Explore every episode of the podcast Israel Bible Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| God, Angels, and Iconography | 01 Sep 2023 | 00:28:05 | |
Dr. Taylor Gray is an associate faculty member and the professor of a recently released course at IBC called Divine Imagery in the Biblical World. This week we discuss what we can learn from iconography from the ancient world, and how these pieces of art may enhance the way we read the Bible. What changes to our picture of cherubim and seraphim? There are also challenges including the pottery with pictures and writing that refer to YHWH and his Asherah. What was going on in ancient Israelite society? Enroll in the class Divine Imagery in the Biblical World HERE Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Images of the Divine World | 25 Aug 2023 | 00:30:35 | |
Dr. Taylor Gray is an associate faculty member at Israel Bible Center. He recently released a new course called Divine Imagery in the Biblical World. We sit down with Dr. Gray to talk about the study of iconography, its growth over the last few decades, and its ability to give modern readers a glimpse into how ancient people perceived the world. Enroll in the class Divine Imagery in the Biblical World HERE Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| From Pharisees to Resurrection | 23 Jun 2023 | 00:21:45 | |
This week's conversation comes from a Round Table Talk between Dr. Yeshaya Gruber and Dr. Bruce Chilton who is the Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion and Executive Director of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard College. To watch the full talk Jesus, Paul, Resurrection, And History go here: https://israelbiblecenter.com/roundtable-talks/gospels-and-resurrection-in-the-first-century-jewish-context/ | |||
| The Final Week in Jerusalem | 18 Dec 2020 | 00:24:38 | |
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 | |||
| I Did Not Come to Abolish but to Fulfill | 11 Dec 2020 | 00:23:53 | |
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 | |||
| What's Jewish about a Genealogy? | 04 Dec 2020 | 00:29:17 | |
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-of-the-bible-ii | |||
| Isolate from Culture or Fight It? | 27 Nov 2020 | 00:34:20 | |
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. Enroll in The Jewish Christ: First Century Diversity Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| "Wisdom Jousting" and the Pharisees | 20 Nov 2020 | 00:23:34 | |
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 Christ: First Century Diversity Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Who's Who in the Gospels? | 13 Nov 2020 | 00:27:02 | |
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 Jewish Christ: First Century Diversity Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Psalms in Second Temple Communities | 06 Nov 2020 | 00:27:53 | |
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 Psalm 22. What does it mean when Jesus quotes the first line of Psalm 22 from the cross? Enroll in The Hebrew Psalms | |||
| Torah, Psalms, and Emotions | 31 Oct 2020 | 00:23:14 | |
Enroll in The Hebrew Psalms at: https://israelbiblecenter.com/courses/psalms-hebrew-introduction/ | |||
| Hebrew Poetry As Songs | 23 Oct 2020 | 00:24:58 | |
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 The Hebrew Psalms at: https://israelbiblecenter.com/courses/psalms-hebrew-introduction/ | |||
| Hope in Revelation | 16 Oct 2020 | 00:32:30 | |
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 way we live life in the here-and-now? We conclude the Revelation series with a Big Concept idea about the character of God. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription: https://israelbiblecenter.com/membership-account/certificate-in-jewish-studies/ Stay connected with IBC on Facebook @IsraelBibleCenter or Twitter @IsraelStudy | |||
| Who Is A Rabbi? | 16 Jun 2023 | 00:22:54 | |
This week we talk about some new terms: Who is a Rabbi? And when did that term get established? How does the Apostle Paul use the term when he talks about Rabbi Jesus? This week's conversation comes from a Round Table Talk between Dr. Yeshaya Gruber and Dr. Bruce Chilton who is the Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion and Executive Director of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard College. To watch the full talk Jesus, Paul, Resurrection, And History go here: https://israelbiblecenter.com/roundtable-talks/gospels-and-resurrection-in-the-first-century-jewish-context/ | |||
| Pop Culture and Armageddon | 09 Oct 2020 | 00:25:31 | |
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. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| The end of the world...or is it? | 02 Oct 2020 | 00:25:01 | |
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. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Should the name of God be spoken? | 24 Sep 2020 | 00:36:40 | |
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. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| The Name of God: One Name or Many? | 18 Sep 2020 | 00:31:52 | |
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? Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Welcome to the New Podcast! | 08 Sep 2020 | 00:02:38 | |
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 | |||
| Paul, the Rabbis, and the "Other" | 09 Jun 2023 | 00:21:08 | |
This week we start with a discussion of the interaction across time between some of Paul's ideas about "goy" and those of the early rabbis. Whose ideas came first? Who is reacting to whom? And how do we - people influenced by these ancient texts - respond to the dissonance that may arise from what we feel to be appropriate morality from these conversations? The Round Table Talk between Dr. Yeshaya Gruber and Professor Ishay Rosen-Zvi is called Jew vs. Goy in Pauline and Rabbinic Thought. | |||
