As a Latter-Day Saint I observe the Word of Wisdom, found in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 89. In that revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith the Lord revealed his law of health. Essentially, it is a code of dietary conduct meant to preserve and enhance our “tabernacles of clay”, based on various food and drink consumption. Initially the Lord did not give the Word of Wisdom to the Saints as a commandment, but he wanted us to know that our temporal salvation depends upon our physical and spiritual well-being, and that we will be rewarded for following the strictures contained within its advice. It is clear in these days that use of harmful substances has made it easy to be under the influence of those with evil designs upon the faithful.
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89.5-9?lang=eng#4

Similarly, Judaism also teaches and observes the Kashrut – a body of dietary laws and regulations prescribed for Jews primarily. Kashrut/kosher laws are standards of eating that originated in Torah writings. They discuss what foods are fit/proscribed for human diet. Essentially, kashrut laws take into account many categories outlining which foods can and cannot be eaten, how they are prepared, and the rituals that accompany them. Foods that are not kosher are called treif (trayf) =torn and must be rejected from a diet. Kosher laws are based on spiritual imperatives. The proper observation of these regulations by Jews will insure them against God’s retribution and help to guarantee a life of internal cleanliness and religious piety before Him.
http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm
When I was young, my Yiddishe grandmother and mother kept kosher. We had two sets of dishes, utensils, pots and pans and more. Every Sabbath and holy holidays we used the special set. I well remember the admonitions:
• Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals. Essentially, we may not eat any animal that eats other animals. They are unclean.
• Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.
• All blood must be drained from the meat or broiled out of it before it is eaten.
• Certain parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.
• Meat (the flesh of birds and mammals) cannot be eaten with dairy. Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy. (According to some views, fish may not be eaten with meat).
• Utensils that have come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and vice versa. Utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher food may not be used with kosher food. This applies only where the contact occurred while the food was hot.
• Grape products made by non-Jews may not be eaten.
• We may eat any animal with cloven hooves and chews its cud (Lev 11:3, Deut 14:6)
• We may eat anything with fins and scales (Lev 11:9, Deut 14:9). Shellfish are forbidden.
• Forbidden birds other than chicken, geese, ducks and turkeys (Lev 11:13-19, Deut 14:11-18).

• Most winged insects, rodents, reptiles and the like are forbidden according to other scriptures in Leviticus. Of course, any products from these forbidden animals also cannot be eaten.

• The Word of Wisdom is of course a single inspired admonishment. As the writer of the link below states: Instead of arguing from a position of fear, the Word of Wisdom argues from a position of confidence and trust. The revelation invites hearers to trust in a God who has the power to deliver great rewards, spiritual and physical, in return for obedience to divine command. Those who adhere to the Word of Wisdom, the revelation says, shall “receieve health in their navel and marrow to their bones & shall find wisdom & great treasures of wisdom & knowledge even hidden treasures.”26 These lines link body to spirit, elevating care for the body to the level of a religious principle.27

https://history.lds.org/article/doctrine-and-covenants-word-of-wisdom?lang=eng
Pay particular attention to the Word of Wisdom, vs 10. The Lord has told us numerous times in bible verses to find and prepare herbs for healing. “I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Genesis 1:29

There are plants that can be used as food, medicine, tea, skin, hair and dental care and much more! Mormons ignore much use of herbal remedies to my dismay.

With all this inspired teaching I believe the Saints have all they need to heed the words of their God and their Savior to live a life clean of transgressions against their body, mind and spirit, regardless of Jewish or Gentile beliefs. Truth is the eternal denominator of our lives. Cleanliness is closely aligned with godliness…

Handout #4 – Nature of Man, Plan of Salvation, Jewish baptism, Original Sin, early Church, early temples, Jewish view of Garden, Creation scenario, Ebla Tablets, Hebrew Tree of Life Jan 2014
The Book of Moses reveals that mankind is basically good. See Moses 6:54, D&C 93:38. We are born into a world of sin and as we mature, sin conceives in our hearts. Moses 6:55, Ether 3:2, D&C 93:38. We are free agents, knowing good and evil. Moses 6:56. We become carnal,sensual and devilish when we give heed to Satan. Moses 5:13, 6:49. Om a state of sin, we cannot gain salvation or inherit the Kingdom of God. Moses 6:57. We each have the spirit of Christ within us when we are born to save us.
Because of Adam’s fall, it was possible for a person to be born in a world where he could walk by faith. As man grows to the age of accountability, he is influenced by the evils of the world unaided. While Jesus’ atonement unconditionally redeems man from Adam’s fall (Moses 6:54), men and woman are redeemed from their own sins only on condition of repentance and keeping the commandments. That was their hope: Jesus Christ – Yeshua – is the only name whereby mankind can be saved (Moses 6:52). Through obedience to the Gospel, mankind will have eternal life with Heavenly Father. The Plan of redemption was in place before mankind was on the earth.

God made it very clear that we all need to follow the Plan to receive eternal glory (Moses 6:62) What are the fundamental steps?
Hearken to the Lord and exercise faith – believe in Christ and in his saving and cleansing power

Repent of all sin and continually keep mind, body and spirit clean
Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
Become sanctified from sin through temple ordinances and continue to grow in the Gospel

