Character Profile: Who Was ‘Bar-Abba’? by Ze’ev Safrai
24Apr2026 Why did the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem prefer to release an armed robber charged with murder over Jesus?
High Priests of the Roman Period in Rabbinic Sources by Joshua N. Tilton
13Apr2026 How and why are High Priests from the end of the Second Temple Period remembered in rabbinic sources?
The So-called ‘Privilegium Paschale ’ in Light of Jewish Sources by Ze’ev Safrai
01Apr2026 Did the custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover attested in the Gospels originate in Roman or Jewish legal tradition?
Review and Reflections Upon: The Aryan Jesus by Susannah Heschel by Joshua N. Tilton
28Mar2026 Heschel’s detailed examination of German Christian nationalism during the Nazi era can help us to think critically about Christian nationalisms of every flavor in the world today.
Love That Costs: Jesus, the Good Samaritan, and the Enemy Next Door by Катя Моцева / Katia Motzeva
21Mar2026 The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a deeply unsettling mirror, revealing that love of one’s neighbor is tested not with strangers at the far edges of the world, but close to home—at our own doorstep, among those with whom we share past conflict, mistrust, disappointment, and hurt.
The Good Tidings of John the Baptist: An Eschatological Priestly Messiah Coming on the Clouds of the Spirit by Moshe Navon
11Mar2026 I wish to highlight how John the Baptist’s priestly orientation also led to tension between Jesus and John the Baptist.
Candy Bars and Jesus: Taking a Risk on Jon Guerra by Dan Cloutier
18Feb2026 Some songs are wonderful for Sunday morning, but where are the songs that will get you through Monday?
A Satisfied Mind: Jesus’ Attitude Toward Wealth by Joshua N. Tilton
12Feb2026 And what a challenging, troubling, and unsettling attitude it is!
Locating Jesus’ Place on the Political-Ideological Spectrum of Second Temple Jewish Society by Joshua N. Tilton
11Feb2026 Was Jesus on the right, left, or near the center of the political spectrum of first-century Jewish society?
The Basis of Early Christian Antimilitarism by Henry J. Cadbury
11Feb2026 The basis of Christian antimilitarism was the influence of Jesus’ teaching and character as emphasized and interpreted by the early Church.
Language Use in the First Century: Spoken Hebrew in a Trilingual Society in the Time of Jesus by Randall Buth
11Feb2026 Hebrew was alive and well in a basically trilingual society in the land of Israel during the first century C.E.
Is Desiring Justice for Palestinians Anti-Semitic? by Marvin R. Wilson
11Feb2026 God’s love for Israel came with a blessing for all peoples. Followers of Jesus aren’t getting it right if their love for Israel isn’t doing the same.
Musings on the Magi: What Theological Lessons Can Be Drawn from Matthew’s Infancy Narrative? by Joshua N. Tilton
06Jan2026 The theological lessons of the magi story are complex and nuanced. They require balance and wisdom, and they stretch us beyond what we may feel is practical or reasonable to achieve. But what good is theology if it does not aspire to a vision of a better world?
Mary and Israel by David Flusser [1917-2000]
12Dec2025 Mary, the mother of Jesus, must be seen in the context of Jewish suffering.
A Jerusalem Perspective by JP Staff Writer
07Dec2025 A new collection of articles on Matthew’s narrative of the magi. Available 7 December 2025!
The Star of Bethlehem: An Astronomical Perspective by Gary Asperschlager
06Dec2025 Can astronomy help us to identify the “star” the magi followed to Bethlehem?
The Narrative of the Magi: Some Notes from a Jewish Perspective by Ze’ev Safrai
06Dec2025 What purpose does Matthew’s choice of the title “magi” serve when he used this term to describe the bearers of the messianic tidings?
Wise Men or Stooges: Who Were Matthew’s Magi? by Joshua N. Tilton
06Dec2025 Matthew’s magi reprise the role of the wizards of Egypt in the Joseph and Moses narratives, but with a surprising twist.
