Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Political correspondent Sam Sokol and archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As Shas party leader Aryeh Deri threatens to leave the coalition, Sokol discusses the pressure being placed on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the ultra-Orthodox parties to wrangle Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein and the law he is writing regarding Haredi army enlistment.

There is intense anger in the ultra-Orthodox world over the issue, says Sokol, who also notes an act of arson in a Shas synagogue in Sunday, as the Shas party announced its intention to leave the coalition over its anger with Netanyahu regarding the Haredi draft bill.

Sokol notes that a political insider told him there's a relatively low chance of these pressures leading to new elections. Even if the current coalition is dissolved, there would still be up to five months of its ability to continue functioning and for the coalition parties to buy more time for themselves.

Tercatin discusses two sets of findings, one regarding the Bible. A pioneering new algorithm looks at the layers of oral traditions and writers of the Bible and its editors. The algorithm helps discern which words are used most often and the writing style, creating new methods of analyzing ancient writings and answering questions about the history they present.

She also looks at a radiocarbon dating study that was used to examine one of the Dead Sea scrolls, helping futher determine the timeframe when it was written, and whether the current scrolls are first copies or early editions.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Shas said planning to back Knesset dissolution over stymied draft-exemption bill

Shas spiritual leader: Edelstein’s soul is an abomination, shame he came to Israel

Haredi parties maintain pressure on PM after he claims ‘significant progress’ in talks

Outrage after arson attack on Jerusalem synagogue of top Shas party rabbi

Who wrote the Bible? A pioneering new algorithm may shatter scholarly certitude

New study revolutionizes Dead Sea Scrolls dating, might rewrite Israel’s history

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch.

IMAGE: Shas party leader Aryeh Deri and spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef visit the scene of suspected arson and vandalism at a Jerusalem synagogue on June 8, 2025. (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

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