by Ross Nichols | May 6, 2021
In early 1883, Moses W. Shapira came upon a book by a German scholar named Friedrich Bleek, published in 1860 under the title, Einleitung in das Alte Testament, [Introduction to the Old Testament]. The book presented a critical, academic approach to the study of the...
by Ross Nichols | Apr 30, 2021
Deuteronomy 6:4 is arguably the most well-known verse in the Torah. It is recited and has been recited by millions upon millions since Moses first presented these timeless words in the Plains of Moab. Traditionally observant Jews and other biblically oriented people...
by Ross Nichols | Apr 28, 2021
According to Nachmanides, the “writing of the Torah was contiguous, without break of words …”[1] but “it seems likely that word division of some kind was also used in the first biblical texts.”[2] The Shapira Manuscripts seem to represent an intermediary stage between...
by Ross Nichols | Apr 15, 2021
In February of 2020, just before the world shut down in response to Covid, Dr. James Tabor and I were in Israel together. Our schedule included an archaeological project at Biblical Tamar Park and a tour that we were co-leading. We also were researching Moses Shapira,...
by Ross Nichols | Apr 7, 2021
The LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” Genesis 12:1, Jewish Publication Society So begins the bible’s narrative of a journey by Abram (later Abraham). In some ways, the story of...
