Vol. 39:3

A close linguistic and exegetical analysis of Deuteronomy 20:19-20, the source of the prohibition of bal tashhit (needless destruction), examining key words and phrases with the aid of classical and modern commentators to reveal the verse's broader environmental and ethical implications.

This article examines the biblical and rabbinic criteria for distinguishing true from false prophets, focusing on three case studies: Micaiah versus Zedekiah (I Kings 22), Jeremiah's battles with court prophets, and Jeremiah's confrontation with Hananiah ben Azzur (Jeremiah 28).

This article examines biblical and extra-biblical evidence to identify the figure of Hammurabi with Nimrod of Genesis, tracing linguistic, chronological, and geographical connections between the Babylonian king and the biblical narrative.

This article analyzes the two sets of ten generations in Genesis — from Adam to Noah and from Noah to Abraham — exploring structural parallels and differences that illuminate the biblical periodization of early human history.

This article identifies the 'wise courtier' type-scene shared by the Joseph narrative, Daniel, and Esther, and argues that the rabbis of the Talmud recognized and deliberately used this pattern when adding midrashic elements to fill perceived gaps in the book of Esther.

This article analyzes the two sections of Proverbs 31 — the queen mother's admonition to King Lemuel (vv. 1-9) and the alphabetical hymn to the eshet hayyil (vv. 10-31) — examining whether they are connected and what each figure represents in Jewish tradition.

This article surveys the major interpretive traditions — physical, spiritual, relational, and representational — concerning what it means for Adam to have been created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27), drawing on biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and modern sources.

This article examines the midrashic tradition that the earth rebelled against God's command on the third day of creation by producing trees bearing fruit rather than trees tasting like their fruit, exploring the theological implications of this rabbinic interpretation.

This article surveys traditional and modern commentators on Solomon's famous judgment (I Kings 3:16-28), examining how divine wisdom is demonstrated not only in the sword ruse but also in Solomon's willingness to give a fair hearing to the lowest members of society.

Drawing on pentateuchal texts and rabbinic sources, this article reconstructs the pre-Sinai religious world of the Israelites in Egypt, identifying practices including monolatry, idol worship, magic, fertility rituals, and folk demonology that the Torah subsequently co-opted or prohibited.

A review of Gad Dishi's Jacob's Family Dynamics: Climbing the Rungs of the Ladder, assessing the book's analysis of the Jacob narrative in Genesis through the lens of family dynamics and interpersonal relationships.

The Fiftieth Annual International Bible Contest for Jewish Youth, held on Israel Independence Day in Jerusalem, resulted in an unprecedented tie between two contestants from Israel and the United States, with 54 participants from 26 countries taking part.