5 comments about Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church.

1. If you have never studied something like this, this is a good place to start, along with Our Father Abraham by Marvin Wilson and google Dwight Pryor, my favorite.



2. DECEPTION #1 - JESUS AND JEHOVAH ARE THE NAMES OF THE FATHER AND SON,
   IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT NAME YOU CALL THEM.
   How can you think the names of salvation doesn't matter, would you allow me to call you any name I like? Would you allow your boss to put any name he liked on your pay check? NO, you wouldn't, so why do you think we can give the creator any name we want. Jesus and Jehovah are not the names of the father and son. These names come from the adversary Satan. The father and son both have Hebrew names this is confirmed in the original Hebrew text, and in your KJV. In the book of Psalms 68:4 we read this:
   Psalms 68:4 Sing unto the Almighty, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name YAH, and rejoice before him.
   
   Yes my people, the creator of heaven and earth, name is Yah. In your KJV the name listed, is JAH. That is incorrect, there is no letter J, J equivalent, or J sound in the Hebrew language. In fact the letter J is one of the newest letters in the English alphabet. It came into usage sometime after 1630; Jesus or Jehovah wasn't in the original 1611 KJV (King James Version).
   
   Many of the Hebrew Prophets carried the name Yah within their names.
   
   SUCH AS: OBADYAH which means Servant of Yah,
   ZechariYah - Yah Remembers
   IsaiYah - Yah is salvation
   ZephaniYah - Yah Hides
   The Phrase Hallelu'Yah means PRAISE YOU YAH.
   
   Notice in your KJV (King James Version) the spelling of those names are different, Isaiah doesn't have the YAH at the end, nor does the other names and Hallelu'YAH has JAH in the suffix. Why is that? Simple the adversary Satan is trying to take the name of salvation away from you. He is deceiving you into calling upon false GODS. YAH's name mean THE ETERNAL, THE SELF EXISTENCE, Jehovah means nothing, it's a vain name. Yah said not to take his name in vain, this is one of the first commandments.
   Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of YAH in vain; for YAH will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
   
   He will not hold you guiltless brothers and sisters, Christianity has put you into a confrontation with the most high. Christianity has deceived you into taking the creator's name in vain, you have made it useless, by calling him a false name. Jehovah is not a Hebrew name, Jehovah is not an English translation of the fathers Hebrew name. His name is on high; YAH does not need a translation for his name. All men on the face of the earth, in every language can pronounce his name, YAH.
   
   In the KJV (King James Version) Exodus 20 doesn't mention Yah's name, it calls him by two titles, Lord and GOD.
   Exodus 20:7, Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
   
   The KJV says not to take the name of the Lord in vain. LORD is not a name it's a title, So is GOD. Lord and God both have roots in Paganism, both can be traced back to ancient pagan deities. Many bible dictionaries and concordance will tell you Wherever Lord and God is written in Scripture that the name should be YAH. If you have a concordance in your KJV bible, look under the name Yahweh, it will read this:
   
   .........Whenever the words Lord and God appear in large and small capital letters, the original Hebrew reads YHWH.
   
   YAH IS THE ALMIGHTY, THE CREATOR, THE HEAVENLY FATHER, THE MIGHTY ONE, THE ETERNAL, THE SET APART ONE. These are righteous titles, his name is above any title, he wants us to call upon him by his name. Jehovah is not his name, nor has it ever been.
   
   
   Yah the almighty didn't name his son Jesus. Jesus is a Greco-Roman- English hybrid name. Just as Jehovah, Jesus is not a Hebrew name nor does it have any meaning, it too is a vain name. Jesus was not in the original 1611 King James Version of the bible,, . Nor was the name Jesus Present in any of the earlier English bible translations. The name Jesus isn't 500 years old. So how can this be the name by which men must call upon to be saved, if it didn't exist at the time the messiah walked the earth?
   
   The messiah's true name is Yahoshua, it means Yah's salvation, his name tells his mission. Names are given in the Hebrew Culture based upon the character of the person. I was not born with the name Obadyah Ben Ysrayl, I took on this name after I found my true life calling. My name in Hebrew means Servant of Yah who is a son of Israel.
   
   When the angel pronounced the messiah's name to Joseph, he told him his name would have something to do with saving:
   
   Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son. and you shall call his name Yahoshua for he shall save his people from their sins.
   
   He shall bring Salvation to his people Israel. The name Jesus, on the other hand, has no association with any thing, but deception.



3. It is concise and informative, as a guide should be. It is an appetizer for further information and the bibliography shows where you can find the main courses. There is no index but, being a short book, the detail in the table of contents suffices. There is a glossary, and, perhaps, the most unexpected feature is the fill-in-the-blank study questions at the end of each chapter.
   With no wasted words, the author deftly sketches a picture of the various views of the Torah and the way Torah was taught and lived out in the time of Yeshua. The reader can grasp quickly the background behind the words and teaching methods Jesus used. The reader can understand some of the attitudes and experiences that underlie Paul's letters and actions. Quite remarkable for such a short treatise.
   However, I had some problems understanding chapter four, "The Old and the New: Different Covenants". The author apparently assumes that believers in Jesus (Yeshua) are separate from God's Chosen people, the Israelites, and they, therefore, are obligated only by the Noachide Laws. It is unclear if he or his sources believe that obedience to the Noachide Laws will bring salvation. He gives no Scriptural basis that this Noahian Covenant is redemptive or obligatory. God's Chosen people apparently have a different means to salvation than other people in this world. He does not allude to the fact that the Mosaic Covenant also included the "stranger" or the "sojourner" who joined himself to Israel. He also states, without foundation, that "God gave all nations the same possibility of becoming his people, but only Israel was willing to accept his law, while the other nations rejected this opportunity." Perhaps he is basing this statement on later Rabbinic teaching. In any case history witnesses to the fact that Israel rejected her God. I would like to see this chapter completely rewritten.
   Question 16 in chapter 6 uses the term "Old Testament" and I think it means "New Testament".
   Chapter 5 about Law and Grace is synthesizing--bringing apparent opposites together. And the overview about the Pharisees is enlightening--makes you feel that you could meet one on the street and shake his hand and then converse about spiritual matters.



4. Fascinating insights into what the scriptures mean. Dr. Moseley explains incidents in the life of Jesus and the early church from a 2000 years ago, Middle Eastern, approach; which is how they were written. I'm reminded of part of a Paul Simon song, "When I think of all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all."



