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The second episode in The Chosen’s second season introduces us to the prophet Nathanael and Philip in their pre-disciple days. I love that the writers of The Chosen strive to be true to the Jewishness and cultural context of the Bible. We see this context reflected again in this episode and can also appreciate the creative license the writers take as they show the characters’ humanity.

Haven’t seen it yet? Click here to watch!

Click here to read my other posts Explaining The Chosen.

Nathanael Building the Temple

In the opening scene, we see Nathanael, a passionate architect and follower of the one true God. Thought to be the same person as Bartholomew in the Bible, we’re not sure of Nathanael’s occupation. The Chosen’s writers probably decided to make him an architect so they could explain Jesus’s later interaction with him in John 1:43-51. 

At first meeting in the Book of John, Jesus knew that Nathanael was of trustworthy character and said he “saw him under the fig tree.” In The Chosen’s interpretation, this is explained by Jesus knowing Nathanael’s dedication in designing the building in service to God and knowledge of his despair in his failure. We’ll be further introduced to Nathanael later in this episode. 

Philip Emerges from the Bashan

The Bashan is an area of land East of the Jordan River, and it’s the location of the Kingdom of Og in the Old Testament. It’s described as a fertile area, producing strong bulls and oaks, among other things. 

When Philip emerges from the forest, he tells Simon to say “hello” to his friend, Andrew. Although there is more than one Philip in the Bible, this Philip came from the same area Simon and Andrew did – Bethsaida. And, though we know little about him, some believe he was a disciple of John the Baptist before he was one of Jesus’s twelve disciples.

Prophecy Against Gog and Magog

When Matthew collects wood from the ravine, which turns out to be wet, the disciples quote Ezekiel 39:9-10 in unison. In this prophecy, the inhabitants of Israel would not need to cut wood because they would make their fires out of the weapons of their enemy – Magog, and Gog, Magog’s leader.

“Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them. They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, for they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoil of those who despoiled them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them,” declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 39:9-10, (NASB)

Spoiler alert – in this war between Magog and Israel, Magog loses because it’s God that’s doing the fighting for Israel. This war is still in the future, in the End Times. The context describes a time when the people of Israel have returned to the land of Israel and the surrounding countries united against them. But, as any of us who have studied Revelation know, there will be challenging times, but God and His people will come out victorious in the end!

Nathanael and the Bartender

In his conversation with the bartender, Nathanael describes the death of the architect in him. He tells of his struggle to rise to that position and his passion for building synagogues out of his devotion to God. We don’t find this part of the story in the Bible, but it’s a creative interpretation to explain Jesus’s response to Nathanael as having “no deceit” in him.

Hebrew School

Jewish boys start attending classes to learn the Biblical Hebrew language and the foundations of their faith at eight years old. Jewish girls attend Hebrew school now as well, but Jewish boys have been participating in this tradition for thousands of years.

Because of Hebrew school, most Jewish boys and girls have a solid knowledge of their faith and their Bible by their teen years. What an excellent way to intentionally pass on their faith to the next generation! I’m sure Hebrew school has enormously contributed to why Judaism has survived so much persecution throughout history. 

If you’re a parent or grandparent or even know any children, passing your faith on is your responsibility too! The Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, tells us what we should be doing with our lives as God’s people. Verse 7 clearly tells us that we should be diligent in teaching God’s truths to our children. 

Nathanael Under the Fig Tree

We’re not sure what Nathanael was doing under the fig tree when Jesus mentions it in the Book of John. Biblical scholars have even suggested Jesus’s referral to Nathanael under the fig tree may be symbolic language rather than a physical occurrence. But whether he was under a real tree or Jesus was using an idiom, we can be sure the meaning of Jesus’s words has great significance and reveals Nathanael’s key character traits.

In the fig tree scene, Nathanael cries out to God in despair and quotes Psalm 102:1-2.

Hear my prayer, O LORD!

And let my cry for help come to You.

Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress;

Incline Your ear to me;

In the day when I call answer me quickly.

Psalm 102:1-2 (NASB)

Out of his mourning, we see Nathanael putting handfuls of ashes on his head. Like Tamar in 2 Samuel 13:19, he demonstrated his deep despair in this way. Ashes were placed on the head or elsewhere out of mourning and were often accompanied by putting on sackcloth as a humble garment.

“He’s proud of you, like a father”

When reminiscing with Andrew, Simon, and Thomas about his days with John the Baptist, Andrew interrupts to ask how John is. Philip then tells Andrew that John is proud of him – “like a father.” 

So, how do Andrew and John the Baptist know each other? Andrew was once a disciple of John, and he even witnessed an interaction between John and Jesus during his time following John. We can read about this in John 1:35-41. We tend to think of these men as having no connection with Jesus before their calling to follow him, which came out of nowhere, but that’s not the case, at least with some of them.  

John was Jesus’s cousin and recognized something special about Jesus, even in the womb (Luke 1:41)! He probably had many disciples throughout his ministry and baptized Jesus, being a first-hand witness to God publicly declaring Jesus His son (Matt 3:17, Mk. 1:11, Lk. 2:14). Because of this history between the two of them, you can be sure that John taught his disciples and others in his audience, who Jesus was.  

Prayer

Thaddeus comments that prayer is like Matthew’s writing. At first, it begins as a chore but becomes a habit. 

Prayer doesn’t seem like a chore, though, does it? I’d be curious to see how many of us thought prayer seemed like a chore when we first began. Often we’re eager to pray when we first acknowledge God as someone we can talk to. Praying isn’t so much a chore as a way to experience and build a relationship with the God we’ve heard so much about.

But, being a regular Jewish guy, this type of prayer isn’t likely what Thaddeus is referring to. He’s likely referring to Jewish prayers, which are deep and meaningful and are said routinely throughout the day or during specific activities. 

Here are a few examples of these types of prayers:

The Model Ani (Said later in this episode by Ramah, also in the previous episode)

The Shema

The Aaronic Blessing

Blessings on the eve of the Sabbath

The Amidah

The Hand Washing Blessing

While it may seem strange and robotic to say prescribed prayers throughout your daily activities, these prayers and their various customs and traditions have kept the Jewish people connected with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for thousands of years! Many argue that the process of repeating the same prayers could result in a cold, rote, and disconnected prayer life, and it could. But, like so many aspects of our faith, it depends on where your heart is. Having a disciplined prayer life can be a tool to bring you closer to God, as long as you approach it honestly and humbly, listening for what God truly has to say to you.

My family and I say some of these prescribed prayers regularly, and I have to say I agree with Thaddeus. It does seem like a chore at first (especially if you try to memorize them in Hebrew!), but then it becomes a habit – a way of staying connected with God throughout the everyday rhythm of life. If you don’t already, I challenge you to include some of these prayers in your prayer life and see how it changes!

Shalom, Shalom 

While traveling, Andrew leaves Jesus and Simon to take his turn pushing the cart. As he goes, they all say “Shalom, Shalom” to each other. Repeating “shalom” is a greeting, taking the place of both hello and goodbye, in Israel and among Jewish people even today. Why?

The word “shalom” is usually translated into English as “peace,” but, as I’ve written, peace isn’t its only meaning. There’s so much more! In short, shalom encompasses perfect completion. It’s a concept where everything is as it was meant to be, and true peace has been achieved universally. 

Repeating shalom also has meaning. In Hebrew writing and culture, repetition strengthens the message. Here are a couple of examples:

Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem,

You who have drunk from the LORD’S hand the cup of His anger;

The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.

Isaiah 51:17, (NASB)

My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart!

My heart is pounding in me;

I cannot be silent,

Because you have heard, O my soul,

The sound of the trumpet,

The alarm of war.

Jeremiah 4:19, (NASB)

Repeating Shalom, Shalom when greeting someone not only extends all the word shalom encompasses to them. It doubles that and heaps even more of that extreme blessing onto them. What a fantastic way to greet others!

Soon

In Jesus’s conversation with Simon, Simon wants reassurance that Jesus will have the conversation about him not always being there “soon.” Jesus replies, “Ahh, There’s that word, “soon.” It’s the most imprecise thing in the world.”

The impreciseness of “soon” is confirmed by both our current culture’s definition and the Biblical use of the word. In both Revelation 1:1 and 22:6, it says that these things (described in the Book of Revelation) will “soon take place.” However, these words were written thousands of years ago, and many of those events have still not occurred. How can we make sense of this?

