Biblical Heritage Center Blog

In my earlier email “ Good Parents or Warriors Fighting a Cosmic Battle? ” I pointed out that my church had taught me this: The story of The Garden of Eden is about a cosmic battle between God and Satan. The ancient Hebrew text teaches something very different: The story about two people who did what a talking snake told them instead of doing TOV ! The events in the Garden in Eden, when viewed in the context of the first two stories in Genesis, reveal the two extremes of human actions . Read the rest of the story at -- https://mailchi.mp/94e48a0a72f7/two-very-different-views-of-and-responses-to-good-and-evil

The books that tell the Hanukkah tale didn't make it into the Hebrew Bible -- but they are in the Catholic one. The First and Second Books of Maccabees contain the the earliest references to the story of Hanukkah and the rededication of the Temple. And yet, they are missing from the Hebrew Bible . Read the rest of the story at -- https://mailchi.mp/f8b6f6923b7b/why-the-maccabees-arent-in-the-bible

The Story of the Garden in Eden was intended to be read in light of the instructions given in the Story of the Creation of the Heaven and Earth. ● The unnamed Creator in the first story made a man and woman at the same time, blessed them and instructed them. ● Yahweh made a man and a woman at different times and places – and only gave the man a commandment . Read the rest of the story at: https://mailchi.mp/bcf6c7b3bd16/good-parents-or-warriors-fighting-a-cosmic-battle

In “The Messiah Controversy: Who Are the Jews Waiting For?” (Hebrew), he sheds new light on the trial of Jesus, who was sentenced to death by a Jewish court and executed by the Romans in 30 C.E. After billions of Christians were taught over many centuries that the Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death, Knohl sets out to reexamine this convention. “The notion that Jesus was put to death by ‘the Jewish people’ is fundamentally wrong. The great majority of the Jewish people did not accept Jesus as the Messiah, but espoused a messianic outlook that was basically similar to his,” he says, adding that today, “after centuries of enmity between Christendom and the Jewish people, which was wrongfully accused of bearing the guilt for Jesus’ crucifixion, surely the time has come to reexamine the events in their historical, religious and social context.” If Prof. Israel Knohl is right, history books will require rewriting and Church sermons around the world will have to be rethought. Co...

Thirty-nine years ago I prayed this prayer: “ God show me what words in my Bible You want me to read .” The following popped into my head immediately: “ Unless you know how words work you can’t understand one word of the Bible .” Today, I know two very important things about “ how words work .” Continue reading at: https://mailchi.mp/a1ae20000de1/words-beliefs-thoughts-and-behaviors

In the last episode of the story of the Garden in Eden, Adam and Eve didn’t have a chance when they faced a “ weaponized meme attack ” by a snake Yahweh created and Adam named. The snake had existed and known Adam longer than Eve. As we saw, the ancient author announced the encounter with the snake as: Humans vs. Wild Animal! Which will be the most Subtle, Shrewd, Clever, Crafty or Cunning? ● In order for Adam and Eve to win they must work together in harmony as Co-Shepherds protecting each other’s lives. ● For the snake to win, it must persuade the humans to believe what it says, instead of what Yahweh commanded. Will the humans reflect the image of God or the image of an animal? Will the actions of the humans be TOV or RAH ? Read the complete story at -- https://mailchi.mp/051e88043da5/creating-evil-facing-yahweh-afterwards-and-going-to-work

The Bible contains a lot of very valuable wisdom principles. At the top of list of biblical books with the most important wisdom principles is the book of Genesis. And of all the stories in Genesis, the most valued wisdom of all is found in the first story. An unnamed god created Heaven and Earth . The first wisdom lesson in this story is this: If your “creator” has a name it may or may not be this god . Measure your god by this Creator’s standard. What is the Creator’s standard? It is the TOV Standard . In the first story in the Bible (Genesis 1:1-2:4a), human life is the highest value and the primary purpose behind everything the Creator said, created, made or did . Continue reading at – https://mailchi.mp/c529df98ee66/incorporate-the-amazing-power-of-the-creators-tov-standard-in-your-life

What do most Christians think of when they hear the name “Eve”? “. . . she took of its fruit  and ate. She also gave to her husband . . .” That’s it! One reason is because of what Tertullian wrote about her and you if you are a woman – “ you are (each) an Eve . . . you are the devil’s gateway . . . you destroyed God’s image. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/daccca205f01/eve-attacked-by-a-snake-not-a-devil-and-destroyed-by-theologians

The Creator gave the humans a plan for living perfect lives. If the humans had been a sports team, they were given a game plan for how to play a perfect game of life. Continue reading at -  https://mailchi.mp/f55430b7708b/how-to-create-a-perfect-life-and-society

For Christians, this is one of the most important stories in the entire Bible . It is extremely important for readers to accurately understand what this verse meant to its ancient author. For members of the ancient audience the verses were like a headline: Which will be the most subtle, shrewd, clever, crafty, and cunning: Two Humans Acting Together or One Lone Snake? Continue reading at -- https://mailchi.mp/5d62ae0204aa/a-man-woman-and-walking-talking-religious-snake

In the last email, we left the newly created man (I will now call him “Adam”) standing in a garden in Eden alone – the garden of the god Yahweh . Adam is surrounded by trees that produce beautiful and appealing fruit. But, even though its fruit is beautiful too, Yahweh commanded Adam to not eat from one tree. The penalty for eating the forbidden fruit is death! Continue reading at -- https://mailchi.mp/5f3101ab4cae/some-things-you-probably-dont-know-about-adam-but-should

The Bible opens with two polar opposite stories about the creation of humans – but I could not see that for a very long time . I had been taught to read my Bible from an “ authority first ” perspective. “ Authority first ” is a very “ religious ” way of reading the Bible and in my religion it meant – submit, comply, obey and don’t question authority! For us, God was the highest authority of all and the leaders of our religion were God’s authorized agents , therefore “ good Christians ” were supposed to submit, comply, obey and not question God’s authorized agents either!!! Continue reading at -- https://mailchi.mp/829b03726b74/treasures-most-bible-readers-cannot-see

The exclusive distinction, “ in the image of God ,” reveals that all humans share a common origin that sets them apart from all other forms of life – human life is at the top of that divinely ordained moral order of the universe in the first chapter of Genesis. But just five chapters later we discover something very different. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/dbfe33834944/human-life-infinitely-precious-or-like-spoiled-meat