| What Division Between Jew and Goy? | 02 Jun 2023 | 00:27:03 | |
Does the Bible create a distinction between Israelites and non-Israelites? When does the sharp distinction between Jew and Gentile show up in the literature? These questions are at the heart of a Round Table Talk between Dr. Yeshaya Gruber and Professor Ishay Rosen-Zvi called Jew vs. Goy in Pauline and Rabbinic Thought. The concepts and conclusions may surprise you! Listen to the full Round Table Talk called Jew vs. Goy in Pauline and Rabbinic Thought HERE | |||
| The Vitality of Biblical Interpretation | 26 May 2023 | 00:19:04 | |
Today we continue to explore a Round Table Talk between Dr. Yeshaya Gruber and Dr. Hindy Najman that is called Revelation and Interpretation. It is a stimulating and thought provoking conversation that challenges many pre-conceived ideas about historical writings and distinct (and separate) time periods. Dr. Najman helps us reconsider the heavy black lines that tend to separate land, language, and cultural influences. It is a conversation you may want to listen to a couple times! To listen to the whole Round Table Talk: https://israelbiblecenter.com/roundtable-talks/temple-and-text-in-ancient-judaism/ | |||
| Please Define Your Terms | 19 May 2023 | 00:20:58 | |
Today we will listen to a portion of a talk between Dr. Yeshaya Gruber and Dr. Hindy Najman that is called Revelation and Interpretation. They discuss the categories and expectations we bring to the biblical text and ask if we are requiring the text to fit OUR expectations. In this episode they talk through definitions of "apocalypse", "Second Temple Period", and "Scripture." To listen to the whole Round Table Talk: https://israelbiblecenter.com/roundtable-talks/temple-and-text-in-ancient-judaism/ | |||
| Enoch, Metatron, and the Book of Daniel | 12 May 2023 | 00:35:50 | |
Dr. Carlos Santos is our newest member of the faculty at Israel Bible Center. He brings a wealth of information about Second Temple Literature with a focus on Enoch. How does this book help us read and understand the biblical text better? In this episode we cover a general introduction to Enoch and then explore its relationship to the book of Daniel. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Should I Eat With You? | 24 Feb 2023 | 00:26:53 | |
Today marks the final installment of the conversation between Pinchas Shir and I about food and the Bible. We move into a full Greco-Roman context with questions regarding how Roman families ate and feasted. And within that context, why would Paul get mad at Peter for changing his eating habits (Gal. 2)? If you love conversations like this, join us at IBC where you have you have access to many amazing courses that dig into the details of culture and interpretation. You can earn credit toward Israel Bible Center’s certificate program in Jewish Context and Culture. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Feasting at God's Table | 17 Feb 2023 | 00:23:58 | |
Food shapes culture and identity, so what did it mean for the Israelites to gather and feast at God's table? This week professor Pinchas Shir and I discuss food and the Bible with a focus on feasting with God and the development of Kosher laws...can we call them "Kosher" laws? If you love conversations like this, join us at IBC where you have you have access to many amazing courses that dig into the details of culture and interpretation. You can earn credit toward Israel Bible Center’s certificate program in Jewish Context and Culture. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Food and Culture | 10 Feb 2023 | 00:22:42 | |
Professor Pinchas Shir joins me to talk about food and the Bible. What was the Israelite diet like? How does food shape cultural identity? Where do we go to look at food issues (hint: it's practically on every page!). How did the Israelites think about animals as food vs. plants as food? If you love conversations like this, join us at IBC where you have you have access to many amazing courses that dig into the details of culture and interpretation. You can earn credit toward Israel Bible Center’s certificate program in Jewish Context and Culture. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Fluidity of the Divine | 18 Aug 2023 | 00:23:59 | |
Part 2 of the conversation between Dr. Benjamin Sommer and Dr. Yeshaya Gruber explores the idea of if the Israelites thought of God had fluidity like the polytheists thought their gods had. Perhaps different authors had differing views? What do we gain by exploring the ancient views of the body or form of the Divine? Watch the whole Round Table Talk with Dr. Sommer called God's Bodies in the Bible Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Sadducees, Pharisees, and the Death of Jesus | 03 Feb 2023 | 00:21:46 | |
Professor Israel Knohl is the Yehezkel Kaufmann Professor of Biblical studies at the Hebrew University and a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He recently sat down with Dr. Yeshaya Gruber to talk about his new book The Messiah Confrontation. The first Round Table Talk in which Professor Knohl talks about the Suffering Servant can be found HERE. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Messianic Ideas in the Hebrew Bible | 27 Jan 2023 | 00:22:13 | |
Professor Israel Knohl is the Yehezkel Kaufmann Professor of Biblical studies at the Hebrew University and a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He recently sat down with Dr. Yeshaya Gruber to talk about his new book The Messiah Confrontation. The first Round Table Talk in which Professor Knohl talks about the Suffering Servant can be found HERE. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Prayer, Magic, and the Dead Sea Scrolls | 20 Jan 2023 | 00:25:56 | |
We talk about what drew Dr. Guerra into this field of study, why the Dead Sea Scrolls are important, and what can be learned from studying the material culture surrounding the scrolls. | |||