While we may not know precisely what the Bible means by “soon,” there are two things we can be sure of. The first is that God’s timing and ours are not the same. Time, as we understand it isn’t the same as the eternal, supernatural view of time held by our Creator. “Soon” on an eternal scale means something entirely different than what I mean when I tell my children that dinnertime is “soon.”

The other thing we know is that God does fulfill all He says He will. If it was prophecied in His Word, we know it’s trustworthy and can be confident that it will come about. So, if God told John to write that the things that happen in Revelation will happen, they will. Knowing that we can take God at His word, we can also say that, even though we don’t know how close, we do know we’re closer to the time of the events in Revelation than we were yesterday and, indeed, more so than they were in the time John wrote his vision down.

“Soon” is very imprecise and may mean very different things in different situations, but we know it means things are imminent on some level.   

The Bet Midrash

Mary tells Matthew that she wants to teach Ramah to read because she and Ramah want to study Torah. She tells Matthew that women aren’t allowed in the Bet Midrash. Bet Midrash literally means “house of investigation.” It was here that members of the Sanhedrin and common people gathered to study the Torah (the first five books of the Bible).

At that time, women weren’t permitted in the Bet Midrash, so they depended on the faithful men around them for that part of their faith. There are still some Bet Midrashes around today, and some even include women in their studies. For Ramah and Mary to study Torah, they’d have to find a way to do it outside the Bet Midrash. 

A bit later, when talking to Thomas, Ramah says, “It’s not like we’re trying to be teachers or anything.” Women were not permitted to be in positions of leadership or judges. Some synagogues hold this belief today as well, while others allow women to be rabbis.

Philip the Tetrarch

As they’re approaching Caesarea Philippi, Philip jokes about the city being named after him. Then he explains its true origin – that it was instead named in honor of “Philip the Tetrarch, brother of Herod Antipas” and says that this was a family that “does not take kindly” to his former rabbi, John the Baptist. 

He’s referring to the tentative relationship with Herodias, Herod, and Herodias’s daughter on one side and John the Baptist on the other. We read in Mark 6:14-29 that Herod had gone against the Torah in marrying his sister-in-law (who was also his niece) while his brother, Philip, was still living (Leviticus 20:21) and that John had publicly called him out on it. Because of this, Herod, Herodias, and her daughter all held a grudge against John, resulting in him being beheaded.

In Antiquities of the Jews, historian Josephus also recorded that John was imprisoned and killed by Herod because of the influence John had over his followers. Josephus stated that Herod feared a rebellion and punished John to prevent this. Josephus’s account and Mark’s account explain Philip’s comment to Matthew. John the Baptist would have had a bad reputation with Herod and his family for sure.

Gehenna

“…a cold day in Gehenna before they hire another Jew”, says Nathanael to Philip after Philip roused him and they discussed Nathanael’s circumstances. It sounds similar to the saying in our culture, “It will be a cold day in hell before…”. This phrase is usually followed by some situation the speaker finds implausible or something they refuse to do. Replacing the word “hell” with “Gehenna” is just another way the writers of The Chosen create exciting and realistic dialogue in the series.

The concept of Gehenna is like the concept of hell in that it’s a place of punishment for the souls of the unrighteous. Gehenna differs from hell in that the duration of punishment is usually considered temporary instead of eternal. Gehenna (or Gehinnom in Hebrew) is a Greek term for the valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem. Biblically, this was where some horrific things were done in honor of idols. Among these was when Manessah made his sons pass through fire (2 Chronicles 33:1-9).

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

Here, we again find someone scoffing at the possibility that the Messiah could have possibly come from humble Nazareth. Nathanael laughs when Philip suggests that Jesus of Nazareth is “The One.” 

Nazareth wasn’t highly looked upon at this time, as I wrote about in Explaining The Chosen: Season 1, Episode 2, and Episode 5. To think that the Messiah could have come from a place such as Nazareth was unheard of. This conversation between Philip and Nathanael is recorded in John 1:44-46.

Also in this chapter of John is the interaction between Jesus and Nathanael, depicted in the next scene. Verses 47 through 50 describe when they meet and return to Nathanael’s desperate moments under the fig tree.

And that brings us to the end of another great episode of The Chosen. I’ll get to work on the next one, so keep an eye out for Explaining The Chosen: Season 2, Episode 3!

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The Hebraic Roots of the Christian Faith

The Sabbath (Shabbat)

The Biblical Holy Days (Moedim)

Passover (Pesach)

Unleavened Bread (The Feast of Matzah)

First Fruits (HaBikkurim)

Shavuot (Pentecost)

Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah)

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)

Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication)

Purim

The Shema

The Biblical Hebrew Language

A Biblically Clean Diet

Studying the Bible

The Biblical Calendar

Finding a Church

Teaching Your Children

Explaining Your Faith to Your Others

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Season 1 of The Chosen drew an enormous audience! We got to know the characters we’ve learned about in the Bible on a personal level through the imaginations of The Chosen’s creators. Those of us enamored by Season 1 were chomping at the bit for Season 2 to come out, and it didn’t disappoint!

Episode 1 of Season 2 brought us back together with the characters we’ve come to know so well. We get to meet the culprit in the robbery and beating of the man in the Good Samaritan story and be surprised by the compassion Jesus shows him. We also get an inside perspective of what John was possibly thinking when he started writing the Book of John by referring back to creation.

Looking for my other posts on The Chosen? Here they are!

I’ve heard from so many of you who enjoyed the explanations I wrote for Season 1 and have asked when I’ll cover Season 2. I appreciate your support! To write these posts, I usually watch each episode and take notes on what I find interesting or that needs explanation. I have to admit this episode sucked me in! I kept forgetting to look for things to explain and enjoyed the story – even after watching it numerous times. I did eventually focus and found some exciting points to cover. Here they are!

“Behold, I am eating a new bug.”

I know The Chosen’s writers added this sentence to the interview with Simon and Andrew for comic relief, but there is some truth to it, as the Bible does say John the Baptizer did eat bugs (Matt. 3:4 and Mark 1:6)!

The “bugs” he ate were locusts. Being a Jewish guy, John would have only eaten animals considered kosher, as listed in Leviticus 11. Locusts fit into a kosher diet because of their leg structure. They have legs that are jointed above their feet, which qualifies them as kosher, as opposed to other bugs (Lev. 11:21). Although we don’t consider locusts a delightful addition to our diet, they would have been an adequate source of nutrition in the wilderness, where John spent his time.

“It was the fourth morning of the third week of Adar.”

In his interview with John, Matthew (with facial hair! I almost didn’t recognize him!) says, “It was the fourth morning of the third week of Adar, sometime in the second hour,” He states that he wants his account to be precise. Now we know this is just a part of his character, but it’s important to note here that the Hebrew calendar is precise and has been for thousands of years!

The Hebrew calendar is an intriguing subject, and it’s unique in that God Himself created it! He says the reason he placed the lights in the sky in the first place was for His calendar (Gen. 1:14-19).

In this scene, Matthew refers to the month of Adar. Adar is a joyful month, where the holiday of Purim is celebrated as indicated in the Book of Esther (Est. 9:20-32). The date he refers to is the 19th of Adar. I’m not sure whether that’s significant to the story or the writers just had him use that date to point out that he’s being very exact in his testimony.

“During Shiva?”

John’s mother (also Jesus’s mother) questions his timing in recording the story of Jesus’s days on earth. She appears concerned for him and asks, “Why now? During shiva?”.

Shiva is a time of mourning as a Jewish custom. When someone in the family dies, the rest of the family “sits shiva.” Shiva is three to seven days long, during which time the family stays together in either the deceased’s home or another location and takes time to comfort and support each other.

We conclude that the disciples and family members are together at the beginning of this episode to sit shiva in mourning of Big James. John takes advantage of this time when they’re all together to get the story of Jesus’s life and ministry from those closest to him.

Remah

As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts on The Chosen, I love the names the writers chose for the Biblically unnamed characters.

The word “Remah” means “word” and, more specifically, “a spoken word.” This Greek word is used when Jesus responds to Satan while being tempted in the wilderness. He says, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word (remah) that proceeds out of the mouth of God'” (Matt. 4:4), and remah is also the word used for the “things” Mary treasured in her heart (Luke 2:19).

The owner of the field plowed by James and John (we find out he’s the robber who beat the man in the good Samaritan story) is named Melech, which means “king,” and Chedva is his wife. Her name means “happiness.”

The High Priest of Sychar

As they walk through the city, the disciples discuss the invitation Jesus received to have dinner with the High Priest of Sychar. Sychar was a Samarian city where Jacob’s well was located (John 4:5). The High Priest of Sychar isn’t mentioned in the Bible, but his meeting with Jesus would have been a big deal, and here’s why.