5. This book comes with glowing endorsements from a number of serious, heavyweight scholars. Apart from the generous praise of these men, many of whom I respect highly, the author also has some impressive credentials himself. Consequently, as someone highly sympathetic to this genre, and having toured Israel a few times, I approached it expecting to be greatly blessed. I must say that although the majority of the material is helpful, there were several aspects of this book which left me frustrated and disappointed.
   
   Firstly, it appeared that the author was merely quoting other people's scholarship. (I know we are all the product of multiple influences, but I couldn't help feeling that he hadn't contributed a single original thought anywhere in the book. A possible exception is page 24. See below.
   This is a strange impression to get; I can't recall ever having felt the same about any other book). Perhaps this is why the other scholars praised him so highly; did they recognise their own material? The end result was that I couldn't take him seriously as an authority in his own right--just someone parroting the opinions of others.
   
   Secondly, there were some awful blunders which ANY competent scholar should have weeded out in the reviewing stage--(if they ever read it in the first place). For example, on p. 24, he makes the claim that the apostle John was from a priestly family, based on John 18: 15. All this says is that, "This disciple was KNOWN to the high priest." (He might just have been the fish delivery man for all we know!!). On this flimsy foundation he makes several foolish claims. Firstly this was why John let Peter go into Jesus' tomb first on the morning of the Resurrection, so as not to be defiled by a dead body. But next comes an absurd error based on Acts 4: 6, which he links to St. John also. It says, "Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, JOHN, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family." To the author this constitutes "proof" that the apostle John was of the high priest's circle. HOWEVER, if he'd bothered to read on, THE NEXT VERSE SAYS, "They had Peter and JOHN brought before them and began to question them." OBVIOUSLY, THIS ARISTOCRATIC PRIESTLY INQUISITOR JOHN OF VERSE 6 WAS NOT THE HUMBLE FISHERMAN JOHN BEING INTERROGATED BY HIM IN V. 7!!!!! John was a common name in the first century. When I read such massive blunders it totally removes all confidence in this man's scholarship. How he got all those letters after his name is a mystery to me.
   
   Thirdly, sloppy handling of detail. On page 8 he talks of the Second Jewish War, but links the flight of the Christian community to Pella with that war, in 132 - 135 AD. It's not until page 69 that he corrects this error, rightly placing it in the First Jewish War of 66 - 70 AD.
   
   Fourthly, what really bothered me was what I see as a dreadful theological statement on pages 36 -37. I quote, "The third misconception is the idea that New Testament believers have a "Better covenant" than God's Law. The passages from Hebrews, where this expression appears, are discussing the sacrificial system only, which is better in Christ, as God's Lamb, as opposed to a literal lamb. THE MANIFESTATION IS BETTER AND HAS CHANGED, BUT THE COVENANT ITSELF REMAINS THE SAME".
   How can anyone claim that the New Covenant is THE SAME as the Old Covenant????? Hebrews clearly states that "By calling this covenant "New," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear." Heb. 8: 13. No amount of semantics can twist the Bible into saying what he claims it says.
   "For if there had been nothing wrong with that FIRST covenant, no place would have been sought for ANOTHER. But God found fault with the people and said : "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a NEW covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. IT WILL NOT BE LIKE the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt." (Heb. 8: 7 - 9). WHAT COULD BE CLEARER?' THEY ARE TWO DISTINCT COVENANTS.
   I don't dispute for a moment that it is the same thrice holy God Who makes both covenants with His people--and that His holy attributes and standards change not. But, as just one example of many differences, the priesthood has changed in the New Covenant--this alone tells us that the Mosaic system has passed away. The writer to the Hebrews makes this crystal clear--that Jesus was not of the Levitical priesthood, but rather in the order of Melchizedek. If the Old Covenant were still in place, Jesus, coming from the tribe of Judah as He did, would be disqualified to act as our great High Priest.
   
   Fifthly, he totally fails to distinguish between the LAW OF GOD as a general revelation of His nature and standards, and the LAW OF MOSES, the Covenant made with Israel on Sinai. Several passages are confusing and misleading when this vital distinction is lacking.
   
   I could go on but I don't want to be reminded of all the other irritations of this book--like the annoying writing style and how the serious, scholarly tone of the review questions at the end of each chapter seem ridiculous in the light of its errors. (I did BEGIN to fill them in--honest!).
   
   I probably sound sour, fault-finding and critical, please excuse this. But this is not a good book and I found myself filling its margins with many irate protests. And please understand that I am highly sympathetic to this line of teaching in general. It's just that this is not a good example of the genre. There are far better choices one could make.
   To be fair, the second half of the book was far better. He confines himself to a summary of the teachings of the Pharisees, which was quite helpful. I enjoyed that half far more. But even then, after seeing his poor scholarship previously, I found myself wondering, "Can I trust this as an authoritative source?"
   Really 1 and 1/2 stars is the best I can give, and that's being overly generous! Save your pennies for other writings, which won't drive you to distraction with their sloppy writing style, factual errors and schoolboy blunders.

5 comments about The Five Stages of the Soul: Charting the Spiritual Passages That Shape Our Lives.

1. I decided not to take any books on my (solo) vacation this year -- preferring instead to see what I would gravitate toward 'on the road' (my way of living dangerously -- such an exciting life I lead!). So it was, in one of the bookstores at Logan Airport in Boston that I came to be standing in front of the philosophy/self-improvement section. No -- PLEASE no self improvement (I said to myself). Aren't vacations supposed to be a respite from such relentless work?. But something (probably the link between my impending 37th birthday and the book's idea that a spiritual journey is natural in mid-life) intrigued me too much to let myself put this book back on the shelf.

   When I reached my destination, I was still reluctant to start such a deep-sounding subject, but I picked it up anyway -- just to read a bit to get myself to sleep. Three hours later, I was still in the midst of this engrossingly descriptive guidepost to maturing spirituality. Reluctantly I put it aside to get some sleep, but the next morning I finished it -- somewhere between breakfast and lunch. Like another reviewer said, now I know what several friends will be getting for birthdays/Christmas presents!

