In 'The Book of Jude' by H. L. Heijkoop, the author delves into the biblical text to explore the subject of the coming apostasy, where men may turn the grace of God into a license for sin. This work is a valuable resource for Bible students, offering detailed analysis and interpretation of the Book of Jude.
The Bible is a comprehensive collection of texts that form the central religious text of Christianity and Judaism. It is divided into the Old Testament, which includes books such as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and others that narrate the creation of the world, the history of the Israelites, and the prophetic messages. The New Testament focuses on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, along with the early Christian church and its spread. The Bible contains a wide range of genres, including historical narratives, poetry, wisdom literature, prophetic writings, and epistles[2][3][5].
Welcome to a bonus episode of The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. In today's episode, environment reporter Sue Surkes makes a guest appearance, stepping in for Berman.
This is a week of spring holidays, and so we are dedicating the program to some of the biblical flora of the Land of Israel.
In honor of Easter, which is celebrated by much of Christendom on Sunday, we begin with a date palm that was brought back from the dead and a plant that resurrects itself.
In 2008, Dr. Elaine Solowey germinated a 1,900-year-old date palm seed that took the name Methuselah after the long-lived biblical character. She has since gone on to revive several more ancient seeds, including females that bear fruit. Surkes tells the story of Solowey's amazing success -- and describes how the dates taste.
Next, we hear about the Rose of Jericho, which was named for the biblical city of Jericho that constantly rose from its ashes -- and still stands today. It's an extraordinary story of a plant surviving in the harshest of circumstances.
We then turn to a tree that is called the Christ-thorn jujube (shezaf). Traditionally, this type of tree was used to create the thorny crown that Jesus wore on his last journey down the Via Dolorosa.
Surkes then speaks about the olive tree -- both the last few remaining "wild" variety located near Atlit, and the cultivated variety. She turns to Psalm 128 to show how being acquainted with the flora of the Land of Israel gives a deeper meaning to the text.
And finally, we speculate on the Garden of Eden's "forbidden fruit." Was it an apple? Or maybe a fig?
Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.
IMAGE: Dates harvested from 'Hannah,' the first female palm tree germinated from 2,000 year-old seeds discovered in the Judean desert, are displayed in Kibbutz Ketura in southern Israel, on September 27, 2021. (Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)
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