The Samaritans maintain that the Temple should be on Mount Gerizim, where they say Jacob dreamt of angels descending and ascending (Gen. 28:10-22), Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac (Gen. 22:1-19), and where the Tabernacle stood (Jere. 7:12). The Bible, however, records these events taking place on Mount Moriah, where the Temple stood in Jerusalem. The fact that the Samaritans worshipped on Mount Gerizim as the holiest place was one of the points of contention between the Samaritans and the Jews.

Because of this, it would have been considered very wrong for the Samaritans to worship on this mountain, and the High Priest would have been totally out of line by practicing there. But, as Mary brings up later in this episode, they weren’t allowed to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem either, so they had no place to worship. This disagreement on the appropriate Temple location makes the invite to Jesus from the High Priest of Sychar such an unusual one.

Later in this episode, the disciples find Jesus and introduce him to Gershon, the priest of Sychar. The man is dressed in priestly garments, speaks of a synagogue, and even has the sacred breastplate worn by the priests (Ex. 28). But this man is from Sychar, Samaritan territory. How is he a Jewish priest?

While we should note that this scene isn’t in the Bible, the history of the Samaritans explains what’s going on here. The Samaritans are of Israelite descent. When the Israelites were taken captive by the Assyrians, some Israelites remained with the Assyrians. Those that stayed intermarried with the pagan inhabitants and adopted some of their religious practices. Gershon (a fictional character, as far as I can tell) would have practiced a similar religion to that of the Jews.

Search Torah

During his conversation with Melech, Jesus tells him to “Believe my words, return to synagogue. Search Torah.”

The Torah is the first five books of the Bible – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy but some also use the word “Torah” to refer to the entire Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh or the Old Testament). So, Jesus was telling Melech he should return to the synagogue and search Torah to hear what God had to say and realign his life with God’s plan for him.

Melech responds with, “I never learned to read,” but Jesus tells him to listen to the word read aloud. It was common for people not to be able to read in those days, and even those who could would have had a hard time getting their hands on a Torah scroll. Every Saturday (Shabbat), the scrolls were – and still are – read aloud in Hebrew in synagogues, so people needed to merely show up and listen to access the Scriptures.

“I don’t always address everything with new converts.”

Big James wonders why Jesus didn’t correct Neriah when he said the bedroom was haunted. Jesus’s response that he doesn’t address everything with new converts reminds me of the Jerusalem Council’s decision when deciding what to do about the “problem” of Gentiles in the faith.

In Acts 15, an uncommon problem faced the apostles and elders. Many Gentiles had embraced the Messiah, causing them to abandon their pagan lives and worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It doesn’t sound like a problem to us, but previous to this time of mass conversion, the Jewish faith consisted mainly of those who were Jewish by birth. The men were all circumcised, and adherence to Torah Law was presumed. Now, numerous people were joining the Jewish faith through the Messiah. To use Paul’s imagery, they were being grafted in to the Kingdom of God, just like Gentile Christians are today.

But, as Christians who embrace a Hebraic faith even today know, it’s challenging to learn and align your life with Laws you have only been newly introduced to. To aid these Gentiles in joining the faith, they gave them a short list of just four Laws to start them out.

The decision of the Jerusalem Council is similar to how we disciple new Christians in our churches and faith communities. Although we know there are changes they may need to make in their lives to follow Jesus, we don’t confront them with all of it on the day of their conversion. We know they need time to grow and will be led in sanctification by the Holy Spirit along their walk.

Morning Prayers

When Jesus wakes up in the morning, he says a prayer before he even gets out of bed. This prayer is a tradition, primarily among Jewish people even today, and it’s called the Modeh Ani.

Here’s the Modeh Ani in English:

I am thankful before You, living and enduring King, for you have mercifully restored my soul within me.
Great is Your faithfulness.

It’s traditionally said in Hebrew:
מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶֽיךָ מֶֽלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּים. שֶׁהֶֽחֱזַֽרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי ,בְּחֶמְלָה.
רַבָּה אֱמֽוּנָתֶֽךָ

The Hebrew is pronounced:

Mo-deh ah-nee leh-fa-neh-ka meh-lech chai veh-ka-yahm. Sheh-heh-cheh-zar-tah bee neesh-mah-tee beh-chem-lah. Ra-bah eh-moo-nah-teh-chah.

It’s interesting to note that, in this prayer, we thank God for returning our souls. This idea stems from the thought that sleep is somewhat similar to death in that our souls leave us temporarily when we’re asleep. Thanking God for returning our souls can be compared to thanking Him for giving us another day on this earth, as He’s the one who blesses us with each new day of life.

The Sons of Thunder

After rebuking James and John for suggesting Jesus use the power of God to rain down fire on the Samaritans who mistreated them, Jesus gives them the name “the sons of thunder.”

This scene comes from Jesus’s conversation with James and John in Luke 9:51-56. The term “sons of thunder” was given to these two men by Jesus in Mark 3:17, but the Bible doesn’t tell us why. We can assume they tended to over-react or be aggressive by their suggestion to call down fire from heaven and Jesus’s rebuke in response.

Another example of James and John’s inappropriate boldness came from Mark 10:35-45, when these two stirred up trouble among the disciples, suggesting they be seated on Jesus’ right and left in heaven (encouraged by their mother, Salome in Matt. 20:20-28). Jesus responded that this position wasn’t his to grant but his Father’s.

Torah Reading

The priest of Sychar invites Jesus to read from the Torah scroll in their synagogue. Out of everything in this episode, this is my favorite part! It’s such an honor to read the words of God from an ancient scroll and in the original language. An invite to read from the Torah scroll at a synagogue is referred to as “Torah honors” in synagogues worldwide today.

It is quite the honor, as the person who will read has to have quite a bit of preparation ahead of time. Not only is the scroll in Hebrew, but it’s written without vowels and in an ancient language. It also has no chapter or verse numbers! To give you an idea of what it looks like, here’s a close-up taken while my son was reading the Torah scroll at one of our services.

Books of the Torah

The next scene shows inside the synagogue and the different Torah scrolls in their ark (cabinet where the scrolls are stored). The scrolls are covered with an elaborate cover called a mantle to protect them during storage and when they’re being handled.

Gershon shows Jesus to the ark, then tells them which book is in each scroll. There’s one scroll for each book in this scene. Some scrolls (like the one my congregation has) have all five books of the Torah in one scroll. He tells Jesus which scroll is which book, and he lists them in order with their Hebrew names:

Genesis (large scroll in the middle) – Bereshit, meaning “In the Beginning.”
Exodus (scroll to the right of Bereshit) – Shemot, meaning “Names.”
Leviticus (scroll to the left of Bereshit) – Vayikra, meaning “And He called”
Numbers (scroll on the bottom right) – Bemidbar, meaning, “In the wilderness/desert
Deuteronomy (scroll on the bottom left) – Devarim, meaning “Words.”

The signs in Hebrew below each scroll bear each book’s Hebrew name, except one. The sign under the Bemidbar scroll is not only upside down, but it also says “Book of Messages.”

As Gershon leaves, we see the prayer shawl Jesus is wearing. This ceremonial garment, called a tallit, is worn in synagogues and services mainly by men, but some women wear them too. It’s a long, towel-shaped piece of material, with tassels on the corners, called tzitziyot (singular- tzitzit). A tallit is worn to remind the wearer of the blessing of being one of God’s people. The tzitziyot (tassels) are a reminder of God’s commandments from Num. 15:37-41 and Deut. 22:12.

In this scene, we can also see the cherubim on the curtain in the background. The red curtain behind Jesus as Gershon is leaving has a gold outline of a cherub on it. This depiction isn’t typically what we think of when we picture a cherub. We probably think of a chubby baby with wings, but a cherub is a supernatural heavenly creature! It’s depicted here as a bird-like creature. We know what they look like from the description of the cherubim that were to be atop the ark of the covenant in Exodus 25. Just a note on the Hebrew for cherub vs. cherubim – cherub (כְּרוּב ke-roov) is singular, and cherubim (כְּרֻבִים Ke-roo-veem) is the plural form.

Torah Only

As John and Jesus discuss what Jesus should read in the synagogue, Jesus gently teases John with examples from Scripture of those who let their emotions get the best of them.

He mentions:
Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20).
Baalam hitting his donkey when he was mad (Numbers 22).
Moses breaking the tablets (Exodus 32:15-35).
Jonathan storming away from the dinner table (1 Samuel 20:34).
Samson striking down the men of Ashkelon (Judges 14:19).

