JUDAISM RESOURCES on the NET

[Schema]        [Mezuzah]        [History]        [Rabbi]

[Septuagint]        [Misc. Links]        [Kabbalah]

[Reading]         [Goddess] 

 

 

 

 

 

SHEMA

Compiled January 21, 2004 - January 6, 2005    |  Updated March 27, 2005

The Shema is an affirmation of Judaism and a declaration of faith in one God. The obligation to recite the Shema is separate from the obligation to pray and a Jew is obligated to say Shema in the morning and at night (Deut. 6:7). 

JUDAISM 101 - Shema: 
http://www.jewfaq.org/prayer/shema.htm

Jewish Virtual Library: 
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/shema.html

Jewish Literacy: What's Behind the Most Famous Jewish Prayer? (aish.com)
http://www.aish.com/literacy/mitzvahs/Shema_Yisrael.asp 

 

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MEZUZAH

Compiled January 21, 2004 - January 6, 2005

On the doorposts of traditional Jewish homes (and many not-so-traditional homes!), you will find a small case commonly known as a mezuzah (Heb.: doorpost), because it is placed upon the doorposts of the house. The mezuzah is not, as some suppose, a good-luck charm, nor does it have any connection with the lamb's blood placed on the doorposts in Egypt. Rather, it is a constant reminder of G-d's presence and G-d's commandments.

Jewish Virtual Library: 
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/mezuzah1.html

Mezuzah - The Jewish Lightning Rod (notes on the Mezuzah and its construction):
http://www.beingjewish.com/mitzvos/mezuzah.html

Shema Israel - Mezzuzah: 
http://www.zipporahsthimble.com/mezzuzah.htm

eMezuzah - Software Mezuzah for Windows:
http://www.scs-intl.com/emuz/

 

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JEWISH HISTORY 

Compiled January 21, 2004 - January 6, 2005  |  Updated 3/21/05

(via aish.com) The purpose in learning Jewish history is to not only avoid the mistakes of the past, but to understand where our destiny is taking us. This series is designed as a basic overview of all the Jewish history -- all 4,000 years of it.

Branches of Judaism (Before and After Christ):
http://religion-cults.com/Judaism/brans-j.htm

Online Headquarters for Some Major Branches:

 Reform -- UAHC (Union of American Hebrew Congregations)
Reconstructionist -- JRF (Jewish Reconstructionist Federation)
Conservative -- USCJ (United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism)
Orthodox -- OU (Orthodox Union)
Renewal -- Aleph and OHALAH

Branches of Judaism -- Jewish traditions from Ashkenazic to Zionist:
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/judaism1.html

The World of Abraham: 
http://www.aish.com/literacy/jewishhistory/Crash_Course_in_Jewish_History_Part_3_The_World_of_Abraham.asp

Index of all History Articles:
http://www.aish.com/literacy/jewishhistory/

"The Lost Ark" (The Ark of the Covenant):  TLC special
http://tlc.discovery.com/convergence/ark/ark.html

Tabernacle (life-size replica!):
http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabernaclemore.htm

Solomon's Temple:
http://www.templemount.org/solomon.html
http://www.templeinstitute.org/main.htm 
http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/soltempl.htm
http://www.aiwaz.net/judaica/

The Second Temple (and Herod's Temple):
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=126&letter=T 
http://home-3.tiscali.nl/~meester7/engtemple.html 
http://www.bible-history.com/jewishtemple/ 
http://www.ida.net/users/rdk/ces/Lesson21/Herods_Temple.html 

3-D Bible Project (views of Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple):
http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/default.htm

 

 

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RABBI

Updated 3/15/05

RABBINICAL TRAINING/RESOURCES

Orthodox - Rabbinical Council of America:
http://www.rabbis.org

Conservative - Jewish Theological Seminary of America:
http://www.jtsa.edu

Reform - Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion:
http://www.huc.edu

Reconstructionist - Reconstructionist Rabbinical College:
http://www.rrc.edu

Renewal - Aleph Ordination Programs:
http://www.aleph.org/ordination.html 

Renewal - OhaLaH Rabbinic Association: 
http://www.ohalah.org/ 

 

LECTURERS FOR THE SCHOOL OF SACRED MINISTRIES

Rabbi G. Rayzel Raphael: Singer, Songwriter, Ritual-Maker, and Spirituality Consultant 
http://shechinah.com/ (site)
http://shechinah.com/grr/rabbi.html (profile)
http://www.jfcsphil.org/faithways.htm (interfaith events)

Shoshona Leis: Student Rabbi, Educational Director
Congregation String of Pearls
New York, NY

 

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THE SEPTUAGINT 

Compiled January 21, 2004 - January 6, 2005  |  Updated 3/14/05

Septuagint (sometimes abbreviated LXX) is the name given to the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures. The Septuagint has its origin in Alexandria, Egypt and was translated between 300-200 BC. Widely used among Hellenistic Jews, this Greek translation was produced because many Jews spread throughout the empire were beginning to lose their Hebrew language. The process of translating the Hebrew to Greek also gave many non-Jews a glimpse into Judaism. According to an ancient document called the Letter of Aristeas, it is believed that 70 to 72 Jewish scholars were commissioned during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus to carry out the task of translation. The term “Septuagint” means seventy in Latin, and the text is so named to the credit of these 70 scholars. There is, of course, a complicated story, behind the translation and the various stages, amplifications, and modifications to the collection we now call the Septuagint, which became the basis for the "Old Testament" found in the Christian Bible.

