Israel Bible Podcast

An outtake from our pre-recording is available at the end of the episode. Enroll in The Jewish Gospel of Matthew Explore Listening to the Land of the Bible Part 2: https://israelbiblecenter.com/courses/listening-to-the-land-of-the-bible-ii Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com Stay connected with IBC on Facebook @...

Do we adequately know the background of the Jewishness of the Gospel of Matthew? Dr. Schaser helps us understand the extra biblical literary sources that illuminate how Jesus is portrayed in the gospel; from festivals to the Sermon on the Mount. Enroll in The Jewish Gospel of Matthew Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecen...

It is December and Christians are entering the Advent season as a time to remember the birth of Jesus. This is the perfect time to think about the Jewishness of the gospels. We focus this week on Matthew 1–4 which are filled with fascinating details. Enroll in The Jewish Gospel of Matthew Explore Listening to the Land of the Bible Part 2: https://israelbiblecenter.com/courses/listening-to-the-land...

Pinchas Shir talks about the Essenes in this episode, but if you want more details, enroll in our course  The Shadow of the Essenes in the New Testament . We spend this episode talking about why the Essenes refused to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem and why they seem to disassociate themselves from the rest of society. In contrast, the Zealots were ready to pick up their swords to fight Rome. E...

We start with the Hasidim and discuss how the Pharisees emerged from this group. While the Sadducees were Temple-focused, the Pharisees were purity-in-life focused. They were an of-the-people-for-the-people kind of group scattered throughout the diaspora. Pinchas Shir helps us understand how the Pharisees used Scripture and why they seem to be arguing with Jesus all the time. Enroll in The Jewish...

What was Judaism like in the Second Temple period? It was diverse. Very diverse. This week Pinchas Shir tells us about where that diversity came from and why we only talk about four of the more than ten divisions of Judaism from that time. We end up focusing on the Temple-oriented Sadducees who had positions of power and of political connection. But do we have their own writings? Enroll in The Jew...

Why are there so many copies of Psalms in the Dead Sea Scrolls? What roll did the psalms play in Second Temple Judaism? Dr. Schaser takes us through how the Psalms were used by different Second Temple Jewish groups. We also have time at the end of the episode to explore what modern readers miss when we do not understand what Jesus is doing when he quotes one line from a psalm. Take for instance Ps...

Enroll in The Hebrew Psalms at: https://israelbiblecenter.com/courses/psalms-hebrew-introduction/ Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com Stay connected with IBC on Facebook @IsraelBibleCenter or Twitter @ IsraelStudy

What is the purpose of the collected pieces of poetry in Psalms? How do we know they were to be sung? Dr. Nicholas Schaser gives us a sneak peek into his course at Israel Bible Center about the Hebrew Psalms. This week we discuss how the psalms are different from the writings of the poetry of the prophets. And what is Hebrew poetry, anyway? What about the superscripts above the psalms? Enroll in T...

The role of the prophet is not to predict what is to come, but to speak into their present moment, so how does Revelation fit into the prophetic category? We also discuss how the author uses imagery to connect the dots between the ideas of a suffering Messiah and a victorious Messiah. How do Christians and Jews view concepts of "A new heaven and a new earth," and how do those ideas influence the w...

Have you been fascinated by the Book of Revelation, but felt that something must be missing in modern interpretations of this anti-Roman, Jewish document? In this week's episode, we explore what books like Enoch or Baruch or what geography and the Torah have to do with interpreting the book of Revelation. Enroll for the course " Revelation in a Jewish Context " at: https://israelbiblecenter.com/co...

What is apocalyptic literature and how does it change the way we read Revelation? What were the cultural developments that birthed the apocalyptic genre, and is that genre a Greco-Roman or Jewish style of literature? This week we talk about the overall context of Revelation and why pop culture has given us the wrong impression about the end of times. Enroll for the course "Revelation in a Jewish C...

Quantum Physics puts the mystery back into nature, and Dr. Gruber helps us understand how it can help us grapple with the mystery of God's name and character. God's name used to be spoken out loud but great care is taken now to avoid pronouncing the name. Dr. Gruber explains how our views towards the name (Yod Hey Vav Hey) has changed throughout time. Take Dr. Gruber's course online at Israel Bibl...

The personal name of God is different from all of his descriptive titles. Dr. Gruber clarifies the Hebrew word "elohim" used to talk about the  spiritual world. Are we too distant from the original Hebrew text to understand the significance of the personal name of God? Take Dr. Gruber's course online at Israel Bible Center at https://israelbiblecenter.com/courses/name-of-god/ Find out how you can...

Join me each week as I sit down with other Israel Bible Center faculty to talk about how understanding the rich history, culture, and context of the Bible gives us a richer understanding of God. Join the conversation! Courses and Round Table Discussions available at: https://israelbiblecenter.com Israel Bible Center Facebook: IsraelBibleCenter Israel Bible Center Twitter @IsraelStudy Follow Dr. Cy...