Today is the biblical Shavuot as observed in late 2nd Temple times–not on a date of the Jewish month (Sivan 5th), which never changes, but a literal counting of days from the Sunday (“morrow after the Sabbath”), seven Sabbath will be complete untiil the “morrow” (Sunday) after the 7th Sabbath.…
The traditional translation of “Den of Thieves” is misleading both in the mouth of Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple–but more significant,–in the mouth of the Prophet Jeremiah whom Jesus quotes. Here is the back-story on what was really going on, both in the time of Jeremiah and of Jesus. Here…
A careful look at Zechariah 14 that predicts a final “battle against Jerusalem” between all the nations of the world, manifestation of the LORD on the Mt of Olives. Christians frequently refer to this and apply it to Jesus as the Messiah. But what does the original Hebrew text in…
This is a long and serious study based on a lecture I recently gave to my students in the “Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls” course–which is still open to join. We went through a much neglected text–the WAR SCROLL–found in 1947 and seldom mentioned. As it turns out it…
In this short video I try to put my finger on the single FATAL flaw underlying all modern interpretations of “Bible Prophecy” that plot a countdown of events leading up to the end of the World. The key is a historical reading and understanding of the texts in their original…
For the past 100 years a new form of popular Christian Prophecy belief took over much of evangelical Christianity. This interpretation rendered all the predictions of apocalyptic signs leading up to the end of the world, “Failure Proof” by a Double “Coming of Christ” idea. This essentially allows for perpetual…
Many Bible readers assume that “Bible Prophecy” refers to the FUTURE–what is called “eschatology.” In fact, as the very makeup of the Hebrew Bible demonstrates, such is not the case. Even the book of Daniel, that many would consider quintessentially “prophetic,” is not included among the Biblical Prophets. Jesus, Paul,…
Michael Stone, now retired from Hebrew University, but as active as ever in his scholarly investigations and publications, is one of the most engaging scholars in the general area of Jewish texts and traditions of the late 2nd Temple period. I still consider his little book, Scriptures, Sects, and Visions…
Paul’s foundational verse for what he calls “my gospel,” is taken directly from a quotation of the Hebrew Prophet Habakkuk–seldom read by hardly anyone. However, he completely reverses its meaning! https://youtu.be/ZCshIENR8xw
Blast from the past…I gave this lecture in 2007 at an academic conference. Don’t miss the Q&A at the end. I refer to many major scholars along the way who were in the room. In these intervening years, although I have further developed these views, by and large I remain…