The patriarch Ya’akov had now entered upon his father’s inheritance after his return from Mesopotamia, and the narrator of our story felt the necessity to begin with the genealogy of Ya’akov telling us know that his son Yoseph was seventeen years old. This strange beginning of the narrative with Ya’akov’s favorite son and especially with the notice of his age is introduced here with reference to the principal topic in the story: the sale of...
Read More »Great Britain governed Palestine from 1922 until 1947. Since 1922, Jewish immigration to Palestine had increased, and therefore the tensions between Arabs and Jews to become the most contested piece of land. While the European Jewry and the Jews in Palestine supported the war against the Nazi Germany and even participated in it, the Arabs openly lined up with Hitler and more particularly for the extermination of all Jews in Palestine. At that time, the term...
Read More »The inheritance tensions were central to the development of Israel as a nation. First, we witnessed Avraham’s concerns that he would remain childless and his trusted servant Eliezer would inherit him, despite the Covenant YHVH made with Avraham. Then, the strife between Avraham’s wife Sarah and her maidservant: Who would be the matriarch of the family, and who would inherit Avraham: Ishmael or Yitschak. By sending away Ishmael, Sarah secured the line of...
Read More »The motive of a mother advocating on behalf of her son is found in two biblical stories of the matriarchs of the nation of Israel. After Yitschak was molested by Ishmael, Sarah urged Avraham to send Hagar away along with her son, so only her son Yitschak would inherit, according to the promise. After Sarah’s ultimatum that Hagar and her son be expelled, Avraham became grieved, but YHVH advised him to listen to his wife. Rivkah, the new matriarch of the family, too...
Read More »The story of offering Yitschak as a human sacrifice is perhaps the most discussed part of the entire Hebrew Scripture. Avraham had longed to have a son for twenty-five years. When the promised son was finally born, his love for him must have grown from year to year. But when he was suddenly commanded to sacrifice his son with his own hands, he must have felt in a state of a profound confusion. And who would not have? But what is perplexing though is that Avraham did not...
Read More »Ishmael and Israel are the sons of Avraham and the founding fathers of two great nations. Each of them fathered twelve sons, who became the backbones of two peoples: Arabs and Israelites. While Ishmael and Israel took two quite different and even opposite turns in their development as nations, they share some common traits. As sons of the common ancestor Avraham, they have much in common. Both nations are regarded as Semites, the descendants of Shem son of Noach, and as...
Read More »Readiness to do the will of the Most High and patience in the endurance of doing it are virtues of faith that have been intentionally or negligently left out. In this introduction to Readiness and Patience as Virtues of Faith we would like to clarify certain ideas that have not been entertained at all or too little, and whose depths have not been perceived. In order to clarify this issue in its entirety, we must initially make some inquiries about two colossal minds in the...
Read More »In the ancient Babylon, the Scripture indicates that the Sumerians used natural bitumen (asphalt) deposits for mortar between bricks and stones, and for waterproofing. The Greek historian Herodotus further testifies that bitumen (asphalt) was first used as mortar in the walls of Babylon (Herodotus, Book I, 179). (Refer to the source for the complete quote). The elements of life or death Asphalt, also classified as a pitch, is a dark bituminous substance found in natural...
Read More »The Nazarenes were called first “Christians” in Antioch where Ignatius was Bishop of Antioch. As we will see in this study, that was not accidental. In the article The Nazarenes and Their Sect The Way, we explained that the apostles and their disciples were called Nazarenes after Yeshua the Nazarene, and their assembly was called The Way for he said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life”. One of the ringleaders of the Nazarene sect was none...
Read More »The Apostolic Writings tell us that the disciples of Yeshua and the new converts were called Nazarenes and their assembly was a sect within Judaism, called The Way, contrary to the common belief that they were “Christians” and their assemblies were called “churches”. In fact, we have verses which testify to the truth of this belief that none of the apostles called himself “Christian”. That compels us to consider the question: if that were...
Read More »Tsipporah, Mosheh’s wife, upon having circumcised her son said the words: “You are a bridegroom of blood to me”. From the narrative we learn that she circumcised her son. But to whom did she speak the words “You are a bridegroom of blood”, and which son did she circumcise? A good departure point to describing the term “bridegroom of blood” is to explain it in its proper context. Mosheh was shepherding the flock of Yithro his father-in-law and...
Read More »It seems that there will be tears and crying in the Kingdom of Heaven before the restoration of all things and the coming of the New Jerusalem. Allow me, my reader, to become personal! Yochanan saw a new heaven and a new earth, so that the former will not be remembered any longer. And after this he saw the New Jerusalem coming down out of the heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And a loud voice came from the heaven and proclaimed that YHVH would come to...
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