Bible

This week in Jewish history: Moses ascends Mount Sinai, a massacre shakes Hebron

A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars.

ADELHEID AND Edmond James de Rothschild visit British Mandate Palestine, 1914.
SORCERERS, MAGICIANS, diviners: The Torah rejects them all.

Parashat Shoftim: Wholehearted – and well

People attend a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the New Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City, on December 14, 2025.

Christian Zionists believe the West Bank is Bible land - opinion

Members of the clergy take part in the yearly Christmas procession led by Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem outside the Church of the Nativityon December 24, 2025 in Bethlehem, West Bank.

Christian Zionists ignore reality of West Bank living, Palestinian Christian leaders say


Parashat Emor: The social revolution

This portion is read during the days of the Counting of the Omer, when Judaism emphasizes mutual respect and love between people as preparation for receiving the Torah on the festival of Shavuot.

GOODWILL: PROVIDING volunteer massage therapy to soldiers at an IDF outpost in Samaria, March 12.

Trump administration officials are quoting the Bible, is it good for the Jews? - opinion

“President Trump has a complicated relationship with the Bible,” The New York Times said of Trump's likely participation in a marathon reading of scripture to take place in Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, Feb. 5, 2026, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.

Beyond the headlines: Finding an anchor in the shelter - opinion

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

LEARNING IN the bomb shelter.

Why would an Israeli soldier use a sledgehammer to smash the face of Jesus? - opinion

The desecration of the statue was wrong and a breach of Jewish morality. But if our response begins and ends with condemnation, we miss the deeper calling.

Here, the Israeli soldier damages the head of a statue of Jesus, in Debel, Lebanon, in this still image obtained from social media released on April 19.

What South Park and Dante get wrong about the Hebrew Bible’s Hell - study

A new academic essay argues that the fiery underworld familiar from Dante, TV, and pop culture replaced the Hebrew Bible’s older, quieter idea of Sheol.

Dante and Virgil in the Second Circle of Hell, 1823. Found in the Collection of Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen. Artist Koch, Joseph Anton (1768-1839).

Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: The promise of permanence

The covenant endures. The people have returned. And, as the Malbim teaches, we shall never again be cast out.

That mission is rooted in the fusion of the sacred and the everyday.

Hodaya Cohen wins Israel's 78th Independence Day Bible World Quiz for Youth

The event was held at the Jerusalem Theater and recorded in advance due to the security situation, and gathered 16 outstanding young men and women from seven countries.

Hodaya Cohen and Akiva Schreier during the World Tanach Quiz 2026.

Nationwide Bible reading event marks 250 years of scripture in America

The Museum of the Bible hosts "America Reads the Bible," a weeklong event with 500 participants reading Scripture, featuring contributions from figures in politics, media, and entertainment.

Patricia Heaton onstage during the America Reads The Bible Event At The Museum Of The Bible on April 19, 2026, in Washington.

This month in Jewish history: History, memory, destiny

A highly abridged monthly version of Dust & Stars.

AS AN astronomer, Ralbag influenced Copernicus.  Pictured: Nicolaus Copernicus Monument in his hometown of Torun, Poland.

Shabbat Rosh Hodesh: At the threshold of renewal

Shabbat Rosh Hodesh is an invitation to renew not only the month but also ourselves.

‘Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all who love her.’