Israel Bible Podcast

If the Sadducees typically had an anti-messianic view while the Pharisees had a messianic view, is it possible to say the Sadducees in particular are responsible for the death of Jesus? In this episode, Professor Israel Knohl takes us through the night-trial of Jesus and explains who was there and who was not there and the effects of the group's underlying view of the Messiah.

When did ideas about the Messiah begin, and are messianic ideas the same through the whole Hebrew Bible? In today's episode, Professor Israel Knohl walks us through the various ideas about the Messiah and how the historical context may have shaped those ideas.

Dr. Tupá Guerra joins us for Part 2 of our exclusive peek into her course "Good and Evil in Qumran." What can these ancient documents tell us about how people in the Second Temple Period thought about good, evil, demons, magic, and prayer?

Dr. Tupá Guerra is the Professor of Ancient Studies at Israel Bible Center. She is an historian who specializes in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and she joins us to talk about how she got into this field of study and then to give us an exclusive peek into her soon to be released course called "Good and Evil in Qumran."

This is part 2 of our conversation on a unique Dead Sea Scroll called The War Scroll. Today we sit with Dr. Yeshaha Gruber, Dr. Tupa Gerra, and Dr. Nicholas Schaser to continue the conversation about the unusual characteristics of this document. Who is Belial? How does this document compare to biblical writings like Revelation? Join us for a fun exploration through Second Temple Texts.

Our faculty gathers to talk about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the very fascinating and unique War Scroll. This week we cover what is in the scroll, who might have authored the scroll, and who is breaking which covenant.

What role does the Flood narrative play in the book of Genesis? Are there similar flood narratives in ancient Near Eastern texts? How did Second Temple Jews write about this catastrophic event? All of these questions and answered in this week's episode as several of Israel Bible Center's faculty sit around the table to discuss Noah, purity, violence, and the flood.

Last week we tried to define the undefinable. This week we continue to explore Dr. Gruber's course Kabbalah and the Bible, Part 1. How does Paul use mystical language? What is the "feminine divine"? Why do we care?

This week Dr. Yeshaya Gruber joins us to talk about his course Kabbalah and the Bible, Part 1. What does the word Kabbalah mean? What is Jewish mysticism? Then we try to ask mystical questions of Genesis 1-3.

In part 2 of our conversation, Dr. Nicholas Schaser draws our attention to the many Creation themes and images in the book of Exodus. What do Moses and Jesus have in common? How does the presence of God translate from the Garden of Eden to the people of God in the wilderness?

Creation themes presented in Genesis 1-3 echo throughout scripture. This week, Dr. Nicholas Schaser joins us to talk about how creation words, ideas, and images are found throughout the book of Exodus. We talk about a lot of numbers...why are there 10 plagues? What does resting on the 7th day imply? And how many Israelites came out of Egypt?

Acts 15 tells us of a crucial moment in the early Jewish church when the leaders had to figure out how to allow gentiles into their community. Professor Pinchas Shir walks us through the critical decisions made in the Jerusalem council and the significance of the instructions to non-Jews to not eat meat offered to idols, blood, animals that were strangled, and to stay away from sexual immorality.

Today we talk to Professor Pinchas Shir about his course Stories of the Jewish Church, Part 3. We briefly discuss Acts 11 and the ways we see the early church grow. We also discuss what the word "synagogue" means.

This week I am joined by Professor Pinchas Shir who talks about his newly released course: Stories of the Jewish Church, Part 3. In this episode we talk about Acts 10 and the radical changes happening in the new Jewish church.

In this week's segment of a Round Table Talk, Dr. Gruber and Dr. Levison talk about the Spirit of God in Isaiah 63. This passage is a lament with strong connections to the Exodus account. But how is the Spirit of God portrayed in this lament?

The Israelites were supposed to love one God only, but is that "monotheism"? If so, where does the idea of a Divine Council come from? To untangle some of these issues, we hear from three IBC faculty who discuss a biblical view of the heavenly realm.

