The Bible was written in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Hebrew and Aramaic were the languages used for the Old Testament or Tanakh, and Greek for the New Testament. But what language did Jesus speak? Did he use Aramaic, as has been claimed by most scholars, or did he speak Hebrew? The question is […]
This year we celebrated the 200th anniversary of Carl Paul Caspari after whom the Caspari Center was named. So…who was Carl Paul Caspari? Carl Paul Caspari was born into a devout Jewish family in Dassau, Germany, in 1814. His father was a merchant. Caspari received a good education first in a Jewish School and later in […]
So-called replacement theology—the church replacing the nation of Israel in the plan of God—has become a popular topic in many heated debates. The term has such a negative connotation that not many people will admit supporting it. Still, it has had a profound effect in the thinking of Christians, and since the first Christian centuries […]
From time to time I go to the Western Wall – or in Hebrew the Kotel – to pray. Standing before these ancient stones fills me with humility: Who am I in the big picture of history? About the pyramids in Egypt it is said, “Everything fears time, but time itself fears the pyramids.” I […]
Rosh Hashanah, which means “Head Of The Year”, begins at sundown on Wednesday, September 24th this year. God prescribes its observance in Leviticus 23:24-25: “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular […]
Corinth is not only a Greek polis mentioned in the New Testament, but also a modern city not far from its ancient predecessor’s location. But the people I am writing about are connected to the biblical Corinth much more than to the modern. I never thought of calling them so until I began my preparations […]
Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968) has been called many things. His views on Israel and the Jews have been considered everything from anti-Semitic to supportive of the Jewish people. I find his analysis of the relationship between Christianity and Judaism fascinating, which is why I chose it for my master’s thesis. Karl Barth’s theology […]
In the year 2000, Jerusalem celebrated its 3,000-year anniversary; more specifically, it’s been 3,000 years since Jerusalem was conquered by King David (2 Sam. 5; 1 Chron. 11) and entered the center stage of biblical and world history. The biblical account clearly states that David did not build Jerusalem. Jerusalem most likely existed for centuries […]
How do I pray? That is the question I asked myself when, together with the whole State of Israel, I was shocked and dismayed by the murder of four teenagers. I could hear gunshots, sirens, helicopters, and shouting from my bedroom. I knew I had to pray but didn’t know how. The Lord fulfills all […]
The current condition of the State of Israel is nothing short of miraculous. One hundred years ago, this country was largely barren swamplands and deserts, with roughly 900,000 inhabitants, 9% of whom were Jews (according to Ottoman statistics studied by Justin McCarthy). Today, Israel’s cities are large, bustling, and growing bigger and bigger by the […]