Continued....                                                                                                            Part I | Part II In the previous post we identified 9 biblical routes. This post continues with the nine remaining routes. 10) Deuteronomy 11:30 (MT): “דֶּרֶךְ מְבוֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ” = Derech Mevo HaShemesh Explanation : Identifying this route depends on a few unresolved variables. The first question is a Talmudic debate over the location of the ceremony of setting the 12 stones after crossing the Jordan and the location of the blessing and curse ceremony. The Talmud in Sotah 33b records a disagreement on whether the above ceremonies occurred near the Jordan River crossing, a...

Chapter 3: Biblical Routes and Their Historical Context This article focuses on identifying routes using the following principles: In the Bible , references to routes—often marked by the Hebrew term derech (way or road) followed by a place name—point to a network of established paths that connected regions, facilitated trade, and enabled the movement of people, armies, and goods. A key feature of these ancient transportation networks is their division into subsections: larger routes, like the Via Maris or King’s Highway, were not single, uniform roads but composites of smaller segments, each bearing a local name tied to the territory it traversed. These subsections reflect how ancient peoples navigated and administered their lands, adapting major highways to regional geography and culture. Route naming conventions oftentime reflect a distant terminus. A route far from the sea can be called the road to the sea if that’s where it leads to. Oftentimes, the Talmud and othe...

Chapter 1: The Fertile Crescent: The Cradle of Civilization and Its Trade Routes The Fertile Crescent, often referred to as the “Cradle of Civilization,” is a sweeping arc of fertile land that stretches from the Persian Gulf through Mesopotamia, across the Levant, and into the Nile Delta. This region, nourished by the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile rivers, provided the ideal conditions for the development of early urban centers, agriculture, and trade networks that shaped the ancient world. Geography and Topography of the Fertile Crescent The landscape of the Fertile Crescent is defined by its contrasting features: the alluvial plains of Mesopotamia, the rugged mountain ranges of Anatolia and the Levant, and the expansive deserts of Syria and the Arabian Peninsula. Each of these geographic elements played a crucial role in determining the movement of people, goods, and armies. Mesopotamia : Dominated by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, this region provided fertile soil for agri...

The Inner Unity of the Four Mitzvot of the Seder The night of the seder is shaped by four mitzvot that converge into a single, layered experience: Telling the story of the Exodus, Eating matzah , Avoiding chametz , and Tasting maror . These are not isolated rituals, nor separate commemorations. Together, they reveal an inner unity—a structure for confronting and transforming the human experience of suffering. Beyond the historical narrative, the Seder offers a profound psycho-spiritual journey for understanding and transforming our relationship with suffering. At the heart of suffering lies a particular kind of narrative. Our minds construct ongoing stories around pain: who caused it, what it means, where it leads. These narratives, though often unconscious, can become fixed. They loop around identity (“I am my suffering”), grievance (“I deserve better”), and fear, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of mental anguish. In many cases, they deny or distort the facts ...

An Ovine Odyssey The Torah and midrashic sources highlight the symbolic confrontation between Israelite worship and Egyptian theology: Genesis 46:34 notes that “all shepherds are an abomination to the Egyptians.” Rashi explains this stems from Egyptian reverence for sheep, suggesting that the Israelites' lifestyle already challenged Egypt’s sacred norms. Shabbat HaGadol Midrash recounts that when the Israelites tied lambs for the Paschal offering on the 10th of Nisan, Egyptians were enraged but miraculously powerless to act. The slaughter of their sacred animal was the first theological blow. Astrological symbolism: Jewish sources connect Nisan with Aries, the Ram — representing Egypt’s astrological strength. Slaughtering a lamb at that precise time signified a direct assault on Egypt’s divine order at its height. Together, these moments frame the Passover lamb as a pointed rejection of Egyptian sacred symbols. Seeking the Ram-God of Egypt – The Tale of Khnum If the...

A Name, A Paradox, and a Respected Identity: The Enigmatic Case of Zimri The Talmud ( Sanhedrin 52b ) reveals that Zimri was also known as Shelumiel ben Tzurishaddai, a respected leader and prince of his tribe ( Numbers 1:6; 2:12 ). Furthermore, the Talmud identifies him as Shaul ben HaCanaanit. To understand this latter name, we first turn to the Torah itself. Genesis 46:10 lists Shaul as one of the sons of Shimon who descended to Egypt with Yaakov. Rabbinic tradition ( Midrash Bereishit Rabbah 80:11 ) then clarifies “ben HaCanaanit,” explaining that it signifies “the son of Dinah, who had been with a Canaanite,” referring to Dinah’s abduction and assault by Shechem centuries prior ( Genesis 34 ), a union that led to her marriage to Shimon and the birth of Shaul. However, the Talmud ( Sanhedrin 52b), provides an additional explanation for the name: Shaul, he lent himself to sin ( Shaul ), and “ben HaCanaanit,” refers to his engagement in Canaanite acts. This multifaceted identity—a ...