7
votes
Acts 15:5 - Could Christians remain Pharisees?
Paul state after his conversion that he is still Pharisee on two occasions
Acts 23:6
Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other
Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “...
- 169
7
votes
Does "they neither marry nor are given in marriage" refer to the act of getting married, or the state of being married?
"They neither marry nor are given in marriage" clearly refers to the act of being married. "Marry" and "given" are both verbs(i.e. words used to describe an action, state,...
- 1,870
6
votes
Was the Lord's Prayer a typical first century Jewish prayer?
Direct evidence of specific prayers from the pre-Christian era is limited. So, I first turned to the Psalms which can offer valuable insights into the nature and practice of Jewish prayer during this ...
- 4,304
5
votes
History: Per Leviticus 19:27 would the apostles have had side locks?
Most likely not.
The passage we find this commandment in is as follows (my translation):
... I, the Lord, am your God.
You shall not eat anything in its blood,*nor do incantations, nor anything ...
- 9,638
4
votes
In Matthew 27:62, what is "the day of preparation"?
The "day of preparation" is neither a holiday nor a holy day.
There is nothing official about it.
Perhaps the biggest cause of confusion is that the translators chose to capitalize it, ...
- 6,267
4
votes
Was the author of Daniel 7-11 a traditionalist?
If the Maccabean hypothesis is correct, we can still be reasonably sure that the author of chapters 7-11 was a traditionalist. The reason is that the Maccabean Revolt was essentially a traditionalist ...
- 16.2k
4
votes
Was the use of the woman's hair to clean Jesus' feet considered an indecent act (Luke 7:36-50)?
Although the Talmudic reference in the OP comes from two centuries after the fact, it probably does reflect the cultural norms of Jesus' time. Indeed, just as shocking as the woman using her hair in ...
- 16.2k
3
votes
Accepted
Is there any evidence to support the "different calendar theory" often invoked to resolve chronological discrepancies in the gospels?
Let's take a look at the two calendars most relevant to New Testament chronology
Julian Calendar
When implemented the Julian calendar was a significant step forward in chronological accuracy, pegging ...
- 17.5k
3
votes
Accepted
What's wrong with flight on the Sabbath?
The notes on Matthew 24:20 in the NIV Study Bible say:
"or on the Sabbath - Matthew alone includes this because he was writing to Jews, who were forbidden to travel more than about half a mile om ...
- 23.6k
3
votes
Accepted
Sources for practice of festival of Booths in first-century, second temple Judaism
Water was definitely an element of the celebration of the Festival of Booths in the Temple. The water libation is well-attested. The Mishnah (Sukka 4:9) details how they would bring a golden bowl ...
- 3,746
3
votes
Was "no man knows the day or the hour" (Mt. 24:36) a reference to Rosh Hashanah?
No, the statement "No man knows the day or the hour" has absolutely nothing to do with Rosh Hashanah.
The Biblical Hebrew calendar was based on new moon sightings (unlike the Rabbinic ...
- 8,422
3
votes
Accepted
Does Hebrews 10 indicate the temple was still standing when Hebrews was written?
Does Hebrews 10 indicate the temple was still standing when Hebrews was written?
In short - Yes!
Although it is not absolutely certain that Hebrews was written by Paul, or indeed that it was written ...
- 2,643
2
votes
Accuracy of Alfred Edersheim's "Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah"
1. Question :
Do any respected New Testament scholars consider Edersheim's work to still be authoritative?
This is a highly subjective question - so, I will try to point out :
In Messianic ...
- 5,379
2
votes
Why does Matthew 26:17 seem to ignore/contradict the instructions and schedule of Leviticus 23:5-7?
Based on [Mark 14:12, Matthew 26:17-19] the disciples performed late Pesach preparations which did not keep the traditional timeline of פֶּ֖סַח Pesach (Passover, 14th/15th of Aviv) + חַ֥ג הַמַּצּ֖וֹת ...
- 8,405
2
votes
In Matthew 27:62, what is "the day of preparation"?
I am not sure this answers the question, and if not I am happy to delete this answer.
The timing of the crucifixion is clearly demonstrated by the following Gospel references:
Matthew:
Death on ...
- 105k
2
votes
Were the אוּרִ֥ים Urim & תֻמִּֽים Thummim ever returned (after the Babylonian exile) to fulfill Ezra 2:63?
By Pharisaical tradition[1], none of the holy articles from Solomon's Temple were recovered, which was why the Essenes considered the second temple illegitimate. There was no rod of Aaron, no Ark, etc....
- 8,422
2
votes
Were the אוּרִ֥ים Urim & תֻמִּֽים Thummim ever returned (after the Babylonian exile) to fulfill Ezra 2:63?
Ezra 2:63 (and its parallel in Neh 7:65) says:
The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there
was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.
This can be understood in two ways:
...
- 105k
2
votes
What's wrong with flight on the Sabbath?
This is part of the discourse on impending destruction. Some read this chapter as a reference strictly to the events of the Roman-Jewish war of 66-73; others read it as a prophetic statement referring ...
- 17.5k
2
votes
What did Second Temple Judaism think about the Messiah/Christ?
The view of the Messiah depended on Sadducee, Pharisee, and the common people (עַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת)
Sadducee
The priesthood were composed of Sadducees. They only held the Torah (Pentateuch) as ...
- 20.3k
2
votes
When Jesus said "It is finished" (John 19:30) did the High Priest also say it was finished at the end of the Passover slaughter
I am still looking for an actual for the Passover Priest making the statement. This is not in the Old Testament. Thus, we would need other sources. I don't know that it is a valid statement. Here ...
- 20.3k
2
votes
What is Second Temple Jewish Monotheism?
Summary
Within Judaism, Second Temple monotheism is a rejection in the existence of any God other than YHVH. It was a reaction to the exile which had resulted from Israel's worship of other gods. ...
- 16.7k
1
vote
Did Pharisees use Ezra 6:11-12 to condemn Jesus in Mark 14:58?
The decrees of Ezra were made by the Persian King Cyrus, not by God, nor even by the jews.
"In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree... " (Ezra 6.3)
Not even the Pharisees ...
- 8,422
1
vote
In Matthew 27:62, what is "the day of preparation"?
Overview
As the literal translation shows, the text simply says after the preparation:
And on the morrow that is after the preparation, were gathered together the chief priests, and the Pharisees, ...
- 16.7k
1
vote
In Matthew 27:62, what is "the day of preparation"?
As noted in a prior answer, παρασκευή ("preparation") is always a reference to Friday when discussing days of the week. I don't believe Matthew is referring to a specific holiday, he's just ...
- 17.5k
1
vote
Why does Matthew 26:17 seem to ignore/contradict the instructions and schedule of Leviticus 23:5-7?
A larger debate
This question could be seen as subset of the debate as to whether the crucifixion took place on 14 Nisan (per John) or 15 Nisan (the most common reading the synoptics) on the Jewish ...
- 17.5k
1
vote
Public reading of the Law during the Festival of Tabernacles at Jesus' time
In Deut 31:9, the word translated "law" is תּוֹרָה (torah). It is extremely unlikely that this refers to the entire "Torah" as it is now called, i.e., the Pentateuch. It is more ...
- 105k
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