Because there was no concept of an afterlife in early Israelite religion, there was no concept of a heaven or hell. But following the exile and return from Babylon and the coming of the Greeks, Jewish literature suddenly began to contain references to heaven and hell. In this illuminating lecture, BAR former Editor Robert R. […]
Hebrew Bible Interpretation


Despite an appearance of simplicity, the Biblical narratives are often complicated stories. In the full-length video lecture “Abraham and the Binding of Isaac,” Ziony Zevit examines the context of one of the best-known narratives of the Hebrew Bible, enabling you to experience a worldview very different than our own. The Binding of Isaac (the Akedah), […]

Regular Biblical Archaeology Review contributor Mary Joan Winn Leith provides a fresh perspective on the language and imagery of the Book of Exodus by exploring ancient Egyptian iconography of power and authority. Through their acute awareness of Egyptian propaganda and art, the biblical writers and storytellers successfully inverted the very same imagery to illustrate Pharaoh’s ineptitude when […]