Jewish baptism practice: As religious ablution signifying purification or consecration. The natural method of cleansing the body by washing and bathing in water was always customary in Israel. The washing of their clothes was an important means of sanctification enjoined on the Israelites before the tablets were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 19: 10). The rabbis connect with this the duty of bathing by complete immersion “ṭebilah,” and since sprinkling with blood was always accompanied by immersion, tradition connects with this immersion the blood lustration mentioned as having also taken place immediately before the Sinai experience (Ex. 24: 8), these three acts being the initiatory rites always performed upon proselytes to Judaism, “to bring them under the wings of the Shekinah – Holy Breath”. (Talmud). The only conception of baptism at variance with Jewish ideas is displayed in the declaration of John, that the one who would come after him would not baptize with water, but with the Holy Ghost (Mark 1: 8; John 1:27). Baptism was practiced in ancient (Ḥasidic or Essene) Judaism, first as a means of penitence, as is learned from the story of Adam and Eve, who, in order to atone for their sin, stood up to the neck in the water, fasting and doing penance—Adam in the Jordan for forty days, Eve in the Tigris for thirty-seven days. (Greek reference).
Jews, like Mormons, do not believe in the concept of Original Sin (Adam’s yielding to temptation in the Garden) or that one person can die as punishment committed by another. They teach no doctrine of “inherited sin”: we are born sin-free and untainted. Regarding Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden because of their yielding to temptation to disobey Father’s mandate and become immortal, Jews realize mankind chooses to sin, bring suffering upon themselves, hence the essential need for repentance and forgiveness from God and from one another. Articles of Faith #1:2: We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
As we study the O.T. and PGP, some will question the nature of the Lord’s church before the dispensation of the meridian of time. Language like: baptism unto repentance, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and gift of the Holy Ghost are missing from ancient scripture. But 1Ne 10:18, D&C 20:12 and Hebrews 13:8 remind us “God is the same yesterday, today and forever”. We have been counseled to study scripture as a whole to understand the Gospel message. Jacob 4:4-5 teaches that all holy prophets prior to his time knew and believed in Christ and worshipped the Father in his name. And Jesus in 3Ne 20:2-4 witnessed that truth. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the early inhabitants of this earth were as aware of the plan of salvation as those who have been instructed since the time of his coming. We must know that during several thousand years of being conquered vassal states under Egyptian, Assyrian, Islamic, Persian and Roman rule, through upheavals and adjustments, destruction of the Temples and more – Hebrews, Israelites and Jews endured it all with spiritual consequences: lost and destroyed scriptures, scribal omissions to texts, damaged documents, political maneuvering, the centuries-long antagonism between Christian sects and monotheism – it is a wonder the Five Books of Moses were saved! Judaism has failed to comprehend its spiritual roots, purpose and example, centering instead on religious expression.
There are evidences that even in patriarchal days, in the days of Adam there was the equivalent of temples, for the priesthood was held in its fulness, as far as the people needed it; and there is every reason to believe that from Adam to Noah, temple worship was in operation. After the Flood the Holy Priesthood was continued; and we have reason to believe, in sacred places, the ordinances of the temple were given to those entitled to receive them. The Book of Mormon indicates that from about 600 years B. C. until about 35 or 40 years A. D., temples, under the authority of the holy priesthood, were found on this continent. (JAWitdsoe, 1964 address)
The Jewish view of Gan Eden can be viewed as symbolic of man’s fortune in the world: Adam – all of mankind. Garden of Eden – world. Tree of Life – Torah. Serpent – evil inclination. Just as Adam/Eve are in Garden where Tree of Life stands, so man is placed in the world to observe commandments of Torah. Punishment=banishment from Divine approval. Physical death explained: Three partners in creation of a human: father and mother supply physical parts, God supplies the spirit. All Jewish sources explain that after death the soul (spirit, personality) continues to live. In Talmud- commentaries on Gan Eden: Refers to the life of the righteous in Heaven (Olam haba). Main characteristic: The pious who suffered privation on earth now come into their own. The Holy One, Blessed be He, will open the treasures of Gan Eden. Symbolized as a wondrous banquet but the chief joy will be living in the presence of God. “I will walk among you.” (Lev. 26:12) “I will be your God and you shall be my people” (Jer 30:22). “The Holy One, Blessed be He, sits in their midst and expounds the Torah to them” Talmud cite.

Creation scenario: Three scriptual accounts: Genesis 1-2, Moses 2-3, Abrarham 4-5.
Day 1: Earth was without form. God caused darkness in the watery deep. He asked for light and divided light from darkness.
Day 2: Expanse of sky in midst of water. Division of waters above and below the firmament, which was named Heaven. Evening, morning created
Day 3: Waters separated from dry land. Earth grows grass, herbs, fruit tree all after their own kind.
Day 4: Lights in heaven, sensitive to seasons. Created sun, moon and stars to divide light from darkness.
Day 5: Creation of animals, fowl, bugs, all beast of earth, on earth and in the seas and oceans. Animals given agency to multiply their own kind.
Day 6: Creation of mankind and womankind in image of God (and Heavenly Mother). Gave them dominion over all earth and all living things upon it and all clean herbs for health.
Day 7: The Sabbath rest. For comparison with Genesis, see Genesis 1:3-31, Abraham 4:1-31, D&C 101:32-34.

The prophet Joseph Smith taught: Moses was reared in an atmosphere of idolatry. There were numerous deities among the Egyptians. In commencing the work which the Lord said he had for Moses to do, it was necessary to center his mind and faith upon God the Eternal Father as the only Being to worship. (Verses 12-25). God the Eternal Father, stands supreme and alone, and it is in the name of the Only Begotten that we thus approach Him, as Christ taught always. “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods.” (Psalms 82:1.) Jesus quoted this and did not dispute it (John 10:34-6).