Rethinking the Magi in Matthew and Exodus Rabbah by Serge Ruzer
06Dec2025 A look at the broader backdrop of Jewish tendencies offered by a comparison between traditions in Matthew and Exodus Rabbah.
What Year Was Jesus Born? by JP Staff Writer
06Dec2025 No answer to the question “When was Jesus born?” will be perfect, since there is conflicting evidence that must be weighed and sifted.
The Bethlehem Stomp : A Songwriter’s Response to Matthew’s Nativity Storyby Dan Cloutier
06Dec2025 Even in the ever-increasing shadows, there are cracks where light comes shining through.
‘We Hear the Christmas Angels’: Origins of Extra-Canonical Traditions in Familiar Carols by Joshua N. Tilton
30Nov2025 Some of the most vivid details in Christmas carols that describe Jesus’ birth cannot be found in the canonical texts.
Like Every Sparrow Falling: The Symbolism of Sparrows in a Saying of Jesus by Joshua N. Tilton
14Oct2025 The multivalent image of the sparrow in ancient Jewish thought made it a useful vehicle for conveying messages about human and divine relationships.
Better Than the Day of Birth: Reflecting on David Flusser’s Interpretation of the Love Commandment on the 25th Anniversary of His Passing by Moshe Navon
09Oct2025 I regard the twenty-fifth anniversary of David Flusser’s passing not solely as a day of loss, but also as the day that gave him to the world.
25 Years Since David Flusser’s Passing by Serge Ruzer
15Sep2025 Professor Serge Ruzer shares his recollections of Israeli scholar David Flusser on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death.
The Discomposure of Jesus’ Biography (Reboot): A Modification to Lindsey’s Conjectured Stages of Synoptic Transmission by Joshua N. Tilton
08Sep2025 How did the Hebrew biography of Jesus disintegrate into the isolated pericopae that make up the Synoptic Gospels?
Was the Hemorrhaging Woman Jesus Healed Named Rebekah? by JP Staff Writer
31Jul2025 Is it possible to retrieve the name of the woman who touched Jesus’ tzitzit ?
Did Jesus Raise Jairus’ Daughter from the Dead? by Joshua N. Tilton
16Jul2025 Should readers give more weight to the bystanders’ impressions or to the words Jesus said?
Character Profile: Prostitutes in the Gospels by JP Staff Writer
06Jun2025 Was first-century Jerusalem really crawling with prostitutes, as Jesus’ saying about tax collectors and harlots entering the Kingdom of God seems to suggest?
Purity Halakha in the Story of the Hemorrhaging Woman by Ze’ev Safrai
05Jun2025 Does concern for ritual purity explain why the hemorrhaging woman touched Jesus’ tzitzit ?
Coordinating Ritual and Moral Purity in the New Testament by Joshua N. Tilton
22Feb2025 Taking another look at how John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul related to issues of ritual and moral purity.
Two Kinds of Love in the Story of the Paralyzed Man by Joshua N. Tilton
06Feb2025 Two kinds of love operate in the story of the paralyzed man. One kind of love is inclusive and redemptive, the other is exclusive and destructive. Which kind of love will prove victorious?
Character Profile: Beelzebul by JP Staff Writer
11Oct2024 Get acquainted with this mysterious and sinister figure.
What’s Wrong with Contagious Purity? Debunking the Myth that Jesus Never Became Ritually Impure by Joshua N. Tilton
07Sep2024 The view that Jesus could not be affected by impurity and that Jesus was able to spread his purity to others is based on faulty assumptions and invalid inferences.
The Seven Types of Pharisees and the Fear of God in the Synoptic Gospels by Brad H. Young
31Jul2024 Ancient Jewish sources attest to a debate over which motivation for keeping the commandments—fear or love—was most highly to be esteemed. This debate surfaces, among other places, in the Talmudic discussions of the seven types of Pharisees. These seven types and the debate over love versus fear illuminate important aspects of Jesus’ teaching.
