Joshua to Chronicles: Survey of the Prophets and Writings of the Bible
39 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 7 years ago - ★★★★★ - 8 ratingsJourney through the nineteen books of the Bible from Joshua through Chronicles with Rabbi Hayyim Angel. Traditional and contemporary scholarship is employed as we study each book's central themes.
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Episodes
#37 The Books of the Maccabees, Hanukkah, and What Makes Tanakh Tanakh: Concluding class
May 25, 2017 15:48 - 52 minutes - 18.1 MBWhy were the Books of the Maccabees excluded from the Jewish Bible? Explore that question, and then review what makes Tanakh our most central religious text.
#36 Chronicles: Perspectives in Prophetic History
May 11, 2017 15:08 - 1 hour - 20.6 MBA careful analysis between Samuel-Kings and Chronicles enables us to get behind the scenes at how these prophetic books were written and their underlying messages.
#35 Ezra-Nehemiah: Transition to the Second Temple Period
May 04, 2017 14:25 - 55 minutes - 19.2 MBThe beginning of the Second Temple era (538-432 BCE) stoked great hopes for redemption, but also gave reason for concern and despair. How did the great leaders of this era provide meaningful ways forward during this complex period?
#34 Daniel: The Hidden Story of Hanukkah
April 27, 2017 11:30 - 54 minutes - 18.9 MBOverview of the messages of Daniel, including a look at how the book secretly appears to be speaking about the story of the Maccabees.
#33 Kohelet: Sanctifying the Human Perspective
March 23, 2017 01:30 - 1 hour - 20.7 MBKohelet made many rabbinic thinkers nervous about the religious lessons of the book. In this lecture, we explore what makes Kohelet unique within the biblical tapestry, and what voice it contributes to a thoughtful religious life.
#32 Lamentations: Putting the Mouth before the Eye
March 16, 2017 19:05 - 53 minutes - 18.5 MBA consideration of how the alphabetical poetic structure contains a valuable interpretive tool as Lamentations grapples with a relationship with God at Israel's darkest moment in the biblical period.
#31 The Book of Esther: What They Didn’t Teach Us in Day School
March 10, 2017 14:41 - 1 hour - 21.2 MBBy imposing selected Midrashim onto the biblical text, many yeshiva-educated students have a difficult time seeing what is in the text itself. This lecture begins by unpacking the messages of the text itself, and then demonstrates how the Sages of the Midrash identified all of these lessons by working from within the text. You will never read the Megillah the same way again.
#30 The Book of Ruth: Feel Good Narrative or Ambiguous?
March 02, 2017 17:45 - 1 hour - 20.9 MBAn exploration of two different readings of the Book of Ruth, which both fit the text perfectly. Are the characters pure and excellent, or are they more complex?
#29 Song of Songs: Romance and Religion
February 23, 2017 15:24 - 57 minutes - 19.6 MBAn overview of Rabbi Yuval Cherlow's remarkable book on the Song of Songs, exploring the complexities of religious experience through an understanding of human love. Sources available on our site: https://www.jewishideas.org/online-learning/classes-lectures
#28 Job: Addressing the Hole Created By the Torah
February 09, 2017 16:05 - 55 minutes - 18.9 MBThe courageous Book of Job addresses the problem of bad things happening to good people. A literary analysis of the book coupled with its primary religious messages. Sources available on our Online Learning page.
#27 Proverbs: The Simplest Book in Tanakh?
February 06, 2017 16:24 - 51 minutes - 17.5 MBAn overview of the Book of Proverbs. It presents a simple, pure faith perspective, to be complemented by the more complex perspectives in the Books of Job and Kohelet. Sources available on our site: https://www.jewishideas.org/online-learning/classes-lectures
Lecture 3: King Ahab: Did He Do Something Right?
January 15, 2017 18:22 - 1 hour - 22.2 MBSources are available at our Online Learning page.
#26 Psalms #2: Tehillim in Transition: How Prayers Transform
December 22, 2016 21:16 - 1 hour - 21 MBHow praying can transform the person praying, and how psalms can contain multiple meanings simultaneously and over time.
#25 Psalms #1: Who Wrote the Psalms? Controversy and Confusion Regarding Authorship
December 15, 2016 16:29 - 59 minutes - 20.3 MBExploration of the evidence within Psalms, and rabbinic commentary. The traditional view is far more complex than what many portray it to be
#24 Twelve Prophets #5: Joel-Malachi: The End of Prophecy
December 15, 2016 16:27 - 58 minutes - 20.1 MB24: Joel and Malachi anticipate the end of prophecy and pave the way for religious life in the era lacking prophecy.
#23 Twelve Prophets #4: Haggai-Zechariah: Sixth Century Prophets
December 15, 2016 16:26 - 1 hour - 20.7 MB23: Haggai and Zechariah convey the pulsating potential for redemption at the beginning of the Second Temple period.
#22 Twelve Prophets #3: Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Obadiah: Seventh Century Prophets
December 15, 2016 16:23 - 40 minutes - 13.8 MB22: How each seventh century prophet reacted to the impending destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians.
#21 Twelve Prophets #2: Hosea-Amos: Eighth Century Northern Prophets
December 15, 2016 16:18 - 58 minutes - 20.1 MB21: A study of two eighth century prophets of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and how different their messages were. Sources available:https://www.jewishideas.org/online-learning/classes-lectures
#20 Twelve Prophets #1: The Enigmatic Book of Jonah
June 02, 2016 10:37 - 1 hour - 22.2 MBWhy did Jonah flee God's command? This class explores four classical answers and then proposes a novel alternative. This concludes our series until the Fall.