After the last two examples, Jesus adds, “Oh wait. They don’t have those scrolls.” He says this because the first five books of the Bible are the only scrolls in this ark, and 1 Samuel and Judges are on separate scrolls that this synagogue apparently didn’t have.

“I am who I am.”

Here, Jesus quotes God’s response when Moses asks His name in Exodus 3:14. In Hebrew, God’s response reads literally, “I will be who I will be” (אֶֽהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶֽהְיֶה eh-yeh ah-share eh-yah). Jesus refers to this here, and John clearly understands the reference.

The names of God make for a fascinating study! You can learn much about His character by looking for what He’s called throughout Scripture.

By the Word of the Lord

When he and John were discussing Creation, Jesus again quoted the Old Testament, as he does in so many times recorded in the New Testament. He quotes David in Psalm 33:6: “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.” This verse is simply astonishing. What an awesome Creator we have that can speak even the heavens into existence and a supernatural army to inhabit it! Wow!

Jesus’s Reading

Jesus carried the scroll to the bimah, the table on which the scroll is set. Before reading, he removed the mantle and picked up the yad, a pointer to follow along in the scroll while reading. You’ll see it when they show a close-up of the scroll. It’s a metal hand with a pointing finger. When reading a Hebrew scroll, it’s sometimes challenging to keep your place. The scrolls aren’t to be touched because oils from our fingers can damage the scroll and smear the ink, so you cannot follow your reading with your finger.

He reads in English because that’s what language The Chosen is written in, but these scrolls are read in Hebrew. He starts at the top right corner of the column, reading Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He reads from right to left, as Hebrew is read.

But would you like to know something interesting? What he’s reading isn’t Genesis 1:1. In fact, he’s not reading from a scroll of Genesis at all! The top of the column on this scroll is Isaiah 4:1, “For seven women will take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach!” (NASB). The column continues through Isaiah 5:18, ending in the middle of the verse.

I’m not sure why the creators of The Chosen would have used an Isaiah scroll instead of Genesis. Maybe they didn’t have access to one, but I’m sure most of their audience didn’t notice the switch anyway.

Menorah

You’ll notice the synagogue is lit by menorahs (plural is menorot in Hebrew). The menorah is the 7-branch lamp stand mentioned throughout the Old Testament, described in detail in Exodus 25:31-40.

Jewish tradition infers that there’s more significance to the menorah than just an item to illuminate a room. It’s been compared to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden and the seven days of creation. For an intense study on the menorah and its relation to creation, check out The Creation Gospel by Believer Holisa Alewine. Her study and videos are quite compelling!

With the surprise introduction of the thief in the Good Samaritan story, a Torah reading from Jesus, and an idea of where John may have gotten the inspiration for the beginning of the book of John, this episode was just as well done as the others! Keep an eye out for upcoming posts on more episodes of Season 2 of The Chosen.

If you love the Holy Land, you’ll love Artzabox! This quarter’s box contains items from the Jaffa port on the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, Israel. 

Not sure what an Artzabox is? Artzaboxes are unique and exciting subscription boxes that arrive quarterly, filled with items from local artisans in a selected area of the Holy Land. A new location is featured with each box, and each contains:

• Something for the soul
• Something to inspire
• Something to learn
• Something to taste
• Something to share
• Something for the body
• Something to cook
• Something to cherish

To read my post on the previous Artzaboxes, click the links below.

Artzabox: The Golan Heights Box

Artzabox: Gifts from the Holy Land: Judaean Desert Box

Artzabox: Gifts from the Holy Land: Galilee Box

Use coupon code HEBREW20 to receive a 20% discount 
on your Artzabox subscription!

Although the Jaffa port is similar to other bustling ports on the Mediterranean and worldwide, the Jaffa port is unique. Our Bible mentions it, and it has been used for over 7,000 years! 

Jaffa is called Joppa in the Bible, and this ancient city was built by Noah’s son Japeth. You can also find Jaffa in the story of Jonah. Remember when God told Jonah to warn the Ninevites about their wickedness? Jonah decided he didn’t want to, and he got on a ship destined for Tarshish, which was in the other direction. He went to the Jaffa port to board the ship, which he would eventually be thrown off, then swallowed by the fish (Jonah 1). 

Jaffa is the port where timber was brought by sea to construct the first Temple, Solomon’s Palace, and the second Temple (2 Chr. 2:16 and Ezra 3:7).

The apostles were in the area around Japa in Acts 9 through 11. It was in Jaffa that Simon Peter stayed at the house of Simon, the tanner by the sea (Acts 10:32).

Along with all of the intriguing history behind this Artzabox brings many unique items by artisans in the area. Here are the things included in this Artzabox.

Jaffa Room Diffuser

In each Artzabox, one item is only included for the premium subscribers. In this box, it’s the diffuser. The artisan who made this item is a perfumer named Shachar, and the scent the diffuser gives off is just heavenly.

With oils such as lavender, cedarwood, and patchouli, the Jaffa diffuser says it’s the scent of ancient Israel. And I believe it! It’s a pleasant, low-maintenance scent that brightens any room.

Malabi, Sachlab, and Topping Mixes

For the “something to taste “item in this box, Artzabox has included Sachlab (also called sachlav) and Malabi mix. Sachlab is a unique Israeli drink with a milk base and a thick consistency similar to yogurt. There are recipes included for both mixes. The Sachlab powder can be mixed with milk and is a delicious creamy drink you can make in minutes. Sachlab powder is made from ground Sachlab orchid tubers and has a sweet, floral flavor.

Malabi is similar to Sachlab but is refrigerated so that it thickens and comes out more like pudding. The nut topping makes it similar to a parfait. My family liked the unique flavor of Malabi, and it’s cool and refreshing – perfect for a summer snack! Artzabox also includes a recipe for Sachlab cookies, which were delicious!

The artisan creator of these mixes lives in Jaffa and is named Or. While not familiar to us as English speakers, Or is a beautiful name as it means light in Hebrew.

Jaffa-Inspired Trivet

This item is both beautiful and practical. It features a beautiful picture of Jaffa and an encouraging verse from the Book of Jonah (2:2) – “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me”. It could be used as a trivet for your favorite hot dishes or would be a lovely piece of art to decorate a wall in your home.

Patchouli, Vanilla, and Shea Butter Hand Cream

I think this may be my favorite item in this box. Its scent is rich but not overpowering. It’s creamy, not oily, and soaks into your skin quickly, leaving them velvety soft. Ido, one of the artisans that created this luxurious cream, recommends you rub it into your skin and close your eyes and picture yourself in a flower-filled meadow. It’s not hard to do!

Cranberry Biscotti

This treat is made by an American attorney who emigrated to Israel with his family in the ’80s. He quit practicing law to bring his talent for baking to Jaffa and the world. His family, the Dan Family, created this cranberry biscotti just for this Jaffa box and I’m so glad they did!

With a cookie-like taste and texture, this biscotti would be perfect for with afternoon tea or your morning coffee. 

Use coupon code HEBREW20 to receive a 20% discount 
on your Artzabox subscription!

Artza Jaffa Tote Bag

“Welcome to Israel” is the warm message on this tote. It features a picture of the Jaffa port, as well as the orange trees that surround the area. It’s the perfect size for groceries or to carry your stuff on whatever daily adventure you choose.

House of Simon Postcard

Each Artzabox I’ve received has contained postcards with photos of the beautiful scenery around the Holy Land. This one has a picture of the House of Simon the Tanner. One of the many ancient stone houses in the city, this home is thought to be the one where Peter stayed in Acts 10:6 and 32.

Tel Aviv: The White City Postcard Set

The “White City” is an area of Tel Aviv with a high concentration of Bauhaus-style buildings. These light-colored and uniquely-designed buildings were built by Jewish architects who fled Germany during World War Two. Bauhaus architecture got its name from the Bauhaus School of architecture closed by the Nazis. 

Bauhaus buildings were designed to be modern and visually interesting and were white or light-colored to keep them cool when the Israeli weather was hot.

This set includes 18 postcards, each with a different Bauhaus building on it and its name and the year it was built. The set comes in a box for gifting or for your stationery use.

Interested in ordering an Artzabox for yourself? For a fellow Holy Land lover? Use my coupon code for a 20% discount on your order – HEBREW20

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Here it is – the last episode of the season that drew us all in to The Chosen series. Like the previous episodes, this one was engaging and entertaining, as well as surprisingly Biblically accurate – with a creative twist.

