Hooray! The Our Rabbi Jesus website has a new theme! The content of the site is still the same and all the articles and posts are still there. But now it’s more readable on cell phones and it’s easier to find things. The “Events” page is now the “Speaking” page and it’s had some updates. […]
Interview: Learning from Rabbi Jesus, with the Israel Bible Center
Recently, I was interviewed by Dr. Yeshaya Gruber as a part of the Israel Bible Center’s Roundtable Talk series. Dr. Gruber and I had a lively discussion on topics that may interest many. There are many world-class scholars in this series. I’m humbled to be included among them. The Israel Bible Center site also has […]
Meet Madalyn, Lois’ Mesharet (Assistant)
Meet my new mesharet, Madalyn Buursma. Moses had Joshua as his “mesharet.” Elijah had Elisha as his “mesharet.” The word is translated as “assistant,” but the relationship was an ancient model for how disciples studied with rabbinic teachers. Madalyn recently graduated from Calvin College with an English major and she’s aiming for a career in […]
Upcoming Column in Premier Christianity Magazine
Good news! In 2020 I will be authoring a bimonthly column for the magazine Premier Christianity, a popular Evangelical periodical in the United Kingdom. My first column will appear in the January 2020 issue. The overall theme of my series will be understanding Jesus as a rabbi, focusing on different aspects of his cultural background […]
Check Out the En-Gedi Resource Center Site
Shalom, all – I have some great news – we’ve finished moving hundreds of articles from my first ministry website, the En-Gedi Resource Center, to their new home at EnGediResourceCenter.com. They have also been updated and reorganized by topic to make them easier to find. This has been months of work, so I hope readers […]
Dust Jacket for Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus
Forgive my enthusiasm, but I just got to see the full dust jacket for my upcoming book, Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus. It has the front, back and side flap text on it. Click on the image to look at it up close. More information about the book on this page. The book comes […]
On-the-Ground Report: Has Evidence of Bethsaida Emerged?
Have you seen the news that evidence for the lost city of Bethsaida has been found? USA Today, Newsweek, National Geographic and the Today Show have all reported on it. I’m pinching myself. A student from my area took part in the dig, and I was there myself for a few days. Bethsaida, you may […]
Next Book Done! Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus
Shalom friends – I’m happy to say that after three years of work, I finished the manuscript for my next book, Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus. Yay! It will be released by Baker Publishing in January 2018, so we still have a bit. Between now and then I’ll share some sneak previews and interesting […]
We’ve Found the Emmaus Road and It’s Crumbling
Have you ever wished you could have been nearby when Jesus explained the Scriptures to the disciples on the Emmaus Road in Luke 24? Wouldn’t it be great to just see where this road was? Believe it or not, scholars have known its location for decades now. The remains of the Roman road are visible […]
Come Help Excavate Bethsaida this Summer
Have you ever dreamed of being an archaeologist? You’ll be interested in the project at the likely site of Bethsaida. This is the village near where Jesus fed the five thousand (Luke 9:12-17), and where three disciples called home (John 1:43). If you’ve toured the land, you may have visited a site that is called […]