What does it mean to be spirit possessed and what did ancient people think about encounters with the spiritual world? Dr. Reed Carlson joined Dr. Yeshaya Gruber for a Round Table Talk to discuss these issues and more! In this episode we will hear about King Saul's encounter with the which of Endor (1 Sam 28), the use of music to quiet the spirits, and the gospel accounts of spiritual possession. Hang on! It's a wild ride.

Welcome back to the Israel Bible Podcast. We will start this season with a Round Table Talk between Dr. Yeshaya Gruber and Dr. Robert Hiebert who is the editor and translator of the New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS) and has authored and edited numerous scholarly works on the Septuagint. This demands the question, "What is the Septuagint?" and "Why do we care?" In this episode we will focus specifically on what differs between the Hebrew and the Greek versions of the Genesis creation narratives.

Dr. Brian Robinson is a guest lecturer at Israel Bible Center. He just released a new course called the Jewish Gospel of Luke. Following last week's episode that gave us the Roman backdrop for Luke, we now explore how Luke paints a picture of Jesus in contrast to the Roman surroundings.

Dr. Brian Robinson is a guest lecturer at Israel Bible Center. He just released a new course called the Jewish Gospel of Luke. It is a great course, and today we give you a small taste of what you will learn in the course. We started with backdrop. Where did the Roman empire come from and how does that influence how we understand Luke?

This is a podcast sneak peak at Dr. Nicholas Schaser's new IBC course called Israelite Creation in Context. This week is all about Genesis 2 and the earthiness of the narrative. How does this chapter differ from chapter 1? How does the text portray Eden as sacred? And if you listen to the end you might get a little on that mischief-causing snake.

Sneak Peak! Dr. Nicholas Schaser has a new course about to be released called Israelite Creation in Context. This week we get to dive into the assumed context of Genesis 1. What is the ancient Near Eastern context? How does reading the Israelite narrative next to the ancient Near Eastern narratives help us understand the Bible?

There is a small Greek phrase that has had a massive impact on western civilization - "erga nomou," which is often translated as "works of the law." Dr. Mark Nanos joins us this week to discuss his ideas on a better interpretation. Dr. Nanos is a respected Jewish historian specializing in Saul of Tarsus...or the Apostle Paul. He has written extensively about how to understand "Judaism" in Second Temple.

Dr. Mark Nanos is a respected Jewish historian specializing in Saul of Tarsus...or the Apostle Paul. He has written extensively about how to understand "Judaism" in Second Temple. In modern times we tend to separate religion from other aspects of life, but did Paul think that way? Westerners can end up think that "what you believe" is different from "what you do." But did Paul think that way? Join us for the first part of this conversation and for what this has to do with Paul's phrase "works of the law."

If you are asking me...well, not much. But we have an expert panel who recently had a discussion about Demons in the Hebrew Bible. Their conversation has not yet been published, so I am bringing you a small appetizer before the big meal! What are demons? How are they described in the Hebrew Bible and in Second Temple Literature? Were they always considered evil?

If you are asking me...well, not much. But we have an expert panel who recently had a discussion about Angels and Demons in the Hebrew Bible. Their conversation has not yet been published, so I am bringing you a small appetizer before the big meal! What are angels? How are they described in the Hebrew Bible and in Second Temple Literature?

What is "ruah" in the Hebrew Bible? The word is translated as "spirit" and sometimes as "wind." This week's episode is a tiny sliver of the Roundtable Talk conversation called Spirit and Man in Ancient Judaism. Our guest is Dr. Jack Levison, who is a Hebrew Bible professor at Southern Methodist University. He addresses the significance of the Spirit in the Hebrew Bible using Numbers 11 as a test case.

The afterlife is an interesting and perplexing subject, which means it is a perfect conversation for the podcast! This week we sample a small part of the Hot Topics Seminar about Greek and Jewish views of the afterlife with Dr. Yeshaya Gruber and Dr. Nicholas Schaser and myself. We have Hebrew poetry, Jerusalem geography, and historic texts all weighing in. Lean in and enjoy the conversation!