| An Historian Meets the Dead Sea Scrolls | 13 Jan 2023 | 00:22:39 | |
We talk about what drew Dr. Guerra into this field of study, why the Dead Sea Scrolls are important, and what can be learned from studying the material culture surrounding the scrolls. | |||
| Battles, Weapons, and Restoration | 06 Jan 2023 | 00:25:00 | |
This content will be available later this year in a new course at IBC. If you want to be a part of live online conversations, make sure you are connected with us! Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| The War Scroll | 23 Dec 2022 | 00:20:43 | |
The Dead Sea Scrolls are full of material that are not included in the Jewish or Christian canon. But they are helpful for setting the context for the Second Temple period. This week we talk about the War Scroll and ask, "who are the children of light?" and "who are the sons of darkness"? Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| The Flood, Noah, and the Dead Sea Scrolls | 16 Dec 2022 | 00:24:34 | |
Find out more about creation, evil, Nephilim, the flood, Babel and more in Israel Bible Center's course called Study Genesis Stories for All They are Worth. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Kabbalah and New Testament Texts | 09 Dec 2022 | 00:22:06 | |
Many readers of the Bible may be unfamiliar with Kabbalah, but what can it add to our understanding of the Bible? Is it even an appropriate way to study the Bible? This week we look at how Paul uses mystical language and we will conclude with a beautiful example from Ecclesiastes. Enroll in Dr. Gruber's course Kabbalah and the Bible, Part 1 Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Do Kabbalah and Bible Go Together? | 02 Dec 2022 | 00:27:08 | |
Many readers of the Bible may be unfamiliar with Kabbalah, but what can it add to our understanding of the Bible? Is it even an appropriate way to study the Bible? This week we try to define the undefinable and get a glimpse of the divine spark inside all people. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| A New Creation in Exodus and John | 25 Nov 2022 | 00:22:37 | |
If you want to start at the beginning with an introduction to Israelite Creation in Context, click HERE Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Does God Have a Body? | 11 Aug 2023 | 00:25:03 | |
Dr. Benjamin Sommer and Dr. Yeshaya Gruber to discuss God's Bodies in the Bible. Is it controversial to claim that God has a body? Are ancient Near Eastern conceptions of deities reflected or refuted in the Hebrew Bible? These questions lead us into a conversation about God's presence. Watch the whole Round Table Talk with Dr. Sommer called God's Bodies in the Bible Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Creation in Exodus | 18 Nov 2022 | 00:29:17 | |
If you want to start at the beginning with an introduction to Israelite Creation in Context, click HERE Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| The Significance of the Jerusalem Council | 11 Nov 2022 | 00:22:38 | |
Acts 15 is a critical moment in the life of the early Jewish church. The leaders examined what the Holy Spirit was doing and they searched through their scriptures for insight on how to involve non-Jews in their movement. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| The Synagogue and the Spread of Early Christianity | 04 Nov 2022 | 00:22:48 | |
What can be found in a list of place names like Cyrene, Cyprus, and Antioch? What is the role of the synagogue? Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| A New Wind Blows for the Early Jewish Church | 28 Oct 2022 | 00:23:25 | |
Who is Corneleus? What does Peter's vision mean? Why is Acts 10 so important? These are some of the pressing questions we ask in this episode. Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Moses, Isaiah, and the Spirit of God | 21 Oct 2022 | 00:21:40 | |
Click HERE to watch the full Round Table Talk titled Moses, Isaiah, and the Spirit of YHWH | |||
| Does the Bible Talk about Monotheism? | 14 Oct 2022 | 00:23:07 | |
Explore more in IBC's course Powers of the Divine Realm | |||
| Spirit Encounters in the Bible | 07 Oct 2022 | 00:25:45 | |
Rev. Dr. Reed Carlson specializes in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. His current research focuses on accounts of spirits and ecstatic religious experiences in biblical and Second Temple Jewish literature. This podcast highlights parts of the Round Table Talk between Dr. Yeshaya Gruber and Dr. Carlson about Dr. Carlson's recently published book Unfamiliar Selves in the Hebrew Bible: Possession and Other Spirit Phenomena (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2022). Listen to the full talk here: Spirit Possession in the Hebrew Bible | |||
| The Creation Narrative in the Septuagint | 30 Sep 2022 | 00:27:10 | |
Listen to the full episode HERE | |||
| The Jewish Gospel of Luke | 09 Mar 2022 | 00:28:55 | |
Click HERE to enroll in The Jewish Gospel of Luke Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| From Republic to Empire: Rome as a backdrop for Luke's gospel | 02 Mar 2022 | 00:29:57 | |
Click HERE to enroll in The Jewish Gospel of Luke Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||
| Imprecatory Psalms Say What????? | 04 Aug 2023 | 00:20:53 | |
Dr. Drew Longacre is a guest lecturer at IBC who recently released a course on the Psalms. Today talk about some of the psalms that make you cringe...those imprecatory psalms that call down God's judgment on your enemy. Dr. Longacre also introduces us to a new online tool that helps us study the psalms well. Enroll in the course Psalms: A Songbook for the Ages HERE Explore the new resource on the psalms through the Cambridge Digital Bible HERE Find out how you can get this and many other courses with one small monthly subscription at: https://israelbiblecenter.com | |||