Common sense is connected to cultural expectations. What is understandable in one culture may be opaque in another.
Why does Jerusalem Perspective use the Greek name “Jesus” instead of “Y’shua” or “Yeshua”?
We use the spelling “Jesus” simply because that’s the way the name is written in English.
Spoken Languages in the Time of Jesus
Professor Safrai presents an overview of the three languages used in the land of Israel during the days of Jesus, and concludes that Hebrew was the primary language spoken by the Jewish residents at that time.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 27: ta·NAK (Part 3)
To access this post, you must purchase Hebrew Nuggets access, JP Premium Membership or Friend of JP.
The Bar-Kochva Letters
Documents discovered in the Judean Wilderness near the Dead Sea provide some insight into the use of Hebrew in the land of Israel not long after the time of Jesus.
Does God Have a Gender?
Some people see theological significance in the fact that in Hebrew the gender of the third person of the Trinity is feminine.
The New Testament in Modern Hebrew
A series on the challenges posed by translating the New Testament into Modern Hebrew.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 26: ta·NAK (Part 2)
To access this post, you must purchase Hebrew Nuggets access, JP Premium Membership or Friend of JP.
Master and Disciple
To understand the relationship between a first-century master and his disciples, one must appreciate the central role of Torah in ancient Jewish society.
The Holy Spirit in the Hebrew New Testament
In this article, Dr. Ray Pritz, former head of the Bible Society in Israel, looks at another of the challenges faced by the Society’s translation committee in rendering the synoptic Gospels into modern Hebrew.
The Two Great Principles and Sefer Pitron Torah
The command to love one’s neighbor was already thought of during the Second Commonwealth as the essence of the second half of the Decalogue, in which sense it is quoted in Sefer Pitron Torah.
The Decalogue and the New Testament
Professor Flusser examines references to the Decalogue in ancient Jewish sources and the New Testament. In light of this comparison, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount does not merely present a utopian ideal, but rather an outline of practical behavior.
Which Day Is the True Sabbath: Saturday or Sunday?
We must be careful to maintain a distinction between a day of meeting and a day of rest.
The Library at Qumran
In the middle of the last century two Bedouin shepherds of the Ta’amra tribe found the first of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Their discovery created an exciting new area of biblical research.
Parables and Foundations
To access this post, you must purchase JP Premium Membership or Friend of JP.
If King David were alive today, could he communicate with Israel’s president?
How hard would it be for a speaker of modern Hebrew to understand someone speaking Biblical Hebrew? If King David returned, would he be able to understand the president of the State of Israel, and would the president be able to understand him? Would Jesus be able to communicate with modern Israelis?
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 25: ta·NAK (Part 1)
To access this post, you must purchase Hebrew Nuggets access, JP Premium Membership or Friend of JP.