Wilderness Wonderings 〚 One Path, Two Versions 〛 Pentateuch in Perspective: Behalotecha
Have you ever felt like you’ve read this before? In this week’s class, Ross explores moments in the Pentateuch that feel strangely familiar. Across Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, stories seem to repeat—but are they echoes, edits, or entirely new tellings? Once you begin to spot the parallels, the wilderness journey takes on new dimension. Join us as we trace variant versions of key events and ask what these narrative recurrences reveal about the texts and their authors.
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Behalotecha 〚 Lights, Layers, and Lost Passovers 〛 Torah Pearls
This week, Ross, Jono, and Ezra unpack Beha’alotecha—from the menorah of Numbers 8 to the one displayed in Jerusalem, with a stop in Zechariah 4 to briefly explore the idea of two messiahs. They trace Israel’s departure from Sinai, noting contradictions in the sources and a curious pair of inverted Hebrew nuns in Numbers 10.
They examine Passovers past and forgotten, the fiery lust for meat, and the prophetic overflow to seventy elders—details that may reflect multiple versions of the same story. Moses’ father-in-law appears under different names, and Miriam is struck for her complaint about a Cushite woman. Why is Aaron spared?
Along the way: silver trumpets, missing Passovers, “holy water,” and manuscript clues that challenge the canon. It’s a critical, curious, and at times comical journey through the text.
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Wilderness Wonderings 〚 Solving the Sinai Sequence 〛 Pentateuch in Perspective: Naso
The narrative sources of the Pentateuch trace Israel’s journey from Egypt to Sinai—and ultimately to the Plains of Moab. Along the way, the text provides precise dates for major events. But here’s the surprise: they’re out of order.
Most readers miss it. But a careful reading reveals a scrambled sequence that begs to be reassembled.
In this week’s Wilderness Wonderings, Ross walks us through eight key passages that expose the disordered timeline—and demonstrates how sorting the dates brings clarity to the chaos. What emerges is a deeper understanding of the wilderness story—and how it was stitched together.
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Bamidbar - Naso 〚 Counting Warriors & Cursing Wives 〛 Torah Pearls
In this double portion deep dive, Ross, Jono, and Ezra unpack the census-supported structure of Numbers, tracing tribal arrangements, competing lists, and curious inconsistencies. Why are the Levites sometimes excluded? Is the census in Numbers 1 the same as the one in Exodus? And what’s with the suspicious potion in chapter 5?
From Nazarite vows and priestly blessings to tabernacle math, echoes of Ramesses II’s army, and the Ketef Hinnom discovery—this episode wanders the wilderness with wit and critical insight.
Don’t miss this launch into the Book of Numbers—and the questions it dares to raise.
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Wilderness Wonderings 〚 Sand in the Cradle 〛 Pentateuch in Perspective: BaMidbar
Biblical Israel’s story begins not in palaces or promised lands, but in windswept wilderness. In this opening class, we explore the desert cradle where Israel is born as a people, hears the voice of its God, and begins a journey that will shape all that follows.
It’s a place of rescue and rebellion, dependence and revelation—and the prophets remembered it as the beginning of everything. This is the essential epoch.
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Behar-Bechukotai 〚 Sanctioned Slaves: Leviticus, Liberty, & Lost Jubilees 〛 Torah Pearls
In this week’s episode, Ross, Jono, and Ezra unpack the intricate laws of land, liberty, and value in the final double portion of Leviticus. We explore the radical social vision behind the Sabbatical and Jubilee years—when land rests, debts are released, and slaves go free—but ask: were these ever truly kept?
We compare slavery laws across Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus, highlight startling economic disparities encoded in valuation laws, and question the absence of the Jubilee in later biblical practice. Is Israel God's servant or God's slave? And does Leviticus hint at post-exilic composition in its closing chapters?
From overlooked verses to prophetic parallels, this episode offers critical insight into priestly theology, editorial seams, and the moral weight of biblical economics. Join us as we bring fresh perspective—and the Moses Scroll—into the conversation.
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ALTARed Texts〚 The Deity Diet: Food for Thought 〛Pentateuch in Perspective: Emor
The Bible frequently mentions altars, offerings, and sacred meals. But what role does food play in the relationship between humans and the divine? Could the ancient sacrifices be more than ritual—could they be meals for God?
In this class, we’ll explore an often-overlooked thread running through the biblical texts, one that raises provocative questions about the nature of God, worship, and divine appetite. What is the theology behind sacrifices, and is it consistent throughout the Bible? Or are there competing visions—some that challenge the very idea?
