Without paying attention to ancient Jewish exegesis one can easily miss the full impact of Jesus’ statement, “den of thieves.” Was Jesus solely addressing the vendors, or was he aiming at bigger game?
Sidebar: Scholarly Attitudes to John
With the rediscovery of Jewish roots to John’s Gospel, scholars pay more attention to layers of historical data within the Gospel.
John’s Targumic Allusions
However one translates John 1:17, both clauses should be positively portrayed. After all, it is John himself who states that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22) and that “the Hebrew Scriptures testify about Jesus” (John 5:39).
The Miraculous Catch: Reflections on the Research of Mendel Nun
Mendel Nun’s research is important in illuminating many Gospel stories.
Who Is a Jew in the Gospels?
Most English translations consistently translate the Greek word Ἰουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) as “Jews.” But this inflexible translation has often contributed to an anti-Semitic interpretation of the New Testament.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 24: Messiah (Part 2)
Athough the concept of Messiah is importance both in Judaism and Christianity, the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ (maSHIaḥ, messiah) was not often used in Jesus’ day. Jesus and his contemporaries rarely spoke of the Messiah by that name, but preferred to use other more oblique terms. In the New Testament, maSHIaḥ almost always appears in its Greek translation: χριστός (christos, anointed with oil; Christ). The Greek transliteration μεσσίας (messias) appears only twice, in John 1:41 and 4:25.
Pilgrimage in the Time of Jesus
During the Second Temple period pilgrimage was associated with the festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot.
An Introduction to Synoptic Studies
The late Dr. Robert Lindsey, pioneer translator of the Gospels into modern Hebrew, synoptic researcher and pastor of Jerusalem’s Narkis Street Congregation, resided in Israel for over forty years. His discoveries challenge many conclusions of New Testament scholarship from the past two hundred years. Lindsey created a new approach to the study of the Synoptic Gospels. Here, Lindsey provides an introduction to the field of synoptic studies and the “Synoptic Problem.”
How Long Was Jesus in the Tomb?
Jesus said he would remain in the grave until the third day after his death. If Jesus was buried on late Friday afternoon, how long would he have had to remain in the tomb to fulfill his prophecy about his resurrection?