There stands in the Old City of Jerusalem a 2,000-year-old wall of limestone. Its beautifully chiseled ancient stones are of historical interest but have fueled much religious and political tension throughout its existence. But why this wall? Why is it worth all the strife and spilled blood surrounding it? Why do millions of people come from all over the world to visit this 187-foot section of wall – sometimes over 1 million people in just one month?      

Mount Moriah

To fully understand the significance of The Wall, we must have at least a basic understanding of Mount Moriah. Now called the Temple Mount, and a seemingly small area comparatively, many significant acts of faith took place in this very spot. On Mount Moriah, Abraham took Isaac to sacrifice him out of obedience to God. Abraham named this area “the LORD will provide” after God provided a ram to be offered in Isaac’s place.

1 Chronicles 21:18-30 and 2 Chronicles 3:1 describe Mount Moriah as the place God appeared to David and answered his prayer to end the plague on his people. It’s also the site of the threshing floor that David purchased for the Temple to be built. Ornan (or Araunah, depending on your translation), the floor’s previous owner, offered to give it to him, but David said he wouldn’t offer to God that which cost him nothing and paid for it anyway. Doesn’t that show us what’s going on in David’s heart? Service to God isn’t really sacrificing if it costs us nothing!

Solomon then built the Temple on Mount Moriah, which was later rebuilt after the first Temple was destroyed. Many places in the Bible (Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation, among others) indicate that there will be a holy temple in the future. Scripture indicates that Mount Moriah will again be where God inhabits His Temple.

Solomon’s Temple

Built almost 3,000 years ago on Mount Moriah, in the 10th century BCE, the Temple for God was among the grandest of structures in history. Read about it in 1 Kings 6-8. It was indeed a work of art! During his reign, building the Temple was on David’s heart but was later constructed by his son, Solomon. This Temple wasn’t just a beautiful church building. Called the house of God in the Bible, it contained the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies and was where sacrifices were carried out according to the Laws of God. The design came from God and was given to David (1 Ch. 28:19), who then passed it on to his son when the time came for it to be built.

In 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 5, it’s recorded that the presence of God showed up in the form of a cloud during the dedication of the Temple. When the priests exited the Holy of Holies, the innermost part of the Temple, after placing the Ark of the Covenant there, the glory of God filled the Temple in the form of a cloud. The Bible says that cloud permeated the building, so the priests couldn’t even stand to minister! Clearly, God thought highly of the Temple King Solomon had built for Him!

The Second Temple

In about 587 BCE, the city of Jerusalem was occupied and taken over by the Babylonians. King Nebuchadnezzar II had not only Solomon’s Temple destroyed but all of Jerusalem burned.

After the fall of the Babylonian Empire in 516 BCE, Cyrus the Great allowed the Jewish people to rebuild the Temple. It was reconstructed in the same place as the first. In 19 BCE, Herod built a semi-rectangular retaining wall around the Temple area, and the Temple was completed during the reign of his grandson, King Agrippa II, as recorded by historian Josephus Flavius. The Western wall of this rectangular retaining wall is what’s currently known as The Western Wall.

The Temple today

The story behind the celebration of Hanukkah covers the period when the Seleucid Empire had control of Jerusalem. Antiochus IV followed in his father’s footsteps in trying to Hellenize the Jews. The Temple was desecrated with the pagan practices of the Greeks, which eventually led to the Maccabean Revolt and their miraculous victory.

Roman rule over Jerusalem in 70 CE brought the most recent destruction to The Temple. This time it wasn’t rebuilt (at least not yet!). Both the Romans and the Christians under Constantine forbade the Jews from entering Jerusalem for centuries, except just one day annually, the 9th of the month of Av, when they were allowed to visit to mourn the Temple.

