die, but that there is good news, there is hope, for life right now.  And remember, these were dark days.  The people were yearning for hope.   He also calls out the Pharisees and Sadducees.  He knows their hearts are evil so he refers to them as a brood of vipers.  Vipers are venomous so John is not hiding his dislike.  He is saying that the Pharisees (the religious teachers) and the Sadducees (the wealthy Jewish aristocracy) are evil, deceitful, hypocritical, and connected to Satan.  Those are fighting words. It's surprising John didn't get in trouble right then and there.    But then John says something interesting.  He says that someone else is coming, one more powerful than him, whose sandals he is not worthy to stoop down and untie. That's pretty extreme. I mean, slaves were typically the ones who untied sandals because they were so filthy.  And John says that while he baptizes with water, the one coming after him will baptize with the Holy Spirit.  For those who were listening to John, this may have been scary.  What kind of person would John feel so humbled by?    And then, we meet him.  It's Jesus, whose birth we have just heard about.  He comes to John to be baptized.  John is hesitant.  He knows that Jesus should be baptizing him.  But he relents.  John knows that this needs to happen. Remember, Matthew is clearly pointing out here that Jesus is Messiah and the fulfillment of prophecy for the Jews. Then, there is this beautiful scene, depicting the Trinity, in which God the Father announces his approval of God the Son and then God the Holy Spirit descends as a dove.  There is a voice from heaven, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”   Before we move on in Matthew, let's spend a little bit of time talking about repentance.  The people were coming to John to confess their sins, repent, and receive cleansing.  Every single one of us need that.  When is the last time you have spent time in confession and repentance?  Talk to God right now.  Receive the ultimate cleansing as only he can give.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Mark 1:2-8 2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" - 3 "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  Discussion Questions 1 Who is someone in your life that helped prepare the way for you? (Spiritually, vocationally, relationally, etc.) 2 Humility before Jesus is vital in our allegiance to Jesus. In your current season of life, what situations, moments, or environments challenge your humility before Jesus and your submission to Jesus the most? 3 Until Jesus returns, we are the construction crew that is preparing the way for the King to enter into the city. Think about your areas of influence and impact. In what ways have you done a good job of preparing the way for Jesus to enter into the hearts and lives of those around you? Where are you/have you struggled? 4 "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30 In what ways does this verse speak most deeply to you in your season of life?

Daily Dose of Hope May 13, 2025 Day 2 of Week 7   Scripture - Mark 15:21-32   Prayer:  Dear Holy God, Your love is amazing.  Thank you for the way you care for us.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us focus on you...Lord Jesus, help us set aside every distraction and take this time to lean on you.  We want to hear your voice.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Happy Tuesday!  Today's Scripture is powerful and we have probably all read it or heard it before.  I hope you were able to slow down and really take time to read it with fresh eyes.  The miracle of Scripture is that we can read it again and again and God can reveal something new to us.   In today's portion of Mark 15, we read about the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It was a horrific death.  He was beaten and mocked by the soldiers, betrayed by his own people, and nailed to a cross to die.  I won't go into the gory details of crucifixion, as you have probably heard them before, but it was a terribly painful and humiliating way to die.   There is one piece of today's text that we often gloss over, but it certainly is significant.  It's about Simon of Cyrene.  Simon was just passing by when he is stopped and forced him to carry Jesus' cross.  Cyrene was on the tip of Africa so this man was far from home.  And here he was, going about his business, and he is enlisted, or more like seized, to carry the cross of the Savior of the world.  I'm guessing that Jesus' physical body was incredibly weak and bloody by this point.  Simon walked by him, carrying the cross that would serve to execute Jesus but also save all humanity from their sin.    We don't know what happened to Simon after the crucifixion.  He isn't mentioned again in Scripture. But my guess is that his life was never the same again.  Afterall, he had an encounter with Jesus. They may have exchanged a few words.  Maybe they glanced at each other.  I believe that Jesus could say a lot with his eyes and facial expressions.  But my guess is that things changed for Simon from that point forward.  After all, he met Jesus.   An encounter with Jesus is always life-changing.  Think about your own life.  How has encountering Jesus affected your world?  Try to think of tangible examples.    Let's move on in the text.  There was a sign above Jesus' head that read, “King of the Jews.”  What did this mean?  It could actually mean a number of things.  First, Pilate was a bit perturbed with the Jews that they wanted him to crucify an innocent man.  Labeling him as the Judean king could have been a way to get a jab in at the Jewish authorities, who totally rejected Jesus' claim of kingship.    But the sign could have also been another way to mock Jesus.  How could a king be crucified?  How could a king experience such levels of humiliation?  This very well could be a way to make fun of Jesus and his followers.  We don't really know Pilate's motivation. And then there are the criminals crucified next to Jesus.  The Scripture said even they reviled Jesus (in Mark's Gospel, we don't have the story about one of the robbers coming to belief in Jesus).  Others were hurling insults at him, leaders and regular people.  I don't know what it is about the human condition that we like to kick people when they are down.  Maybe it makes weak people feel powerful.  I don't know, but it is hard to read.  Nobody understood who he was and why he allowed himself to be executed.  And Jesus' humility and love are amazing.    More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

