Translation of the Seventy
The last few weeks we've been tracing the formation of the Old Testament. Let's summarize what we've learned so far. The key criterion for inclusion in the sacred writings was…
The Other Joseph
The book of Genesis describes the dramatic story of Joseph, son of Jacob. Sold into slavery by his own brothers, he eventually rose to power in Egypt. But there is…
The New Exodus
Holy week is already upon us since Easter comes relatively early this year. The method used to calculate Easter Sunday is quite confusing: it's the Sunday following the first full…
The Plight of Israel
Last week, we examined the horrendous massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on October 7th. Hamas still holds about 200 hostages and continues to hurl rockets towards Israel. The Israeli Defense…
Not Of This World
In 1961, archeologists were excavating an ancient theater in the city of Caesarea, along the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Caesarea became the capital of the Roman province of Judea in…
A Portrait of Salvation
Many of us grew up singing about Zacchaeus - the "wee little man"- in Sunday School. His story is found in Luke chapter 19. Jesus was passing through the city…
Suffering, Sacrifice and Salvation
Yogi Berra, baseball Hall of Famer and master of malaprop, once quipped, "the future ain't what it used to be." Over the last several weeks, we've examined some of the…
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords
Christmas is nearly here! I'd like to wrap up the season by completing our analysis of the Hallelujah chorus. Handel's Messiah (which contains the Hallelujah chorus) is performed all over…
Hallelujah!
The Hallelujah chorus, often sung at Christmastime, is one of the most recognizable pieces in history. George Handel's stunning music is accompanied by text drawn from the King James Version…
Songs of the Season
Now that we've celebrated Thanksgiving, the Christmas season is upon us. For many folks, music is the single most enjoyable part of the holiday. Indeed, my wife is so eager…