In the 7th century, the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem led to them building a shrine on the Temple site, the Dome of the Rock, in 691 CE. Even after the Nation of Israel regained control over Jerusalem in 1967, the Temple Mount remained under Jordanian rule. It’s still this way today, and though Jews may visit, they may not pray there. The closest place to the Temple they’re permitted to pray is the Western Wall, which is why the Kotel, or “wall” in Hebrew, is considered the holiest site in Judaism.

Christians and The Wall

Should the Western Wall be a sacred site for Christians? The short answer is yes! Though we are not Jewish, our belief in Jesus as the Messiah has allowed our Gentile selves to be grafted in, allowing us to become God’s people. The promises God made to the Israelites in the Old Testament also apply to us.  

The Temple is not only part of the history of our faith as Christians and our spiritual heritage as people of the Kingdom of God; it’s also the place our God physically inhabited here on earth to be with His people, pre-Jesus. It’s easy to forget that our God is real, supernatural, and awesome! Don’t miss the significance of the history of this Temple. Your God thought the place was important enough to live there. Your God lived there. For real. Let that sink in.

Jesus at The Temple

Another reason for Christians to honor the Temple is that it was a place of worship for our Savior, Jesus. The Bible records many situations where we find Jesus in different life stages at the Temple in Jerusalem.

As an infant

Jesus’s first visit to The Temple was when he was just 40 days old. Mary and Joseph brought him there to fulfill the command in the Torah to do so (Luke 2:22-38). He also went there at least as often as once yearly as he grew up (Luke 2:41).

As a young man

At 12, Jesus went to Jerusalem with his parents to celebrate Passover. Then, he was accidentally left behind and was found asking brilliant questions of the rabbis there (Luke 2:41-51).

As a man

The most well-known story from Jesus at the Temple was when he overturned the sellers’ tables (Mark 11:15-18), but that wasn’t the only time he went to the Temple. During one period in his adult life, he taught there daily (Luke 21:37-38).

As believers in the truth of scripture, the God of the Bible, and Jesus as Lord, it can be seen that the Western Wall and the Temple it represents are of great importance. The fact that Jesus fulfills the need for a sacrifice for our sin, causing us not to need a temple for sin sacrifices, doesn’t diminish the significance of The Temple and its Western Wall. While not all of us can visit it in person, Christians can honor this site and thus our God from afar by learning more about its history and effect on the world both politically and prophetically. If you can, a visit to the Western Wall (as well as other significant sites in The Holy Land) will grow and concrete your faith and understanding of the land of the Bible.

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In the first episode of Season 3, we get to know Judas Iscariot and see the Sermon on the Mount from the “inside.” We also meet Joanna, another of Jesus’s female followers. This episode is another touching and creative part of the story seen through the eyes of The Chosen series. 

To see my previous articles Explaining The Chosen, find them here.

Sitting Shiva

Matthew’s father felt he had been betrayed by Matthew and declared he had no son. Matthew’s family acted as if Matthew had died when he suggested they sit Shiva for the next seven days.

Sitting Shiva is a beautiful Jewish custom where the family of the dead takes a seven-day break from work, other social interactions, etc., and spends time together. They gather in their own or the deceased’s home and mourn, heal, and remember the one they lost to this earthly life. 

This healing custom is a healthy way to support those whose earthly lives have been drastically changed by losing a loved one. But in The Chosen, Matthew’s father used it to distance the family from Matthew because of his status as a tax collector for the Romans. 

Judas of Kerioth

When Judas met Jesus, Jesus referred to him as Judas of Kerioth. But how do we know where Judas came from? It’s assumed he came from Kerioth because of his name: Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot is close to Judas Ish Kerioth, meaning “man from Kerioth.” 

Jesus then comments on the meaning of Judas’s name. Judas is a Hellenized form of his Hebrew name, but he was probably known among Jesus and other Jews as “Yehudah.” In your Bible, “Yehudah” is perhaps written as “Judah,” and it was a common name in Jesus’s time. 

Yehudah (יְהוּדָה) is a combination of the words Yah and Yadah. Yah is a name for God, used in many places in the Bible, and Yadah means to give praise, particularly with the hands, as Jesus points out in this scene. The word Yad means “hand.”