The Gospels tell us about Jesus' adult life, with scant references to his childhood.We can catch glimpses of the younger Jesus' life, but there's so much we don't know.But if we move beyond the Bible, we can learn about the world the younger Jesus lived in.Growing up a refugee, in a land under foreign occupation, and a region full of militia groups, it's worth asking: How did the turbulent background of the boy Jesus affect His message … and the whole of Christianity?CREDITSUndeceptions is hosted by John Dickson, produced by Kaley Payne and directed by Mark Hadley. Alasdair Belling is a writer-researcher.Siobhan McGuiness is our online librarian. Lyndie Leviston remains John's wonderful assistant.  Santino Dimarco is the Chief Finance and Operations Consultant. Editing by Richard Hamwi.Our voice actors today were Yannick Lawry and Dakotah Love.Special thanks to our series sponsor Zondervan for making this Undeception possible. Undeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com - letting the truth out.(00:08) - - Judea: A difficult province to govern (08:42) - - Herod (16:48) - - Growing up Judean (21:00) - - Was Jesus actually from the line of King David? (29:35) - - The massacre of the innocents (33:31) - - Was Jesus born in Bethlehem? (42:28) - - Jesus the refugee (50:05) - - Growing up in Galilee (01:01:50) - - Jesus the patriot (01:04:44) - - BONUS! Joan Taylor and Monty Python

In this episode of the Judean Book Club, Jeremy Gimpel unpacks Chapter 2 of his book Waking Up: The Judean Way to Start Your Day. What does it mean to be truly happy? From King David to Aristotle to modern psychology, Jeremy explores timeless wisdom on the human pursuit of happiness. Drawing from both Hebrew and Greek traditions, he reveals that genuine fulfillment isn't just about feeling good—it's about growing into your purpose and becoming who you were created to be. Discover why happiness and personal growth are inseparable, and how living as a “good soul” might be life's highest calling. To dive deeper into the teachings of Waking Up, join Jeremy's online course. Click Here: https://thelandofisrael.kartra.com/page/wakingupbyjeremy

In this special episode of the Judean Book Club, we dive into Waking Up: The Ancient Way to Start Your Day — the powerful book that inspired Jeremy Gimpel's newly released course, Waking Up: The Ancient Judean Way To Live With Biblical Faith. While the course explores the overarching themes of practical emunah (faith in action), the book serves as a more intimate guide into the spiritual structure of the Judean morning — rooted deeply in the Hebrew prayers and ancient rhythms of life in the Land of Israel. Join Jeremy as he unpacks the connection between body, soul, and the first moments of the day — where awakening becomes an act of devotion and alignment with divine purpose. Whether you're journeying through the course or discovering the book for the first time, this episode will deepen your understanding of how ancient Jewish wisdom can transform the way we live today. Ready to wake up the Judean way? To register for the online course click here: https://Thelandofisrael.kartra.com/checkout/wakingup

Acts 11 commences with Peter being caused to justify why he baptised Gentiles. We next have a description of the progress of the truth in Antioch in the province of Syria, where believers were first derisively called ‘Christians'. Oneof these faithful believers is a prophet named Agabus. He prophesies of a great famine that would affect the entire Roman world. The disciples of Antioch start a fund to help Judean believers, who were greatly affected and in dire need.In Acts 12 Herod Antipas kills the Apostle James – the year was AD 44. Seeing how much this delighted the Jews Herod has Peter arrested for execution after Passover. Despite being securely chained between guards the angel of the Lord causes a deep sleep to overcome the guards and releases Peter. Peter proceeds to the house where the ecclesia is gathered to pray for his deliverance. A maid named Rhoda answers the door and runs to tell the disciples that Peter was outside. Rhoda is told that she must be mistaken. The disciples say that it must be Peter's “messenger” (Greek angelos- angel). Peter is admitted to the house and he recounts how he had been delivered. James, the half brother of Jesus. was informed and told Peter to secretly depart to a different location where he cannot be found. Herod kills the guards (verses 20-23). The chapter concludes with an account of Herod's narcissistic claims and his being smitten with dysentery by the angel of God and Herod dying verses 20-23. Nonetheless the Word of God exceedingly prevails.