   I suppose the thing that touched me most was the inclusionary (rather than exclusionary) nature of the examples of different stages of 'the journey' -- tapping many different faith traditions rather than one particular dogma. Well, that and the idea that I have something 'new' ahead of me as I hit my forties and beyond, rather than more of the same old thing. I'd like to read it again soon (and I have a feeling I'll want to read it several times in the next couple of decades), but I'll have to get another copy -- my 'original' has been on loan since returning from my trip!




2. I have always been interested in spiritual and emotional growth in adulthood and though various people like Erikson, Vaillant, Levinson, Peck, Gebser, Jung, and Maslow etc. have tackled this issue in many interesting ways, I liked Moody's account the best. He explains it in a way that I can relate to and has beautiful life stories of people that go with it. This book has helped me get a better grasp on where I have been, where I am, and where I am going and I am sure that this makes all the difference in the overall quality of my life. Another book that I like equally on this subject matter is one called "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato. This tremendous book by Sato looks at this from a very different perspective but has extremely interesting stuff about consciousness and relationships as well as human growth. Yet it makes everything look so simple, yet so clear. Both these books deserve five stars if not more.



3. This book was seminal in describing to me and helping me to understand the extent to which my life has been and continues to be a spiritual journey, one that was originated by the God of the universe, and to which the journey leads. This is a book for all, but especially for those who have been brought up in a majority Christian culture, but who eschew the parochialism and often bigoted dogma and rigid theology of mainstream and particularly, right wing christian culture.
   
   The authors use all the great spiritual traditions to describe their concepts of the spiritual journey, including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and others. This is a book that really emphasizes the individual relationship with the Holy One, the Great Lover, and so has an attractive mystical bent. Quotes from the writings of Rumi as well as St Theresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Julian of Norwich fit very comfortably together within the authors' spiritual paradigm.
   
   If you would like a book that can explain to you how you and everyone else on earth might fit into God's plan, despite differences in dogma and theology, then this book is for you. After all, this is exactly what Christ taught, despite orthodox bigots' exclusionary proclamations.
   
   It's an easy read the first time, and gives forth more richly on subsequent readings.



4. This book is written by an author that is well known in the academic community as being quite a knowledgeable scholar. I read this book after reading: The Second Half of Life by James Hollis and it was an excellent follow-up to the spiritual side of going older and wiser. I would recommend it to anyone interested in this subject.



5. I'm a well educated, ie former attorney, American male, 65 years old. Born & raised a Roman Catholic, but not a practicing Catholic for decades; I enjoy exploring & reading @ spritual & religious topics; I consider myself, with a huge tongue in check, an amateur metaphysician. I've read 20 - 30 - 40 books in this area during the past 15 years. This is the best! Period. I think that @ age 40, I would not have been able to understand this book or what Moody was trying to teach; as I grew older, more intrsospective, & more torn by ambiguity, I found the subject matters of this book much more "pressing". If you read 1 book @ the spiritual aspects of maturity @ the 50+ stage of life, I suggest you start your explorations with this 1! A classic!

5 comments about The Way: Using the Wisdom of Kabbalah for Spiritual Transformation and Fulfillment.

1. "The Way" -- with a title like that you'd think you were purchasing your very own spiritual epiphany. In less than one hundred pages if I remember correctly.
   
   I actually picked this up when I was walking through the mall. I'd already been sort of curious about the subject, I've been studying Wicca and Buddhism for years and I'm always open to new ideas.
   
   So as you might be able to imagine, I with my new found interest, curled up in a chair and began reading about "The Way". Oooh.
   A mere 30 minutes later it was done. Nothing had been said in that thing that a teenager can't sit and think about on their own. For being a ten dollar book, this thing can seriously just as well serve as an intro to a much more thorough book. But then again that wouldn't make as much money. Had this been written out of passion it wouldn't have been so vague and brief.
   
   Don't waste your time on this, or on anything written by the Bergs.
   
   Kabbalah has a lot of great ideas and I still haven't given up hope, I'm still reading and looking for good writing. Someone give me something thought provoking and detail oriented.



2. 
   This is a very interesting book. I fully recommend it to anyone looking for spiritual answers. You may not agree with everything -- and that's OK. But take whatever you get from this book and simply make it yours. You don't have to become a follower of Kabbalah to put some of the ideas into practice. Try it. You may like it.
   
   Also recommended: "What Did Jesus Really Say, How Christianity Went Astray: [What To Say To A Born Again Christian Fundamentalist, But Never Had The Information]" by Peter Cayce



3. This book helps to develop personal relationship with God and find the way to Eternal Life. The person who gains Eternal Life has accomplished the goal of life. This book helps the humanity to accomplished the goal of life.



4. This was the first Kabbalah book that I read, definetely the right one, the subject being so new to me, since I am not Jewish, but Michael Berg writes so beautifully and it such simple words that I understood easily and so did my soul. It gave me a very good intro to Kabbalah, has beautiful stories about the Baalshemtov (a Tzadik, mystic, sage), it has the beautiful story about the white Angels, the black Angels and the grey Angels, after this story, I see dificulties in my life from a totally diferent perspective. This book talks about redemption, and God's mercy, and many more subjects that can only enrich your life!!! After this book I continue to read The Essential Zohar, the 72 names of God, which I meditate on frequently, and so on, the journey continues!!!



5. great book + great author = a perfect combination...even if i dont agree upon some of 'the way', it is indeed a great source for reference or personal library and spiritual quest...and although im not jewish, i know that i will flip the pages on a periodic basis ;)

5 comments about God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi.

1. As a spiritual seeker, I tend to gravitate towards traditions and ideas that recognize our innate connection to the Earth, and spirituality's inherent beginnings in the awe and wonder with our world (i.e. nature / nature religion). Needless to say, I was naturally drawn to this book. In God in the Wilderness, Rabbi Korngold exposes the roots of Judaism, with the most fabulously unorthodox approach (that may be reformist in approach, but hopefully also in action: so that more traditionalist readers get a chance to see a different (but not so much) light on a traditional topic). She roots us firmly in our place - our rightful place in nature of which we are part and parcel. Rabbi Korngold gently explains the intricacies of biblical study in an accessible way, and I hope many readers will reap the benefits of knowing that you can't cherry-pick your way through the bible. Particularly, that one verse about having dominion over the earth, which she gracefully explains. Korngold is an adventurous spirit with a rich background from which she weaves stories of her experiences with a keen sense of wisdom - from her tradition and from nature.



