“Praise the Lord!” And so begins one of the glorious types of Psalms (Ps. 111) from the Psalter, built on a recognition of God’s many blessings. What a perfect time of year to consider the Thanksgiving Psalm more deeply and maybe even write your own! There are many types of Psalms, but two predominate: the […]
Archive | Old Testament
A Surprise Lesson from Joshua
The burning bush and Red Sea parting may be some of the most well-known stories of the Hebrew Bible. But do we realize Joshua had his own exceptional signs of God’s guiding presence? This came to light recently while rereading Joshua. Some quick background: Moses had finished his role leading the Children of Israel from […]
Jerusalem: City of David
Jerusalem–the holy city for the world’s three monotheistic religions. It evokes life-changing events for millions and history unparalleled for centuries with political, religious and archaeological claims to every holy square inch. To see it for the first time, perhaps standing on Mt. Scopus at sunset, is to have a moment forever etched in memory. […]
The Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran: Why they’re important
Most Bible students are familiar with the archaeological discovery in 1947* of the Dead Sea Scrolls but may not be clear as to why this was such an important find. It’s because this discovery – called the greatest manuscript uncovering of all time — provides a priceless look into the history of Judaism, how the […]
Masada: Herod, Heroes and Sacrifice
Masada, the Hebrew word for “fortress,” is a perfect description of the Biblical site where Herod the Great had one of his summer palaces. If you’ve traveled to Israel to stand on this dusty summit and know what’s behind the historical mountaintop, the site grips your imagination like few others. Located in the East Judean […]