The Ebla Tablets: There were correspondences between peoples in the Middle East prior to the Bible’s codification. Some of the earliest were the Ebla Tablets found around 2250 b.c. in today’s Syria. Approximately 20,000 cuneiform plates found in a language not understood, and a sort-of dictionary that helped scholars decipher the Sumerian script. These contained the earliest written account of the Creation. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls a “Genesis Apocryphon” scroll was revealed, 20+ centuries old, containing references to the Creation. On the first of October, 1975, this remarkable discovery was made near an obscure village in northern Syria called Tell Mardikh, the site of the ancient city of Ebla. These clay tablets and fragments had lain undisturbed for 4500 years. A preliminary reading of batches of tablets established beyond question that this was the archive of the royal palace of ancient Ebla. It consisted mainly of the economic accounts (covering trade and tribute) of the rulers of the city-state during a period of perhaps a hundred to a hundred and fifty years in the middle of the third millennium B.C.
“Of particular interest are the names of places and persons. We find an extensive area of overlap between the Ebla tablets and the biblical text (of Torah). Among the many personal names in both the Bible and the tablets are the following: Abram, David, Esau, Ishmael, Israel, Micaiah, Michael, and Saul. We have normalized the spelling of these names to conform to the biblical pattern, but the spelling in Eblaite is so close in all cases that there can be no question of the identity of the names. … Such occurrences point back to a common basis in language and culture for the ancestors of the Israelites and the people of Ebla.
… the Bible, while not mentioning Ebla, does point to this region as the fatherland of the Israelites. The patriarchs came to Canaan from Haran, where elements of their kinship group continued to live long after Abraham and his family had departed…Haran is not very far away from Ebla, and is often mentioned in the Ebla texts… Ebla draws from the common pool of terms, names, and traditions which was shared by the biblical people.
Place names are of great significance, especially since Ebla, being west of the Euphrates, was oriented mainly toward the west and south, and therefore its trade and other concerns overlapped heavily with the biblical territory. Many names of places in Syria and Palestine are the same as those mentioned in the Bible. Often the cities in the Ebla texts are mentioned as the receivers of shipments of goods from Ebla… One tablet that was found contained the names of the five cities of the plain… They are mentioned together as a five-city league in only one chapter in the Bible—Genesis 14. Now, from a mathematical point of view, to have the same five names in the same order is remarkable.” (That chapter details the capture of Lot in the battles of kings Sodom and Gomorrah, the great teacher Melchizedek administering sacrament and Abram paying tithes to Melchizedek.)
“It means there is some relationship yet to be defined between the list in Genesis 14 and the list on the Ebla tablet… The destruction of cities was a most common phenomenon in Ancient Near East… Cities that were most important to history of Israel and Judah, see 2 Kings 17.” David Noel Freedman, “The Ebla Tablets and the Abraham Tradition,” in Reflections on Mormonism: Judeo-Christian Parallels, ed. Truman G. Madsen (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1976. Also: http://www.icr.org/article/92/

The Hebrew Tree of Life – The Tree is mentioned ten times in scripture, beginning in Gen 2:9, 3:22-4, as the center of Paradise. In Proverbs it is a metaphor for the life of wisdom. Traditional Judaism identifies the study of the O.T. as the Tree of Life. The figure below is the layout of the processes by which, in Hebrew thought, our universe came into being: Limitless light, wisdom, understanding (a feminine energy), kindness (loving grace of service), severity (strength, judgment, awe of God), beauty (symmetry and balance), eternity, splendor (surrender sincerity), foundation (memory, coherent knowledge of all things), the Kingship=Messiah. These energy forces accomplish the Divine Plan of God. Proverbs 11:30: The fruit of righteousness is the tree of life. Book of Mormon: The Tree of Life represents God’s love- 1Ne 8:2, 10 as a symbol of spiritual nourishment and salvation. Has critical elements found in Old World cultures. (For deeper investigation in Hebrew symbol of the Tree, email Marlena) See: https://www.lds.org/ensign/1988/06/the-tree-of-life-in-ancient-cultures?lang=eng Wilfred Griggs: Book of Mormon.

By Marlena Tanya Muchnick-Baker: www. marlenatanya@gmail.com 206-335-9339 Renton Stake, WA. May Creek ward. Please visit my blogs: http://judaicaworld.wordpress.com, http://mormonsandjews.net, http://judaicaworld.blogspot.com for more posts and articles. Forward these posts to others to enjoy and give out at your Sunday school meetings. To request specific information on Judaism and/or research you would like done, email Marlena anytime. For firesides, classes other info: www.jewishconvert-lds.com.

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Torah is made up of five books that were given to Moses directly from God after the Exodus from Egypt = Mitzrayim (misery). Torah was handed down through the successive generations from the time of Moses. Also called the Pentateuch = Greek for “five scrolls”. Torah means “teaching”.

Five books of Torah Include the creation of the earth and the first humans, the Great Flood and the covenant with the gentiles, the Hebrew enslavement and Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, giving of the Torah, renewal of Covenant given to Avraham, establishment of the festivals, wandering through the desert, the Mishkan (tabernacle), Ark, and priestly duties, and the death of Moses = Moischeh. The original covenants made between the early prophets and God originated in Torah and are traceable to the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Book of Mormon and all other LDS scripture speaks of the restoration of eternal covenants between Heavenly Father and mankind.

Note: Some LDS bibles include the JST of the Old and New Testament, following the Bible Index and Dictionary.
LDS quads include Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Book of Moses selections, considered a part of the JST, The Pearl of Great Price – Abraham, JST Matthew, Joseph Smith History – and the Articles of Faith.
• Books: Bəreshit (בְּרֵאשִׁית‏, literally “In the beginning”) Genesis,
• Shemot (שְׁמוֹת, literally “Names”) Exodus,
• Vayikra (וַיִּקְרָא, literally “And He called”) Leviticus,
• Bemidbar (בְּמִדְבַּר‎, literally “In the desert [of]”) Numbers
• Devarim (דְּבָרִים, literally “Things” or “Words”) Deuteronomy, “Second-Law”)

The Nevi’im covers the time period from the death of Moses through the Babylonian exile and contains 19 books. Includes the time of the Hebrews entering Eretz Yisrael (land of Israel), the conquest of Jericho, the conquest of Eretz Yisrael and its division among the tribes, the judicial system, Era of Saul and David, Solomon’s wisdom and the construction of the First (Beit HaMikdash – house of the sanctuary) kings of Israel and Judah, prophecy, messianic prophecies, and the Babylonian exile.

The Ketuvim covers the period after the return from the Babylonian exile and contains 11 books. The Ketuvim is made up of various writings that do not have an overall theme. This section of the Tanakh includes poems and songs, the stories of Ruth, and Ester, the writings and prophecies of Daniel, and the history of the kings of Israel and Judah.

The Tanakh is also called Miqra (meaning “reading” or “that which is read”). During the Second Temple Period”, Tanakh was not used as a word or term. Instead, the proper title was Miqra, because the biblical texts were read publicly. Miqra continues to be used in Hebrew to this day alongside Tanakh to refer to the Hebrew scriptures. In modern spoken Hebrew both are used interchangeably.
http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Heb-Xn-Bibles.htm This link outlines the various biblical arrangements.