If you missed my posts on previous articles Explaining The Chosen, find them here.

And click on the image to the right to watch any episodes you missed (or just want to watch again) in Season 1.

Jacob’s Well

This episode opens with Jacob talking to his sons, saying “This is the spot.” This scene refers to the story in Genesis, where Jacob has just met and reconciled with his brother Esau. After this, he settled in the Canaanite city, Shechem.

Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city.  He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money.  Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Gen. 33:18-20, NASB

Jacob explains to Yassib that his God is called El-Shaddai. God gave this name to Himself in Genesis 17:1 when establishing His covenant with Abram. El Shaddai means “all sufficient God”. The word Shaddai is also used by itself in Numbers 24:4, commonly translated as “Almighty”.

Jacob tells Yassib that God is usually invisible but that “there was one time he broke my hip”. He was referring to the time he wrestled with God in Genesis 32:24-32.

In this scene, it appears that Jacob’s well is out in a field in the middle of nowhere. While it may have started out that way, this location has been well-preserved throughout history. In fact, we still not only know the location of this well, dug thousands of years ago, but it’s one of the most highly fought over spots on earth!

The Samaritan Woman

It’s at this same well that we meet the Samaritan woman. Recorded in John 4:1-42, it was at Jacob’s well that Jesus sat to rest and asked this woman for water. Here, we see her drawing from this well in the heat of the day. As we know from the Bible, her lifestyle made it so she wasn’t able to draw water with the other women. Because she was ostracized, she visited the well in the heat of the day and not in the cool of the morning, when the others were there.

In her conversation with her current husband, Neriah, Photina presents him with a certificate of divorce. He responds that “only a man can divorce his wife” so she’s had the certificate written in his name. The Law they’re referring to is found in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. The purpose of this law was to provide for a divorced woman. In their culture, a divorced woman would have no rights to land or property and would have no means to provide for herself. The certificate would force the man to go through legal proceedings instead of just banish her. It legally allowed her to go back to her family’s household and to go on with her life, including being re-married.

Of course, the conversation between Photina and Neriah isn’t in the Bible, so The Chosen’s writers are taking some creative license here.

The Dinner Party

When the rabbis visit the dinner party at Matthew’s house, they refuse to enter because of the type of people there. There were tax collectors, as well as those from the “Red Quarter”, like Mary Magdalene (Episode 1). Yussif even says that mentioning what goes on in the Red Quarter would defile him.

It’s often thought that the Jews in the Bible didn’t mix with Gentiles because it was against the Law given in the Old Testament but this isn’t the case. In order to ensure they did not break any laws, they made “fences” around the Law.

For example, it’s against the Law to work on the Sabbath. But how does one define what’s “work”? Well, in order to help the people know exactly what qualified, Rabbis determined specifically what actions were “work”. This is why Jesus and his disciples were accused of breaking the Sabbath when they picked wheat from a field in Matthew 12:1-7 (Also Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-11) even though the Torah doesn’t specify that picking grain is forbidden.

While we may find it strange and maybe even wrong to create these “fences” around God’s Law, most of us do this in some way. I know many Christians who don’t drink alcohol, not because the Bible says it’s sin to drink but to prevent their drinking from leading to sin. This concept is the same as that of the “fences” but the Jewish leaders just enforced these things on a more corporate level.

Caiaphus

When Zohara was helping Nicodemus get ready to go, she mentioned Caiaphus, the High Priest. We already know this guy from the story of Jesus’s crucifixion. In Matthew 26 and John 18, he’s the one who accused Jesus of blasphemy. We also see him questioning Peter and John in Acts 4. She also mentions Eliav and Havilah and Moshe and Gideon. I love the deep meanings of the Hebrew names used in this series. Eliav means “my God is a father”, Havilah is the land mentioned in Genesis 2:11, Moshe means Moses, and Gideon appears in the book of Judges.

The Eschet Chayil

Zohara reminds Nicodemus of the Shabbats (Sabbaths) they were used to celebrating as a family. The Eschet Chayil is a blessing the husband says over the wife at the Sabbath table. You can read more about this blessing as well as the other Shabbat blessings and traditions in Explaining The Chosen: Episode 2: Shabbat.

Adonai El Roi

This is the name given to God by Hagar after she was told by an angel that she was pregnant with Ishmael. It means “God who sees me”. Our God does indeed see us! What a beautiful attribute of His! Interested in more of the names of God throughout the Bible? Visit my Names of God page.

The Son of Man

When Shmuel and Nicodemus are talking, Shmuel mentions that Jesus called himself the “Son of man” and said it was right out of the book of Daniel. He’s referencing Daniel 7:13-14, a prophecy about the future. But the “Son of man” is not only used here it’s found throughout the Bible. In the New Testament, it’s a term used to refer to Jesus. In the Old Testament, it’s used not only in Messianic prophecy but also to refer to the prophet Ezekiel and a heavenly being as well. The term “Son of man” is used in the Bible when there’s some sort of human form of God’s Spirit, so this applies to Jesus, Ezekiel (because of his prophet status), and to heavenly beings.

The Roman Decree

The Roman soldier is told to put out a decree banning religious gatherings and to make it in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. We see a close-up of the decree, which says the following in Hebrew:

בפקודת רומא ומענישה אותה ומעצר ובמאסר מפגשים דתיים מחוץ

הספר העברי אסורים בהחלט

המורה המכונה ישוע מנצרת מתבקש לחקירה

By order of Rome, and punishable by arrest and imprisonment, religious gatherings outside

the synagogue and Hebrew school are strictly forbidden.

The teacher known as Jesus of Nazareth is sought for questioning.

The Mezuzah

In the scene where we see Jesus’s followers preparing to leave Capernaum, we see Mary Magdalene touch her fingers to her lips, then touch the doorframe of her house as she leaves. Andrew does this as well.

As a reminder of the commands in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, also called the Shema, many place a small box, containing this scripture (or another), on the doorframe of their home. When passing through the doorway, they often kiss their fingers and then touch the mezuzah to remember this command.

One reason the Shema is important because it’s a summary of what we’re supposed to be doing with our life. We’re to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. We’re to keep His words on our hearts and teach them to our children. When Jesus was asked what the most important of the commandments was in Matt. 22, Mark 12, and Luke 10, he said it was the Shema! That means it surely warrants our attention!

Matthew’s Dog

When Gaius stops by the home of Matthew’s parents to give him the key to the house, he leaves the dog there as well. Why do they act so strangely to the fact that Matthew had a pet dog?

As I explained in my post on Episode 4, Matthew having a dog as a pet in that culture would have been very strange. It wasn’t only uncommon to have a dog as a pet, they were looked down upon. Biblically, dogs were used for hunting and herding (Isaiah 56:11, Job 30:1) but to compare someone to a dog was an insult (Deut. 23:18, Prov. 26:11, 2 Sam. 9:8, and others).

Traveling Through Samaritan Territory

Jesus’s disciples protest when he suggests they travel through Samaritan territory. The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:7-14) make it well known that there was a rift between the Jews and Samaritans. The Jews and Samaritans have a long history of division. Many Samaritans are of mixed Jewish heritage and are mixed religiously as well. In addition to some practices of Jewish origin, they incorporate some pagan practices.

According to Josephus (Antiquities 18.29-30), the Samaritans took advantage of when the Temple was open during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and put human bones into the Temple areas to defile it. This is what Big James refers to in this scene, when he says they “profaned our Temple”.

Jewish writings refer to times when Samaritans would sabotage the signal fires the Jewish people used to inform surrounding areas of the New Moons, which indicated the beginning of months (Talmud of Israel, Rosh Hashanah 2:1, 70-71).

Thaddeus chimes in and says “they fought against us with the Selucians in the Maccabean wars”. This story, from the books of the Maccabees, recalls a time when the Jewish people were under great persecution at the behest of the Seleucid king, Antiochus Epiphanes IV. While it was a very dark time, this story did end well for the Jewish people. Their miraculous victory over the Greeks was celebrated on Hanukkah in Jesus’s time and we still celebrate it today!

Jesus responds with “and we destroyed their temple 100 years ago”. Here, he’s referring to the Jews destroying the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerazim under the direction of the Jewish high priest, John Hyrcanus, in 112-111 BCE. While we don’t have record of Jesus saying what he said in this scene, we do have his reference to this temple in the next scene, with the woman at the well.

Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:7-43, recorded in this scene. This is at Jacob’s well which was located near the town called Sychar, where Matthew suggested they get food.