Join us as we set the table for a discussion that might change how you read Scripture forever.
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Emor〚 Holier Than Thou: The Priestly Manual Exposed 〛Torah Pearls
This week, Ross, Jono, and Ezra (our AI-critical scholar) step into the priestly playbook of Leviticus. We explore the rigid hierarchy of holiness, where physical defects disqualify, certain foods belong to God, and even a priest’s daughter can be burned for dishonoring her father.
We examine the sacred calendar and ask: do Yom Kippur and Yom Teruah have ancient roots—or were they added later by the Priestly writer? Is “God’s food” literal, or symbolic? What does Nehemiah 8 reveal about Israel’s festivals? And how does the story of the mixed-heritage blasphemer challenge traditional identity and justice?
Plus: Does Leviticus contain the Bible’s version of an “honor killing”? Was holiness contagious? And what’s with the concern over crushed testicles? Join us as we dig into these complex and sometimes uncomfortable priestly texts—critical questions and a little criticism included.
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ALTARed Texts〚 Who’s the Neighbor You’re Supposed to Love? 〛Pentateuch in Perspective: Acharey Mot-Kedoshim
This Sabbath, Ross explores the origins of what Jesus called the "second greatest commandment"—but long before it was quoted in the Gospels, it appeared in the Holiness Code of Leviticus. What does it really mean to “love your neighbor as yourself”? Who counts as a neighbor in biblical terms? Is it your friend, your fellow Israelite, or the outsider in your land? And how many laws actually govern our neighborly conduct?
Join us for a thought-provoking dive into ancient texts, where loving your neighbor wasn't just a feeling—it was a detailed legal obligation.
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Acharey Mot & Kedoshim〚 Weirdness in the Wilderness 〛Torah Pearls
In this week’s episode, Ross, Jono, and Ezra venture into some of the strangest terrain of the Torah—where goat demons haunt the wilderness, “uncovering nakedness” becomes a legal category, and the Day of Atonement seems conspicuously absent from the stories it should inhabit. We explore the infamous Holiness Code (Leviticus 17–20), examine the tension between priestly and prophetic voices, trace odd laws around blood, sacrifice, and sex, and uncover curious additions in ancient scrolls.
Is Leviticus 19 a new version of the Ten Words? Did Israel sacrifice to hairy goat spirits in the desert? And why does the Bible regulate roadkill? Tune in as we sift through purity, taboo, and sacred weirdness in the wild.
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ALTARed Texts〚Biblical Diets: Stirring the Pot 〛Pentateuch in Perspective: Shemini
From Eden to the end of days, the Bible is full of food—and full of food fights.In this class, we explore the sacred menus of Scripture: 🌿 Eden’s plant-based ideal 🥩 Noah’s post-flood meat allowance 🥓 Leviticus and Deuteronomy’s clean/unclean lists 🍗 Prophetic critiques of blood and flesh 🦞 Apostolic disagreements over what defiles 🍇 And New Testament claims that "all foods are clean"
Some say the Bible encourages a plant-based diet. Others say it clearly endorses eating meat. Everyone seems to have a verse—and a vendetta.
So who’s right? More importantly: what really matters to God?
This class doesn’t just stir the pot—it tips it over. If you think your diet is the holy one, you’ll want to watch this.
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Tazria-Metzora〚 Fluxes, Flows & Forbidden Fungus 〛Torah Pearls
In this week's Torah Pearls, Ross, Jono, and Ezra wade into some of the most unusual—and uncomfortably specific—sections of the Torah. Covering childbirth, skin eruptions, bodily discharges, and plague-like conditions in homes and garments, we ask whether these priestly purity laws are ancient dermatology, spiritual symbolism, or something else entirely? Why is childbirth treated as a source of impurity? Why is a woman required to bring a sin offering after giving birth? And what is the priest doing, smearing oil and blood on a man’s ear, thumb, and toe?
We explore the more profound logic behind the priestly worldview, where impurity is contagious, ritual is required, and even your sheets can render you unclean. Is this a reflection of divine command or priestly obsession? And how does this contrast with the Moses Scroll, which lacks sacrificial purification altogether?
From archaic rituals to theological tensions, join us as we confront these strange and sacred texts, where scabs, scurf, and sacrificial birds meet critical scholarship and thoughtful discussion.