The Septuagint Online: 
http://students.cua.edu/16kalvesmaki/lxx/

Septuagint (in Greek): 
http://spindleworks.com/septuagint/septuagint.htm

Notes on the Septuagint: 
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/7224/Rick/Septuagint/spindex.htm

 

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MISCELLANEOUS

Compiled January 21, 2004 - January 6, 2005  |  Updated 3/14/05

Torah.org and Project Genesis:
http://www.torah.org/ 

A network of "on-line classes" offering a program in Jewish studies on the Internet. Their teachers are Orthodox, so they have a traditional perspective; but their program "so carefully avoids labels and politics that Conservative and Reform Rabbis have actively expressed their support of the program to their congregants and colleagues."

 

Jewish Life:
http://www.resourcesforlife.com/groups/jewishlife/

 

Judaism - Wikipedia Entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism

 

JUDAISM 101 - Signs and symbols: 
http://www.jewfaq.org/signs.htm

 

BBC - Religion and Ethics: Judaism:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/index.shtml

 

Akhlah, the Jewish Children's Learning Network:
http://www.akhlah.com/

Features include Hebrew Letter of the Day, Jewish Hero of the Week, and Torah Reading of the Week

 

Bridges for Peace - Wisdom of the Fathers:
http://www.bridgesforpeace.com/publications/teaching/Article-0.html

A study of the Pharisees and their teachings



Complete contents of the 12-volume Jewish Encyclopedia:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/index.jsp

 

Hebrew Lessons - Hebraic Insight into the Ten Commandments: 
http://www.levitt.com/hebrew/commandments.html

 

Internet Resources for the Study of Judaism and Christianity:
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~jtreat/rs/resources.html



The Science of TORAH Chanting (book review):
http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.04.18/books3.html



Chanting YHWH's Name:
http://www.yhwh.com/Thoughts/thought_2.htm

 

Created in the Image of YHWH:
http://www.yhwh.com/GINGN/gingn.htm

My Jewish Learning (by Hillel - Foundation for Jewish Campus Life):
http://hillel.myjewishlearning.com/index.htm



Priestly Garments:
http://www.bible-history.com/tabernacle/TAB4The_Priestly_Garments.htm
http://www.templemountfaithful.org/Newsletters/2001/5761-9.htm 
http://www.oldtestamentstudies.net/sojourn/priestlygarments.asp?item=4&variant=0



Precious Stones of Sacred Scripture:
http://www.kensmen.com/catholic/preciousstones.html

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KABBALAH 

Compiled Feb/March, 2005  |  Updated 3/21/2005

aka: Qabalah, Cabala, Qaballah, Qabala, Kaballah, (etcetera)

The mystical branch of Judaism. 

Judaism 101 - Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism: 
http://www.jewfaq.org/kabbalah.htm

Kabbalah FAQ: 
http://www.digital-brilliance.com/kab/faq.htm

Kabbala Online.org: Recommended by Rabbi Rayzel
http://www.kabbalaonline.org/ 

The Kabbalah Center: 
http://www.kabbalah.com/kabbalah/

See also http://www.religionnewsblog.com/9901  (but keep in mind that this site is part of ApologeticsIndex.org, which is an online christian ministry.  They are definitely biased against such things as Kabbalah).

The Ten Sefirot of the Kabbalah (A pictorial reference to the Tree of Life): 
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Sefirot/Sefirot.html

Tzfat Gallery of Mysical Art (Artwork based on ideas from Jewish Mysticism): 
http://kabbalahart.com/

Byzant Kabbalah - Kabbalistic Resources for the Serious Spiritual Seeker (cool collection; fairly nice looking site): 
http://www.byzant.com/kabbalah/

Wikipedia Entry: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalah

Religious Movements Homepage - Qabalah/Kabbalah (Profile, Links, Resources): 
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/kabb.html

Mirach - Home of the practical Kabbalist: 
http://www.mirach.org.uk/index.html

Bnei Baruch World Center For Kabbalah Studies : http://www.kabbalah.info/

Hermetic Qabalah: 
http://www.kheper.net/topics/Hermeticism/Qabalah.htm

Selected Bibliography on Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism: 
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/RelS_365/Kabbalah_Guide.html

The Role of the Non-Jew in the Study of Kabbalah (PDF file - Requires Adobe Acrobat): 
http://www.koshertorah.com/PDF/Non-Jew-&-Kabbalah.pdf

The Kitvei HaAri'zal Tape Library: Forwarded by Rabbi Rayzel
The "Most Comprehensive Collection of Authoritative Kabbalah Teachings In One Package"
35 Hours of Lessons From Throughout All the Ari'zal's Foundational Works of Kabbalah. 
http://koshertorah.com/arilibrary.html

 

 

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THE HEBREW GODDESS 

Updated April, 2006

Did YHWH have a wife?  Were the ancient Israelites actually polytheists?  Here are some resources for looking into the Hebrew Goddess.