As Jesus Christ grows in favor with God and men, John the Baptist ministers in the Judean wilderness; calling the nation of Israel to repentance. Nathan Pearl teaches through scripture about the life of Jesus Christ as he prepares to begin his ministry.

Welcome to Day 2618 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2618 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 63:1-11 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2618 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2618 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. In today's Wisdom Nugget, we continue our journey through the Psalms, ancient prayers, and songs that reveal deep insights about life, faith, and our relationship with God. Today, we arrive at Psalm 63—a passionate and vivid Psalm of longing, trust, and joyful praise. King David wrote this Psalm during a profoundly difficult period, hiding in the Judean wilderness, fleeing either King Saul or perhaps later from his own son, Absalom. Yet in these harsh conditions, David's heart reveals a passionate hunger—not merely for relief or rescue, but for something far greater: an intimate and personal encounter with the living God. So, let's embark on today's journey into Psalm 63:1-11 from the New Living Translation, opening our hearts and minds to discover the wisdom within these verses: Psalm 63:1-11 (NLT) 1 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 4 I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. 5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. 6 I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. 7 Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. 8 I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. 9 But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin. They will go down into the depths of the earth. 10 They will die by the sword and become the food of jackals. 11 But the king will rejoice in God. All who swear to tell the truth will praise him, while liars will be silenced. A Deep Spiritual Thirst (Verses 1-2) David opens Psalm 63 by vividly expressing his deepest spiritual longing: “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.” David begins with the deeply personal address: “O God, you are my God.” This isn't merely a theological acknowledgment; it's a passionate, personal declaration of relationship. In Hebrew culture, the phrase indicates covenant intimacy—a committed, deeply personal connection with God Himself. David's physical surroundings in the Judean wilderness—harsh, dry, barren—mirror his spiritual thirst. He compares his inner longing for God to physical thirst in a parched desert. Ancient Israelites understood thirst profoundly—water was scarce, precious, and life-giving. David feels the same intense craving for God's presence. Yet David also remembers vividly his past worship experiences. He recalls being in God's sanctuary, where he experienced God's powerful presence firsthand. These memories fuel...

The Pharaoh Necho has finally turned up at Megiddo (well, his guys have), which isn't so surprising since the Bible says he killed King Josiah there. But this raises questions like, do pots equal peoples? Why did so many Greeks become mercenaries? And why did Judean kings make so many bad decisions? With a shoutout to our late friend and mentor Doug Esse!

Experience the land, culture, and customs surrounding the Bible’s most compelling stories with geographer Dr. Jack Beck in all-new episodes of The Holy Land. Jack Beck (PhD) is the host of the fourth and final season of the 10-episode docu-series The Holy Land: Connecting the Land with Its Stories. Jack helps us understand the land and culture of the bible, so that our reading of the stories are transformed, and our faith is deepened! Jack shares how the green pastures of Psalm 23 weren’t green at all. The sheep were absolutely dependent on the shepherd to lead them to the hiding tufts of grass. Showing us just how dependent we are on the Good Shepherd! Jack shows why Jesus was compelled to go through Samaria to talk with the Samaritan woman at the well. He did it in that exact moment in time to fulfill a 2000 year old promise. What promise was that?? We see that Jesus went to Nain to raise a child from the dead to accomplish an identical miracle that happened in the same place over 1000 years before that. So that the people could begin to understand Jesus’ true identity. Finally Jack shows us that Jesus followed the same path as David when David’s life was threatened. For David he fled past Gethsemane into the safe Judean wilderness. Jesus could have taken that same path to safety. But he chose not to. Why? Also in this episode, Perry shares, “In my early journey with Jesus when I’d fail, I thought, ‘I’ll never change.’ But I don’t believe that anymore. Because I understand something powerful now that I didn’t then.” As Shawna read the story of Jesus’ resurrection it stood out to her that Mary was with Jesus in the garden, and she didn’t know it. And the disciples on the road to Emmaus walked with Jesus and they didn’t know it was him. It made her wonder, “Lord, are there times that you have been right here, and I didn’t know it?”Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshow/wgnbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to a bonus episode of The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. In today's episode, environment reporter Sue Surkes makes a guest appearance, stepping in for Berman. This is a week of spring holidays, and so we are dedicating the program to some of the biblical flora of the Land of Israel. In honor of Easter, which is celebrated by much of Christendom on Sunday, we begin with a date palm that was brought back from the dead and a plant that resurrects itself. In 2008, Dr. Elaine Solowey germinated a 1,900-year-old date palm seed that took the name Methuselah after the long-lived biblical character. She has since gone on to revive several more ancient seeds, including females that bear fruit. Surkes tells the story of Solowey's amazing success -- and describes how the dates taste. Next, we hear about the Rose of Jericho, which was named for the biblical city of Jericho that constantly rose from its ashes -- and still stands today. It's an extraordinary story of a plant surviving in the harshest of circumstances. We then turn to a tree that is called the Christ-thorn jujube (shezaf). Traditionally, this type of tree was used to create the thorny crown that Jesus wore on his last journey down the Via Dolorosa. Surkes then speaks about the olive tree -- both the last few remaining "wild" variety located near Atlit, and the cultivated variety. She turns to Psalm 128 to show how being acquainted with the flora of the Land of Israel gives a deeper meaning to the text. And finally, we speculate on the Garden of Eden's "forbidden fruit." Was it an apple? Or maybe a fig? Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch. IMAGE: Dates harvested from 'Hannah,' the first female palm tree germinated from 2,000 year-old seeds discovered in the Judean desert, are displayed in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel, on September 27, 2021. (Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John 3:22-24 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison). John 3:25-26 Now a discussion arose […]