Dr. Paul Wright is a friend and mentor who joins me again to discuss the significance of reading the Bible in its physical context. Last week we set the stage for the Luke version of the nativity scene, which we continue to talk about this week. If we picture Mary and Joseph isolated outside of the Bethlehem community, then we are telling the wrong story. How does the geography and culture impact our understanding of the night Jesus was born?

I invite a friend and mentor to join me and discuss the significance of reading the Bible in its physical context. In the second half of the episode we discuss Luke 2 and the geographical information contained in the narrative that helps us imagine the nativity scene in a more realistic way. In particular, what do we learn by reading that the shepherds were in the fields with their flocks at night?

Dr. Peter van 't Riet is a retired professor of educational psychology and now an independent Bible researcher who writes about the patterns he sees in the writing of Luke. His thesis is that contrary to the common assumption that Luke was the only non-Jewish author in the New Testament who wrote for Christian gentiles, the person Luke was Jewish. Listen in as he explains ideas he writes about in the book titled The Jewish character of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

Dr. Nicholas Schaser created a new course at Israel Bible Center called "Resurrection in Jewish Texts and Traditions." This week we continue to talk about the Second Temple associations with resurrection, the ways Jesus' miracles fit the Jewish traditions of resurrection, and why it is important to understand Jesus' own resurrection in light of history.

That is right. we are tackling resurrection! Dr. Nicholas Schaser has a new course at Israel Bible Center called "Resurrection in Jewish Texts and Traditions." Resurrection is an unusual concept, and it is significant in the Christian faith, but are there older roots in the Hebrew Bible? This week Dr. Schaser talks about the development of the concept of resurrection through the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple literature

Dr. Mark Goodacre is a New Testament scholar who is amazing at getting people to investigate that which is thought to be "fact" by both the historic Christian community and academic community. This conversation starts with some easy questions like, "Was Jesus a carpenter?" and "Was Mary Magdalen a prostitute?" Then the topics dive into the technicalities of how the gospels were written and if there are mysterious "Q" texts and what (if anything) the Gospel of Thomas has to do with the gospels.

THE Dr. Jodi Magness participated in a Round Table Talk with Dr. Gruber titled Archaeology on Life in the First Century. Dr. Magness is the Distinguished Professor of Early Judaism at the University of North Carolina, and she is the president of the Archeological Institute of America. She has written several books and she leads the excavations at Huqoq - a site that was a Jewish village in Lower Galilee. She draws out differences between literary and archaeological disciplines and tells us how pottery is a significant element of how to date layers of time in the dig. We also hear how she happened upon some of the best, most elaborate and creative mosaics on a synagogue floor that have ever been found in Israel.

Pinchas Shir joins us to continue the exploration of his course The Jewish Church, Part 1 (Acts 1–5). We keep in mind the conversation in the previous episode about the initial believers being Jewish. Today we talk about Peter's use of the Psalms, the added cultural memory of the timing of Kind David's death, and the reasons behind why the early church sold property and gave all that they had to the larger community.

Professor Pinchas Shir joins me to talk about his course The Jewish Church Part 1. This is a wildly popular course at IBC because it takes familiar stories and brings to life new ideas. This week we talk about how Jewish the original church was, why we know they were Jewish, and how we better understand the Book of Acts by reading it as a Jewish narrative. Plus, what is Peter doing by quoting the prophets?

Dr. Ashley Lyon is a new member of the Israel Bible Center faculty. Today we talk about her work on rare Hebrew word like "selah". This word is often associate with the Psalms, but many Bible translations leave the word untranslated because we do not know exactly what it meant in its original context. Selah may indicate a break in the song, like a musical notation to indicate a pause. Selah may be a word that has the weight of agreement, like saying Amen. This week Dr. Lyon talks about her work to uncover the word's meaning.

What Bible translation should we read? That is not an easy question to answer. There are so many styles of interpretation, be it word-for-word or sentence-by-sentence. Do we even know what approach our favorite translations use? This week we listen to Dr. Gruber and Dr. Schaser point out some tricky aspects of translating the Bible.

