Latest news with #OldTestament
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rabbi talks about how Boulder attacks have left community reeling: ‘I know all of them'
BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — A rabbi who typically would participate in the weekly peaceful walks on Sunday to raise awareness for Israeli hostages in Gaza is speaking out about how the community is reeling from the attacks. Rabbi Ori Har, born in Israel, says that because Boulder is a small community, she knows all the victims, whether that's personally or by meeting them a few times in prayers or celebrating holidays. Attack at demonstration calling for Israeli hostages' release was first where group faced violence She says the victims who were injured have all made the walk before, except for one guest who came from out of town to walk for the first time. 'We always tend to believe Boulder is a safe bubble, even though it's an illusion,' said Har. 'It's a story people hold, and that bubble definitely burst last Sunday.' Har is still in shock after Sunday's peaceful afternoon walk turned violent. 'Sometimes, as a rabbi, you have to officiate a funeral and a wedding in one day,' said Har. 'That's kind of just the nature of life, but this one has been so out of the normal.' It was devastating to learn that people she was familiar with had been badly burned on Pearl Street. 'I know all of them, of course,' Har said. 'It's a small community we know each other. It's so hard to even you know conceive something like this happened. It's painful, it's months of months of recovery. I just pray for a speedy recovery, but don't know any specific details. After the Holocaust, we thought people learned from history, but history repeats itself.' Har is referring to one of the 12 victims, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor who she says is a real activist, especially for immigrants. 'Also for their well-being. Here she was hit by an immigrant. I mean, this is just, I have no words to describe it,' she said. Emergency fund created for victims, Jewish safety after Boulder terrorist attack She says all the support has been overwhelming and says it really has been helping the Jewish community to navigate through this difficult time. 'I think the community is now engaged in this conversation to see how safe it is in the future, maybe it'll be more of a police presence in the future. Usually, it's no police presence, so it's time,' said Har. She says the tragic situation comes on the heels of celebrating a holiday. 'It's a very special holiday. It's called Shavuot. Which is celebrating the giving of what we call the Old Testament. It's a holiday you know we celebrate, but that didn't give a reason to celebrate.' A community vigil is scheduled to be held Wednesday, June 4, for the victims of the recent attacks. It will be held at the Boulder Jewish Community Center beginning at 5 p.m. The Boulder Jewish Festival scheduled for Sunday will still go on, but will be 'reimagined' to incorporate healing and recognition of the victims. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Science
- Irish Daily Mirror
Scientific evidence on whether Adam and Eve really did exist
Scientists believe they may have finally discovered whether or not Adam and Eve truly existed. According to the Bible, Adam and Eve were the first two humans, created by God. The Old Testament states that they lived in the Garden of Eden and are central to the belief that all humans descended from a single pair of original ancestors. Despite scepticism surrounding the biblical tale, there is an increasing amount of evidence suggesting that some elements of the story could be accurate. Remarkably, archaeologists have uncovered surprising signs that Eden was not only a real location but could also have been the cradle of civilisation as we know it, as reported by The Daily Mail. Biologists have demonstrated that all living humans do indeed share a single common ancestor, but reconciling the Bible's historical accounts with modern science does necessitate discarding much of the narrative. In the sacred text, Adam and Eve reside in a place named the Garden of Eden, depicted as a land of abundance and plenty. Surprisingly, the Bible provides a fairly precise indication of where this mythical garden is situated, reports the Mirror US. In Genesis, the first book of the Bible, it is stated that a river flows through Eden and splits into four tributaries: The Pishon, the Gihon, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. The age-old tale of Adam and Eve's origins might need a rethink, with experts suggesting our biblical forebears might not have been Homo Sapiens after all. