Biblical Heritage Center Blog

Factors that drive and threaten economies -- corruption, cronyism, inequality, religious fundamentalism and nostalgic pride in the past . Read more at -- https://lives1st.blogspot.com/2018/04/factors-that-drive-and-threaten.html

The canon of the Hebrew Bible was defined, if not yet finally closed, by the end of the first century CE. The Pharisaic canon became the canon of Rabbinic Judaism, because the majority of those who re-founded the Jewish religion after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans were Pharisees. The process that led to this canonization needs to be explored. How should we think about the books that were eventually included in the canon? Unlike the early church, ancient Jewish communities did not have a central authority that defined the books of the canon. The formation of the Jewish canon was not prescribed by the priests of the Temple of Jerusalem, it emerged from the bottom-up with each community holding to its own collection of authoritative texts. See pictures and read article at -- http://www.asor.org/anetoday/2018/04/The-Canonical-Process-Reconsidered

The calendar was very important in Yeshua’s Jewish world. A week in his life consisted of seven day, just like our weeks today. There were some important differences, however. Does the name of a day make a difference? Try using Yeshua’s names of each day instead of Emperor Constantine’s and find out. Read the complete blog at -- https://therealyesua.blogspot.com/2018/04/does-name-of-day-make-difference.html

It’s a Shabbat morning in 27 CE and you are at the synagogue in Nazareth in the Galilee. You are attending the regular morning service when the leader of the synagogue picks up the Isaiah scroll and calls a young man from the audience to come up and read from it. You are familiar with the words because it is one of the scheduled readings. The man unrolls the scroll to find the section and says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring the good news to the poor; He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, sight to the blind, deliverance t o the downtrodden and those overwhelmed with troubles ; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 1 He then rolls up the scroll, gives it back to the leader, turns to the audience and says – “ Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing .”  This was definitely something you were not expecting! This reader had lived in Nazareth all of his life and his father was a carpenter. Everyone knew him.

Growing up, I always loved Passover. In our house it was a family affair preparing -- changing dishes, making the food for the seders, setting the table, sitting around our large room sized table with everyone whom I loved, grandparents, aunts and uncles, family friends and some strays and first timers . It was magical!!! Especially singing with my dad as he lead the seder!   I was very familiar with the entire story of the Exodus, Moses, Pharaoh and the 10 plagues, but the idea of “ slavery ” of the Israelites was kind of lost on a young child from South Orange, New Jersey in the 50’s and 60’s. Later study provided me with more facts, archaeological, historical, etc. Over the last few decades, new evidence about the Exodus has emerged in the form of Egyptian scrolls and architectural discoveries that talk about a Semitic Expulsion by the native Egyptians, who were a North African people. Invading Semitic groups conquered Egypt and ruled for over 200 years and were driven out