Handout #3 The Levant, Gan Eden, Ish/Ishah, Avraham, Israel, Jewish People January 2014
The Levant (to rise – also “country where the sun rises”): Light shaded areas. A geological region encompassing the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea from roughly the Isthmus of Suez to the Taurus Mountains, including present day Israel, Lebanon, western Jordan, the Sinai in Egypt and part of Syria. About 75,000 square miles. Ecologically diverse.

Until the time of the Israelite conquest under Joshua, the southern part of the Levant, often called Palestine, was known as the land of Canaan. The Hebrew Scriptures refer to the people occupying the land as the Canaanites. With the conquest it became, along with other conquered territories, the land of Israel (eretz Israel). From “Dan to Beersheba,” the usual the way of describing Palestine and for most periods the limits of settlement, is about 150 miles. After AD 132 the Romans renamed the region Palestina. Aware of Jewish history, the Romans chose to name the land after Israel’s most bitter enemy, the Philistines, to humiliate their vanquished Jewish subjects. The Romans made the point, after Jewish zealots rebelled twice against Roman authority, that this region was no longer eretz Israel but rather Roman turf. The word Palestine comes from the Latin Palestina meaning “land of the Philistines.” Israel and Judah were related Iron Age (1200 BC – 539 BC). The Judean kingdom ended in 63 BC in the conquest of Rome. Jewish Revolt by Israel due to civil trouble ended in destruction of Second Temple, emergence of Rabbinical Judaism and Christianity and eventual conquest by Roman and Byzantine empires, and the Arab conquest of 7th century AD. Jews and Arabs lived together with relative cordiality for several hundred years. There has been a Jewish presence in Arab-Muslim countries since before Islam was introduced in the sixth century BC. (Authoritative book: Abraham Divided by Daniel C. Petersen.)
Garden of Eden (Gan Eden) the biblical garden of God. (Genesis 2, 3 and Ezekiel, Zechariah and Psalms) According to Jewish eschatology (concerned with the end of days) in the Talmud (six orders of instruction in living, commentaries on the books of Moses) it is called “Garden of Righteousness” which will appear gloriously and celestial at end of time. The righteous will see the throne of God at that time. Each person will walk with God who will lead them in a dance. Moses 3:8 tells us God planted a garden in Eden and placed His human creations in it. Before they were mortal, they were spiritual only. There, in that perfect place He gave, not loaned, moral agency, and instructed Adam and Eve in the consequences of their choices. (2Ne 2:14-16) He let them be tempted together and let them work out their salvation through their faith in Him and their trust of one another. In His wisdom, Heavenly Father distinguished Himself from His creations, but remained spiritually bound to them as their eternal Father and spiritual Home.
Moses met the Lord in the Garden. He told Moses about the man He formed there (Moses 3:8). In Hebrew the root is “ish” (אישׁ). It has many nuances, including husband and mankind. The first theological consideration is that man is distinguished from God. The relationship between Heavenly Father and mankind and the differentiation of human nature from God is determined by God’s creation of man and by the Old Testament belief that all human nature is in His Hand and He is the breath of all created things (Job 12:10). See: https://www.lds.org/ensign/1988/06/the-tree-of-life-in-ancient-cultures?lang=eng:- Wilfred Griggs – Book of Mormon.
Ish – meaning husband – is in a parallel to baal – owner, lord – the man of the household and of all things earthly. In the Genesis narrative the creation of male and female emphasizes that mankind is not related to animals – man has a God-given need for a partner of his own kind. Everything that perverts such a relationship is offensive to God.
In the Hebrew Bible (The woman/wife = (אהשׁ)”ishhah” contrasts with man – she is smooth whereas he is rough shaven. Physical and spiritual qualities are emphasized by the differences between the sexes. God has brought the woman to her husband, to establish a blood relationship signifying they are of the same nature, indicating their position in creation. Moses in Genesis emphasized the identity of the nature of and the equality of man and woman. Their relationship extends beyond sex. It extends back to the Father. It is not until after the Fall that the woman receives her name – Eve. (Gen. 3:20) after establishing that there is a fellow creature for adham – man – named Adam. Her name is inherent in his. They are symbolically the same flesh. Without the woman/wife at his elbow, Adam cannot be whole. God is responsible for establishing marriage. Before God and in the presence of the woman, the man acknowledges the equality of the partnership between ish and ishah and makes a covenant with her “berit elohim” – a covenant of God and calls her his wife (Gen 2:24 and Ezek 16:8) which indicates that monogamy is the foundation of the human race. She becomes the wife of his bosom (Deut 28:54, his esheth cheqo). She is placed under her husband’s authority. They are equal before God ( but not socially in this world). Two souls sealed in Christ = One flesh. See The Family: A Proclamation To The World:
WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children… HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. WE DECLARE the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.
The great patriarch Abraham (Hebrew, אברהמ-Avraham-father of a multitude). His original name was Abram, exalted father. See D&C 132:29,37. Numerous meanings in O.T.: grandfather-Gen 28:13, founding father-1Kings 15:11, others, forefather, counselor, wise teacher. Semitic language originally referred to a distinction between generations, not people. Since Israel was one of the Semitic nomadic peoples, her social life was more closely knit together than that of the city culture of the ancient Near East, and tribal fellowship was most important. The father is the center from which strength and will emanate. Remember 1Ne 8:12.
The insertion of an “h” in the name (also the addition of an “h” to Sarai = Sarah, his wife) is a marker to show the initiation of the covenant made with God and a connection with generations to come. He was the founder of the Jewish nation, the founding patriarch of the Israelites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, and the Midianites and kindred peoples. But he was neither Israelite nor Jew: The name “Jew” comes from the name “Judah” who was a great-grandson of Abraham. Israelites were the descendants of Israel and God gave that name first to Jacob, Abraham’s grandson. Also, Romans 4:11-12 tells us Abraham received circumcision later in life. All those baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are essentially Israelites, born of the tribal families and heritage of ancient Israel. We want to study the O.T. as an essential part of our understanding of and appreciation of our religious heritage.
Israel – יִשְׂרָאֵל – “ivri” – to pass over – the people across the river –Also: God contended, God Strives or El (God) Persisteth. Represents the action of struggling with God- related to the story of Jacob wrestling with the Angel (Gen 35:1-7).Synonymous with Semitic Israelites, especially when they were nomadic. In the Old Testament, Israel (who was formerly named Jacob – Genesis 32:28) wrestles with an angel. The ancient and modern states of Israel took their names from him, so Jacob’s
(Ya a cov) descendants are Israelites, eventually forming the kingdom of Israel! Remember the 10th Article of Faith: We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
Historian Paul Johnson writes of the Jewish people:
They were the first to create consequential, substantial and interpretive history. They knew they were a special people who had not simply evolved from an unrecorded past but had been brought into existence, for certain definite purposes, by a specific series of divine acts. They saw it as their collective business to determine, record, comment and reflect upon these acts. No other people have ever shown, particularly at that remote time, so strong a compulsion to explore their origins… The Jews wanted to know about themselves and their destiny…. about God and His intentions and wishes. (in History of the Jews)