Archeology Magazine - The Lost Goddess of Israel: (Abstract) 
http://www.archaeology.org/0503/abstracts/israel.html

 

Asherah -- Wikipedia Entry:  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asherah

This Wikipedia entry features a good write-up that covers the sources for Asherah, Asherah's relation to/with other gods, spelling differences in the name and translation efforts, as well as occurrences of Asherah in fiction. Of particular note is the collection of External Links, which I have reproduced here [April 18, 2006]:

 

More Links about Goddess Worship in Ancient Israel:
http://archeonet.nl/engels.php?itemid=6020&catid=26 
http://www.awakenedwoman.com/goddess_of_palestine.htm 
http://www.matrifocus.com/LAM04/spotlight.htm 
http://www.suppressedhistories.net/articles/eller5.html  
http://www.bibleinterp.com/articles/MSmith_BiblicalMonotheism.htm 
http://northernway.org/hgoddess.html 
http://www.museum.upenn.edu/Canaan/CanaaniteReligion.shtml 

 

Book List...

The Hebrew Goddess (Jewish Folklore and Anthropology)
by Raphael Patai

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0814322719/ref=olp_product_details/102-0362803-2932944?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance

·  Paperback: 368 pages 
·  Publisher: Wayne State University Press; 3rd edition (September 1, 1990)
·  ISBN: 0814322719
________________________________________________________________

 

The Cult of Asherah in Ancient Israel and Judah: Evidence for a Hebrew Goddess (University of Cambridge Oriental Publications, Vol. 57)
by Judith M. Hadley, Faculty of Oriental Studies (Series Editor) "In recent years archaeological discoveries have helped to shed some light on the goddess Asherah and her possible role in Israelite religion..." (more) 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0521662354/ref=olp_product_details/102-0362803-2932944?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance

  • Publisher: Cambridge University Press (June 9, 2000)
  • ISBN: 0521662354

________________________________________________________________

 

Gods, Goddesses, and Images of God in Ancient Israel
by Othmar Keel, Christoph Uehlinger, Thomas H. Trapp, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Der Deutschsprachigen Katholischen alttestamentler

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/080062789X/ref=olp_product_details/102-0362803-2932944?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance

  • Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers (December 1, 1998)
  • ISBN: 080062789X
  • Average Customer Review: based on 1 review.

________________________________________________________________

 

Only One God?: Monotheism in Ancient Israel and the Veneration of the Goddess Asherah (Biblical Seminar (Paperback))
by Bob Becking, Meindert Dijkstra, Marjo C. A. Korpel, Karel J. H. Vriezen

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1841271993/ref=olp_product_details/102-0362803-2932944?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance

·  Paperback: 180 pages 
·  Publisher: New York (February 1, 2002) 
·  ISBN: 1841271993

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READING  LISTS

Added March 15, 2005

There is, of course, no such thing as a definitive reading list for any subject.  But I happened upon a few interesting collections of recommended books, articles, etc., today.  I was actually searching for something else entirely (I believe it was resources for studying the Book of Job), but that's the way the Internet works.

 

Recommended Reading from YashaNet Director, Toby Trudel: 
http://www.yashanet.com/reading.htm 

These are books that Trudel has personally read and recommends.  YashaNet is a Messianic Judaism (or Christian Zionist) site, but this page boasts a fairly large book list with a brief description of each one.  Selections are divided among 12 categories including Torah Commentary, New Testament Commentary, Topical Studies, and even Kabbalah (which is further divided into Introduction, Topical, and Texts).

Women and Judaism: Fairly self explanatory
http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/rl/gen-women.html 

 

A Jewish Reading List:
http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~marton/JReadingL.html

This is a personal reading list of books that "have enriched and still enrich" Marton's path (whoever he or she is). The list is divided into categories, but there is no commentary.  I do want to point out that I found a link to this reading list on Marton's substance page, which is fairly interesting in and of itself.  Now, one actually accesses the substance page by "following the aleph." To see what I mean, you should check out Marton's Main Site. It will prove to be either a metaphysical web experience ... or a pain in the backside. A word of warning -- the site requires Flash, and I don't know what you will get if you don't have the correct version of Flash, or you are using an older machine on dial-up.

 

Reading List - Secular Humanistic Jewish Alternative: 
http://www.baltimoresecularjews.org/reading-lists/

compiled by the Baltimore Jewish Cultural Chavurah, this list even includes Gay/Lesbian/Trans (etc.) Jewish Resources

 

 

 

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