What Origins Mean to Me
Two Kinds of Origin Stories I have always been fascinated by origins. I…
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Origins of Judaism
- Essays
- Essays
What Are the Origins of the Oral Torah?
This essay is the first in the author’s five-part series for 18Forty’s explorations…
- Essays
Divinity and Humanity: What the Jewish Sages Thought About the Oral Torah
This essay is the second in the author’s five-part series for 18Forty’s explorations…
Origins of Judaism
Anonymous: Searching for the Beginning
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to an anonymous email sender about life upon the bridge between the truth of fact and the truth of feeling.
podcast
Anonymous: Searching for the Beginning
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to an anonymous email sender about life upon the…
podcast
Lawrence Schiffman: The World of Early Judaism
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Professor Lawrence Schiffman about Second Temple and Rabbinic…
podcast
Tova Ganzel: The Judaism of the Prophets & the People
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dr. Tova Ganzel about biblical Judaism, and the…
podcast
Yonatan Adler: What Archeologists Find
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Dr. Yonatan Adler about the intersection of halacha…
podcast
Yosef Bronstein: Rav Tzadok & Rav Kook on Jewish History
In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Yosef Bronstein about our history through the eyes…
podcast
Malka Simkovich: The Secrets of Second Temple Judaism
In this edition of the 18Forty Podcast, we are privileged with the return of Dr. Malka Simkovich.
book
From Text to Tradition
How did Judaism develop from the times of the Torah to the times of the Talmud? Considering historical, literary, and religious vantage points, Schiffman offers a fascinating look into a rich and complex time of Jewish life. Facing the many movements that emerged during this time, Schiffman ultimately argues that these approaches share enough to be considered a singular religious tradition with many faces. Interpretation, tradition, Pharisees, Sadducees, pseudepigrapha; This book has it all. Come for the Apocrypha, stay for the intriguing look under the hood for how Judaism as we know it came to be.
book
Discovering Second Temple Literature
When facing a drastically different world from what they knew before, the Jews of the Second Temple period (539 BCE – 70 CE) had to utilize a surprising creativity to practice their religion. In Discovering Second Temple Literature, Malka Simkovich brings readers into the worlds of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, and Josephus, as she explores the lives, learning, and views of Jews of a distant time. The most surprising aspects of this book are how similar some of the choices that these long-ago Jews had to make when facing challenges and a religious landscape that was changing rapidly.
book
When God Becomes History: Historical Essays of Rabbi Abraham Isaac haKohen Kook
R. Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook (1865 – 1935) was one of the most deeply cutting spiritual rabbinic thinkers of the 20th century. While he is often remembered most for his particularly poignant writings on the land and nation of Israel, his broad curiosity and far-reaching creativity have left us with some fascinating contributions to Jewish thought. This volume collects in English translation Rav Kook’s thoughts on Jewish history. Reading Rav Kook on history is a masterclass in process-oriented thinking, and what happens when a great soul looks to understand human events from a powerful religious (and human) perspective. Read this volume if you, like Rav Kook, look at Jewish history and want to know more than what, but why.