Timeline of Ancient Near Eastern Events
Influential to Hebrew Writings

• 10000 BC
Beginnings of agriculture in the Middle East. Mesopotamia – 2100 – 1900 b.c., possible exodus route for Abram’ family
• 7700 BC Time of Abraham = around 2000 b.c. (Gen 11-25)
First domesticated wheats in the Fertile Crescent. Israelites in Canaan-tribal, monarchic periods-15-16th centuries b.c.
• 7000 BC Dates of Exodus from Egypt- began around 1370 b.c. (1Kgs 6:1, 1 Chr 6:33-37)
Domestication of goats. Estimated birth of Moses – 1393 b.c.? (7th of Adar. Lived 120 yrs)
• 6500 BC Settlement of Israelites in Canaan – around 1200 b.c
Dead Sea Scrolls – First Temple Period – 960-586 b.c.
First pottery in the Near East. Assyrians destroy kingdom of Israel, later Judah 722 b.c.
• 5000 BC Babylonians conquer Judah – 598-586 b.c.
Irrigation and agriculture begin in earnest in Mesopotamia. Babylonians destroy Temple from time of Ezra – 444 b.c. – 397 b.c.
• 853 BC Alexander in Greece, Seleucids – 336 b.c. – 312 b.c.
Babylonian kings depend on Assyrian military support. Christian persecutions – Vespasian – 60 – 64 b.c.
• 850 BC Massacre at Masada – a.d. 73
Medes migrate into Iran from Asia. Fall of Jerusalem to Rome – a.d. 70 Rabbinic rule – Talmud development – 70 b.c. – a.d. 500
• 750 BC Arabs, Islam, Persian influence – a.d. 632 – 570
Persians migrate into Iran from Asia. Spanish Visigoth invasion – Massacre of Sephardic Jews – 5th century
• 750 BC – 705 BC British persecution of Jews relating to “blood libel” – 12th century
Peak of the Assyrian empire. Spanish Inquisition- baptism or death. Expelled from Spain – 14th-15th century
• 734 BC Ottoman Empire-Turks overrule Islamic Jews – World War 1
Babylon is captured by Chaldeans. British Mandate in Jerusalem – 1920
• 729 BC Russian Purges in Poland, Russia – 1935-40
Babylon is occupied by Assyrians. German 3rd Reich – Hitler – Millions of Jews murdered -1940-44
Arab-Palestinian wars – 1970s
State of Israel – May 1948 –Only country with a national religion
Prophets revealed the Tanakh over a 1000-year period. From the books of Moses – revealed about 1400 B.C. to the book of Malachi revealed about 425 B.C. The Hebrew Bible has been preserved and transmitted by Jewish scribes, in Babylon and Palestine; these scribes in Palestine were known as the Masorites. The manuscript source for the King James Bible is the Masoretic Text, as copied from the St. Petersburg Manuscript dated about 916 A.D.
When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, a portion of every book of the Tanakh was found, except for the book of Ester, including two complete versions of the book of Isaiah. When compared to the oldest existing Masoretic manuscripts, the much older Dead Sea scrolls, dated from 100-200 B.C., demonstrated a virtually flawless manuscript transmission over the eleven hundred-years, which separated the two copies.

These facts indicate that Heavenly Father preserved the scriptures for these latter days. Though all the events of history in that region, these books were preserved. However, many changes and omissions were made through the centuries, so the text that was finally codified is lacking in some of the essential teachings of Christ. One more reason for the LDS church to finally restore true scriptures, ordinances and temples.
By Marlena Tanya Muchnick-Baker: www. marlenatanya@gmail.com 206-335-9338 Renton Stake, WA. May Creek ward. Please visit my blogs: http://judaicaworld.wordpress.com, http://mormonsandjews.net, http://judaicaworld.blogspot.com for more posts and articles. Forward these posts to others to enjoy and give out at your Sunday school meetings. To request specific information on Judaism and/or research you would like done, email Marlena anytime. For firesides, classes other info: www.jewishconvert-lds.com.

The post Tanakh versus Old Testament and LDS Bible arrangements appeared first on Judah and Joseph: Scepter and Birthright.

In the Second Edition of the Pearl – 1878, (the first edition was printed in 1851), edited and rearranged by Elder Orson Pratt, then Church Historian, numerous differences in the text of the Moses material were rearranged to be chronological corresponding to the order in which it is found in Genesis and also in the printed Inspired Version  They were accepted by the general conference, Oct. 10, 1880. (Robert J. Matthews, Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible). The O.T.’s Genesis has the same sequence of events.

As we study the Hebrew Bible (in King James translation), we learn how our experiences gradually change us and affect all our decisions throughout our mortal lives. Evolution of the human spirit is slow and gradual, but ultimately will be positive if we can grow living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Moses 6:62)

The kingdom of God in this world is the supreme desire to do the will of God and an unselfish love of others. We enter the kingdom by faith, repentance, sincerity, trust in the Father, open-mindedness, hunger for truth, and the desire to find God and be like Him. Acceptance of God’s forgiveness creates a path that ensures the continuing progress of children of God toward righteousness. Heavenly Father loves us, His children. See 1John 3:6-8. The Father told Moses (Moses 1:26)

And lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days; for thou shall deliver my people from bondage, even Israel my chosen.