2. Consider the sources of wisdom that Rabbi Jamie Korngold taps in her ready-for-the-trail paperback memoir, "God in the Wildnerness." Yes, we meet such venerable sages as Maimonides, Martin Buber and Abraham Joshua Heschel. But there's also room here for Tevye from "Fiddler on the Roof" and even a bit of wisdom from "The Wizard of Oz."
   
   Of course, the bulk of Rabbi Korngold's wisdom is drawn from scriptures - and from her experience in reading the natural world itself. She writes honestly, which is a mark of a solid, inspirational memoir. She shares with us some of her awe-inspiring moments in the wilderness - but she also shares with us some of her moments of doubt - and even moments of great danger in her relationship with outdoor sporting, including her obsession to run a marathon of 100 miles that nearly killed her.
   
   In other words, this is a companion book. It's not a preachy, too-good-to-be-real, 10-step guide to spiritual perfection. In fact, when she reaches the end of her text, she offers us not 10 commandments for improving our world (and ourselves) - but 20, so we can pick and choose the 10 most relevant to our own lives.
   
   I like the fact that Korngold insisted the book debut in a handy paperback edition - in itself, an invitation for us to stuff it into a pocket or bag and head outside to read it.
   
   The book tells us a lot - but not too much - about how this congregational rabbi wound up establishing an "adventure" ministry in Colorado. She's a rabbi in the Reform movement but her approach to rethinking community - and where communities should gather - is a healthy creative force within American religion.
   
   She's not alone, of course. Evangelical Christians, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists - a whole host of faithful people -- are rethinking their spiritual relationship to God's Creation these days. What Rabbi Korngold is saying in her book is that this isn't some kind of trendy movement designed to welcome restless seekers into the fold. No, on the contrary, she's saying that this movement reconnects with the deepest roots of faith.
   
   I also appreciate that she refuses to profess easy answers to complex problems. In fact, some of her best passages are about her encounters with puzzles she can't offer to solve for us. Instead, she invites us to join in the journey with her. And, in the end, that's really the most powerful message in this book: a call to journey together into the world God has made for us.
   
   The book easily could become a guide to weekly discussion for small groups. While the book is divided into seven chapters plus an Afterword - groups could use the book for one month, two months - or on a weekend retreat outdoors. In the back of the book, you'll find helpful materials, including instructions for downloading supplements for group discussions.



3. I picked up this wonderful book last week at the Tattered Cover bookstore while in Denver for a conference last week. I bought it for my wife who is an ordained United Methodist pastor, and I couldn't put it down while flying home to WV.
   
   This is such a great book. Down-to-earth and inspiring at the same time. It is full of humorous and intelligent insights. It was also great to learn more about our shared Judeo-Christian traditions.
   
   As we move to our new home and charge this July, less than three miles from Beech Fork Lake nestled in the WV appalachian mountains, we will be sharing Rabbi Korngold's wisdom with our family as well as our congregation.



4. This book is a wonderful mixture of religion, descriptions of the great outdoors and humor. Anyone wanting to reconnect with that small voice inside themselves that searches for greater meaning in life should read this book.



5. Easily one of the best and most engaging books I've read in recent years. (Yes that includes non-religious / non-spiritiual books.) Rabbi Korngold does a first-rate job of asking and then answering the question of how to make religion relevant to our modern lives. A great read for all--from the casual hiker who appreciates nature, to the "spiritual but not religious," to those wholly committed to religious practice.
   Rabbi Korngold's book provides lessons for our present day, and grounds them in text and tradition from the earliest days -when we found "God in the Wilderness." She reminds us that we can once again. The Adventure Rabbi guides us on a marvelous journey of rediscovery, and we are much the better for taking this journey.

5 comments about The Dead Sea Scrolls - Revised Edition: A New Translation.

1. I am very satisfied with this book. My daughter in law is very interested in this subject as I am.



2. This is my favorite edition / translation of the Scrolls. Very clear, easy to navigate and the commentary is very helpful. Has really enhanced my Bible studies. I highly recommend it.



3. This is a must for anyone who wants a complete version of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The edition is very easy to read, the text is of a good size and the paper is nice. The book also lays flat which to me was important. Over all I would highly recommend this to anyone's library. The books are very interesting, but do not really have any kind of odering, most were written to stand on their own. It's a pretty large book so it is not something you can read in one sitting. It is one of those books you use as a continual reference.



4. 
   "In their great variety and stunning richness, the Dead Sea Scrolls as captured in this groundbreaking translation offer modern readers an unprecedented glimpse of the complex roots of modern Christianity... texts encompass poetry and prose, teaching parables and magical tales, astrology, apocalyptic visions,..., stories of messiahs and antichrists,"
   
   
   
   After Three Decades:
   I followed the saga of DSS since I read in 1970 Wilson's account of the discovery, two decades later. I strove to get any information, even John allegro's imaginary cults, but not until the siege was overcome, that few years later I could read, all in one compendium, the text of the Scrolls in plain English. It took its place, in my library, next to The Coptic Gnostic texts. It may take me the rest of my life to reflect on and discern the amazing writ!
   Three scholars of the second DSS generation offer a new translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls, integrated with material never published or translated before. The book includes newly published Psalms (151) attributed to David, non-Biblical texts claiming Moses as their author, previously unknown fables about Abraham and Jacob, and many other writings that shed light on non-Temple Jewish thought, parallels showing the Jewish origins of Christianity and the close relationship between Judaism and early Christianity. Some of its amazing texts are, The Damascus Document (Geniza manuscripts), The vision of the Son of God, Psalm 151 (Chanted in the Coptic Church for 17 centuries), The War of the Messiah, Rule of Initiation, between many amazing poetry and prose.
   
   Recent Developments in DSS:
   The Dead Sea Scrolls represent a non-rabbinic type of Judaism enhancing our understanding of Second Temple Judaism and of early Christianity. They DSS provide textual treasures for New Testament scholars, and have been called the evolutionary link between Judaism and Christianity, demonstrating a variety of important parallels to Jesus ministry, showing that the Gospel message to be based on, and rooted in Judaism. The major intact texts, from Caves 1 & 11, now housed in the Shrine of the Book museum in Jerusalem, were published by the late fifties. Since then, mostly fragments from Cave 4, about 40% of the Scrolls remained unpublished and were not accessible until 1991.
   Almost half of a century after the initial discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls, when the academic pressure for publication mounted, general access was granted through the photographs of the Scrolls. Late 1991 the photos were made available by the Biblical Archaeological Society in a computer reconstruction, based on a concordance. A nonofficial edition was announced, and the Huntington Library microfilm files of the scroll photographs were made accessible. In "The Current State of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Are There More Answers than Questions?" L. Grabbe stresses the need for Qumran scholarship to recognize how uncertain is much of our present knowledge of the Qumran material. Following are some issues which enhance your interest in this collection.
   