The Sin Against the Spirit: Matt. 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-29; Luke 12:10 by R. Steven Notley
17Jul2024 Jesus’ saying about the sin against the Holy Spirit belongs to developing Jewish ideas regarding the gradation of sin and punishment. It also reflects his high self-awareness.
From the Galilee to Jerusalem: Luke as a Source for the Routes of Jewish Pilgrimage by Jeffrey P. García
17Jul2024 Luke’s Gospel preserves valuable evidence of pilgrimage routes that would have been utilized by Jewish pilgrims in the Second Temple period.
Halakha in the Gospels by Ze’ev Safrai
17Jul2024 The Gospels describe Jesus and his followers as keeping halakha to a relatively high extent; they were a group to whom the law was important.
‘Look at…all the trees’: Trees in the New Testament Gospels by Joshua N. Tilton
17Jul2024 An examination of the role trees play in the New Testament Gospels.
He Could No Longer Openly Enter a Town: A Synoptic Study in Light of an Early Luke by Lois Tverberg
17Jul2024 According to Mark, after one of Jesus’ very first miracles, Jesus would no longer openly approach a town in public, but instead avoided the crowds who continually sought him out.
The Expectation of Sabbatical Redemption within Ancient Judaism and Luke-Acts by Marc Turnage
17Jul2024 Luke-Acts attests to the connection of the movements of John the Baptist and Jesus to ancient Jewish hopes of sabbatical redemption.
(Why) Did Jews Hate Tax Collectors–Or Did They? The Evolution of a Modern Stereotype in Biblical Studies by Guido Baltes
17Jul2024 The popular image of tax collectors ostracized from Jewish society demands a second look.
Jesus’ Words, Evangelist’s Contribution and Implicit Biblical Reference: The Case of Matthew 21:43-44 by Serge Ruzer
17Jul2024 Evidence from Qumran combined with a likely scriptural allusion suggest a non-ethnic interpretation of Matthew’s editorial additions to the parable of the Vineyard and the Tenants.
Two Neglected Aspects of the Centurion’s Slave Pericope by Joshua N. Tilton
24May2024 Ritual impurity and the tensions resulting from Roman imperialism are two aspects of the Centurion’s Slave pericope that often go overlooked.
“They Know Not What They Do”: The History of a Dominical Saying by David Flusser [1917-2000]
17Mar2024 How Luke 23:34 became embroiled in the Church’s conflicted relationship with its Jewish Roots.
Why Do You Call Me ‘Lord’?: On the Origins of Jesus’ Dominical Title by JP Staff Writer
22Feb2024 The confession “Jesus is Lord” is the simplest and earliest Christian creed. But how did referring to Jesus as “Lord” begin?
Evidence of Pro-Roman Leanings in the Gospel of Matthew by Joshua N. Tilton
11Jan2024 Hindsight and political expedience shaped the author of Matthew’s view of the Roman Empire.
Sanctus and Gloria by David Flusser [1917-2000]
03Dec2023 Professor David Flusser investigates the Jewish background of the angel’s song to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest….”
The Social Jesus: Beyond an Individualist Reading of the Capernaum Synagogue Incident by Joshua N. Tilton
26Oct2023 In the social reading of the Capernaum Synagogue incident Jesus restores the tattered fabric of the community, exchanging the way things were for a newer and better way.
Tangled up in Te chēlet : Tzitzit (Ritual Tassels) in the Time of Jesus by Joshua N. Tilton
06Jul2023 Although the wearing of tzitzit is enjoined in Scripture, we do not find records of its actual observance until the Second Temple period.
Why did the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem prefer to release an armed robber charged with murder over Jesus?
How and why are High Priests from the end of the Second Temple Period remembered in rabbinic sources?