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers, still flowing through Iraq today, are familiar names from the story, but the exact whereabouts of the other two rivers, Gihon and Pishon, remain a mystery, casting doubt on their existence. Scholars believe the Garden of Eden could have been in various places, yet the most convincing location is thought to be Mesopotamia. This area, whose name translates to 'between rivers' from Ancient Greek, is cradled by the Tigris and Euphrates and sprawls across parts of what are now eastern Syria, northwestern Turkey, and much of Iraq. Professor Eric Cline, an expert in classical and biblical archaeology at George Washington University, penned 'From Eden to Exile', where he supports this theory as aligning with both scriptural texts and archaeological findings. In his book, Professor Cline explains: "This makes some sense from a textual point of view, because not only does the biblical account say that the garden lay 'in the east', meaning to the east of Israel, but it also mentions the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in connection with the Garden of Eden." Mesopotamia is widely regarded as the cradle of agriculture, where both plants and animals were first tamed over 10,000 to 20,000 years ago during what's known as the Neolithic revolution. This shift led humans away from their hunter-gatherer roots, giving rise to our earliest permanent settlements. Prof Cline said: "This area may have also become somewhat of an agricultural paradise for the local residents following the invention of irrigation during the fourth millennium BC." To bolster the Biblical narrative, scientists indeed think all present-day humans hail from a single woman. Dubbed 'Mitochondrial Eve,' she represents the universal matrilineal ancestor, traceable through DNA. This singular ancestor concept stems from the understanding that regardless of a population's size, most female lineages are destined to extinguish at some point. Thus Mitochondrial Eve wasn't the inaugural human, yet after all alternative female lines ceased, leaving no trace in mitochondrial DNA—inheritance that flows exclusively from mothers to offspring. Applying the same reasoning, scientists inferred the existence of a 'Y-chromosome Adam' as the root of every living human's Y-chromosome. Despite this, the theory has its critics, with some arguing that although everyone on the planet shares DNA with common ancestors, this does not necessarily mean that they came from a single "first couple." It is possible that the man and woman lived in different eras and may not have had children together, with their existences potentially being centuries apart. However, Dr Joshua Swamidass, a biologist from Washington University, counters that there is no reason to rule out the possibility that humanity descended from a single couple. The cases of Mitochondrial Eve and Y-chromosome Adam demonstrate that there is no scientific barrier to humans having a common ancestor, even if the population never dwindled to just two individuals. In an article published in Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, Dr Swamidass wrote: "Many individuals are each individually ancestors of 'all the living'." He explained that all humans alive today descend from each of these universal ancestors, and the same can be said for all individuals alive in AD 1 or when recorded history began. Dr Swamidass suggested that two of these universal ancestors could be a specific couple, referred to as Adam and Eve in scripture, from whom all humans descend. While Dr Swamidass is not presenting this as a definitive explanation, he is highlighting that our current understanding of evolutionary biology does not preclude the existence of Adam and Eve as a couple. Nevertheless, as Dr Swamidass noted, there remains the issue that Homo Sapiens were not the first humans to inhabit Earth. Professor William Lane Craig, a philosopher from Houston Christian University, has confidently claimed that Adam and Eve were the original humans, predating Homo sapiens. Using criteria such as the ability for abstract thought, technological progress, and symbolism, he suggests that true humanity began much earlier. In an article for First Things, Professor Craig argues: "Adam and Eve may plausibly be identified as belonging to the last common ancestor of Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals - usually designated as Homo Heidelbergensis." He also said: "Adam plausibly lived sometime between around 1 million years ago to 750,000 years ago - a conclusion consistent with the evidence of population genetics."
