CONTENTS
Preface ix
Abbreviations xiii
Part 1: A Matter of Choice 17
The Quest for Meaning
World Religions and Ideologies
Eastern Perspectives
A Jewish Messiah
Two Thousand Years of Church History
The Jewish Position Regarding Gentile Christianity
Part 2: The Olive Tree 81
The Hebrew Heritage
A Thriving Olive Tree
The Patriarchs
The House of Jacob
Positions of Prominence
A Divided Kingdom
Scattering and Gathering
Summary of Hebrew History
Part 3: Tents in the Desert 141
Moshe (Moses)
The Wilderness Camp
A Journey through the Mishkan (Tabernacle)
The Courtyard:
Sacrifice and the Brazen Altar
Washing and the Brazen Laver
The Holy Place:
Fellowship and the Table of Showbread
Prayer and the Altar of Incense
Revelation and the Menorah
The Most Holy Place:
God’s Providence and the Ark of the Covenant
Eternal Life and the Mercy Seat
Part 4: Stones and Clay 189
A Prophet like Moshe (Moses)
The Levitical Priesthood
Biblical Covenants
The Mosaic Law
Stones and Clay
The Hebrew Names of God
Part 5: Stars and Seasons 241
Astronomy and the Hebrews
The Ancient Hebrew Calendar
Numbers in Scripture
Two Calendars: Civic and Sacred
The Seven Feasts of Israel
The Feasts and the Hebrew Marriage Tradition
The Hebrew Calendar as a Blueprint of History
Spring Feasts:
Passover or Pesakh
Feast of Unleavened Bread or Khag HaMatzot
Firstfruits or HaBikkurim
Counting of the Sheaves or Sfirat Ha‘Omer
Feast of Weeks or Shavu‘ot
Between Spring and Autumn
Autumn Feasts:
Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teru‘ah
Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur
Tabernacles or Sukkot
Appendix I: The Hebrew Language 305
‘Ivrit: A Holy Language
Learning the Language
Transliteration Guidelines
A Hebrew Picture Alphabet
English-Hebrew Glossary: “From Aaron to Zion”
Seven Hebrew Proclamations and Blessings
The Hebrew Numeral System
Appendix II: Messianic Prophecies of the Tanakh (OT) 337
Bibliography 339