The term, “kingdom of heaven” was one that had many meanings in Jesus’ era. Jews thought of the kingdom as the Jewish community; gentiles thought of it as a church.  Jews thought the kingdom would mark the coming of the Messiah who was to establish Jewish power on earth. Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven centered in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. He taught the apostles to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done.”  Christ will return to earth in glory and establish the literal Kingdom of God on this earth (Rev 11:15, Matt 6:33).

As Moses encounters our Lord in the wilderness, he is given a report of Creation (Moses 2). Moses can only refer to his small knowledge of mortal things. He is, as we are, hampered by the limitations of mortal language, his mortal mind, his inability to grasp an eternal viewpoint, the development of the universes, what is really meant by pre-existent or post-mortal life.

The root word for man is adhamah. Hebrew: אדמה, to be red. This also refers also to the noun and concept of “land”.  The word occurs 221 times in the O.T. As a substance it forms cohesive earth, productive, to be cultivated by man. It is distinguished from wilderness in its arability. It is the dwelling place of man and the domain in which animals live. In the Fall, life and destiny connect mankind with the land – cursed because of man’s sin (Gen. 3:17-19) and he is alienated from the elementary base of his existence. The land loses its original fertility. But God swore (Num 11:12, 32:11, others) that He would give them land as their base.

In another view anciently, adhamah is the dry earth used for making an altar (Ex 20:24), so it can be regarded as holy ground. YHVH (God) is asked to bless the ground along with strict obedience to the law and guarantee the reward for labor. His people lost the land when carried into exile, but He will return the land to the Israelites if they obey His commands. Then he will give them menuchah (peace) on their land. Their allegiance to God and His Son will guarantee the promise of adhamah forever to Israel.

2Ne 29:14 tells us …my people, which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions … I am God, and … I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever. The Hebrew root for a covenant is berit or b’rith,  בךית. Our God is a covenant-keeping God. In one definition it reflects the ceremony performed when concluding the ceremony. Originally, the word implied a liability or obligation, a bond or oath of allegiance. Other words that relate are testimony and oath. Concluding a covenant is called in Hebrew karath berith, “to cut a covenant or oath” and denotes a superior prescribing terns to an inferior, granting rights and privileges. These commitments must be made with the whole full heart (2Kgs 23:3). Breaking covenants, hephar berith, means to transgress against, to forsake and be faithless. In addition to the Abrahamic covenant which binds the Jewish people and those who are adopted into that promise – to be recipients of God’s purposes and election.

The Israelites, those who traveled to Canaan in the Exodus were given the essential commandments of God and asked to covenant with Him to keep His word and His ways. Their faith was severely tested and they often failed, but they learned to understand the spirit of the commandments in their trials. God endeavored through his prophets to teach the Israelites the cardinal principles of the Kingdom of Heaven:

1. True righteousness comes from within the individual – a personal religion of respect for all
2. The individual is pre-eminent and his/her will determines the experiences that will unfold (D&C 84:46)
3. We should seek spiritual fellowship with our Maker, God the Father, and serving mankind. Those who walk in the light receive the love of Christ and enjoy fellowship with the children of God. (Psalms 56:13, 89:15, Isaiah 2:5, John 8:2)
4. Those who walk in the light receive the love of Christ and enjoy fellowship with the children of God. (1John 1:7)
5. We should strive for the transcendency of the spiritual life over the material life to find personal fulfillment, because the Spirit of Christ, which is given to every person who comes into the world, “shall not always strive with man. (D&C 1:33).

These are the major covenants.

(a) Conditional

A covenant which guarantees that God will do His part when the human requirements stipulated in that covenant are met.

(B) Unconditional

Distinguished from a conditional covenant by the fact that its ultimate fulfillment is promised by God and depends upon God’s power and sovereignty for its fulfillment.

The EDENIC covenant (conditional), Gen. 1:26-31;2:16-17

Made with Adam in which life and blessing or death and cursing depended on the faithfulness of Adam. Adam and Eve failed, died spiritually and physically and their sin plunged the whole human race into its pattern of sin and death.

2. The ADAMIC covenant (unconditional), Gen. 3:16-19

Here God declares to man, after the fall, what his lot in life will be because of his sin. It includes the promise of the Redeemer.

3. The NOAHIC covenant (unconditional), Gen 9:1-18

Made with Noah and his sons after the flood, introducing human government to curb sin, the normal order of nature reaffirmed (Gen. 8:22; 9:2) and the permission for man to eat the flesh of animals. Also His promise never to destroy all flesh again by water.

4. The ABRAHAMIC covenant (unconditional), Gen. 12:1-4;13:14-17; 15:1-7; 17:1-8

This covenant is one of the great revelations of God concerning future history. Abraham would have numerous posterity, personal blessing, his name would be great, and he, personally, would be a blessing. Through Abraham would come a great nation (Israel) and through him (via that nation) all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Messiah). Through Abraham’s descendents (the Jews) came the prophets of God, the writers of God’s written Word (the Bible) and Christ/Messiah according to the flesh.

5. The MOSAIC covenant (conditional), Ex. 20:1 – 31:18

It is contained in Exodus but amplified in many other portions of Scripture. It was given through Moses as its mediator for the purpose of governing Israel’s (national) relationship with God. It was mainly made up of (a) the commandments, the express will of God, (b) the judgments, the social and civic life of Israel, (c) and the ordinances. It was temporary and would terminate at the cross of Christ. Though it had gracious elements it was basically a covenant of works. It could not impart life to the sinner in Adam (Gal. 3:21) but it served as a tutor which would lead those who were under its jurisdiction to the only One who could impart LIFE (Christ Jesus, Gal. 3:24).

