Joshua 5:9-12 The Book of Joshua is part of the “Deuteronomic History” (Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings), most of which was written from about 650 to 600 BCE. This Book covers the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land by crossing the River Jordan (Chapters 1 to 5), the swift (and idealized) conquest […]
Exodus 3:1-15 The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible, and covers the period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness. Just prior to today’s story, Moses escaped from Pharaoh who heard that Moses […]
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah also called the Pentateuch (“five books”) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1650 BCE, if the accounts are historical. The Book of […]
Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Deuteronomy is the fifth (and last) book of the Torah and is presented as Moses’ final speech to the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land. “Deuteronomy” comes from Greek words that mean “Second Law” and is structured as if it were a “restatement” of the laws found in the books of […]
Exodus 34:29-35 The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible, and covers the period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness. Because of this reading from the Hebrew Bible and today’s Gospel reading, many […]
Genesis 45:3-11, 15 Today’s reading is near the conclusion of the story of Joseph, the longest continuous story about a single person in the Bible (Chapters 37 to 50 in the Book of Genesis). Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob and he and Benjamin, the 12th son, were Jacob’s favorites. His 10 older brothers […]
Jeremiah 17:5-10 After the righteous and reforming King Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo (from which we get the Greek/English word Armageddon) in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the […]
Isaiah 6:1-8 The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE. Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH) who called for Jerusalem to repent […]
Jeremiah 1:4-10 After the righteous and reforming King Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo (from which we get the Greek word Armageddon) in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the […]
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 The Babylonian Exile ended in 539 BCE when the Persians defeated the Babylonians. Cyrus the Great then directed the Judeans to return to Jerusalem. Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE, and the reconstruction of Jerusalem took more than 90 years. Ezra (mentioned in today’s reading) was sent […]