Aaronic Blessing

Before dismissing the disciples, Jesus prayed a blessing over them, and this blessing probably sounds familiar to you. From Numbers 6:22-27, the Aaronic Blessing (or Aaronic Benediction) goes like this.

The LORD make His face to shine upon you

(Ya’ayr Adonai panav ‘aylekha – יָאֵר יְיָ פָּנָין אֵלֶיךָ)

And be gracious unto you.

(Veekhoonekha; – וׅיחֻנֶּךָ׃)

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you

(Yeesa’ Adonai panav ‘aylekha – יׅשָּׂא יְיָ פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ)

And give you peace.

(V’yasaym l’kha shalom. – וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֺם)

Joanna

After the disciples disperse, we meet Joanna, a wealthy woman out of her element but interested in Jesus. Not mentioned more than a couple of times in the Bible, Joanna was a follower of Jesus. We know that she was wealthy because Luke 8:3 tells us she was one of a group of women who contributed out of their own means. 

The other thing we know about Joanna is that she was Herod’s steward, Chuza’s wife. The Bible doesn’t tell us what her husband thought of her visiting Jesus, but I’m guessing that may have been complicated! We also know she was one of the women who visited the tomb after Jesus’s resurrection, when the angel appeared and told them the good news, “He is not here. He has risen!”.

Joanna told the women that she was from Machaerus. Machaerus was the location of one of Herod’s palaces – where John the Baptist was beheaded at Herodius’s request.  

The Mezuzah

I’ve explained the mezuzah in Explaining The Chosen, Season 1, Episodes 7 and 8, and Season 2, Episode 7. Four times in this episode, a character touches the mezuzah (the small box nailed to the doorpost). The first was Rabbi Yussif, as he walked into the room where he talked to Jairus, and later in this episode, as he left the same room. Then Judas touched the mezuzah in the doorway before leaving his house, then again after returning to retrieve his plant. 

A mezuzah serves as a physical reminder of the words of the Shema (Deut. 6:4-9).

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, (NASB)

The Shema is where we’re instructed to make God the center of our lives. We’re to teach His word to our children as we go about our day. His words should be bound to us and even be written on the doorposts of our houses. It teaches us what we’re supposed to be doing with our time on Earth and how to live as one of God’s people. We must love God with all we are and make sure His word saturates every area of our lives!

The Anointed One

When Judas was telling his plans to follow Jesus to his sister, Devorah, he called Jesus “the anointed one.” In Hebrew, “anointed one” is “mashiach” (מָשִׁיחַ) or “messiah.” 

And a side note: Devorah, Judas’s sister’s name, “Deborah,” in English, means “bee,” as in the honey-making insect! 

We got to know Judas and learned what the Sermon on the Mount may have been like for the disciples. And what an ending this episode had! Will Matthew reconcile with his father? We’ll find out in Episode 2!

In the last episode of Season 2, we see Jesus’s followers making preparations for Jesus to deliver his sermon to a vast crowd. The curiosity of the Romans and suspicion of the Jewish leaders continues to grow as the disciples navigate Jesus’s ministry and disputes among themselves.  

Caution: Spoilers ahead! Haven’t seen it yet? Click here to view!  

Looking for my other articles Explaining The Chosen? Find them here!

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Selling the land

In the opening scene, men claiming to be descendants of Simeon negotiate a land purchase from a descendant of Reuben. They lied to say they were descendants because they knew they would not get the sale otherwise. 

It must have been known then, even outside the Jewish community, that the nation of Israel would not sell land to outsiders. Not willing to sell the land may sound selfish, but it’s out of obedience to God. 

The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me.

Deuteronomy 25:23

There’s a heated dispute (and has been for thousands of years) about who the land of Israel belongs to, but those who believe the truth of the Bible take God at His word. God says the land is His, and He promised that Abraham and his descendants would live there, so we know the Jewish people are its rightful owners (Gen. 15:18-21 and other verses).

