Biblical Heritage Center Blog

Some are named for their first word, others for their first significant word. What about the rest? Read the complete article at -- http://mosaicmagazine.com/observation/2016/06/how-the-books-of-the-hebrew-bible-got-their-names/

King Agrippa I resented the great hope that direct Roman control over the Land of Israel would end and a semblance of Jewish sovereignty would be restored. Agrippa was the grandson of despised Herod the Great and his wife Mariamme, a princess from the line of the Maccabees. That Agrippa was alive was a miracle in itself: Herod murdered Mariamme and most of her family. These Maccabees posed a threat to the Idumean descendant of proselytes Herod and, in his paranoia, led to their murder. Caesar Augustus once quipped, “I would rather be Herod’s pig than his son.” But Agrippa managed to survive despite the cruelty of his tyrant grandfather. Despite Agrippa’s dual identity – firmly in the world of Rome and appointed to his monarchy by Emperor Claudius in 41 CE but a proud Jew as well – he was a popular figure among the Jews in Judea.  Read the complete article at -- http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/King-Agrippa-I-The-last-Maccabee-455481

The time has come, Rabbi Kahana explained, to encourage the world to begin to relate to Israel from a spiritual perspective, rather than a political or economic one.  “Disputations” are defined as “public debates on religious subjects between Jews and non-Jews.” Rabbi Kahana believes that the time has come for the spiritual character of Israel to take center stage. “Israel’s present political and financial interaction with the gentile world is a total distortion of why HaShem (God) has placed us in this world!” he wrote in his call for the disputation. Further, he expects that such an event “could create an avalanche of interest among the gentiles,” in a Jewish message. Read Rabbi Nachman Kahana’s complete article at -- http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/68414/rabbi-calls-for-a-public-disputation-about-god-05-16/#lm71hAjXMKqglyDE.97

Yeshua said, “ It was also said, `Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you, `Whoever divorces his wife, except for the matter of fornication causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. ’” (Matthew 5:31-32) This is probably one of the most discussed and debated teachings of Yeshua in history. The first step in working with any text is to define the context in which it appears. In this case, the context began in verse 27. (Yeshua said,) “You have heard that it was said to those of old, `‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, `Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ‘” (Matthew 5:27-28) The section on divorce is a subsection of his teaching about adultery.  So, let’s begin by defining what adultery was during Yeshua’s time. Sexual intercourse of a married woman with any man other than her husband. Adulter...

“Heaven” was a well-known euphemism, among many others, for the name “Yahweh” in the Jewish culture of Yeshua. Below are comments about what the Kingdom of Heaven meant to Yeshua: (1) It was not only the eschatological (end times) rule of God that would come in the future. (2)  It was already on the earth now. (3) It was a divinely willed movement that will spread among people throughout the earth. (4) It was more than just simply a matter of God’s kingship in Israel. (5) It was also the domain of his rule. (6) It was an expanding realm embracing ever more and more people. (7) It was a realm into which one may enter and find one’s inheritance. (8) It was a realm where there are both great and small. I hope you found this study interesting. Your support is greatly appreciated. To make an online donation – CLICK HERE . If you consider our work valuable, but have never contributed or it has been a long time ago, how about doing it now. We depen...

Rare Artifacts From Jesus' Time Found at Orphanage in Jerusalem Archaeologists in Israel are "astonished and surprised" after finding artifacts dating back to Jesus' time at a local orphanage and military complex in Jerusalem. Near the bathhouse a pit was found - maybe a ritual bath from the Second Temple Period - full of ceramic and glass vessels. Everything is evidence that nearly 2000 years ago the Romans arrived in Jerusalem and after the destruction of the city in 70 CE, the soldiers occupied this house. See pictures and read article at - http://www.christianpost.com/news/archaeology-discovery-rare-artifacts-jesus-orphanage-jerusalem-158919/ Vast 4,200-year Old Prehistoric Necropolis Found by Bethlehem Cemetery with over 100 tombs from 2200-650 BCE shows prehistoric Bethlehem was a rich town situated along important trade routes. A vast prehistoric necropolis some 4,200 years old has been found near the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, proving for the fir...

Egyptian Statues Revealed in Ancient Shrines . Six rock cut statues have been discovered within 18th Dynasty shrines in Egypt. The 3,400-year-old statues were found at Gebel el Sisila, a site north of Aswan known for its stone quarries on both sides of the Nile. Blocks used in building almost all of ancient Egypt's great temples were cut from there. The statues were carved within two of the 32 shrines erected by the officials who were in charge of quarrying the stone. See picture and read complete article at -- http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/egyptian-statues-revealed-in-ancient-shrines-151228.htm 3,400-year-old Canaanite Fort to Be Incorporated Into High-rise. Ancient Canaanite citadel discovered in the middle of the Nahariya, which had been burned down four times, will be incorporated into the basement. See picture and read complete article at -- http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/archaeology/1.695784 Archaeologists uncover 4,500-year-old 59-foot boat at a...