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Cambridge University appoints first Jewish professor of Hebrew
When Henry VIII established a royal professorship in Hebrew nearly 500 years ago, the idea that a Jew would fill the role at Cambridge studying the ancient language of the Israelites was impossible. 'It's not surprising, if you know that at the time of Henry VIII Jews were banned from England. So that was quite a technical obstacle,' said Prof Aaron Koller, who later this year will become the first Jewish occupant of the post since 1540. Henry's motives for founding the Regius professorship of Hebrew studies read like a chapter out of Wolf Hall, bound up with the aftermath of his divorce from Catherine of Aragon and England's break with the church of Rome. Koller suspects Henry wanted to boost England's intellectual firepower after the rupture with the papacy, with Hebrew a critical tool for retranslating sections of the Old Testament and offering competing interpretations to those used by the church in Rome. 'I need to learn about the Tudor background to this, but about 10 years earlier he and Catherine had been tangling over the interpretation of Leviticus [a book of the Bible and the Torah] and whether their marriage was legal or not,' said Koller. 'For the papacy, Jerome's Latin translation had taken pride of place as the Bible. But as part of the Protestant reformation – [Martin] Luther was very big on this, and in England it happened as well – the thinking was: we have to go back to the original, so we want to read about it in the Hebrew and the Greek.' Royal attention could also be dangerous. After Mary I acceded to the throne, the body of one of Koller's predecessors as professor of Hebrew was dug up, charged with heresy and burned, in a sign of her regime's displeasure. But Koller said Henry's decision also reflected the status of Hebrew alongside ancient Greek and Latin as a classical language of scholars. Studying Hebrew allowed intellectuals to tap into thousands of years of literature spread across the world. Koller, who teaches at Yeshiva University in New York, said part of his new role will be 'convincing the British public that Hebrew studies is of broad interest,' regardless of background or religion. Koller said: 'One of the challenges we've had, politically and educationally, is that the idea of Hebrew has been tied in with a particular nation state in the past 75 years. 'While that has some advantages – suddenly you have 10 million native speakers of the language – it also has educational disadvantages because people are thinking, Hebrew is quite a political thing. Whereas no one thinks that about Latin, it's easier to sell it as politics-free than Hebrew, which immediately makes people think: what am I doing with this country of Israel? Do I like it? Do I want to go there? 'But part of my role is to say: Hebrew has a massively and really fascinatingly long history, and has nothing to do with the nation state that happens to exist today in the 21st century. 'You can study medieval Hebrew and be enthralled by the poetry and the philosophy without coming across as taking a stand on a contested issue.' Cambridge's archives include the priceless Genizah Collection of nearly 200,000 books, letters and documents, written mainly in Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic, retrieved from a Cairo synagogue's storeroom at the end of the 19th century. Koller's own research has included an ancient Hebrew text discovered in a cave in Dunhuang, western China, alongside 40,000 Buddhist manuscripts. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Even during the centuries when Jews were banned from Britain, Koller said there were scholars of Hebrew working on medieval manuscripts in college libraries, although Jews were barred from academic posts until 1871. Geoffrey Khan, Cambridge's current Regius professor, said that until the 1930s the holder had to be an ordained Anglican, and until Khan's own appointment in 2012 the holders had been primarily biblical scholars. Khan said it was 'important to see Hebrew in a wider perspective, including ancient, medieval and modern manifestations,' alongside related Semitic languages and cultures. 'Aaron Koller has a similar interest in taking a wider perspective in his work. I am very happy with his appointment,' said Khan. 'This wider contextualisation of Hebrew in the broader cultures of the Middle East is, I believe, a key change to the profile of the Cambridge professorship of Hebrew that is significant for the history of the post.' Koller said: 'One of the things that attracted me to the job is that Hebrew, as conceived in the position, is not religiously aligned. It's a world cultural language, it's alongside Farsi, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic. 'The same way that we have classics – where we teach Greek and Latin because there are sources and texts that need to be accessible and of interest to all people who are interested in humanistic inquiry – the same is true of Hebrew, and Farsi, and Chinese. And that's how I see my role.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