Hellenism

John says that Simon the Zealot’s obsession with exercise “smacks of Hellenism.” He’s referring to the pagan Greek influence that had begun to creep into Jewish life. Exercise doesn’t sound like a concerning threat to the Jewish people, but there were worse consequences of Hellenism.

Greek and Jewish cultures were very different, but the Greeks (and Greek-like Macedonians) lived in the same areas at this time, so there was an incentive to assimilate. Some Jewish people adopted a Greek way of life, including worshipping idols and other practices forbidden by God. 

The attraction to assimilate was strong, not just because it led to more peaceful cities or for political reasons. Sometimes it was forced. The story of the Maccabees that led to the celebration of Hanukkah tells of a horrific time when the Jewish people were heavily persecuted and forced to abandon their religious practices. 

But remember, we live in a fallen world and know that those who worship the one true God will be persecuted. Jesus knew this persecution would happen and gave us some encouraging words.

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28

Unfortunately, God’s people have experienced persecution throughout history, do currently, and will in the future too. If you follow God and His Son, know you may be mistreated because of your faith. Jesus warned that they persecuted him and that following him would come with the possibility that we would also be. 

When you experience actual persecution, know that it’s because you’re on the right side of the eternal perspective. It’s right to follow God’s Word, even if those around us don’t understand why we do what we do.    

They all want to follow in the right way

After we see Ramah and Mary studying Psalm 139, Thomas and Tamar consider the disciples’ arguing. Thomas comments, “They all love our rabbi and want to follow him in the right way. They just can’t agree on what that right way is.”

His comment reminded me of what I see going on in so many circles of Believers today. We all have a heart to follow God in a way that pleases Him, but we often disagree on how it should be done. Instead of focusing on what unites us, we allow our differences to divide us. 

It takes determined intentionality to ensure we don’t get onto this path. A fallen world surrounds all Believers, but we must not get distracted and start acting like the world. We must respect each other as we respond to the guidance and conviction of the Spirit in how we’re led. We can lovingly wrestle with differences in Scriptural interpretation and humbly hold each other accountable when we stray. The human tendency is to let our pride take hold and cling to our side, but we must focus on eternal things and keep unity as one of our highest priorities.

The House of Shammai  

Shmuel and Yanni spoke with Shammai about their concerns about Jesus and his ministry, and he seemed to relish in the friction it would cause. As I explained in Episode 5 of Season 2, the two prevailing schools of thought in Jewish leadership at the time were the houses of Shammai and Hillel. These two rabbis had differing perspectives on how Biblical laws should be lived out. Shammai tended toward more strict adherence to the commandments, while Hillel aimed to reform these rigid views with a more compassionate and people-centered interpretation of Scripture. Jesus was more on the Hillel side, as he demonstrated when he challenged the Pharisees on some aspects of Jewish law.     

These two schools of thought tended to be aggressive toward one another. This disagreement even resulted in fighting at times. Hillel essentially won over most Jewish leadership, as modern Judaism now leans more toward the Hillel.

The healing of the world

When Jesus and Matthew are writing the sermon, Jesus points out that he wants his people to participate in the healing of the world, not its destruction. 

There’s a concept in Judaism called Tikkun Olam, meaning “repair the world.” In response to our broken world, this concept encourages people to do whatever’s within their capability to fix the world around them. Tikkun Olam inspires people to care for the environment, foster healthy relationships, give to charity, etc., to restore the earth to the state of the Garden of Eden.

Although we won’t be able to reach the perfect state of the Garden, there are things we can all do to improve the world around us for ourselves, others, and future generations. The theme of Tikkun Olam is that we do all in our power to do what we can to improve the world we live in.

And that wraps up the final episode of Season 2! I look forward to covering Season 3, so follow Hebrew Roots Mom on social media or sign up for the newsletter to find out when new articles are published. Find all my articles Explaining The Chosen here. 