This is part 2 of the conversation between Rabbi Dr. Bejarano-Gutierrez and Dr. Gruber in the Round Table Talk titled Complex Jewish and Christian Identities. This week we listen to the complexities of a Christian identity forming at the same time Jewish identity is shifting during the Second Temple period. Rabbi Bejarano-Gutierrez also talks about nationality and religion as identity shapers.

Rabbi Dr. Bejarano-Gutierrez introduces us to the history of Crypto-Jewish studies in his Round Table Talk titled Complex Jewish and Christian Identities. In Part 1 of this conversation, we explore the past to understand the complexities around understanding Identity. What happens when people try so hard to protect their version of truth that they actually make issues of Identity more complicated? This is the necessary complex foundation from which we branch into Jewish and Christian conversation in Part 2.

What if the primary shape of the Bible came out of traumatic events? This is the theory Dr. David Carr poses in the Round Table Talk titled Trauma and Biblical Origin. After the year+ we have all lived through with the global pandemic, it might be good to think through the ways trauma shapes our lives. And if we follow Dr. Carr's proposal, we may gain new insight into the shape and heart of the Bible.

Dr. Yeshaya Gruber joins us again to talk about his course Exploring Jewish Interpretations. Last week we talked about the diversity in interpreters and how their social, historical, and geographical context influenced their interpretations. This week we talk about all the ways you can interpret the first phrase in the book of Genesis.

Dr. Yeshaya Gruber joins me to clarify some of the complexities behind the idea of "Jewish Interpretation," which is not a monolithic thing! We focus this week on the diverse historical periods interpreters lived in that shifted their perspectives and how they interpreted the Bible. How many of these scholars have you heard of?

Professor Pinchas Shir joins me to talk about his course The First Commandment: Deuteronomy and the Gospels. We focus today's conversation on why it makes sense that Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy when he resists the Tempter in the Judean Wilderness. What parallels are there between the life of Jesus and the Israelite history in Deuteronomy 6 and 8.

Professor Pinchas Shir joins me to talk about his course The First Commandment: Deuteronomy and the Gospels. We discuss if the 10 are "commandments", "words", or "categories" before diving into a conversation between an unnamed man and Jesus about how to achieve eternal life. What did "eternal life" even mean at that time?

Dr. Nicholas Schaser talks about his course All Israel Will be Saved. We discuss why Paul thinks "not all Israelites truly belong to Israel"...or does he? Then we take a stab at all the agricultural imagery related to the Olive Tree and the Branches. You'd be amazed by how translating two little Greek words can make all the difference!

Dr. Nicholas Schaser joins us to talk about his course All Israel Will Be Saved. Last week we established that Paul thinks gentiles do not need to take on Jewish identity markers. But why? Why should gentiles remain gentiles? And what does Paul mean when he put the phrase "righteousness through faith" in opposition to "righteousness through works"?

Dr. Nicholas Schaser joins us to unravel some of the complexities in Paul's writings. We focus on Dr. Schaser's course titled All Israel Will Be Saved: Jewish Theology in Romans 9–11. Why look at "Jewish theology" when the letter is written to the gentile Christians? We also discuss why Paul does not want gentiles to do "work of the law" - What does that mean?

In an online seminar Dr. Yeshaya Gruber, Dr. Nicholas Schaser, Dr. Eli Lizorken-Eisenburg, and Pinchas Shir discuss the ways Greeks thought in a completely different manner than the Jews. But the Jewish people wanted and needed to interact with and be relevant to the Greek world. How do we begin to see these differences, and how does Paul address them in his address to the Greek at Areopagus (Acts 17)?

Dr. Walter Brueggemann was involved in a Roundtable Talk called Prophetic Imagination in the Hebrew Bible and Society. This week we listen in on the parts of the talk that focus on the Prophetic Imagination. What is it? How is it different than priestly worship at the temple? Can such rebuke and encouragement from the prophets result in Hope?

