During the second temple period a custom developed to give a half shekel to the temple. The act is known as “The half shekel temple tax”. Little do people know that this tax was not agreed upon by all.
Author Archive Yoel Halevi
13
Aug
Most of us translate this word as “Faith” or “Belief”. However, the truth of the matter is that to understand the meaning of such a fundamental word in our walk in Torah requires an understanding of the mental state of ancient Israel.
28
May
Very rarely do we find direct references to characters who appear in the bible in extra biblical material. However, some very prominent characters do have a reference in the inscriptions of the Assyrian and Babylonian kingdoms. These references are usually in relation to war or taxes. The Assyrians specifically mention one great king of Israel, Ahab, son of Omri, who belonged to one of the longer reigning families (however, very short in comparison) of the North.
7
Feb
Many words in Hebrew can have several meanings which are based on context. Here is a case of one word which in time became a symbol for bad things, such as demonic powers and the devil, when originally it was used to describe good things.
13
Dec
Probably one of the more misunderstood Hebrew verbs is להשתחוות. This verb has been translated as “to worship”, which has spun many ideas which are not true. The verb’s root is debated, varying from שחה to חוה. The main issue is the context this verb appears in. It is true that as a general idea the verb can be used as “to worship”, however it actually means “to bow down”. Cases where the verb would mean “to worship” are only if it is used as a lone verb of worshiping, and when it is directed to God. Any other case only means “to bow down”.
Join My Group Bible Class TODAY!
The class is done in a virtual class room with multiple participants. We meet on Sundays at 11:45am US eastern, or 6:45pm Israel time. You do not need to know Hebrew for this class, and you also receive a recording of the classes every month. For the link and how to join, click the More Info Button to email us.