If you haven’t seen my previous reviews on Artza Boxes, you may not know that they are such a great idea for those who love Israel! Artza features a different area of the Holy Land each quarter, sending unique items from local artisans right to your door!

This quarter, the Mount Carmel region is featured. In the Northern part of Israel, the term Mount Carmel can refer to the surrounding mountain range or just the steep southernmost end of it. Cities in the area include Haifa and other small towns. 

Biblically, Mount Carmel was where Elijah spent much of his time. He challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah to a contest to see who was the one true God of Israel on Mount Carmel. It’s also where Elijah cursed the young boys who jeered at him, which resulted in bears coming out of the forest and killing 42 of them! 

In Hebrew, Mount Carmel is הַר הַכַּרְמֶל (Har HaCarmel). Carmel (כַּרְמֶל) means garden land or fruitful place, and the word literally means “vineyard of God”! The area is lush, covered with many different types of trees, and archaeologists have discovered wine and olive presses from ancient times. 

In this box, those at Artza have thoughtfully added meaningful items from the Mount Carmel region. They thought of the significance of everything – even down to the box’s color, inspired by the included photo of the sunset on Mount Carmel, which is included in each Carmel Artzabox.

Here are the items featured in the Carmel box.

Liba De Alma Earth Necklace

This necklace will be my most used item from this quarter’s box! It’s a necklace with a pendant that holds soil from Israel. With this necklace, you can keep an authentic bit of the Holy Land close to your heart. It makes a lovely addition to any outfit and will surely be a conversation piece!

As Believers, what is on our hearts should be the things on God’s heart. Biblically, the Land of Israel is very special to Him, and it should be to us, also. This necklace gives us a way to demonstrate our love for Israel and to remind us to pray for the Holy City as God tells us to do in Psalm 122:6 – “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

These meaningful necklaces are handmade by Bat El (her name means “daughter of God”!) and Shira. They collected soil from various places in Israel and crushed and layered it beautifully to create these pendants. They hope these necklaces will remind the wearers of the beauty and blessings that come from Israel.

Cocoa Tahini Spread

My family loved this addition to the Carmel box! My kids love Nutella and we all agree that this Tahini Spread is SO much better! It’s not as sweet as Nutella and is very flavorful. And it arrived right on time as we’re celebrating Passover and Unleavened Bread this week. It’s been a perfect topping for all the matzah we’re snacking on! 

Coconut Coated Hazelnuts

Grown in Israel, these hazelnuts would be delicious by themselves, let alone with the fantastic coating they have! They’re covered in a tasty and crunchy outer layer that perfectly accompanies the hazelnut inside.

These tasty treats are made by Gidi Mizrahi, a man from one of Jerusalem’s oldest merchant families! You can see Mizrahi’s love for the Land just by looking at the package of these Coconut Coated Hazelnuts. This verse is on the front: “…take the best fruits in the land… a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds…” Genesis 43:11. These coated Hazelnuts are for sure some of the best of the Land!

Hand Painted Ceramic Psalms Plate

Decorated with richly-colored leaves and flowers, this hand-painted plate boasts Psalm 96:12, “Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” What a wonderful reminder for God’s people to join with creation and rejoice! 

Herbal Carmel Spice Mix

This aromatic spice combination says it can be used on fish or grilled chicken breast, baked potatoes, anti pasti, pizza, cheese, and vegetable dishes. That’s quite a long list of uses! It comes with a recipe card for Carmel Mountain Chicken, which my family thought was delicious!

A change from the usual blend of spices, this mix also contains hyssop, coriander, and chives. The package says it’s “Inspired by the flavors of Carmel mountain,” and the herbs are from that area. What a pleasing way to experience the Carmel region!

