Features

Lilith
Seductress, heroine or murderer? By Janet Howe Gaines

For 4,000 years Lilith has wandered the earth, figuring in the mythic imaginations of writers, artists and poets. Her dark origins lie in Babylonian demonology, where amulets and incantations were used to counter the sinister powers of this winged spirit who preyed on pregnant women and infants. Lilith next migrated to the world of […]

The Seductress of Qumran

This article is based on Joseph M. Baumgarten, “On the Nature of the Seductress in 4Q184,” Revue de QuÆmran 15 (1991–1992), pp. 133–143, and appears here with his approval.

Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder?

Many people assume that Jesus’ Last Supper was a Seder, a ritual meal held in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Passover. And indeed, according to the Gospel of Mark 14:12, Jesus prepared for the Last Supper on the “first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb.” If Jesus and his […]

What’s in a Name?
The Strange Case of Veronese’s Last Supper By David L. Sills

034 When first gazing at Veronese’s painting of the Last Supper, it is difficult to recognize that it actually is a painting of the Last Supper. Indeed, the first reaction of most viewers to this Italian Renaissance masterpiece is simply awe at its scale. Measuring 42 feet wide by 18 feet high, Veronese’s […]

Departments

The Empire of David—or Not?
Modern maps show David’s kingdom reaching to the Euphrates. But what does the Bible say? By Ronald S. Hendel
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Jonah in the whale