This episode concludes Season 1 of The Chosen. Wasn’t it wonderful? I’m so impressed by how well this season was done. It’s entertaining but fairly realistic when it comes to characters and situations. I’ve loved digging into each of these episodes and finding the unique Hebraic insights they’ve included. I intend to cover Seasons 2 and 3 as well so keep an eye out for my posts on those in the future!

Do you love Israel? Need a gift for someone who does?
Experience the Holy Land without leaving home with Artzabox.
Click here to find yours!

Use coupon code Hebrew20 for a 20% discount on your order!

Artzabox is a beautiful way to bring quality items from the Holy Land to you – wherever you are! Each box is filled with unique things that will allow you to have a multi-sensory experience of the Holy Land.

The contents of the boxes varies each quarter. My first box was from the Galilee. The next was from the Judaean Desert and the current box contains items from the Golan Heights.

The Golan Heights is a plateau on the East side of the Sea of Galilee with an area less than 700 miles. It’s just West of the Jordan River Valley and South of Mount Hermon. Although the area is called the Golan Heights now, it was called “Bashan” in the Bible, and the refuge city of Golan was inside Bashan (Deut. 4:43, Jos. 20:8, 21:27, 1 Cor. 6:71, and many others).

The word “Bashan” means “fruitful and this area is fruitful indeed! It’s known for its cattle, both today and in Bible times, as well as for the oak trees that grow there (Ps. 22:12, Is. 2:13, Amos 4:1, and Zech. 11:2).

It was in the Golan Heights that Og, King of Bashan resided. Og is mentioned many times in the Old Testament as he was an adversary of the Israelites. This was the part of the Promised Land that was given to the tribe of Manasseh.

With items from various artisans in the Golan Heights, this Artzabox just may be my favorite!

Use coupon code HEBREW20 to receive a 20% discount 
on your Artzabox subscription!

The Artzabox company says that each box is thoughtfully filled with:

• Something for the soul
• Something to inspire
• Something to learn
• Something to taste
• Something to share
• Something for the body
• Something to cook
• Something to cherish

You’ll find each of these in the Golan Heights Box. Here’s what’s inside:

Shalva Tea

The word “Shalva” means “peace, calm, and tranquility” in Hebrew and those are such accurate words to describe this tea. David Ross, the founder of Shalva Tea named the company with Psalm 122:7 in mind: “May shalom be within your walls and shalva in your palaces”.

The tea in this Artzabox is the Golan Heights Blend. It’s described as “breezy and uplifting”, which I think is a great description for this tea. It features lemongrass, rose, and lemon verbena and smells and tastes just heavenly.

Israeli-Grown Sumac Spice

This is one of my favorite items in this box. Sumac, with its light, citrusy flavor, is a great accompaniment to rice and meat dishes. Although I love Sumac and buy it when I can, I have never before experienced fresh Sumac. It’s amazing! I’m not sure how I’ll be able to go back to the dry, dull-flavored Sumac I get at my local grocery store after having tasted this!

It comes with a recipe for Sumac Roast Chicken which I haven’t made yet but will update when I have. I’m sure it’s delicious and I’m looking forward to it!

Meredith Rose Burak is the founder of the company that made this Sumac – Rose Burak. She has a passion for both plant medicine and women’s health and that’s revealed in her quality spices. She chose Sumac for this Artzabox because of its antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory benefits and describes it as “exotic and magical”. As a Sumac-lover, I have to agree!

Hand-Painted Tree by Emanuel

If you’ve done any amount of online shopping for Judaica, you’ll recognize the design of this piece. His art is popular around the world. With his signature vivid colors and pomegranates, this beautiful piece combines traditional Jewish with oriental style. It’s this vibrant combination Yair Emanuel’s art is known for.

Each Artzabox comes a premium version and a regular version and you can choose which you get when you order. This item comes in the Golan Heights premium box.

Designed and created in his studio in Jerusalem, this piece will be an attractive addition to any room. It’s free-standing so it will sit well on any table, shelf, or wherever!

Scented Soy Wax Candle

Named “Golan Dew”, this candle smells just amazing! It’s handmade in a family factory from all vegan ingredients and is said to have the scent of the Golan Spring when it’s in bloom. Their company, Sheananda, also makes soaps and body creams, using high quality essential oils as well as ingredients like shea butter and Dead Sea salt.

DeKarina Golan Inspired Milk Chocolate

Want to know something strange about me? I hate chocolate.

I know – weird, right? When I tell people that, they always gasp and maybe even take a step back, possibly just in case my revealed dysfunction is somehow contagious.

However, I LOVE this chocolate! It’s creamy with a little bit of a crunch and is a perfect indulgent snack. Its square pieces are just the right size for a bite or two and there’s plenty in this package to share (But you may not want to!).

As if this delicious chocolate isn’t enough of a blessing, the story behind it is incredible too. The company’s owner, Karina Chepelinski, learned to make fine chocolate from her grandfather. He fled Europe before WWI, and left his chocolate factory behind. He opened a new one in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and shared his passion for chocolate with his granddaughter, Karina.

When she moved to Israel, Karina opened her own chocolate factory and the rest is history! What a treat it is to have these chocolates in this Artzabox!

Clay Oil Lamp and Filler Set

This replica of an ancient oil lamp and jar is included in the Golan Heights box. Remember when Jesus told the parable of the 10 virgins (Matt. 25:1-13)? This is the type of lamp they would have had.

Made in Israel by Maranatha and sold by Zak’s Jerusalem gifts, this lamp and jar set is similar to those found in archaeological sites in the Golan Heights. It’s also fully functional! You can fill it with oil and light it just like they did in bible times. It even comes with an extra wick for more use.

Use coupon code HEBREW20 to receive a 20% discount 
on your Artzabox subscription!

Hebrew Alphabet Challenge puzzle

My house full of Hebrew students loves this item. You can build each letter of the Hebrew alphabet with this wooden puzzle. The pieces are cut just right so you can make each letter. It’s a challenge because some are more difficult to figure out than others! It comes in a beautiful matching wooden box for storage.

This puzzle is handcrafted by Gaya, an Israeli company specializing in hand-made wooden games and puzzles. The owners, Eli and Galit, have the common goal of “creating quality downtime” through their creations. This puzzle is a great alternative to electronic entertainment and has brought hours of educational fun into my home.

Golan Heights Postcards

Postcards of the featured area are included in each Artzabox. Of course this box contains some from the beautiful Golan Heights. The Gamla Fortress and Mount Hermon are the two places highlighted on these postcards.

Interested in ordering an Artzabox for yourself or for a friend? Here’s a coupon code for 20% off of your first order: HEBREW20

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It’s in this episode of The Chosen that we see faith explained through the connection of two stories – one from the Old Testaments and one from the New. The Bible is one whole book, not two separate ones. The God of the Bible never changes and His story is found from cover to cover of the Scriptures.

Looking for my other posts Explaining The Chosen? Find them here.

If you haven’t seen episode 7 yet, click the image to the right to watch it before reading on. There are spoilers ahead!

Moses and Joshua

In the opening scene, we go into the Old Testament to witness a conversation between Moses and Joshua. From just a few verses in Numbers 21:4-9, this scene references God’s response to the complaining Israelites. Having recently left Egypt, they realized that they had no water and food they didn’t like. While I’d like to condemn them for this, I’ve complained about much less! It’s clear that God gets just as sick of all of our complaints as He did of those of the Hebrew people. Who are we to complain in the midst of the lavish blessings He gives?

God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it up on a pole where everyone could see it. When they were bitten by one of the venomous snakes God had sent to punish them, all they had to do was look at the bronze snake and they would be healed. Somewhere along the line, this became known by the Jewish people as the Nehushtan.

Joshua finds this a very odd practice and questions Moses (in the show, not the Bible). Since the snake on the pole was a commonly known as a pagan symbol, his questions are reasonable. This very pole made by Moses is the one King Hezekiah had destroyed in 2 Kings 18:1-6. So, why would God have Moses make it to look upon for healing?

The answer becomes more clear in the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verses 14 and 15.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

John 3:14-15

The lesson for the Israelites (and for us!) was one of faith. They were to trust God at His word and it would lead to their bodily healing in the same way our trust in Jesus’s death on the cross heals our souls. The “pole” was also thought to resemble a cross, making the connection here even more apparent.

In this same conversation, Moses tells Joshua he’s learned to do what God says, then says “You remember what happened at Meribah”. Remember in Exodus 17 (verses 5-7), where the Israelites were quarreling about having no water? God instructed Moses to use his staff to strike the rock of Horeb to bring forth water for all the people. Like Moses, we know we have a God of miracles. We can trust Him at His word, even if we don’t fully understand!

