Hello Friends
Last week we explored the future mini-series that includes two royal weddings, a series of bloody coups, the dream of a new middle east and its shattering. All that within less than a century some 2,900 years ago. In the battle between Queen Jezebel and King Ahab vs. the Prophets Elijah and Elisha - the prophets won, and the trail of blood continues till this day. What do we make of this story? How to be more careful readers of history, reality and what was and is determining our ongoing divides.
To find out more - I invite you to spend an hour watching the recording of last week’s session, with the link below.
This coming Sunday our journey continues, just ahead of the new Jewish year, with another riveting chapter from our history - this one happening on the first day of the new Jewish year in the middle of the 5th century BCE. It turns out that the animosity between the people of the north and south did not end when both kingdoms ceased to exist. It just changed names and with the change came deeper suspicious attitudes towards ‘the others’.
That’s how we got the reality of Judaic bans against intermarriage. And that’s how we got the story of the Good Samaritan - and the bad ones..
Join me this coming Sunday, 2pm ET - ALL INVITED - to take another deep dive into the origins of our story of divisions, what went wrong - and what we can do about it. Details below.
Check out last week’s Zoom LIVE LEARNING session:
🚩 9/6/26, 2pm ET: OUR NEXT ZOOM SESSION
Good or bad Samaritans? Ezra’s Intermarriage Decree and the Birth of the Bible
On the first day of the Jewish year mid 5th Century BCE, the Judean community of Jerusalem gathered to celebrate the invention of the Torah, led by Ezra the Scribe. But not all were invited. How does the Post-Exile period define new boundaries that continue the old North/South divide and create a new narrative that sets firm boundaries based on ethnic and religious identities?
Is the Samaritan/Judean schism a continuity of the Israel/Judah wars, and what does this conflict look like now?
ZOOM LINK:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89101478172?jst=2
Can’t join on 9/6 and want to watch the session?
No problem.
You’ll all get the recording and resources within the week of each LIVE LEARNING session.
More info on the rest of the course:
Judaism: Born Divided Landing Page
Wishing us all Shabbat Shalom - Peaceful Sabbath.
Peace שלום سلام
Amichai