Roots of Faith

Archive for the ‘Notes’ Category

We just received our official Roots of Faith Logo from Denson Brantley Advertising. I am so pleased with it. The logo is actually a collaborative effort. It started with a conversation between my wife and I. I sketched an early version on a piece of paper, she found some graphics and we began to look around on various sites. My sister… Jessica made a very clean version of my original idea, which I brought to an artist friend (Larry Crawford). He talked with me about my vision for Roots of Faith and reviewed all that I had to that point. Within a couple of days, Larry produced the rough sketch of the “final” version. I took this to the team at Denson Brantley adverstising and Renee Jones created the final logo. I am now very pleased and proud to present the Official Roots of Faith Logo!

In 1995 I was given a copy of an interesting article written by Mark Allan Powell of Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus Ohio. This article, (Do and Keep What Moses Says) was published in the prestigious Journal of Biblical Literature [JBL 114/3 (1995) 419-435]. It proposed an alternate interpretation of Matthew 23:2-3.

By the fall of 1996, I had almost forgotten about Mark Powell’s article, and perhaps would have never looked at it again if I had not studied the Hebrew Matthew contained in the polemical treatise of a Spanish Jew named Shem Tob ben Isaac ben Shaprut. This treatise was composed in 1380 and had become the latest work of New Testament scholar George Howard of the University of Georgia. In 1987, Dr. Howard had published this Hebrew Matthew text in The Gospel of Matthew According to a Primitive Hebrew Text, Mercer University Press. Eight years later, Dr. Howard revised and re-published this text under the title,
Hebrew Gospel of Matthew, Mercer University Press. This later edition is the one that I had obtained, and the one that led me to discover a variant text that could shed some light on the subject at hand.

I wrote an article on this particular reading and submitted it to the presiding editor over the Journal of Biblical Literature at the time. At the time I was told that the article was “Not really suitable for publication in JBL.” The editor wished me well and said that she hoped that my rejection did not diminish my interest in the Journal of Biblical Literature. It certainly did not. This journal is a very fine publication, and frankly my article was not as “academic” as the term is strictly defined. I posted the article on the web and it was discovered by Nehemia Gordon, who was doing research on this subject for a book that he was writing. The article was referenced in a couple of footnotes in his work – The Hebrew Yeshua Vs the Greek Jesus, Hilkiah Press 2005.

This article was recently accepted by and published on the prestigious website, The Bible&Interpretation.

This single text is becoming more relevant in our day as a result of a growing number of Christians are being “drawn” to the Jewish/Hebraic roots of the Faith. Check it out here.

The “Seat of Moses” Image is used by courtesy of www.HolyLandPhotos.org.

Tonight marks the beginning of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. This evening at sundown we begin the 25th day of the 9th Biblical month. In the Talmud it is most often referred to as the “Feast of Illumination”. It is also known as the Feast of the Maccabees, the Festival of Lights and the Feast of Dedication (see John 10:22 in the Christian Scriptures). The origins of this festival are not found in the Bible, but in the book of 1 Maccabees. According to the writer of that work, a “sinful root” by the name of Antiochus Epiphanes rose to power in the year 175 B.C.E.. In 169 B.C.E. he turned his evil intentions against the towns, the people and the religion of Israel. With pomp and arrogance he entered the sanctuary speaking boastful words. He stripped the Temple of all valuable items and shed much blood. In 167 B.C.E., he put out a decree to his entire kingdom. In this decree he stated that all people should be one and that everyone should give up their particular customs. The non-Jews and even some from Israel gladly accepted this new “kingdom religion”. The religion of Israel was profaned in every regard and forsaking the Torah was the watchword of the new socially acceptable religion brought in by the sinful root, Antiochus. A “desolating sacrilege” was erected in the Temple, altars went up throughout the towns, and Torah scrolls were burned in the fire. Women who circumcised their children were put to death and the same fate befell those who were discovered following the Torah.

The book of Maccabees records that “many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. Very great wrath came upon Israel.” In the midst of these trying times a priestly family rose to the occasion. From a garrison in Modein, a man named Mattathias and his five sons mourned over the situation. They were approached by the officers of Antiochus with an offer of riches for violating the covenant of their fathers. Not only did they refuse to profane the covenant of their fathers, but they led a rebellion that ultimately defeated the armies of insolence.

Three years to the day that the altar was defiled, the altar was re-dedicated. It was then determined that every year on this date that for eight days, beginning on the 25th of the 9th month a time of joy and gladness should be observed. Since that time, the re-dedication of the altar has been commemorated in the eight-day festival known as Hanukkah.

In our own day, during this season, we should make an extra effort to stand for the holy covenant and to stand against pagan practices and those influences that oppose the Torah. Around the world, Torah oriented people will be kindling the lights in keeping with the tradition of Hanukkah. I pray that you have a blessed season of renewal to the covenant – a re-dedication of your life to the Torah. It should also be pointed out that today marks the ONLY date on the Hebrew calendar that is specifically attached to a blessing. The promised blessing is found in the prophetic book known as Haggai (2:10-23). There we read the following words; “From this day on I will bless you.”

You are invited to join the congregation of Roots of Faith for a Hanukkah party at Temple Sinai. We would love to see you in person, but you are also welcome to attend via the internet (www.rootsoffaith.org/streaming-video).

I pray a special blessing on all who read these words, and as always – thanks for your continued interest in Roots of Faith. Shalom!

The Story of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Their Miraculous Discovery and
True Significance

A lecture by
Professor Geza Vermes
Tuesday, Sept. 29
5 p.m.
Hill Memorial Library Lecture Hall
Reception and book signing following the lecture

Geza Vermes is Professor Emeritus of Jewish Studies and Emeritus Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford University. He has edited the Journal of Jewish Studies since 1971 and in 1991 was appointed director of the Oxford Forum for Qumran Research at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. He is a Fellow of the British Academy (1985) and of the European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (2001). He is the author of more than a dozen books on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Judaism, Christianity, and the life and religion of Jesus.

Sponsored by the LSU Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies
and the LSU Libraries

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Illustration: Psalms (Tehillim) 11QPs. Copied ca. 30 – 50 C.E. Reproduced from http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/deadsea.scrolls.exhibit/Library/psalms.html