Dr. Dabour Organic Body Lotion

This body lotion is silky with a gentle fragrance, perfect for smoothing your skin after a bath or shower. It has a pleasant but not too powerful scent and contains pomegranate, olive leaf, lavender, and grape seed oil to leave your skin soft and smooth. It also doesn’t leave your skin greasy after use, as many lotions do!

Dr. Dabour is widely known as one of Israel’s top doctors. He has a unique approach to healthcare, combining the wisdom of ancient traditions with modern medicine to positively affect the lives of his patients. This luxurious body cream is just one of his many creations that use the valuable offerings of the Holy Land.

Painted Flowers 

Yair Emanuel is a well-known Israeli artist. You can find his recognizable art worldwide, known for its vivid colors and joyful designs like birds, pomegranates, and flowers. Another of his pieces was featured in the Artza Golan Heights Box, and it’s a delightful addition to the shelf just above my desk. 

These flowers are just perfect for Spring! They are large and bright and make me look forward to the ones that will pop up in my yard now that the weather is warming. The colors – orange, purple, and teal and the detailed designs make a cheerful, energetic combination.  

Raw Wooden Trivet/Cutting Board

Made from the trees of the forested Carmel region, this addition to the Premium Subscriber box is even more meaningful with the following verse on it:

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

This verse and the one from Psalms on the plate I mentioned above are such joyful verses! Isn’t it amazing that God’s creation gives glory back to Him? We should do so also!

Mount Carmel Postcards

Each Artzabox includes two postcards featuring images of exciting scenery in the area. This box is no exception. One of the postcards discusses the Israeli Druze, a community that has inhabited the Carmel area for over a thousand years! The other features a stunning photo of the site that’s thought to be where Elijah challenged the pagan prophets.  

Map and Hebrew Cards

Two cards included in the Carmel box haven’t been in previous Artzaboxes, but I hope this is a new item they intend to include from now on! One is a map of Israel with the Carmel area highlighted. The other is exciting for us Hebrew lovers. It has a few Hebrew words, with pictures so we can learn a little vocabulary of the Land. 

Would you like to order an Artzabox for yourself or as a gift? Here’s a coupon code for 20% off of your first order: HEBREW20 

In the second to last episode in Season Two of The Chosen, we see the tension rising, with Rome and the Jewish leaders becoming more concerned about Jesus’s influence. Jesus continues his ministry, teaching what we now know as the Lord’s Prayer to his most loyal followers. 

Looking for my other articles Explaining The Chosen? Click here!

Caution: Spoilers ahead! Haven’t seen it yet? Click here to view!  

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Yehudah

During Shmuel and Yanni’s conversation with Yussif, they reference a man named Yehuda, perhaps better known as Judah. Now, it’s the wrong place on the Biblical timeline for them to be referring to Judah, son of Jacob (even though they mention Tamar in the same scene), so they’re talking about a man named after Judah. 

Judah is a son of Jacob that we know a lot about since prophecy states that the messiah will descend from his lineage. Yehudah (Judah) is also the ancestor of the Jewish people or the Yehudim, as they’re called in Hebrew in the Bible.

False Witness

Shmuel and Yanni reacted with stunned silence when Yussif asked, “And what if you discover the healing was not on Shabbat?”. Why such stress? Because if they accused Jesus of healing on Shabbat and that was not true, they would be considered false witnesses. And the Bible says false witnesses are to be punished.

If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you. Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Deuteronomy 19:16-21 (NASB)

Depending on what punishment Shmuel and Yanni had in mind for Jesus (the penalty for blasphemy was stoning), their being incorrect in what they accused him of would bring that down on them! They were in a very serious situation, and it was of utmost importance that their testimony was correct!

“The grain thing”

When Simon and Andrew talked in the boat, Andrew expressed concern that Jesus had led the disciples to pick grain on Shabbat. He worried that it would draw negative attention from the Pharisees, which it did, as we see in the Gospels (Matt. 12:1-8). 

The Pharisees accused Jesus of violating the Sabbath. Many, even today, see this as Jesus breaking a Law to demonstrate that we no longer have to adhere to Biblical Law as his followers.