   Psalm of thanksgiving: A:
   I give Thee thanks, Adonai!
   For Thou hast placed my soul in the bundle of life,
   and Thou has protected me from all the snares of the pit.
   And the violent sought my soul, when I trusted in Thy covenant.
   
   The Damascus Document:
   In 1896, in Ezra Karaite Synagogue, built Ca. 882 AD in Old Cairo, near Babylon fortress, the Damascus document was discovered amongst other ancient Hebrew manuscripts. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, half a century later, and the consequent publication of the Cave I first scrolls, marked a turning point in the scholars views on the Damascus Document. The similarity in language between the Qumran material and the Cairo Geniza manuscripts removed all doubt that the Damascus Document was composed during the Second Temple period.
   
   War Scroll and the Essenes:
   "The principal defining differences ...are the following: (1) the peace-loving Essenes contrast with the warlike spirit evident in some of the scrolls, especially the War Scroll; (2) the Essenes were mostly celibate, whereas the scrolls include many laws concerning women, children and even sexual intercourse; (3) the Essenes abhorred slavery, while the scrolls legislate the practice; (4) the Essenes took no oaths except when entering the group, whereas the scrolls contain numerous regulations for the taking and voiding of oaths; (5) the Essenes owned no private property, whereas the scroll-writers did; and (6) there are significant differences between the Essenes and the relevant Dead Sea Scrolls regarding entry procedures for new members. Cansdale concludes that the scrolls probably issued from one of the many Jewish sects whose names are not recorded in the meager sources at our disposal, perhaps a sect related to the Sadducees." Michael O Wise
   
   The DSS and Hebrew Bible:
   The Scrolls and the Scriptures provides much extensive and helpful information on careful studies of the Qumran documents. Proper study underlines that these documents reflect a much larger community and thought pattern than that of the small Qumran community earlier portrayed by DSS scholars. The scrolls may help us to understand and better interpret the OT Scriptures and the various ways in which these record eschatological and messianic ideas.
   The basic problems concerned with the historical and literary context of the scrolls.
   In an essay is by P. Davies, "Qumran and the Quest for Historical Judaism," records the uncertainties of our knowledge of who wrote the scrolls and the true meanings of the diversity of this collection, warning against reading them in the light of the rigid notions of late antiquity Judaism.
   
   The DSS and Christianity:
   "Those few scholars who persist in the view that a direct link can be made between Qumran and the New Testament are probably constructing an approach to the evidence which cannot be sustained. those links between the Qumran and the New Testament are more likely to be indirect." George Brooke
   C. Evans reviews the role of the David figure in the scrolls, stressing how the virtues, achievements and promises of David contribute much to the Messianic character of the scrolls and how these provide a background for the understanding of the early Christian belief of Jesus. In " 'Son of God' as 'Son of Man' in the Dead Sea Scrolls? A Response to John Collins on 4Q246," J. D. G. Dunn contends that the figure of the "son of God" in this document refers to the descendant of David in the messianic prophecy of 2 Sam 7:14.
   
   
   The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Their Significance For Understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity
   
   The Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts With English Translations : Pseudepigraphic and Non-Masoretic Psalms and Prayers (Dead Sea Scrolls)



5. What was life like just before Jesus' time? What were the politics? What prepartations were proposed for the end of the world battle? Who were the good guys and the bad guys? Who was the Teacher of Rightousness, a name applied to Jesus in the Book of Acts? This most up-to-date translation, without the Roman Catholic bias of earlier ones, with excellent, 5 star commentaries on the 150+ scrolls, speaks to these and many more questions of background on Jesus life-time. Great food-for-thought and enlightenment. Rev. Dr. John Waters

5 comments about JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh: Pocket Edition.

1. This is a lovely book... beuatifully put together, a pleasure to hold and read, and with a limpid English translation. I had never seen a Jewish version of the scriptures before and this is a revelation.
   Also, coming from Europe and buying this while on vacation in the US, I found the price amazingly low



2. All I suggest is this: If you have a difficult time reading very small text, DO NOT BUY THIS.
   Also, I was a bit put off by the bar-code printed in the inner cover.
   Other than that, this is a fine translation, the book is well made.



3. Type much too small for mature eyes. If you are price conscious and have good eyes--great deal



4. Best English Translation with almost flawless Hebrew and fits neatly into a big coat pocket.



5. This Tanach is just right for my purposes. It contains the Hebrew text and a Jewish translation into English. The Torah portion is divided up into the traditional Parshiot with running heads. I use it for reference when studying Talmud or other texts. It's compact enough to be portable, but set in clear and legible typefaces.

5 comments about The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, Vol. 1.

1. My Maggid was not so crazy about recommending reading this one. But having steadfastly worked my way through the Bahir and Sefer Yetzirah, how could I not read the Zohar? Well, I ordered volume I as soon as it became available. The obsessive part of me intends to have all five volumes on a shelf. However, I have still not finished reading it.
   
   The introduction by Arthur Green was outstanding and I loved it. However, when I got to the Zohar itself, things did not go so easily. I have read other books with Zohar excerpts and commentary which were very enjoyable and insightful. But the Zohar did not work for me. I read most of the book but never did finish, even after putting it down for long periods of time. I tried reading the text carefully with the commentary, reading the text and skipping the commentary, reading the text and only reading some of the commentary, all to no avail. I also tried reading the text as commentary to the weekly parsha. Nothing clicked.
   
   I'm going to have to have a teacher before purchasing the other four volumes.



2. The 'Zohar'is one of the major Jewish mystical works. I have not really delved much in 'Jewish Mysticism' and am no expert on the subject. But from looking at the Translation and especially the Notes I have that sense that this is a first- class scholarly rendition of the work. The notes enable the reader to better understand what is by its very nature, a problematic, difficult, multiple-meaning text.
   This volume is the first in a long enterprise undertaken by Matt in which he hopes to translate and annotate the whole of the 'Zohar'.



