Tag Archives: Hebrew Bible

Separation, Veil, Perfect Asymmetry, and Inward Pilgrimage: David Gelernter on Judaism

This past week, the Chronicle Review had a long piece on Yale Professor David Gelernter (“technological guru, conservative polemicist, Unabomber target”) and his new book on the Jewish faith, titled Judaism: A Way of Being (Yale 2009): In Judaism, Gelernter zeroes … Continue reading

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A Curious Parallel Between Genesis and the Mesopotamian Enuma Elish

Biblical scholars see parallels between the creation story of Genesis chapter 1 and the Mesopotamian Enuma Elish. Here’s an example: Parallels like the one above suggest that Genesis 1 was written by a Jew living in Babylonian exile, and that the story … Continue reading

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Mental Health Break

Samson’s lament:

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Why Are There TEN COMMANDMENTS (and Not, Say, Fifteen)?

Mel Brooks has a theory:

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NOVA’s “Must See” Documentary on Contemporary Biblical Archeology

At the PBS website, the NOVA documentary, The Bible’s Buried Secrets, has become available on DVD. The program, through interviews with some of the most well-known biblical archeologists in the world, surveys the grand scope of the biblical narrative, from … Continue reading

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Critical Thinking Watch: One Reason I’m Skeptical of the Claim That “Jesus Fulfilled Prophecies Made About Him in the Old Testament”

Here’s the claim: Passages in the Hebrew Bible, such as Isaiah 53, foresaw the life and death of Jesus—and thus constitute strong evidence that the Bible is a miraculous book. Why I’m skeptical: The Jewish scriptures were read carefully by the authors of the New … Continue reading

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“If You Look at the Israelites, That’s How They Work—And That’s How They Are Even Today”: Thomas Muthee, Sarah Palin’s Witch Hunting Pastor, May Be Hurting McCain with the Jewish Vote in Florida

In 2005, just before Thomas Muthee prayed over Sarah Palin to protect her from “witchcraft,” he talked to the Wasilla Assembly of God congregation about the need for Christians to take over, from unbelievers and “Israelites,” the running of the global … Continue reading

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