Second Temple Judaism

A collection of 23 posts

New Testament Insights

Did the Rabbis Hijack "Biblical" Judaism?

Was Rabbinic Judaism a corruption of Biblical faith, or the reason Judaism survived? Explore the Pharisees, the destruction of the Temple, and the historical roots of Rabbinic tradition, and why many have gotten this wrong.

Second Temple Judaism

Moses Is Preached In Every City: The Missing Key to The Jerusalem Decree

The outcome of the Jerusalem Council wasn't simply a welcome letter to the Gentiles; it was a framework for ongoing growth. And without the venue, the synagogue, the letter's guidance falls apart.

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Mysticism and Spirituality

Where The Worm Won't Die: Understanding A Puzzling Saying in The Bible

What is meant by the phrase that their 'worm will not die'? In this work, we explore this puzzling phrase, its hidden meaning, and its connection to the soul's journey.

Second Temple Judaism

The Mystery of Wine & Wisdom: Emptying Our Vessel

A strange encounter between a Rabbi and the daughter of the Roman emperor opens the door to a deeper mystery about humility, the soul, hidden wisdom, and the meaning behind Jesus’s teaching about “new wine.”

Mussar

Video: Mussar Study: Pirke Avot - Week 2

In this session, we walk through the timeless wisdom of Pirke Avot, also known as the Ethics of the Fathers.

Mussar

Video: Mussar Study: Pirke Avot - Week 1

In this session, we walk through the timeless wisdom of Pirke Avot, also known as the Ethics of the Fathers.

Midrash

Video: Reading Acts 10 as a Midrash on Zechariah 8:23

In a previous article, we explored how Peter’s vision was not intended to collapse the Biblical dietary laws. In this, we go deeper and look at how this story may actually be a creative Midrash on Zechariah's prophecy of the Messianic kingdom.

New Testament Insights

Jesus Within Rabbinic Debate: Understanding the Gospel Conflicts

Though traditionally perceived as a break from Jewish tradition, Jesus’s arguments with certain Pharisees were well within Rabbinic legal norms. This article explores the Jewish legal and practical frameworks behind Gospel debates and how misunderstandings have shaped centuries of Christian reading.

New Testament Insights

Video: Pharisees, Oral Torah, and the World of Jesus

What if the Pharisees weren’t the villains many were taught to hate? What if they served an important position in Jewish society, religious observance, and Biblical interpretative tradition that Jesus himself affirmed?

New Testament Insights

Peter's Vision: Is Acts 10 About Dietary Law?

Peter’s vision in Acts 10 is often interpreted as evidence of the nullification of the Torah’s dietary laws. Yet a closer reading reveals a different story. Further, this episode reads like a Midrash on Gentile inclusion, shaped by Biblical imagery and a distinctly Rabbinic style of storytelling.

Mysticism and Spirituality Featured

The Way of the Chasid Rediscovering the Ancient Path of Spiritual Growth

Long before Chasidic Judaism, the Bible and the sages spoke of the chasid, one who serves the Creator with love, humility, and holy intention. In this article, we begin an exploration of this concept and examine how it may have shaped the spiritual worldview of Jesus.

New Testament Insights

Traditions and Commandments: Understanding Jesus's Teaching in Mark 7

Did Jesus reject Jewish dietary laws, declaring all foods clean? In this article, we unpack the discussion in Mark 7 to challenge the popular tradition that Jesus abolished Torah-given commandments, and reflect a misreading of first-century Judaism.

Videos

Video: Reading the Wedding at Cana as Midrash

The New Testament is often misread due to a lack of understanding of its rabbinic nature. What can we take away from this story when we view it through the lens of Jewish midrash?

New Testament Insights

Render Unto Caesar: The Rabbinic Discourse on Idolatrous Coins

When Jesus said, “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” he wasn’t only sidestepping a political trap, he tapped into a rabbinic debate on coins bearing idolatrous images. But beneath the surface lies a deeper theme: coins as symbols of the soul, each human being stamped with the divine image.

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Holidays and Festivals

Hoshana Rabbah and the Living Water: Jesus's Teaching During Sukkot

What did Jesus mean when he mentioned the "living water" during the festival of Sukkot? What is Hoshana Rabbah? Discover how this final day of Sukkot connects ancient Jewish rituals, the pouring of living water, and Jesus’s words in John 7.

New Testament Insights

The Woman At the Well. John's Midrash on Ezekiel and 2 Kings

In this article, we explore John 4 through the lens of Rabbinic Midrash and its links to Ezekiel 16 and 2 Kings 17. Is the Samaritan woman a creative representation of Ezekiel's prophetic narrative, and if so, how does this change the way we read the Gospels.

New Testament Insights Featured

Misreading the Gospels: Understanding Jesus Within Rabbinic Judaism

For nearly two thousand years, the world has viewed Jewish tradition—and especially the rabbis of the Apostolic era—through a distorted lens. This distortion is derived from various disputes in the New Testament, but the picture is not complete. There is a deeper context that has been overlooked.

New Testament Insights

Video: Misreading the Rabbis. Recovering the Context of the New Testament | Part 2

In part 2 of this video series, we look at the parallels between the teachings in the New Testament and the emerging Rabbinic Judaism after the destruction of the Second Temple. Learn the deeper message behind key teachings of Jesus, and the point of the healing on Shabbat conflicts.

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New Testament Insights

Paul’s Rule and the Conversion Controversy

Paul's teachings are seen as a break from Judaism, but what if his ideas on Jewish and Gentile identity are not a rejection of Rabbinic thought, but deeply rooted in it? How does that change how we read a pivotal verse in 1 Corinthians?

New Testament Insights

The Dynamics of Jewish Law and Paul's Epistles

The New Testament, particularly the letters of Paul, reflects the Jewish legal process (Halacha) in the era before the codification of the Mishnah (cir. 2nd century). In this podcast episode, learn the fundamentals of Jewish law and see how these ideas transform your understanding.

Replacement Theology

Not a Pagan, Slave, or Woman. Understanding the Context of a Controversial Prayer.

What is a Goy, and are the Rabbis elitist? This article unpacks one of the most misunderstood Jewish prayers, exploring its theological context, we uncover a message of reverence—not superiority.

New Testament Insights

The Missing Context of the New Testament - pt. 1

One of the most important components to understanding the "New Testament" is found amid an incident that most Bible readers have never heard of. We'll learn how a particular disagreement between predominant Pharisaic schools shaped the contours and the perplexing milieu of first-century Judaism.

Paid-members only

New Testament Insights

The Missing Context of the New Testament - pt. 2

As part of the greater Jewish community, the Apostolic leaders struggled with these particular issues more acutely. The sudden influx of Gentiles leaving paganism to join the diasporic Jewish communities made this a primary issue for them...