Nicodemus’s Grandson

Zohara is excited to tell Nicodemus about the birth of his grandson and to get back to Jerusalem. She explains that they have rush to get back so Nicodemus can perform the Bris on the 8th day. This is the practice of both circumcising and naming a Jewish baby boy. It was done on the 8th day, as commanded in Leviticus 12:1-3. Circumcision itself, as a sign of the covenant between God and His people, started way back in Genesis (17:10-14), when Abraham was told to circumcise himself and his offspring.

Also called the Brit Milah, which can be translated as “covenant of circumcision”, a Bris is often performed by a rabbi, which is why Zohara asks what people will think if “the great Nicodemus” were to miss it.

John Worries

When Jesus and his disciples are setting up camp, John voices his concerns to Jesus. He says, “They’ll be looking for us because of what you said about forgiving sins”.

Verses like Isaiah 43:35, Daniel 9:9 and others suggest that only God has the authority to forgive sins. This isn’t to mean people can’t forgive one another when a wrong has been done to them. It means God is the only one with the authority to absolve the consequences of sin. This is what upset the rabbis when Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven (in episode 6). John’s concern is valid but Jesus says they still have some time before that will happen.

Elisheva

Matthew addresses his mother as “Eema” (which means “mom”), then corrects himself to call her “Elisheva”. His status as a tax collector and a traitor had caused him to be expelled from the family which prevented him from calling her “mom”. Elisheva is Hebrew for Elizabeth. It means “my God is an oath” or “pledged to God”.

When she says that she couldn’t have let him in if his father was home, Matthew asks where Alpheus is. Alpheus would have been the name of his father, according to Mark 2:14. Jesus will also call him “Matthew, son of Alpheus” near the end of this episode. Alpheus is also the name of the disciple James’s father so that may have been a common name at the time. You’ll notice in the verse from Mark above that it says Alpheus is the father of Levi, not Matthew though.

Matthew, the name used in the books of Matthew and John, is thought to be the same person as Levi, used in the books of Mark and Luke. This is similar to Peter also being called Simon or to Saul’s name changing to Paul. This was not uncommon as there were a few different cultures and languages converged in this area at this time.

Why Does Jesus Touch the Doorpost?

When leaving Simon’s home to meet with Nicodemus, you’ll see Jesus briefly touch the doorpost and put his fingers to his lips.

Many people (mostly Jewish people, but some Christians as well) have a little box attached to the doorpost in their home called a mezuzah. It contains a parchment with a verse on it, usually the Shema (Deut. 6:4-9). They touch it, and may even kiss the hand that touched it, as a reminder of just what the verses say in the Shema:

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.

Deut. 6:4-9

Touching the mezuzah reminds us of our purpose in this world as we leave our homes and live our lives. We’re first to love our God. We’re to teach His words to our children and to make them our very identity. It reminds us that God is everywhere we go and that we belong to Him.

Conversation Between Jesus and Nicodemus

My favorite thing about the conversation between these two is that both John 3:16 and 17 are included. While I love John 3:16 like most Believers, I hate that it’s so often quoted without including verse 17.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 

John 3:16-17

Especially to those new to our faith or outside of it, verse 17 is necessary as a further explanation of verse 16. I love that the writers of The Chosen saw that and presented them together, as they were written.

When Nicodemus kisses Jesus’s hand, he recites Psalm 2:12 – “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way”. And Jesus responds with the last part of the same verse: “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him”. Beautiful!

Love The Chosen? Stay tuned for the interesting things I found in episode 8: I Am He.

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Here’s another excellent episode of The Chosen, Angel Studios’s high quality and entertaining series covering the life of Jesus. In this episode, we see just how extraordinarily different Jesus interacted with people, compared to those around him. Read on for the details I found the most interesting from a Hebraic standpoint.

And make sure to watch the episode first – this post contains spoilers!

Here are my other posts on The Chosen.

The Marked Leper

When the leper trying to sell his expensive tools to the pawn broker in the opening scene reveals his “mark”, as the pawn broker comments, it’s a sure sign that he has leprosy. This is not a mark that has been put on him by himself or someone else, but the sore itself. The Hebrew word (ne-gah – נֶגַע), commonly translated as “mark” (Lev. 13:3) can also be translated “sore” or “wound”.

Later, when Jesus heals this leper, Jesus instructs him to go and show himself to the priests and bring the offering as instructed by Moses. Why? If Jesus healed him, he’s good, right? Doesn’t Jesus have the authority to declare this man clean?

Jesus was instructing the man to keep the Law as given in Leviticus 13 and 14, where the instructions were given on how to handle contagious skin diseases. When it’s apparent that a person with leprosy is recovering, they’re to show the recovering area to the priests and bring with them certain offerings. In this part of the story (Mark 1:40-45, Matt. 8:1-4), Jesus not only heals a man, he upholds the Law. In Matthew 5:17-19, he states that he didn’t come to abolish the Law and we see here just one way he lives that out in his time here on earth.

Who is the Av Bet Din

For some background here, let’s look at the Hebrew. Av (אָב) means “father”, beit (בַּיִת) means “house”, and din (דִּין) means “judgement”. The Beit Din was the “house of the court” and the “Av Bet Din” was the chief rabbi that presided over that Jewish rabbinical court. The Av Bet Din presided over the Bet Din in Jesus’s time and, believe it or not, still does today!

The Bet Din makes decisions based on Jewish law – from both the written (the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible) and oral laws. In this scene, they’re trying to deduce whether John the Baptist is in violation of any of these laws. We find out that Shmuel is the one that improperly gave the order for John to be detained and Nicodemus is unsure whether this was the correct decision, based on his previous conversation with John himself.

Life on the Road

When making camp, Simon and James (the lesser – remember there are 2 Jameses) joke about not being prepared for “life on the road”. Simon says, “The Torah doesn’t mention the blisters”. He’s referring to the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt and their time of wandering in the wilderness.

Simon asks James what he did before he was called to follow Jesus. James says he had been on the way to join the 288 when he met Jesus. The 288 is the Temple Choir referred to in chapter 25 of 1st Chronicles. Although it doesn’t say in the Bible that James had this history, it’s suggested in this episode that he would have been on his way to becoming one of these musical performers in the Temple services.

Tzomo Lecho Nafshi

The song James sings just after the conversation between he and Simon is a traditional Jewish song called Tzomo Lecho Nafshi. Usually sung in Hebrew, it’s from Psalm 63, verses 2 and 3. It was written by King David when he was in the wilderness so it’s appropriate that James would bring it up at a time when they’re traveling and the topic of the Israelites’ wandering was discussed.

Here’s a video of it in Hebrew:

Jesus Speaking Egyptian to Tamar

When Jesus encounters Tamar, the Egyptian woman, he inquires about her necklace, then speaks to her in her native language, Egyptian. She says she grew up there and that her father was from Ethiopia.

In The Antiquities of the Jews, the historian Josephus indicates that there are connections between Ethiopia (Cush) and the Hebrew people starting back in the time of Moses. Jesus speaks Egyptian to Tamar and comments on the familiarity of her jewelry, saying he had grown up in Egypt. He was referring to when he and his mother, Mary, and his step-father, Joseph, fled the wrath of Herod. Herod committed mass infanticide, having all boys under the age of 2 murdered (Matt. 2:16). It’s not clear how long they stayed in Egypt, just that they lived there until Herod died.

It’s assumed that Jesus spoke a variety of languages. Aramaic was probably his first language but he likely knew extensive Hebrew and Greek as well. He may have picked up some Egyptian when he lived there also. The areas of Jesus’s life and ministry were home to different people groups and many others passed through so they would’ve spoken many different languages.

Shmuel Reads from the Scroll

Nicodemus tells Shmuel to read from the scroll of Isaiah. Why didn’t Nicodemus tell him what verse to read? When he starts to read in the wrong place, Nicodemus tells him to read “further down – a few lines”. Again, why didn’t he just tell him to go to chapter 40, verse 3?

If you’ll look closely at the scroll he’s reading from, you’ll see that there are no numbers on it. It appears to be just columns of words with very few spaces! The verses are not numbered, the books aren’t labeled, and chapter breaks are non-existent. Those who study these scrolls in depth (such as Nicodemus) know how to find the verses they need. Studying Scripture in those days was quite a challenge compared to how we study today!

