Why Was the Golden Calf So Bad?
The story of the Golden Calf is an odd one, in large part because it’s not clear it ever belonged in Torah at all. It’s really the story of a…
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Browsing Category: Biblical
Goldwork for the Golden Calf
Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such great sin upon them?” Aaron said, “Let not my lord be enraged. You know…
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Waiting for Moses
After the Revelation and the sacrifices for the reading of the Covenant, Moses heads up Mount Sinai. For some commentators, he says he will be there for 40 days, for…
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The Female God
Before he dies, Jacob blesses each of his sons. In the blessing for Joseph, we have some unusual language. The God of your father who helps you,And Shaddai who blesses…
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The Sacrifices Between Revelation and Ascension
So do you ever read the Bible and think to yourself, how much blood did Moses throw anyway? No? Maybe it’s just me. Book research can take you along a…
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When Moses Smashed the Tablets
Literally. When? On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on that very day, they entered the wilderness of Sinai. Exodus 19:1…
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Creating Courts
Once the Hebrews arrive in Mount Sinai and set up the first of their long-term camps (after a month and a half of near-constant travel), they realize their old ways…
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A Wedding in the Desert
Jewish weddings even today follow traditions thousands of years old. Still, a modern wedding, no matter how strictly observant, will not be the same as one from Biblical times. So…
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From Sin to Sinai
What is the timing of the Hebrews’ journey within the Wilderness of Sin and then to Mount Sinai? While Torah gives us this information, there are some contradictions and places…
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The Timing of the Tablets
What is the timing of Moses’ ascents to the top of the mountain and his bringing of the two sets of the tablets of the pact aka the Ten Commandments?…
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The Evening Quail
Before there was manna in the Wilderness of Sin, there was quail. Manna came the morning after they ran out of food. And every morning thereafter for 40 years. But…
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Starving in Sin
The Hebrews leave their lives of slavery, flee Pharaoh’s soldiers, then cross the Red Sea into freedom. After extended stops in Marah and Elim, they head towards the mountains. Upon…
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Manna—What Is It?
There is lots of speculation about the manna that God sent to the Hebrews every morning for 40 years. Was it a substance that exists in our world already? Was…
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Zipporah’s Story in Torah
We don’t hear much about Moses’ wife and sons. To start the process of studying them, I’m first collecting Biblical mentions, which are below. Moses was born a Hebrew slave…
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The Four Elements of the Exodus
Breaking up the world into elements is not a new concept, nor is it limited to Western thought. While Ancient Greece often gets the credit for the concept of four…
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Reflecting in Elim
Our travelers walk from the eastern shore of the Red Sea three days into the desert only to find bitter water at Marah. After Moses makes the water drinkable, they…
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The Stations of the Exodus
As I sat down to write about my characters’ time in Elim, I realized I needed to decide how long they were staying. Torah doesn’t say. We know they probably…
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My Sources in Order
Where does my source material come from? With a novel adapted from history and known texts, the framework comes from outside. I use my imagination to make it blossom. I…
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A Gay Old Time
Every single society ever has had members who fall in love with people deemed the wrong gender for them (or it’s a society that doesn’t place those restrictions on relationships)….
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Honoring Your Parents
If the ten commandments are Torah distilled, then each of the ten is vitally important and reflects far more than the surface meaning. “Honor your father and mother” is the…
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