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What if the core of faith could be captured on a single ancient page—and expressed in just ten words? It can. In this session, we trace the quest for the original Ten Words, exploring a long-forgotten version and a remarkable rediscovery that could reshape how we understand the Bible.
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Shemini〚 Fire, Food, or Fabrication 〛Torah Pearls
In this week’s Torah Pearls, Ross, Jono, and Ezra return to the Tabernacle where things heat up—literally. We explore the dramatic theophany at the altar, the strange death of Nadab and Abihu, and the priestly logic that seems more bureaucratic than divine. Did God really command these things? And if so, where’s the record?
We compare multiple texts describing the same event from different angles, examine whether holiness (or uncleanness) is contagious, and ask if Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 are really saying the same thing about diet. Plus, did God ever want sacrifices at all—or was it the “lying pen of the scribes”? Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and even a few Dead Sea Scrolls weigh in.
Come for the strange fire—stay for the sacred tension.
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ALTARed Texts〚 Smoke and Mirrors 〛Pentateuch in Perspective: Tsav
Did God ever command the sacrificial system—or was it added later by a “lying pen of the scribes”? In this week's class on Torah Portion Tzav, we examine the prophetic protest against the cult: Jeremiah boldly declares that God never commanded burnt offerings or sacrifices when He brought Israel out of Egypt. What does that mean? Is it possible the entire system was not Mosaic at all?
We’ll explore powerful texts from Jeremiah, Amos, Psalms, and more that seem to contradict the priestly claims in Leviticus. Could the true divine desire be mercy, justice, and faithfulness—not slaughter and smoke? This class revisits a critical controversy and offers a close, text-critical look at the tension between prophetic voices and priestly institutions.
Come ready to challenge assumptions and revisit the very heart of what God really asked of Israel.
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Tzav〚 Priestly Perquisites 〛Torah Pearls
This week on Torah Pearls, Ross, Jono, and Ezra (our resident AI textpert) wade deeper into the priestly waters of Leviticus. We examine the curious repetition of the priestly ordination—found in Exodus 28–29, 40, and Leviticus 8—and ask: are these accounts out of order, or does the rabbinic claim that “there’s no early or late in the Torah” explain it?
We explore priestly privileges (or "perquisites"), ponder the contagious nature of holiness and impurity, and unpack the word translated as “abomination” in Leviticus 7. What does it really mean—and how does it connect to Ezekiel’s infamous bread recipe?
Join us as we trace divine tax systems, discuss whether Ezra has a soul, and question the divine grammar behind sacred offerings—all while keeping it thought-provoking and just a little edgy.
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ALTARed Texts〚 The Consecration Conundrum 〛Pentateuch in Perspective
This week’s class uncovers a hidden complexity in the priestly ordination story. What many assume to be a single, unified event may actually be covered by multiple authors presenting differing accounts of the same ceremony.
Through close reading and side-by-side comparison, we’ll explore how the biblical texts subtly (and sometimes not-so-subtly) diverge. Could the variation point to different hands behind the narrative? Join us as we examine the clues and expose what’s often overlooked in the priestly pages of the Torah.
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Vayikra〚 Anachronistic Atonement 〛Torah Pearls
This week, Ross, Jono, and Ezra step into the deeply ritual world of Leviticus—the realm of the Priestly source. From gift offerings to expiatory sacrifices, we explore what these rites meant, how they functioned, and what they reveal about the worldview of P.
Is blood really required for atonement? What does “a sweet savor” mean? And what is “the salt of your god’s covenant”—and which covenant is it talking about anyway?
We tackle the big question: if Leviticus is largely a late priestly composition, why is it preserved in Scripture at all? Was it God's will, or did someone slip one past the scribes? Join us as we explore priestly politics, textual contradictions, and how the Moses Scroll may offer a very different vision—one with no shrine and no blood.
Don’t miss this thought-provoking dive into sacrifice, scribes, and the strange but sacred logic of Leviticus.
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Leaving Egypt〚 Spoiler Alert - Moses Didn't Write This 〛Pentateuch in Perspective
This week’s class explores the Torah portion Pekudey—the final chapter of Exodus—and lifts the curtain on a hidden reality behind the text and the fingerprints of a later hand.
Join us as we examine narrative anachronisms and compare synoptic sections of Exodus and Numbers, using a horizontal reading method to re-order events and timelines based on the text itself. What are the clues the text gives us—and conceals? Careful readers may find that some of the most sacred stories contain... spoilers.
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Pekudei 〚 〛 Torah Pearls
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