3. I read selections of the Zohar 12 years ago as an undergraduate theology student and was entranced. Since then, I have sought out selections and different translations and not been satisfied with many of them. For the most part, they were aimed at a less scholarly audience and didn't explore the text in as much depth as I would have liked. The Pritzker edition is what I have been searching for. I ordered the first 3 volumes and anticipate it'll take me a few years to really get through them. Even though I am a voracious reader, I have forced myself to take a great deal of care and time reading these books. I'm a month and 86 pages into the first volume and am still finding more and more to contemplate. I highly recommend these books to anyone who is in search of a deeper understanding of the text and a more profound treatment than is widely available.



4. The first of three volumes of a projected 12-volume comprehensively annotated English translation by noted world-class scholar Daniel C. Matt and the Stanford University Press. The first cloth volume is 536 pages and covers just the first 16 chapters of Genesis. Matt based in Berkley and Jerusalem has unearthed many of the major surviving manuscripts of the original language. The extensive commentary, appearing at the bottom of each page, clarifies the Kabbalistic symbolism and terminology, and cites sources and parallels from biblical, rabbinic, and Kabbalistic texts. The translator's introduction is accompanied by a second introduction written by Arthur Green, discussing the origin and significance of the Zohar.
   This work has justifiably won the Koret Jewish Book Award for Philosophy and Thought, 2003-2004 for both The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, Volumes I and II.
   
   The Zohar ('Splendor, radiance') is accepted as the most important work of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism and is one of the greatest hidden works of Judaism and Western culture. Revered next to the Torah and Talmud, the Zohar is not one book, but a span of awesome, esoteric literature, a Midrash, homily on the Torah written in the form of a mystical novel. In it a group of rabbis (the "Hevrah") wander through the hills of Galilee, discovering and sharing secrets of Torah,(the five books of Moses) whose linguistic character is medieval Aramaic and medieval Hebrew. A dazzling mystical dialectic of the nature of God, the origin and structure of the universe, the nature of souls, sin, redemption, good and evil, suffering and related topics
   
   The Zohar assumes four kinds of Biblical exegesis: Peshat ("simple/literal meaning"), Remez ("hint/allusion"), Derash ("interpretative/anagogical), and Sod ("secret/mystic"). The initial letters of these letters (P, R, D, S) form together the word PaRDeS ("Paradise/orchard"), which became the designation for the fourfold meaning of which the mystical sense is the highest part.
   
   The mystic allegory in the Zohar is based on the principle that all visible things, including natural phenomena, have both an exoteric, visible(Niglah) reality and an esoteric, hidden (Nistar) reality, the latter of which instructs Man in that which is invisible.
   
   This principle is the necessary the fundamental doctrine of the Zohar. According to that doctrine, as the universe is a gradation of emanations, it follows that the human mind may recognize in each effect the supreme mark, and thus ascend to the cause of all causes. The Ein Sof, the Endless one.
   
   The Zohar first appeared in Spain in the 13th century, by a Jewish writer named Moses de Leon. De Leon himself ascribed the Zohar to a rabbi of the second century Tannah, Shimon bar Yochai. The Talmud records Rabbi Shimon's true and rash words caused him to hide in a cave for 13 years studying the Torah with his son, Elazar. During this time he was inspired by Elijah the Prophet to write the Zohar. Scarcely fifty years had passed since its appearance in Spain before it was quoted by many Kabbalists, including the Italian mystical writer Menahem Recanati. Its authority was so well established in 15th century Sepharad that Joseph ibn Shem-Tov drew from it arguments in his attacks against Maimonidean rationalism. It is worth noting that most of the major Traditional Halachic authorities accept the Zohar as authentic and/or have written works on the Kabalah. This includes R' Yosef Karo, R' Moses Isserles, R' Solomon Luria, R' Yechiel Michel Epstein, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, The Vilna Gaon and R' Yisrael Meir Kagan.
   
   Yet the arguments of Elijah Delmedigo, in his Bechinat ha-Dat endeavored to show that it could not be attributed to Shimon bar Yochai. His objections were;
   
   1. If the Zohar was the work of Shimon bar Yochai, it would have been mentioned by the Talmud, as has been the case with other works of the Talmudic period and the Zohar contains names of rabbis who lived at a later period than that of Simeon;
   2. Were Shimon ben Yochai the father of the Kabbalah, knowing by divine revelation the hidden meaning of the precepts, his decisions on Jewish law would have been adopted by the Talmud earlier but this has not been done;
   3.. Were the Kabbalah a revealed doctrine, there would have been no divergence of opinion among the Kabbalists concerning the mystic interpretation of the precepts (Bechinat ha-Dat ed. Vienna, 1833, p. 43).
   
   These arguments and others of the same kind were used by Leon of Modena in his Ari Nohem. A work devoted to the criticism of the Zohar was written, Mipaat Sefarim, by Jacob Emden, who, waging a polemical war against the remaining adherents of the Sabbatai Zevi movement, endeavored to show that the book on which Zevi based his doctrines was a forgery. Emden persausively demonstrates that the Zohar misquotes passages of Scripture; misunderstands the Talmud; contains some ritual observances which were already ordained by later rabbinical authorities; mentions the crusades against the Muslims (who did not exist in the second century); uses the expression esnoga, which is a Portuguese term for "synagogue,"; and gives a mystical explanation of the Hebrew vowel-points, which were not introduced until long after the Talmudic period by the Masoretic Scribes.
   
   Yeshayahu Leibowitz, zl' the noted controversial professor of philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, claimed that "It is clear that the Zohar was written by de Leon as it is clear that Theodore Herzl wrote Medinat HaYehudim ("A State for the Jews")."
   
   Bottom Line. Scholars can argue but Get it. The Zohar is Canonically amazing and you can't buy a better translation and while a legitimate teacher is ideal for serious study, this is an excellent, valid, legitimate start.



5. Quite the academic representation! Tedious but highly informative reference book and exhaustive translation from Hebrew Zohar.
   
   My analysis brings the interpretation a little to the left, or right, whichever way you might define certain "political" aspects of religion, but the discerning reader will be able to easily analyze that level.
   