This week, leading up to Easter, we're looking at the most famous trial of all time: the trial of Jesus. It's a courtroom drama like no other, and its outcome changed everything.But what do we actually know about the trial and conviction of Jesus? Was it fair? Was it real?(00:00) - - Intro (05:33) - - Gospel anti-Semitism? (07:45) - - Judea and Galilee (12:54) - - Pontius Pilate (26:02) - - The Sanhedrin (33:30) - - Judean trials (36:37) - - Jesus in Jerusalem (49:13) - - Jesus' final night (51:16) - - The Jewish trial (54:46) - - The Roman trial (01:02:11) - - King of the Jews (01:10:03) - - Five-Minute Jesus (01:13:13) - - Are the trials historically plausible? (01:21:29) - - Why was Jesus crucified?

This month's learning is sponsored by Linda and Jay Marcus in honor of the recent birth of their granddaughter; and the anniversaries and birthdays of their children and grandchildren during Nissan. "בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל. May we merit to see the גאולה שלמה במהרה בימינו." Today's daf is sponsored by Lisa Kolodny in honor of Nancy Kolodny's birthday! "So happy you are spending more time in Israel this year, spreading your light, your wisdom and your love to all those around you."  There is a debate about whether Menashe received a portion in the World-to-Come. Rabbi Yochanan brings three drashot in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, each relating to different kings of the Judean kingdom, highlighting how far God goes to allow repentance. He also brought another drasha relating to the disgrace of the Sanhedrin at the time of the Babylonian exile. Rav Chisda says in the name of Rabbi Yirmia bar Abba three statements - one relating to the bad actions of some of the Judean kings, one relating to types of people who are not worthy of receiving the Divine Presence, and one explaining the verses in Tehillim 91:11-13 about evil not coming upon a person. Why is the letter ayin in 'reshaim' suspended above the other letters in the verse in Iyov 38:15? A braita explains that Menashe, Achav, and Yeravam all learned Torah, highlighting that their sins were worse, as they clearly understood the Torah and sinned nevertheless, with full intent. Other braitot suggest that other kings lost their portion in the World-to-Come. Descriptions are brought about some of the bad kings and how their action led to the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.

This month's learning is sponsored by Linda and Jay Marcus in honor of the recent birth of their granddaughter; and the anniversaries and birthdays of their children and grandchildren during Nissan. "בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל. May we merit to see the גאולה שלמה במהרה בימינו." Today's daf is sponsored by Lisa Kolodny in honor of Nancy Kolodny's birthday! "So happy you are spending more time in Israel this year, spreading your light, your wisdom and your love to all those around you."  There is a debate about whether Menashe received a portion in the World-to-Come. Rabbi Yochanan brings three drashot in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, each relating to different kings of the Judean kingdom, highlighting how far God goes to allow repentance. He also brought another drasha relating to the disgrace of the Sanhedrin at the time of the Babylonian exile. Rav Chisda says in the name of Rabbi Yirmia bar Abba three statements - one relating to the bad actions of some of the Judean kings, one relating to types of people who are not worthy of receiving the Divine Presence, and one explaining the verses in Tehillim 91:11-13 about evil not coming upon a person. Why is the letter ayin in 'reshaim' suspended above the other letters in the verse in Iyov 38:15? A braita explains that Menashe, Achav, and Yeravam all learned Torah, highlighting that their sins were worse, as they clearly understood the Torah and sinned nevertheless, with full intent. Other braitot suggest that other kings lost their portion in the World-to-Come. Descriptions are brought about some of the bad kings and how their action led to the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.

