The Romans knew quite well why they condemned Jesus: Because of the claim to the kingship of Israel.

The Talmud reflects an uneasy rabbinic conscience toward the ancient law of talion, “eye for eye, tooth for tooth.”

As a 14-year-old boy in Nazi Germany, I had to choose a verse from the Bible for my confirmation. My choice was Romans 1:16.

The public ordeal undergone by a suspected adulteress in Numbers 5 was meant not to humiliate her but to protect her.

If we who have committed ourselves to Jesus expect that we will be judged worthy of the kingdom, we will be in for a big surprise.

Nonbiblical rites, though originating in popular worship and rooted in magical practice, were ultimately assimilated into Israel’s official monotheism.