6. The LAND covenant (unconditional), Deut. 30:1-10

It is erroneously called by theologians the “Palestinian Covenant.” However, the Bible does not recognize the land by that name. It is the land of Israel because it was divinely covenanted to Abraham’s descendents through Jacob (Israel). It is an unconditional promise regarding Israel’s final possession of their ancient land.

The DAVIDIC covenant (unconditional), 2Sam. 7:4-16; 1Chron. 17:3-15 God promised David an unending, royal lineage, throne, and kingdom. Though God reserved the right to interrupt the actual reign of David’s sons for chastisement, the perpetuity of the covenant cannot be broken. The Abrahamic covenant guaranteed the nation and the land. The Davidic covenant guarantees an everlasting Throne, King and Kingdom connected to that people (the Jews) and the land. Jesus Christ, the Son of David, is the rightful heir of this promised Throne (Matt. 2:2; Lk. 1:32-33) and on it He will reign over this literal, promised, earthly, future Messianic Kingdom from Jerusalem at His second advent.

The New and Everlasting Covenant (unconditional) Jer 31:31-40  is a new covenant with Israel in contrast with the old (Mosaic, “which they broke,” Jer. 31:32). Christ Jesus is the Mediator (in His blood) of this new covenant which was inaugurated at the cross and is described in Scripture as, “enacted on better promises” (Heb. 8:6). The Mediator of this covenant has become, for all mankind, “the source of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:9) to all who obey Him; as well as the cornerstone and Head of the Church (Eph. 2:20-22; Col. 1:18; Eph. 5:23) which is being built during this dispensation; individuals called out from both Jews and Gentiles alike. Ultimately and literally, this new covenant with its unconditional and eternal blessings will be established with NATIONAL Israel at Christ’s Second Coming to earth.  (Jer 31:31-33, Matt 26:28), Mark 14:24), Luke 22:20), others.

The Covenant of Circumcision – (Unconditional) Gen 17:11-13  Token of the Covenant and everlasting. The promise of a kingdom of 12 tribes (Gen 17:20). Ephraim “fruitful”. It is the birthright tribe (family). Judah ‘praise” is the scepter tribe. Heavenly Father wants these two parts of His kingdom to unite in brotherhood and works before the arrival of our Savior. Ephraim has the priesthood and the Savior, whereas Judah is protector of the faith, the temple, the people, the avenger and warrior. But without Ephraim, Judah is a sword of undirected energy!

Websites to research: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Israel – Israelites.  www.judaism.about.com – Brit Milah-circumcision. Also see www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/circumcision.html  

We are heirs to the blessings and responsibilities of the Abrahamic covenant. • As the seed of Abraham, Church members are heirs to the blessings and responsibilities of the Abrahamic covenant. How do we become heirs to this covenant? (When we are baptized into the Church, the Abrahamic covenant’s promise of salvation is renewed with us. When we are sealed in the temple, the Abrahamic covenant’s promise of exaltation is renewed with us. To receive the blessings of the covenant, we must fulfill the associated responsibilities and live worthily.)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained: “Abraham first received the gospel by baptism (which is the covenant of salvation); then he had conferred upon him the higher priesthood, and he entered into celestial marriage (which is the covenant of exaltation), gaining assurance thereby that he would have eternal increase; finally he received a promise that all of these blessings would be offered to all of his mortal posterity. (Abra. Abraham 2:6–11; D. & C. D&C 132:29–50.) Included in the divine promises to Abraham was the assurance that Christ would come through his lineage, and the assurance that Abraham’s posterity would receive certain choice, promised lands as an eternal inheritance. (Abra. Abraham 2; Gen. Genesis 17; 22:15–18; Gal. Galatians 3.)

By Marlena Tanya Muchnick-Baker:  marlenatanya@gmail.com   206-335-9338.   Renton Stake, WA.  May Creek ward.  Please visit my blogs: http://judaicaworld.wordpress.com, http://mormonsandjews.net,  http://judaicaworld.blogspot.com for more posts and articles. Forward these posts to others to enjoy and give out at your Sunday school meetings. To request specific information on Judaism and/or research you would like done, email Marlena anytime. For firesides, classes other info: www.jewishconvert-lds.com.  Tell your Sunday School teacher about these blogs as a teaching help.

The post Handout #2 – Pearl of Great Price – Moses. Kingdom of Heaven , Israelite Covenants, Adhamah, Abrahamic Covenant appeared first on Judah and Joseph: Scepter and Birthright.

The  earliest civilizations in history were established in the region now known as the Middle East around 3500 b.c. by the Sumerians, in Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Sumerians and the Akkadians – later Babylonians-  all flourished in this region.  It begins with the rise of Sumerin the 4th millennium BC covering the Bronze Age (from 3300 b.c. – 1200 b.c.) and the Iron Age (1200 b.c. – 539 b.c.) in the region, until the conquest by the  First Persian Empire (600 b.c. by Cyrus the Great)  or Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC.

The ancient Near East is considered the cradle of civilization. It was the first to practice intensive year-round agriculture, it gave the rest of the world the first writing system, invented the potter’s wheel and then the vehicular- and millwheel, created the first centralized governments, law codes and empires, as well as introducing social stratification, slavery and organized warfare, and it laid the foundation for the fields of astronomy and mathematics.

Moses (Hebrew: Mosheh – drawn out or he who draws out, in the sense of deliverer).  Also called Moshe Rabbenu – “Moses our Teacher/Rabbi”), he is the most important prophet in Judaism; he is also an important prophet in Christianity and Islam, as well as a number of other faiths. Rabbinical Judaism calculated a lifespan of Moses corresponding to 1391–1271 BC. But possibly 1592 as his birth year, around the Middle Bronze Age that included early Babylonia and the middle period of the Egyptian Kingdom. His death at 120 is recorded Deut. 34:7. This predates the kingdoms of Israel and Judah which were important powers around 800 b.c.