   I found the majority of the translations to be pretty fair representations of the basic Zohar ideology/theology, coinciding with most of my previous research, although there are several translations and descriptions with which I tend to disagree...in some instances, wholeheartedly! (I also disagree with a few of Gershom Sholem's interpretations in a few instances with his translations, to give you a reference point. Leave a comment if you wish to correspond.)
   
   This is an excellent reference book, as well as academic representation with an excellent overall historic background included in the 89 page Introduction written by Arthur Green; with pages that will even help to teach readers Roman Numerals!
   
   Students of Hebrew, the Zohar and Kabbalah will either love or hate the complexity of this book, depending on how deep one wishes to delve!
   
   The only downside I have found is in translations...I wish there were more references and extended examples of "possible translations" making this book THE most EXCLUSIVE translation of Zohar available!

5 comments about How Does the Show Go On: An Introduction to the Theater.

1. A great book that shows children (and adults) what goes in to putting on a show!



2. Get this book if you have young children so they can see what goes on back stage. I think it will make them want to see more of the action.



3. A really great overview of the wonderful world of Broadway! My daughter, (11 years old) who is a musical theater kid, absolutely loves it!



4. This is the best book on Theater I have ever seen. The design, story, and the interactive pieces are well put together in this book.



5. One of the biggest changes the theater has seen of late was Disney's successful track record with bringing their story-telling to the stage. As with most of Disney's greatest successes, their efforts were immediately unique as they ignored many of the rules along the way. In the process, their shows introduced a new audience to the wonders of live theater. So it's only appropriate that the coolest book that ever covers the theater experience comes to us from Thomas Schumacher, the head of Disney Theatricals.
   
   A good play begins with its script- its storyline. Here the journey is suggested in text, providing a beginning, middle and an end. Likewise, this book begins with a telling, informative narrative. It describes in simple yet effective words practically every element of the theatrical experience, be it on stage, backstage or in the 3rd row of the balcony. What will you experience from the moment you arrive at the theater all the way through the end of the curtain call? This book and a little imagination provide answers to that question quite fully. But watching a show is only the beginning. We also experience the many house activities, to the backstage work, to belting a song center stage and even at the initial creative meetings. It's quite simple and informative.
   
   Like any play that begins with a good script, the creative job to follow is how to tell that story. For anyone who has seen any of Disney's Broadway shows, you know that their "way" is simply stunning. From THE LION KING's introduction of Simba to MARY POPPINS' flying retreat over the balcony; from TARZAN's use of vertical stage work to AIDA's mix of modern stagework with a classic tale, the Disney audience usually leaves richly experience. So it should come as no surprise that the book is as beautiful and wild an experience as the works it trumpets. Not only is the book a collage of beautiful photographs easily identifiable to the Disney fan, but they are also surrounded by mixed media samples such as removable ticket booklets, script pages and even costume designs.
   HOW DOES THE SHOW GO ON? is a great book for the theater novice and also the seasoned veteran. It's a nice wink to the audience, a pat on the back to the backstage crew, a nod to the creators and a standing ovation to the performers. Check it out!

5 comments about The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York.

1. It's evident from some of the reviews below (some of which betray a bizarre provincialism among the writers) that this book engenders some controversy in some sectors of the Jewish community. Well, I am not Jewish, so to me, such debates are a tempest in a teapot, especially as this is one of my most favorite cookbooks in my entire collection.
   
   A good ethnic cookbook tells its culture's story alongside the food, as food is and always has been a critical part of any culture. What makes this book's perspective unique is how much of its story is told in the past tense -- the horrors of the Holocaust resulted in a vast resettling of much of the Jewish population of the world, and a consolidation in places such as the United States, Israel, the UK, and Canada. Roden's book, therefore, becomes something of a record of a wide variety of Jewish cuisines, a sort of time capsule containing many pasts to be sent to a single future. Yes, the Sephardic/Mizrachi section is quite a lot larger than the Ashkenazic section, but the shtetl culture was only the largest microcosm of a vast diversity of Jewish cultures that mostly reflected the countries they developed in (the titles of the recipes, in a multitude of languages including English, Yiddish, Ladino, Arabic and French, bear as much witness to this as any other aspect of the book). One suspects that 800 recipes isn't nearly enough to do a decent job of covering the ground Roden set out to cover, but what's there is such a huge wealth of data as it is that it seems pointless at best to fault her for it.
   
   Claudia Roden has always been one of my favorite cookbook authors, primarily on the strength of this book. She writes excellent historical sidebars, and also seems to be very fond of the idea (Leo Rosten was another practitioner) of including jokes in a reference work. Her closeness to the background (she is of Egyptian Jewish extraction) gives it a personal touch as well. Her James Beard Award was well deserved, and this surely stands out as her best work (it certainly is my favorite out of the three of hers that I have). It isn't the last word in Jewish food by a long shot, but it's an unbeatable opening gambit.



2. This beautiful book is meticulously researched to provide a really inclusive view of Jewish history that explains Jewish food. The recipes are perfect--foods your Bubby made for both every day and holidays. Like most ethnic food, these aren't complicated recipes and your mouth waters just reading them. I never had an urge to make pickles but now I can't wait for next summer's cucumber harvest. The book itself really is gorgeous, too. It's a big hardback with wonderful photographs and illustrations detailing Sephardic and Ashkenazy foods and customs as well as world regions that were part of the diasphora, but you certainly don't have to be Jewish to appreciate any part of this book.



3. If I want to go to sleep with a warm fuzzy feeling, then this is the book I read. I love that Claudia Roden is a human being who can go around the world and find welcome in so many homes and kitchens. The historical vignettes and photographs are what make this volume priceless. Although people have made criticisms in regards to the finer points of Kosher and non-Kosher, it is quite clear that this cookbook is not primarily for the benefit of Jewish cooks. The educational component of this extremely charming work is quite obviously directed at the reader who is interested in the ways of life of various communities of the diaspora. The historical availability of ingredients is largely geographically dependent for any cuisine. These days, if we live in a big city with an international airport and various ethnic communities, a cook can buy almost anything. The development of a cuisine though is totally dependent on the availability of ingredients. It is totally inappropriate to quibble about the fact that both Jews and other local people also consume the same foods. None of that makes the spirit of this book any less genuine. That is precisely what makes Ms Roden's work so real. There are 'comfort foods' and then there are 'comfort books'. The Book of Jewish Food is both.