Here’s a picture of the scroll we read at our synagogue:

That’s What the Maccabees Said

When the Roman soldiers came to crash the party when Jesus drew a crowd while speaking at the house, Andrew tried to calm them. He said, “This is a peaceful gathering”. And Gaius replied, “That is what the Maccabees said”.

This is in reference to the story of the Maccabean revolt. You won’t find it in the Protestant Bible, but in the books of the Maccabees. Reference to this story can also be found in the writings of Josephus. This is the story behind the celebration of Hanukkah.

Here’s the story. In the time between the Old and New Testaments, around 165 BC, the Jewish people were under Syrian Hellenistic rule.  Antiochus IV was the leader of the Seleucid Empire at the time.  Under his control, Jewish traditions were outlawed, including Sabbath keeping, adherence to a Kosher diet, and circumcision.  Idols were set up in the Temple.  Pigs were rumored to have been sacrificed on the Temple altar.  Among the punishment for observance of Jewish traditions were death and torture.

Rather than face brutal punishment, many Jews assimilated with Hellenistic culture.  Some evaded their Syrian leaders by hiding in the hills and caves of Judea.  A small number of Jews led by Judah Maccabee decided to revolt.  Despite the overwhelming opposition, they courageously stood up for their God, His Word, and His Temple.  They were miraculously victorious despite being greatly outnumbered!

I love when The Chosen’s writers add things like this to the dialogue in this series because it adds an authenticity to the characters and their conversations, even though these conversations aren’t in the Gospels.

I love the light this episode casts on our Messiah! I can’t wait to cover the next episode! Stay tuned for Episode 7: Invitations.

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The Chosen by Angel Studios was the number one crowdfunded project, only to be surpassed by another of their projects, The Wingfeather Saga. If you’ve seen The Chosen, you don’t have to guess the reason for their success. This series is entertaining, and the characters are so well-developed you feel like you get to know them!

If you haven’t yet read my other posts on The Chosen, here they are.

Jesus Lost in Jerusalem

In the opening scene of this episode, in 8 AD, Jesus gets lost in Jerusalem when his family left there after Passover. We find Jesus’s family in Jerusalem during Passover because it’s one of three “pilgrimage festivals”, where all men were to go to Jerusalem (to the Temple) for the feast. The two other pilgrimage festivals (Shalosh HaRegalim – שלוש רגלים – in Hebrew) are Shavuot and Sukkot.

Jesus was 12 when his family took this trip to Jerusalem and this leads some to believe he may have also been there for his Bar Mitzvah, which Jewish boys typically do at age 13. This isn’t likely, however, because the Bar Mitzvah tradition is more recent than that. It’s thought to have begun around the Middle Ages. If the Jewish people did have a Bar Mitzvah-type ceremony in Jesus’s time, it would have probably been different than it is today.

When they find him, Jesus asks Joseph, “May I read?”. Every Shabbat (Sabbath), a Torah scroll is read in synagogues around the world. These scrolls are in Hebrew and contain at least the first 5 books of the Bible and some contain other books as well.

When a Torah scroll reader comes up to read for the first time, it’s an event acknowledged by the whole congregation. It’s referred to as making Aliyah, which means “going up” or “ascent” in Hebrew. Many young men and women make Aliyah during their Bar or Bat Mitzvah and some people make Aliyah at other times as well.

Miracles

Similar to what he does in Episode 4, Nicodemus asks John if Jesus performed miracles. This is because he’s looking for signs of the Messiah. He knows that Isaiah 29:8 as well as 35:5-6 prophesy that the Messiah will perform miracles. And we know (and Nicodemus will soon find out) that it was Jesus that fulfilled these prophesies – and more!

The Chuppah

In preparation for the wedding feast in this episode, there’s a lot of attention paid to the Chuppah. It’s pronounced hoo-pah, with the “hoo” said deep in your throat, like the “ch” in “Bach”. You can hear it when Simon says it at the end of the scene where he and Eden are crushing grapes, as well as when Helah mentions to Dinah that it’s crooked. The chuppah is the canopy under which a Jewish couple gets married. Dinah and Mary set it up and decorate it and make a fuss over whether it’s done well enough for the bride and groom.

The Hebrew word “chuppah” means “covering” or “protection”. In the Bible, it’s commonly translated as “canopy” or even “chamber”. A chuppah at a wedding symbolizes just that – the wedding chamber. It also represents the marriage of God to His people and the covenant He made with us. It’s usually decorated with flowers or other items, as you see Dinah and Mary doing in this episode.

Asher and Sarah

The name Asher has grown in popularity recently. A name of Hebrew origin, you can find this one in your Bible many times. It means “straight” or “upright” and can also mean “happy”.

Asher’s bride, Sarah, is named after Sarah the matriarch, the wife of Abraham, as many Jewish girls are. The name Sarah means “princess”, as it’s the feminine form of the word for prince, “sar”.

Shalom

When greeting one another, Dinah says “Shalom” to Helah. Similar to “Aloha”, Shalom is a greeting used as a “Hello” and a “Goodbye”. Often translated as “peace”, the word “shalom” in Hebrew actually has a much deeper meaning. It means “peace”, but also a full completeness or harmony. You can read more about the word “shalom” in 9 Hebrew Words to Bring You Closer to God.

Nazareth Joke

This is another thing I just love about this series. Every now and then, they throw out a joke only those familiar with the Bible will understand. A few of these can be found in Season 1, Episode 2.

When walking with Jesus, Simon runs ahead to find out if the reason they’re going to this wedding is that important Hebrew people will be there. Jesus surprises them with his response, “The most important and powerful person I know will be there – my mother!” Andrew responds with a somewhat inappropriate comment when he interjects, “Isn’t your mother from Nazareth?”

This is funny because of Nathaniel’s comment in John 1:46 – “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”. When he follows Phillip and meets Jesus, he finds out that something good can indeed come from Nazareth – our Messiah!

Later, at the wedding feast, Abner mentions that Dinah is from Nazareth, listing that as one reason he wasn’t initially happy about his son marrying their daughter. This again demonstrates that Nazareth was a humble place to be from.

Blessing Over the Wine

When the vinters, Ramah and Thomas, present the wine to Dinah, she says a blessing over the wine before tasting it. She says “Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth the fruit of the vine.”

This is the same blessing from Episode 2, Shabbat and you’ll see it later in this episode again just after the dance. It’s called the Borei Pri HaGafen and you can find more on this blessing in my post on Episode 2.

Od Yishama – The Wedding Song

At the beginning of the wedding feast, the guests dance around the tables in circles, singing. Traditionally sung in Hebrew, the song they sing is called Od Yishama. It’s from Jeremiah 33 and this song, like the chuppah, is just another way the Jewish people connect a wedding – a covenant between two people – with the covenant between us and God. Beautiful!

Hear the modern traditional version here:

Students Choose the Rabbi

Simon says to Mary during the feast that it’s usually the students who choose the rabbi. It’s thought that, at that time, students chose which rabbi to follow, and the rabbis later either educated them further or sent them home to do their father’s trade.

Private Miracles

When Mary, Simon, and James are talking at the wedding feast, Simon asks why Jesus didn’t heal people when he had the ability. James said that it was because Jesus was only doing private miracles right now. The time had not yet come for him to do public miracles. Many sources agree that Jesus was probably performing other private miracles as well but that they just weren’t recorded. We may never know but those we’ve heard about are such amazing incidents that it’s clear our Messiah has divine power.

Israeli Dance

At the end of the wedding feast, people dance in circles and individually to Hebraic music. This form of dance has changed throughout time but is all based on the joyful dance of Miriam the prophetess after the Hebrew people crossed the Red Sea and escaped the Egyptians (Ex. 15:20-21).

This is something done in many congregations as well as at celebrations such as weddings and Bar Mitzvahs. Messianic congregations often have Hebraic dance as part of their worship. For more on that, see What to Expect When Visiting a Messianic Synagogue.

Samaria

After the wedding, Thomas and Ramah discuss the miracle they’ve seen. Thomas mentions that Jesus asked him to follow and that he said for them to meet him in Samaria in 12 days. Ramah appears surprised by this, probably because Jews and Samaritans didn’t usually interact. Samaritans were Jewish people that were taken as captives by the Assyrians and intermarried with the Assyrian people. They worshipped the God of Israel but also intermixed idol worship from Assyrian culture. Interestingly – they’re still there even today! You can find their story in 2 Kings 17.

If you’re familiar with your Bible, you know a couple stories featuring Samaritans. We’ll have to stay tuned to see who Jesus meets in Samaria!

Ready for the next episode: Episode 6, Indescribable Compassion?

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