This show hasn't been seen on a Melbourne stage for 40 years. Now it's back
OPERA Samson and Delilah ★★★ Melbourne Opera, Palais Theatre, June 1 Samson and Delilah is the quintessential grand opera – large scale, spectacular (with many choruses and two ballets) and requiring superb singers. Melbourne Opera's production – and music lovers should be grateful yet again for their vision and determination – unfortunately really had only the last. The staging was deeply underplayed – deliberately so, according to the director's program notes, to emphasise psychological aspects (budget constraints might have been relevant). For me, it didn't work. The sets were far too minimalist, the lighting not even that, though Rose Chong's costumes were a highlight. The stage was divided into three, with the singers in front, the orchestra behind – which considerably reduced its impact – and the chorus above and behind them. The outstanding contribution came from the principals, Deborah Humble and Rosario La Spina, and the chorus (which is always outstanding). La Spina's huge, sweet tenor was ideal for Samson, but the biggest moments belong to the mezzo Delilah, and Humble relished them: sensitive, seductive, superb. Simon Meadows, Jeremy Kleeman and Eddie Muliaumaseali'i were splendid in the minor roles, while conductor Raymond Lawrence was sympathetic to composer and singers. The opera, which Camille Saint-Saëns (himself quite familiar with marital problems) takes from the Old Testament, tells of the Israelite leader who is seduced and betrayed by the vengeful Philistine Delilah. First performed in 1877, it was slow to bloom because of its biblical theme, but became immensely popular worldwide. Loading For the shortcomings, director Suzanne Chaundy – a leading force in so many of the company's recent triumphs, especially its series of Wagner operas – must take chief responsibility. The production was almost introverted, especially the climax where the blinded Samson pulls down the temple of the Philistine god Dagon, killing thousands. The bacchanal would scarcely have offended a women's temperance union. When Delilah came on stage brandishing Samson's shorn locks (the secret of his strength, symbolising his vow to God), they looked more like a dead possum. Yet, despite imperfections, Melbourne's first Samson and Delilah in 40 years was a real pleasure.
The Age
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
This show hasn't been seen on a Melbourne stage for 40 years. Now it's back
OPERA Samson and Delilah ★★★ Melbourne Opera, Palais Theatre, June 1 Samson and Delilah is the quintessential grand opera – large scale, spectacular (with many choruses and two ballets) and requiring superb singers. Melbourne Opera's production – and music lovers should be grateful yet again for their vision and determination – unfortunately really had only the last. The staging was deeply underplayed – deliberately so, according to the director's program notes, to emphasise psychological aspects (budget constraints might have been relevant). For me, it didn't work. The sets were far too minimalist, the lighting not even that, though Rose Chong's costumes were a highlight. The stage was divided into three, with the singers in front, the orchestra behind – which considerably reduced its impact – and the chorus above and behind them. The outstanding contribution came from the principals, Deborah Humble and Rosario La Spina, and the chorus (which is always outstanding). La Spina's huge, sweet tenor was ideal for Samson, but the biggest moments belong to the mezzo Delilah, and Humble relished them: sensitive, seductive, superb. Simon Meadows, Jeremy Kleeman and Eddie Muliaumaseali'i were splendid in the minor roles, while conductor Raymond Lawrence was sympathetic to composer and singers. The opera, which Camille Saint-Saëns (himself quite familiar with marital problems) takes from the Old Testament, tells of the Israelite leader who is seduced and betrayed by the vengeful Philistine Delilah. First performed in 1877, it was slow to bloom because of its biblical theme, but became immensely popular worldwide. Loading For the shortcomings, director Suzanne Chaundy – a leading force in so many of the company's recent triumphs, especially its series of Wagner operas – must take chief responsibility. The production was almost introverted, especially the climax where the blinded Samson pulls down the temple of the Philistine god Dagon, killing thousands. The bacchanal would scarcely have offended a women's temperance union. When Delilah came on stage brandishing Samson's shorn locks (the secret of his strength, symbolising his vow to God), they looked more like a dead possum. Yet, despite imperfections, Melbourne's first Samson and Delilah in 40 years was a real pleasure.