4. This book has given me an insight in to the way of life of many jewish cultures around the world. While some may argue that the recipe sources do not originally come from the Jewish home, that has never been the case and what we now consider to be the Traditional Jewish recipe is one that had been adopted by the communities that keep them and change them, while their sources no longer even hold them with the same regard.
   
   The book gives wonderful impressions of life for Jewish people in many parts of the world and I have read the book, often as a book as opposed to a cooking aide many times. At the same time some recipes in this book are wonderful and complement our Shabbat cooking regularly. We have found recipes that we have cooked for many years in our home and in my parents home that she offered with differences we never considered and now love and would not do without.
   
   One reviewer indicated that Ms. Roden mentions the use of liver and how she noted its kashuring requirements. While the review found the method wanting, there are many families with different levels of kasrut and different levels of observance. Rather I would expect someone to realize that while it is a recipe book, if you are more or less observant, then you should use your common sense as well and follow the rules you need to. Cooking is not about following strict directions, but rather experimentation to come up with the flavor and methods that work best for you. On the Con, it is not comprehensive though I don't expect it to be as there is only so much room in a book. I for one absolutely love this book.



5. I was given this book several years ago by a friend who is also Jewish. I had never gotten around to actually reading it until recently. While it is not geared at all for keeping Kosher (which I do not), and I have not yet used the recipes, the history is very, very good and interestingly written. While reading it, I definitely understand and feel the part of my history that no longer exists. I have two criticisms, though. One, there are inconsistencies in some of the history where in one chapter the author makes one statement and a few chapters later, she will make a contradicting statement (i.e. stating first that bagels were German in origin and later stating they were Polish). My other more major criticism is that the book is definitely pro-Sephardi. This in and of itself is not a bad thing, but the author is presenting both Ashkenazi and Sephardi histories and recipes. Additionally, and far worse, there are some instances where the author actually makes what appear to be degrading and somewhat condescending remarks about the Ashkenazi culture. However, setting those two issues aside, I think this is a wonderful book and I plan to purchase it as a gift for several of my Jewish friends. Also, in looking at several of the Ashkenazi recipes, they are very similar to the ones my mother taught me. (Yep, that means I'm Ashkenazi.) But I can't wait to try out some of the Sephardi dishes!

5 comments about A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament: Based upon the Lexical Work of Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner.

1. I own several lexicons, but like most of the reviewers noted, Holladay is the one I always reached for until I found this really old pocket sized lexicon (the same size as Souter's Greek Lexicon.) I use the pocket lexicon now first, and Holladay's second. I don't even look at BDB anymore. Too bad someone hasn't come out with a new pocket-sized lexicon for fast lookups while flying somewhere!



2. This is a "lexicon" due to its references, but it's organized like a dictionary. If you're translating the Hebrew Bible, this is an awesome resource as a Biblical dictionary, but I thought I'd let y'all know that it's very different from the Armstrong Lexicon which organizes by chapter, in order. Thus, if you're working through a few chapters of Bible, in a class or on one's own, then the Armstrong will list the infrequently-used words (i.e. "the hard words!") in order by chapter, so you don't have to look up the words in a dictionary like this one.
   
   In other words, I use both this and the Armstrong. The Holladay I use as a dictionary for a few words here and there, but when working through chapters of Hebrew Bible, the Armstrong Lexicon is more of a time-saving cheat sheet.



3. I had high hopes that A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (CHALOT) would be a helpful Bible study tool. However, for me, this book is practically useless.
   
   The words are in order according to the Hebrew alphabet. The words are written in Hebrew ONLY. It's so hard to find a word because I don't recognize the Hebrew alphabet. I search and search just trying to find the word that I'm looking for. Once I find a word, the definition isn't any clearer or more detailed than the definition in Abingdon's Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (ASECB) -- usually, it's less detailed. Also, CHALOT (this book being reviewed) only gives a few examples of scriptures; I had hoped for all listings of where the word may be scripturally found. I find myself referring back to the ASECB to find all the word's listings (for comparison of meaning).
   
   If you don't already read and write Hebrew, I propose that you will find this book as frustrating as I do. It is not handy for people who don't read and write Hebrew. To me, the definitions are not worth the effort and time spent searching for them.
   
   For English-speaking Bible students, I still haven't found any better study tools than the ASECB (mentioned above) and The Interlinear Bible-Hebrew, Greek, English (IB). If you're interested in researching the earliest-known languages of the Bible, the use of these two books, together, is very thorough (exhaustive) and well organized for EASY reference. I don't know what the price differences are between the CHALOT and the ASECB (to be used with the IB), but if you're serious about Bible study and appreciate excellent referencing, the ASECB and IB are worth the money.
   
   As for the CHALOT, I regret the money that I spent for it. I feel the on-line customer reviews that I read before buying this book were misleading.



4. This book delivers what it promises; "an up-to-date working tool of modest price and compass for the student of biblical Hebrew and Aramaic."
   
   The book quality is superb and two years on is still in excellent condition considered the amount of use. The print quality is excellent and very usable. The Hebrew words are bolded, including their various forms. The basic meaning of each word is also bolded. This makes looking up words and their meanings especially efficient. I've found this excellent for translating biblical texts.
   
   One of the most useful features is that each Hebrew word includes its various forms. As a beginner I've found this useful when parsing Hebrew text.
   
   Proper names do not have their English rendering included. This has caused me to have to refer back to my BDB occasionally. This has been the one major flaw I've found in this work. There are transliterations included for specific usages of the Hebrew words. I found this feature a bit annoying sometimes. I would have found the actual Hebrew text to be much more useful.
   
   This is an ideal book for use in translating biblical texts and its size and format make it extremely usable. However, I would not recommend it for in depth word studies or for those who do not read Hebrew.



5. I have used Holladay for several years. This lexicon is definitely easier for quick reference than the old standard, Brown-Driver-Briggs. It is convenient to take to class or to use at home when reading the Hebrew Scriptures. A particularly handy feature are the lists of the forms of each verb that occur in the Hebrew text, which appear at the beginning of each verb entry.
   
   The only feature that I dislike is that Holladay chose to use transliteration for the Hebrew words within the entries. I realize that he was trying to save space, but I would have preferred Hebrew rather than romanization for the purpose. As it is, one's mind has to continually switch back and forth between the familiar Hebrew alphabet and the alien romanized forms.