This week we continue to explore the Roundtable Talk titled Women in the Ancient Near East and Israel with Dr. Gruber (IBC) and Dr. Beth Alpert Nakhai. Ancient women were not stuck in the home. They had a normative life in the village contributing to their society. In this episode, Dr. Nakhai discusses how life changed as we move from Canannite to Israelite time periods. We also dip into household religion. Who, how, and what did Israelites worship when they were in their homes?

This week we listen in on a conversation between Dr. Gruber and Dr. Beth Alpert Nakhai from the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies. She introduces us to the shift in archaeological studies this century towards domestic settings of Israelites instead of the palace and the temple. This shift introduces us to a wider exploration of ancient life, culture, and society that brings women into the picture and celebrates their contribution to the family and to society.

This week we continue our short tour through the Roundtable Talk about Black Theology and Biblical Equality with Rev. Dr. Charles Howard. We start with his definition about what Black Theology and then talk about why it is important. We finish with the significance of music in society.

This week we take a short tour through a Roundtable Talk called Black Theology and Biblical Equality. We have a chance to meet Rev. Dr. Charles Howard who is the University Chaplain and Vice President for Social Equity and Community at the University of Pennsylvania. Although a bit political (purposefully) and USA centric, there is something here we all need to hear. How should we think about people who are so different from ourselves? How do we identify racist behavior? Who gets to be the central figure in the histories we tell?

Once again Dr. Gruber sits in the interviewer's seat to find out more about Dr. Parker's course "Listening to the Land of the Bible, Part 2." The conversation journeys through significant villages in Jesus' life to explore how the land helps us understand Jesus better. Where are those hidden secrets it has to tell?

This week I am in the hot seat as Dr. Yeshaya Gruber takes over the role of interviewer. We talk about my gospel-centric course Listening to the Land of the Bible Part 2, starting with two great questions. How do we "put Jesus in place"? How does the land tell us secrets?

Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg joins us at the podcast table once again to discuss his course The Jewish Gospel of John. Should the word “Jews” in the gospel of John be better translated “Judeans”? How and why are the Samaritans central to the gospel of John? And what's so priestly about John's writings?

Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg is the Professor of Ancient Cultures at Israel Bible Center. He joins us this week to discuss unique aspects of his course titled The Jewish Gospel of John - a study initially motivated by the seemingly anti-Jewish message of the text. What he found was a deep connection between the Gospel of John and the book of Ezekiel. Do you have doubts? Listen in and see what you think.

This podcast introduces you to the wide range of resources available at Israel Bible Center including the Hot Topics Conferences. This week we take a small bite out of the complex debate, "Is Torah for Israel or for Everyone?" In this episode we hear Dr. Yeshaya Gruber establish some fundamental concepts given in the Hebrew Bible. Let's start with defining "Torah" and "Israel" and "Everyone."

This is our final installment of the Roundtable Talk with Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler. On the table for discussion is the issue of harmonization of the biblical text. Why do Christians feel the need to harmonize and the Jews don't? Dr. Nicholas Schaser joins the conversation to talk about the role of "sola scriptura" in influencing the views of Protestant Christians.

This week we listen to a portion of a Roundtable Talk with Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler and Dr. Amy-Jill Levine about their book Reading the Bible(s) With and Without Jesus. Language matters. The cultural associations with words matter. So with so much interpretation happening, which is more important, the biblical text or the interpretations of the text?

This week Dr. Nicholas Schaser joins me as we talk about Israel Bible Center's Roundtable Talk on "Reading the Bible(s) with and without Jesus". The Roundtable Talk first aired in October 2020 as a discussion between Dr. Yeshaya Gruber and Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler about their newest book. This week we discuss why Jews and Christians read the text in different ways and why the Jews should re-claim the New Testament as Jewish text.

This week we highlight a short segment from one of IBC's Roundtable Talks from 2020 with Professor Paula Fredriksen. She and Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg talked about the First Century Roman-Jewish World. In this podcast episode, we hear Professor Fredriksen explain the role of sacrifices in the Roman world and how Jews were perceived by their Hellenistic neighbors. We conclude by untangling the cause of the argument between Paul and Peter in Antioch.

