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The extensive Tanakh study projects initiated by the Israel Society for Biblical Research, and the initial steps taken presently by it to stimulate the study of the Bible among Jews abroad, reflect a quickening of interest in the study of the Bible. In Erctz Yisrael, only during the Second Commonwealth, was the learning of Bible (:mo:JIV ~11n) as widespread as it is today. A Greek inscription, found in 1914 in Jerusalem, reads: “Thcodus son of Vitinus, priest and of the synagogugc, build this house for tlze reading of the Torah and teaching the commandments”. In fact, the interpreters of the Law in the synagogues of that time laid down the basis for the “Oral Law” (;,n ~~:J111 0111n). The study of the Tanakh continued to advance until the sect of Christians began to widen its influence in the country. The early preachers of that sect “‘made frequent use of the Bible, interpreting it in accordance with their teachings. It reached such a point that Rabbi Eliezcr ben Hyrcanus ruled: “Restrict your children from “higayon”. This was ·taken ·to mean, beware of scriptur:al interpretation, which leads to heresy. It was only several hundreds of years later that the appearance of another sect, the Karaitcs, brought a remarkable revival of interest in the Tanakh. The Karaites who accepted only the written law cultivated its study as well as the Hebrew language. They were a challenge to the great rabbinical academies in Babylon, whose principia! concern was the Talmud. Rabbi Saadia Gaon (b. 891) took up this challenge and called for interest in Tanakh and the Hebrew language. His success was immediate and far-reaching. Saadia wrote the first Hebrew grammar for Jews, and translated the Tanakh into Arabic. The work begun by the militant Rav Saadia Gaon was carried on by numerous scholars in Western Europe, the new center of learning. Mcnahcm ben Saruk (.lOth century) who compiled the first Bible dictionary, showed the way. Rashi (1 040-1105) who is called the teacher of all Israel quotes Saruk frequently in his famous Bible commentary. Next we may mention Abraham Ibn Ezra (1092-1167) who followed closely Saadia Gaon’s teaching. Maimonides instructed his son to consult Ibn Ezra’s commentary on the Bible. Incidentally, Maimonidcs’ advice was not to study Mislma and the later works until one had gained a competent knowledge of the Bible. Three other great scholars of that period when Bible scholarship reached its peak were Radak (Kimhi), The stndy of the written law (Bible), together with the oral law was the norm among Jews until the period of Moses Mendelsohn (18th century) in Germany. In the Haskalah movement that arose after Mendelsohn’s time a slogan developed, “We do not need the Talmud but only the Tanakh”. This slogan didn’t last long but it made enough of an impression on the Jews in Eastern Europe so that they retreated from studying those parts of the Tanakh which were not connected with synagogue ritual. A yeshivah student who studied Job or second Isaiah was suspected of heresy. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, there were only three Bible study groups in action. One was in Haifa under the leadership of the renowned educator Dr. Arthur Biram. A second group, headed by the late Nehemiah Raban and Joseph Braslavi, was in Tel Aviv, and the third consisted of students of the Hebrew University who met in Jerusaelm. A need was felt to spread the knowledge of Tanakh as a focus for the enrichment of the biblical experience in Israel. These three gronps joined together to fonnd the Israel Society for Biblical Research. They were aided in this effort by three great professors of Bible in Israel, Y. Kaufmann, M.D. Cassuto, and M.Z. Segal. Their work found fertile ground in the place that the Bible occupied in the schools and universities, and even with the Israel Defence Forces. (When a recruit enters the armed services he receives a copy of the Tanakh as part of the “general issue”). Today the Israel Bible Society has nearly 20,000 members, organized in almost 500 study groups. When the Israel Bible Society was founded, it organized study groups throughout the conntry. These groups can generally be classified into three types: - a) scholarly groups, where every participant is a scholar in his own right and can contribute to the group, e.g. the head group meets in the home of the President of Israel; b) groups composed mainly of laymen but inclnding a few scholars who usually lead the group; c) popular groups of laymen or youth only who study the Bible on their own with some guidance from the outside. The Society has had great influence and has received the active support of many of the country’s leaders, e.g. President Shazar, David Ben Gurion, and others, enrolling as well many workers in its ranks. Other than the study groups, the Society holds local conferences on biblical themes and a yearly national conference, held in Jerusalem. The national conference is based upon the idea of studying the whole Bible over a period of twelve years, the conference being devoted to one or two books each year. The coming year, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of Medinat Yisrael, the conference will be studying the books of Psalms and Ruth. The conference also visits sites associated with the book nnder study. ’>ther activities include the quadrennial International Bible Quiz and the

yearly World Bible Quiz for Jewish Youth. In addition, the Society sponsors exhibits of various kinds devoted to biblical art, realia, etc. Finally, the Society publishes material for Bible study and the only Jewish Bible journal in the Hebrew language - “Beth Mikra”. The World Jewish Bible Society, together with the Jewish Agency Cultural Department, strives to establish a common denominator with Jews the whole world over around the most precious heritage of Jewish creativity - the Bible. In closing, I want to say to our friends in the Diaspora: Since the establishment of the State of Israel we have made tremendous strides. Israel is again an important center of Bible research. A generation of Israeli scholars have done much independent research which has brought them world-wide recognition. Our knowledge of the Hebrew language is being perfected, and our archaeologists have made many startling discoveries which have shed new light on biblical subjects. I hope and pray that many Jews from abroad will come here to share in our work. And in the meantime I hope that through our various publications they will avail themselves of the growing store of knowledge accumulated by the Israel Society for Bible Research. Thus, we may come nearer to the day when “All your children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13).