In the Hebrew Bible, the narratives of Moses are in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. According to the Book of Exodus, Moses was a son of Amram, a member of the Levite tribe of Israel descended from Jacob, and his wife, Jochebed. She  (Hebrew:  Yocheved: Yahveh is glory) was  of the royal family in Egypt and was kin to Amram’s father Kehath (Exodus 6:20). Moses had one older (by seven years) sister, Miriam, and one older (by three years) brother, Aaron. According to Genesis 46:11, Amram’s father Kehath immigrated to Egypt with 70 of Jacob’s household, making Moses part of the second generation of Israelites born during their time in Egypt. He elected to cast his lot with the people of his father and we learn that he was interested in freeing them from their captors.

Moses was thus the human instrument in the creation of the nation of Israel by communicating to it the Torah.  More humble than any other man (Num. 12:3), he enjoyed unique privileges, for “there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom YHWH knew face to face” (Deut. 34:10).  See also Jude 1:9 and Zechariah 3.

In Josephus’ (37 – c. 100 AD) Antiquities of the Jews, Moses is mentioned throughout. For example Book 8, chapter 4 describes Solomon’s Temple, also known as the First Temple, at the time the Ark of the Covenant was first moved into the newly built temple:  When King Solomon had finished these works, these large and beautiful buildings, and had laid up his donations in the temple, and all this in the interval of seven years, and had given a demonstration of his riches and alacrity therein;  he also wrote to the rulers and elders of the Hebrews, and ordered all the people to gather themselves together to Jerusalem, both to see the temple which he had built, and to remove the ark of God into it; and when this invitation of the whole body of the people to come to Jerusalem was everywhere carried abroad, … The Feast of Tabernacles happened to fall at the same time, which was kept by the Hebrews as a most holy and most eminent feast. So they carried the ark and the tabernacle which Moses had pitched, and all the vessels that were for ministration to the sacrifices of God, and removed them to the temple… Now the ark contained nothing else but those two tables of stone that preserved the ten commandments, which God spake to Moses in Mount Sinai, and which were engraved upon them..

Josephus  attaches particular significance to Moses’ possession of the “cardinal virtues of wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice.” He also includes piety as an added fifth virtue. In addition, he “stresses Moses’ willingness to undergo toil and his careful avoidance of bribery. Like Plato’s philosopher-king, Moses excels as an educator.”

From Moses to John the Baptist there extended an unbroken line of faithful teachers who passed the monotheistic torch of light from one generation to another while they unceasingly rebuked unscrupulous rulers and ever exhorted the people to adhere to the worship of the supreme YHVH (Hebrew name of God – the Tetragrammaton = 4 letters).  Similar to YHWH – the W was eventually absorbed into Hebrew, replaced by the V. The text derives Yahweh (יהוה) from the Hebrew word hayah (אהיה), meaning he who is he, or  I AM THAT I AM = the uncreated Creator.

Moses was an extraordinary combination of military leader, social organizer and religious teacher until the time of Jesus. Because the Hebrews had no written language at the time of the Exodus, little has been brought forward. He had a great vision of God and taught the Hebrews that if they would obey God, He will love, bless, multiply you and the fruit of your womb and your land. He forbade the making of images. There is little of the mercy of God shown in these times in scripture. The Hebrews learned of God as the Almighty, the God of battles, glorious in power, He who hardened Pharaoh’s heart and cursed the enemies of the Israelites. But the children of Israel slowly learned to trust the God who spoke to Moses from Mt. Horeb more than other tribal gods which for centuries earlier they had been taught to worship by the Egyptians, Sumerians, Persians.

Remember the First Commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. (Ex 20:3, Deut 5:7) This commandment establishes the exclusive nature of the relationship between the nation of Israel and its national god, Yahweh the god of Israel, a covenant initiated by YHVH after delivering the Israelites from slavery through the plagues of Egypt and the Exodus.

The burning bush is an object described by the Book of Exodus (Ex 3:1-22)] as being located on Mount Horeb; according to the narrative, the bush was on fire, but was not consumed by the flames, hence the name. In the narrative, the burning bush is the location at which Moses was appointed by Yahweh (God) to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into Canaan.

As a powerful religious symbol, the burning bush represents many things to Jews and Christians such as God’s miraculous energy, sacred light, illumination, and the burning heart of purity, love and clarity. From a human standpoint, it also represents Moses’ reverence and fear before the divine presence. The Hebrew word used in the narrative, that is translated into English as bush, is seneh, which refers in particular to brambles. When challenged on his identity, Yahweh replies that he is the God of the Patriarchs – Abraham,Isaac, and Jacob and that he is Yahweh.

The Jews have no conception of Holy Ghost – they are a visual people. The Burning Bush episode is accepted as a sign of God’s presence – called the Ruach ha Kodesh – the Holy One, blessed be He. The basic meaning of ruach is both ‘wind’ or ‘breath,’ but neither is understood as essence; rather it is the power encountered in the breath and the wind, whose whence and whither remains mysterious. Ruach as a designation for the wind is necessarily something found in motion with the power to set other things in motion…  Not a presence or a person, but  the carried life force of God.  Other Hebrew names for the Holy Ghost:

Comforter, Eternal Spirit, Holy Spirit of Promise, spirit of Adonai (God), Spirit of Revelation, Spirit of the Living God, Spirit of the Messiah, Spirit of the Truth, Spirit of Wisdom, Spirit of Yeshua our Messiah, Spirit of YHVH.

“Hebrews are the children of Israel; the twelve-tribe confederation – the descendants of Abraham. All Jews are Hebrews, but not all Hebrews are Jews. Initially, Jews are those tribal factions of Judah and Benjamin [and a smattering of Levitical Priests] who nationalized themselves, during the Divided Monarchy, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, as “The Yehudim” [the Jews], while the ten tribal factions of Israel which seceded from the twelve, and resided in and about Samaria, retained their Hebrew identities until their dissolution in the Syro-Ephraimite conflicts of 735-721 B.C.E. and the Assyrian Diaspora.”

By Marlena Tanya Muchnick-Baker   marlenatanya@gmail.com   206-335-9338

www.mormonsandjews.net

www,mormonsandjews.org

See diagram next page.

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The post Handout #1 – Ancient Near East, Times of Moses, Yocheved, YHVH, Josephus, Hayah, Israel Jan 2014, 2018, appeared first on Judah and Joseph: Scepter and Birthright.