In the final part of the conversation about Professor Shir's course Jewish Apostle Paul, we talk about the context of the church in Galatia. There are many problems with isolating one theological statement in the epistle to the Galatians and asking it to stand on its own. Everything is embedded in context. This week Professor Shir explains the seemingly anti-Torah teachings of Paul. We also touch on what mother goddesses, mountains, and Israelite matriarchs have to do with one another.

Professor Shir joins us this week to examine Paul's theology, specifically what Paul thinks about the Gospel and the Torah in the Roman world. We examine two different epistles and talk about how understanding these seemingly contradictory letters depends completely on context.

Professor Pinchas Shir contextualizes one of the most challenging issues of the early church. How do gentiles join the Jews in following Jesus? What role does the Apostle Paul play in this conversation? We also discuss what cultural risks gentiles took to follow Jesus.

Join Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg on a journey through his course The Story of Our Hebrew Fathers: Joseph's Story. How does Judah's character change after encountering Tamar? Why does Joseph persistently test his brothers? Do the names of Joseph's sons help us understand how God is moving in Joseph's life?

Join us as Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg introduces us to his course The Story of Our Hebrew Fathers: Joseph's Story. He starts by taking the focus away from Joseph as a prototype of Jesus and refocuses attention on the unique details of the story. We talk about what Tamar contributes to the narrative and whether or not these chapters of Genesis should be called the Story of Jacob's Kids.

Are you ever confused by Rabbinic vocabulary? Well, no more! This week Professor Shir defines some terms for us and how they help us interpret the actions and conversations Jesus has with his contemporaries.

Professor Pinchas Shir joins us this week to introduce Jesus as a rabbi. What did he do to earn the title, and what are other Jewish texts that help us understand who the rabbis were?

This is the conclusion of the conversation I had with Dr. Nicholas Schaser on his course Women and Gender in the Bible. We talk about how Eve is portrayed by Paul in the epistles, and we talk about the women who were disciples of Jesus. So why do we always say all of the disciples were male?

Dr. Nicholas Schaser joins us this week to discuss his IBC course called Women and Gender in the Bible. We continue to focus on women in the Hebrew Bible, so I asked about two of my favorites: Deborah and Jael.

Dr. Nicholas Schaser joins us to talk about his IBC course Women and Gender in the Bible. We have so many interesting things to talk about, but this week we will limit ourselves to the creation narratives. When we carefully study the Hebrew words, what can we learn about God's design for humanity?

Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg is the founder of the Israel Bible Center. This week we take a quick look at a character in his audio course The Jewish Gospel of John Part 1. When Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well, they engaged in a theologically rich conversation. Listen now as we explore the political and theological context of this conversation and learn to see the Samaritan woman in a new light.

Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg is the founder of the Israel Bible Center and the author of many courses. This week we discuss one of many gems found in his course, Jewish Insights Into Scripture Part 1. Why won't Jesus allow Mary to touch him after he rose from the dead when eight days later he invites Thomas to touch him? What is going on?

Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg is the founder of the Israel Bible Center and the author of many courses. This week he joins us to discuss some troubling and confusing sayings in the gospels that can be better understood by knowing the Jewish context in which they were spoken.

In the final episode of the IBC course Listening to the Land of the Bible Part 1, Dr. Cyndi Parker discusses why geography explains the underlying political tension in the David and Goliath story. Our listeners also get to hear about her brand new book entitled Encountering Jesus in the Real World of the Gospels.

Join us as Dr. Cyndi Parker continues to explain what the physical context of biblical events can teach us about God. Simply understanding the larger ancient Near Eastern landscape can tell us how God wanted his people to be world influencers instead of world dominators. Seeing the diverse and rugged ecosystems of the land can teach us how to rely on God. And maps! What do the design of maps tell us about our priorities?

The tables are turned this week as Dr. Gruber interviews Dr. Cyndi Parker about her course Listening to the Land of the Bible. But why should we all care about geography? How does the land contribute to our theology?