#19 Ezekiel #3: Ezekiel’s Prophecies of Redemption
May 26, 2016 18:18 - 59 minutes - 20.3 MBEzekiel's unique prophetic mission generates unique prophecies of redemption as well.
#18 Ezekiel #2: Divine Perspective in the Book of Ezekiel
May 20, 2016 16:16 - 57 minutes - 19.8 MBEzekiel allows God's personality to shine through. The book portrays exile and redemption in terms of God's being driven from the Temple and then returned to a new Temple in the future.
#17 Ezekiel #1: Ezekiel as Prophet-Priest
May 12, 2016 19:43 - 47 minutes - 16.2 MBThe prophet Ezekiel stands out from all the other prophets in that he receives prophetically revealed laws and also regularly experiences the Celetial Chariot. In this class, we explore the roots of his uniqueness, focusing on how he merged his roles as prophet and priest.
#16 Jeremiah #3: Jeremiah's Later Career (605-586 BCE)
March 17, 2016 15:22 - 1 hour - 21 MBAn exploration of the turning points of Jeremiah's career, and how his prophecies of redemption gave Israel hope through its darkest period.
#15 Jeremiah #2: Telling False Prophets from True Prophets
March 10, 2016 19:07 - 58 minutes - 20.2 MBHow Jeremiah used two great innovations to zero in on the essence of prophecy as he attempted to debunk his fraudulent competitors.
#14 Jeremiah #1: Jeremiah’s Early Career (627-609 BCE)
March 03, 2016 15:40 - 1 hour - 20.7 MBOverview of the entire period of Jeremiah, and a look at his prophetic initiation and early messages of repentance to the nation.
#13 Isaiah #3: Isaiah and Hezekiah (chapters 36-39)
February 25, 2016 20:13 - 59 minutes - 20.4 MBAfter the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem, why wasn't Hezekiah fit to be the messianic king? An exploration of halakhic faith versus prophetic faith and how these two dimensions created conflict between the prophet Isaiah and the righteous King Hezekiah.
Controversies over the Historicity of Biblical Passages in Traditional Commentary
February 21, 2016 19:27 - 1 hour - 20.7 MBRabbi Hayyim Angel explores the powerful debates in tradition regarding how literally one must take the Bible in regard to faith-science, history, and the overall reasonableness of the Bible. He then attempts to navigate a middle ground to bring the camps further together.
#12 Isaiah #2: Missed Opportunities and Redemption (chapters 7-12)
February 18, 2016 19:52 - 56 minutes - 19.3 MBKing Ahaz makes a colossal error by becoming a vassal of Assyria. Despite the imminent darkness that will befall the nation, Isaiah's prophecies transform into light with the advent of the next king, the righteous Hezekiah. Redemption could come.
#11 Isaiah #1: From Silver Age to Danger (chapters 1-6)
February 11, 2016 20:58 - 57 minutes - 19.8 MBAn understanding of Isaiah's historical context greatly enhances our ability to understand his eternal prophetic messages.
#10 Kings #2: Solomon’s Reign as a Template for the Book of Kings
February 04, 2016 19:13 - 59 minutes - 20.5 MBHow the lessons from Solomon's reign permeate the Book of Kings and create a coherent prophetic message. Source sheet available on our Online Learning page
#9 Kings #1: Reading King Solomon Forward and Backward
January 29, 2016 16:07 - 58 minutes - 20 MBWhen one reads the Solomon narratives, it appears that he achieved a Golden Age and then crashed at the end. Once we know about the crash, however, we can see cracks in Solomon's reign throughout the narrative.
David's Kingship: Rise and Fall
December 29, 2015 21:00 - 1 hour - 22.1 MBDavid as king--his successes and failures, and the message of the Book of Samuel.
Saul and David
December 29, 2015 20:56 - 57 minutes - 19.9 MBSaul declines and David rises, but the narrative in the Book of Samuel also exposes a darker side of David in his early years.
Samuel and the Institution of Monarchy
December 29, 2015 20:53 - 59 minutes - 20.5 MBAre the prophets always in sync with God? An exploration of the views of God, Samuel and the people regarding the institution of monarchy in Israel.
Gideon as the Transitional Figure in Judges
December 29, 2015 20:49 - 58 minutes - 20.1 MBGideon's unique combination of traits and conflicts over becoming king establish him as the fitting heir to the leadership of Othniel, Ehud, and Deborah; while also paving the way to the more negative second half of the Book of Judges.
The Joshua-Judges Continuum
December 29, 2015 20:44 - 1 hour - 20.9 MBThe Book of Joshua appears to be a biblical Golden Age, and the Book of Judges is a biblical Dark Age. But a closer look reveals that the connection between the two books is deeper than we had thought.
Chronological Order to Uncover the Themes of Joshua
December 29, 2015 20:41 - 1 hour - 21 MBCertain passages in the Book of Joshua appear to have been positioned out of chronological sequence. How do these anomalies point to the most important lessons of the book?
The Secret to Joshua's Success
December 29, 2015 20:37 - 1 hour - 20.9 MBAn exploration of Joshua's leadership development in the Torah, with midrashic explanations that elucidate his remarkable combination of character traits that enabled him to be an exceptionally effective leader.
Introduction to the Bible
December 29, 2015 20:31 - 56 minutes - 19.5 MBWhat is the Bible? A discussion of the nature of the different books and categories of Torah, Prophets, and Holy Writings.