Shabbat is the Hebrew word for Sabbath, the day of rest and worship for Jews. The practice of keeping Shabbat is one of the most important aspects of Jewish life and identity. Here is an overview of the meaning, origins, and observances of the Jewish Sabbath. Meaning and Significance The word “Shabbat” comes from the Hebrew verb shavat, meaning to cease, rest, or stop working. Shabbat commemorates God’s day of rest after the six days of creation (Genesis 2:2-3). In addition to marking the seventh day of creation, Shabbat also commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, when the Israelites were freed…
Author: Erin Weitzman
The Bible does not directly mention essential oils, as they were not widely used during Biblical times. However, there are some principles and passages in Scripture that can provide wisdom for Christians considering using essential oils today. God Created Plants for Our Use Genesis 1:29 indicates that God created plants for man to use: “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.'” While essential oils were not extracted during Biblical times, this verse shows that God…
Richard Dawkins, a well-known atheist author, has made claims about the God of the Old Testament being tyrannical, jealous, and vindictive. However, a closer look at the biblical text reveals a more nuanced perspective on God’s character and actions. While God does display wrath at times, He also shows abundant grace, patience, and love. Evaluating Dawkins’ critique requires carefully examining the evidence in context. Dawkins’ Claims About the God of the Old Testament In his popular book The God Delusion, Dawkins portrays the God of the Hebrew scriptures as a cosmic bully and tyrant. He points to episodes of divine…
The Noahide Laws, also known as the Seven Laws of Noah or the Noachide Laws, are a set of seven moral imperatives that, according to the Talmud, were given by God to Noah as a binding set of laws for all humanity. The Noahide Laws are derived primarily from Genesis 9 in the Hebrew Bible, where God makes a covenant with Noah after the flood and commands Noah and his descendants to abide by seven commandments. The Seven Noahide Laws as traditionally enumerated are: Do not deny God. Do not blaspheme God. Do not murder. Do not engage in incest,…
The question of which gospel was written first is an important one for understanding the origins and development of the four canonical gospels attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Most biblical scholars agree that the Gospel of Mark was likely the first gospel to be written down, sometime around 70 AD. Evidence for Markan priority includes: Mark is the shortest gospel with just 16 chapters. Mark’s writing style is simple and direct compared to the more sophisticated Greek of the other gospels. Nearly all of Mark’s content is found in Matthew and Luke, suggesting they used Mark as a…
The Bible does not directly address the modern concept of “queer theory.” However, it does speak to relevant issues like sexuality, gender, and God’s creative intent for human relationships. Here is a 9000 word overview of what the Bible teaches related to themes in queer theory: God created human beings male and female in His image (Genesis 1:27). This affirms the goodness of our God-given biological sex. Scripture upholds the difference between men and women and the unique roles God intends for them in marriage (Ephesians 5:21-33). Though some experience discordance between their biological sex and gender identity, the Bible…
The first temple in Jerusalem was constructed during the reign of King Solomon around 957 BC. Known as Solomon’s Temple or the First Temple, it served as the primary place of worship for the Israelites until its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The temple played a central role in ancient Israelite worship and symbolized the presence of God among His chosen people. Here is an overview of the history, construction, layout, purpose, and destruction of Solomon’s Temple: History of the First Temple The idea for building a permanent and monumental temple in Jerusalem originated with King David. However,…
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes seizures. It is one of the most common neurological conditions, affecting around 50 million people worldwide. While epilepsy is well understood today as a medical condition, it was more mysterious in ancient times. This leads to an interesting question – is epilepsy mentioned in the Bible? The Bible does not directly use the word “epilepsy,” as that term was not in use during Biblical times. However, there are several references to seizures and convulsions that are likely describing epilepsy. Here is an overview of some of the main Biblical passages that scholars believe…
The Song of Solomon is a poetic book in the Bible that depicts the love between a husband and wife. In chapter 4 verse 9, the husband says to his wife, “You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride.” This verse has caused some confusion since the husband calls his wife both “my sister” and “my bride.” There are a few possible explanations for this. First, calling one’s wife “sister” was a common term of endearment in ancient Near Eastern culture. It emphasized the intimate bond between husband and wife. Similar to how we might call a spouse “my…
The story of the Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1 presents an interesting ethical dilemma. When the king of Egypt commanded the midwives Shiphrah and Puah to kill all newborn Hebrew boys, they defied the order and let the babies live. When confronted by the king, they lied and said the Hebrew women gave birth before they arrived. So should these midwives be commended for lying to save lives, or condemned for their dishonesty? There are good arguments on both sides. On the one hand, the midwives clearly did a brave and morally right thing by refusing to kill the innocent…