There is a misconception about Judaism common among Christians and Muslims. This is the misleading idea that Judaism is a ‘biblical religion’; that the Old Testament has in Judaism the same central place and legal authority which the Bible has for Protestant or even Catholic Christianity. The legal interpretation of sacred texts is rigidly fixed … Read more
What Is The Talmud? The Talmud is the basic book of Judaism. Encyclopedia Britannica states that the Hebrew term “Talmud” refers to a compilation of ancient teachings regarded as sacred by Jews from the time it was compiled until modern times and still regarded so by religious Jews.[1] In the words of Rabbi Dr. Jacob … Read more
Many Jews may be surprised to learn that Islam as preached by Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was the same religion preached by Abraham, as well as of all other prophets mentioned in the Torah and the Bible. Muslims honor all the prophets of the Jews – Abraham, Jacob, … Read more
Five Reasons to Get Excited about the Dead Sea Scrolls 1) They’re old. So what? Yeah, well, I understand. Grandpa’s old, but the only one who’s excited about him is grandma, and even there, the magic wore off twenty years ago. But the key is not the age of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Rather, it’s … Read more
1) Khirbet Qumran, meaning ‘ruin of’ Qumran, sits on a plateau at the top of an irregular border of limestone cliffs beside the Dead Sea. Many of these cliffs contain caves which, given their location, are accessible only with difficulty. To the West lies the Judean Desert, and to the North is a mountain that … Read more
(part 1 of 2): Ten Gurus and a Book Sikhism originated from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root śiṣya meaningdisciple or learner. It is the world’s fifth largest religion, with approximately 27 million adherents. The majority of Sikhs live in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan; however Sikhs live … Read more
“[The Bible] has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies.” —Mark Twain, Letters from the Earth, Vol. II Let’s begin by putting “two of every sort (of animal) into the ark,” and then … Oh, wait. Was that “twoof … Read more
Both read the Bible day and night, But thou read’st black where I read white. —William Blake, The Everlasting Gospel Of course, Blake’s sentiment in the quote above is nothing new. The New Testament contains enough inconsistencies to have spawned a dizzying variety of interpretations, beliefs and religions, all allegedly Bible-based. And so, we … Read more
Prayer holds a very important place in the religion of Islam. It is the second pillar of faith and the act of ritual prayer is performed five times every day. There is great power entrenched in the postures of prayer not the least of which is that it establishes and reinforces our connection to God. … Read more
(part 1 of 2) “…No person earns any (sin) except against himself (only), and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another…” (Quran 6:164) “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death … Read more