The only problem with this interpretation is that no Law in the Torah says not to pick grain on the Sabbath. The “law” Jesus broke was a “fence” around the Law (fences are also discussed in Explaining The Chosen: S1 E4, S1 E8, S2 E3, and S2 E6) that the Pharisees had created. Like many Believers do today, the Pharisees wanted to help God’s people avoid disobedience by making rules for how to live. Some current examples would be when Christians decide never to be alone with someone of the opposite sex or to avoid alcohol. 

The Fourth Philosophy

The Roman officer told Shmuel and Yanni that their information about the whereabouts of Jesus was outdated and asked them what they knew about the Zealots. “The Fourth Philosophy?!” Says Shmuel questioningly. 

The Zealots were Jews that were very passionate and intensely disliked the Romans and the Pagan influence they brought when they were in power. They were considered a fourth philosophy (or sect) of Judaism, with the other three being the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes.

Jotapota

While traveling to Jotapota, Gaius and Atticus discuss the state of Jotapota. Atticus describes the four sects of Jews found there and that the praetor there held his power loosely compared to elsewhere. 

Josephus reports Jotapota (also known as Yodfat) as the site of a famous battle during the Jewish revolt against the Romans. Because of the great concentration of all Jewish sects, especially the Zealots, this city put up a long and bloody battle but was eventually defeated. The residents were killed or enslaved by the Romans.

Lord of the Sabbath and Son of Man

Andrew was upset that word could reach the Sanhedrin that Jesus claimed to be the Lord of the Sabbath and the Son of Man. In Exodus 31:13, God says the Sabbath belongs to Him. For Jesus to claim to be Lord of the Sabbath is a huge statement!

The Son of Man is a phrase used throughout the Old Testament to indicate a person’s humanity, but it’s also used in reference to the messiah. Daniel 7:13-14 describes the Son of Man as the one that comes on the clouds to whom everlasting dominion is given! Just as the claim to be Lord of the Sabbath, using the phrase “Son of Man” to describe himself would have caused quite a stir!

Jesus’s race

When Quintus talked to Jesus, he said, “If your race weren’t so repugnant and odious, I’d offer you a job!”. Why would he say such a thing about the Jewish people?

People groups that lived near the Israelites and, later, the Jewish people didn’t understand their way of life. Historic resources document that the Egyptians were confused by the Hebrew people. They considered them lazy because they kept the Sabbath and strange because they worshipped only one God. The Romans disliked how the Jewish people answered to a higher authority than them. 

Even more recently, we see this hatred and misunderstanding from the Nazi party and even see it in our culture today. Historically, one belief that kept people divided and hating one another was to see the other group as less than human. It’s not easy to hate and be abusive to a fellow human being, but it seems far more reasonable if you’re convinced that the other is of non-human status and unworthy of equal treatment. 

Less-than-human is how the Romans viewed Jesus’s people as a mass to be controlled, not a group of individuals chosen by our Creator. I appreciate how The Chosen’s writers ensured Jesus stood with his people when confronted with Quintus’s insult. I’m sure Jesus didn’t like how the Romans hated his people, God’s chosen people.

The anti-semitism demonstrated in this scene of The Chosen should remind Believers that we should view the Jewish people as God does. God has a heart that welcomes all, but the Bible is clear that he has a special place in His heart for the Jewish people. If we are Bible believers and believe in God’s sovereignty, we must be the first to recognize the value of the Jewish people to the world.

“Sorry about your cousin.”

Quintus, in his arrogant way, apologizes for what happened to Jesus’s cousin, John the Baptist. We know how this sad story went because it’s recorded in Matthew 14:1-12 and Mark 6:17-29. In short, John confronted Herod because he married his sister-in-law while his brother was still living, against the law of Levirate marriage in Leviticus 18:16.  

