In this episode we discuss Ben Sira, and how his approach to the evil inclination is a predecessor of a prominent modern understanding of the “problem” of sin. What does it mean to believe in a God who created humans and hates sin, while acknowledging that people still “like” to sin? …
In this podcast, we discuss the first place an “evil inclination” is mentioned in the Bible: the description of the state of humanity …
Why is the War Scroll more “universal” than other Qumran texts? Why does the attitude of the Qumran Community toward outsiders “change” …
In this episode, we discuss Belial’s role in the Damascus Document, an important rule text in the Dead Sea Scrolls. What are …
In this episode, we read the Dead Sea Scrolls — specifically, the Community Rule — closely and examine the Qumran community’s view of Belial and …
In this Shavuot “bonus” episode, we will discuss the special status of the Torah for fighting sin, in both Second Temple literature …
In this episode, we will continue our exploration of satanic figures in Second Temple texts. After recapping our last episode, we will discuss the …
With this episode we begin a new “chapter” in our series. We’ve looked at how the Watchers story developed into the idea …
In this episode, I discuss: The different biblical texts discovered at Qumran The nature of “Scripture” during the Second Temple period The …
Your questions answered! In this Q&A I tackle questions you have sent me on previous episodes: Adam and Eve’s punishment The “myth” …