If you ask any Christian about the life of Jesus, you're likely to get a version of one of the gospels of the New Testament - 90% of the story would concern the final few years of Jesus' life, with a brief mention of his birth in Bethlehem to a virgin and the subsequent flight to Egypt. Historians don't often talk about what Jesus' childhood and adolescence may have looked like, but my guest today is a welcome exception to that rule! Dr. Joan Taylor joins me to talk about her new book, “Boy Jesus: Growing Up Judean in Turbulent Times”.

In this episode of Bible Talk, the author serves up a sandwich made up of bad Israelite meat and good Judean bread.Bible Talk is brought to you by 9Marks and Southern Seminary. To learn more about Southern Seminary, visit https://www.sbts.edu

Eve Harow took a break from the news and spent a few hours digging at one her favorite sites, Herodian. She interviewed archaeologist Amichai Lifshitz to get some context and just enjoyed a beautiful Judean day. It's about the moments.

Ruth Patir had been, in her own words, an “artist without art” over the past year. Until this week. Patir’s inventive feminist video installation "(M)otherland" was set to debut in the Israel Pavilion at the Venice Biennale last April - under the shadow of protests against the Gaza War and efforts to oust her from the festival. Ultimately, she made a controversial decision to keep the exhibit intact but shuttered behind closed doors, with a note on the door saying: “The artist and curators of the Israeli pavilion will open the exhibition when a cease-fire and hostage release agreement is reached.” That never happened throughout the seven months of the Biennale, and, as a result, her work was never seen. As (M)otherland finally meets the public at the Tel Aviv Museum this week, Patir joined Haaretz Podcast host Allison Kaplan Sommer to talk about the firestorm in Venice, the challenges for Israeli artists creating during war, and innovative use of motion capture technology and Judean fertility figurines to tell a deeply personal story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Paul's group says farewell to the Ephesians, a Judean prophet predicts that Paul will be taken into custody if he goes to Jerusalem, but Paul is still determined to go. Though he and other fellow believers try to show the Jews that Paul is not a blasphemer, it seems to be of little use. A riot ensues and Paul is attacked. The local officials step in to help, finding out later that Paul is a Roman citizen. When Paul is taken into custody by the state, a mob forms and secretly plots to kill him. The plot is discovered in a way that the mob couldn't have predicted, revealing that God is rescuing Paul from death and preserving him for further ministry and teaching.Acts 21 – 1:12 . Acts 22 – 8:40 . Acts 23 – 14:10 . Acts 24 – 20:53 . Proverbs 14 – 25:34 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

In July of the year 1263, the Dominican friar Pablo Christiani met to debate Rabbi Moses ben Nahman, sometimes known as Nahmanides, to discuss whether Jesus was the messiah, and thus whether Christianity or Judaism had a greater claim to truth. They conducted this debate in the court of King James of Aragon, who famously guaranteed the rabbi's freedom of speech, allowing Nahmanides to advance even arguments that, being regarded as heretical by Christian clergy, would have otherwise caused him to be imprisoned or worse. These proceedings are known, famously, in history as the Disputation of Barcelona. To understand fully the context of this debate, one has to know something more about the Dominican friar Pablo Christiani: he was not born Pablo Christiani. In fact, he was born as a Sephardi Jew with the birth name of Saul. Only later in life, having lived as a Jewish man and having been exposed to some Jewish learning, did he convert to Catholicism. Joining the Dominican order as a friar, Saul—newly dubbed Pablo—dedicated his life to converting the Jews, possibly with argument and persuasion—he liked to use statements from talmudic texts as evidence for Christian theology—but also through the threat of violence and force. What is it that would so compel a person to turn against his own family, his own teachers, his own neighbors, his own religion—and not as a matter of indifference but as a matter of revenge on the sources of his own formation? That is one of the questions that runs underneath a new story by the legendary essayist, novelist, and short-story writer Cynthia Ozick. This work is called “The Conversion of the Jews,” and it was published in Harper's in May 2023. Ozick's “The Conversion of the Jews” follows a twenty-four-year-old scholar of words and languages named Solomon Adelberg, as he, in the early 1930s, attempts to discover how and why Christiani undertook his conversion. These questions lead Adelberg to a hollowed-out monastery in the Judean desert, through the occult world of mysticism and magic, and eventually to attempting a séance with the icon of a saint in his Lower East Side apartment. To discuss that story, and the many ideas, themes, and questions it raises, Cynthia Ozick joins Mosaic's editor Jonathan Silver on our podcast (originally broadcast in 2023).