Herod professed that he was Jewish (this is questionable historically) but didn’t keep the Laws of the Torah. When John confronted Herod, it greatly offended Herod’s new wife, Herodias. After Herodius’s daughter performed a dance that satisfied Herod and his guests at a party, Herod offered her whatever she wanted. At the guidance of her mother, she asked for John the Baptist’s head on a platter, and that’s what she got! 

Like other prophets in the Bible, John was given the gift of prophecy, which cost him his life. He boldly obeyed when God gave him messages for the people even though he wasn’t liked. Although we may not have been given the gift of prophecy, we should learn from an obedient servant like John. He boldly spoke the truth and gave his life to serve God, even until the end.

The Lord’s Prayer

In this scene, Jesus teaches his followers to pray, as recorded in Matthew 9:6-13 and Luke 11:2-4. This prayer has become precious to all of Jesus’s followers since and is a meaningful prayer for Believers today as well.

Although you probably learned the Lord’s Prayer in English, and it’s recorded in the New Testament in Greek, it’s likely that Jesus and the disciples initially said it in Hebrew or Aramaic. For this reason, many have memorized and recited it in one of those languages instead. 

Here it is if you want to learn the Lord’s Prayer in Hebrew.

אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם

Ah-vee-noo, she-bah-shah-mah-eem, 

Our Father Who is in Heaven 

יִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֶךָ

yeet-kah-dahsh sheh-meh-kah

holy is Your name

תָּבֹא מַלְכוּתֶךָ

Tah-vo mal-choo-teh-kah

Your Kingdom come

יֵעָשֶׂה רְצוֹנְךָ

Yeh-ah-seh reh-tson-neh-kah

Your will be done

בָּאָרֶץ כַּאֲשֶׁר

bah-ah-rets ka-a-sher

on earth as

נַעֲשָׂה בַשָּׁמָיִם

na-ah-sah va-shah-mah-yeem

it is in heaven

תֶּן־לָנוּ הַיּוֹם

ten-lah-noo ha-yom

give to us this day

לֶחֶם חֻקֵּנוּ

leh-chem choo-kah-noo

our daily bread 

וּסְלַח־לָנוּ אֶת־אַשְׁמָתֵנוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר

oo-seh-lach la-noo et ahsh-mah-teh-noo kah-ah-sher

and forgive our sins as 

סֹלְחִים אֲנַחְנוּ לַאֲשֶׁר אָשְׁמוּ לָנוּ

so-leh-chim ah-nach-noo la-ah-sher ahsh-moo lah-noo

we forgive those who sin against 

וְאַל־תְּבִיאֵנוּ

veh-al teh-vei-eh-noo

and lead us not

לִידֵי מַסָּה

lee-dey mas-sah

into the hands of temptation

כִּי אִם־הַצִּילֵנוּ

kee-eem ha-tzee-leh-noo

but deliver us

מִן־הָרָע

meen hah-rah

from the evil one

Side note: The last part of the Lord’s Prayer (For thine of the power and the glory forever and ever, Amen) isn’t here because it isn’t in the Biblical text and was later added by the Protestant church. I’m not opposed to the addition; I just didn’t include it here.

Some think Jesus spoke Aramaic, not Hebrew. He probably spoke both (maybe among other languages as well). If you’re interested in the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic, here’s an excellent resource for that: https://jesusspokearamaic.com/Libraries/LordsPrayer-StudyGuide/Study-Guide-Lords-Prayer.pdf

What a great way to wrap up the episode. I look forward to finding more fascinating gems in future episodes! Find all my articles Explaining The Chosen here.

Join Stephanie Pavlantos and me on her podcast, Grafted, in discussing the Torah and how it relates to us as Believers. Listen here!

My guest is Holly Eastburg from HebrewRootsMom.com.

Is the Torah still relevant to us today? Does it have anything to do with Salvation? Do we really need to keep the Torah with its laws and teachings? Is there a more significant spiritual blessing for those who do? Holly and I discuss that and more in today’s episode.