Ki Tavo opens with first fruits and the ancient creed, “My father was a wandering Aramean,” then moves to tithes for the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. Finally, the covenant ceremony at Ebal and Gerizim resumes, raising thorny questions about the role of the Levites, the division of the tribes, and why…
Re'eh - We begin with Moses setting before Israel “a blessing and a curse,” a covenant ceremony tied to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Our discussion dives into the age-old debate over the true location of these mountains before considering the interruption that follows—the sudden insertion of the central Law Code (Deut 12–26). Is this…
Not since my days in college have I applied myself to academic writing. But I have decided to do just that after decades of audio and video podcasting, and I am enjoying it immensely. I have published my first paper on my Academia page. It reveals what appears to be an intentional calculation behind the division of…
Two mounts, Gerizim and Ebal, are associated with a ceremony to be performed when the children of Israel cross into the promised land. The details of the ceremony are mentioned in Deuteronomy chapters 11 and 27, and also in Joshua chapter 8 where, according to the narrative, the ceremony actually takes place. The narratives contained…