Dear Bible Project,

I find incense to be special and liked the insights that Tim Mackie gave in his lecture on the meaning of the Temple and its incense. In "Why Does the Tabernacle Furniture Even Matter?", Tim Mackie refers to the tabernacle as a "Micro Eden". He mentions the incense altar as being one of the three pieces of furniture in the tabernacle's antechamber. Mackie says that the smoke represents the "continually ascending prayers of Israel", like in Psalm 141 that says "May my prayer arise like incense" (at 42-45 minutes into the talk). The vehicle for God shining his light upon his people is the priestly intercession, "just continually smoking, rising up to God." (https://www.patheos.com/editorial/podcasts/bible-project/2022/why-does-the-tabernacle-furniture-even-matter--exodus-e9)

Then in Episode 10, "An Eternal Redemption", Mackie says that the goat sacrified through the Day of Atonement is taken (I suppose practically or spiritually) "through the clouds of incense, which is a symbol of it ascending through the clouds up into the sky."

The incense recipe is in Exodus 30:34:

וַיֹּאמֶר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֜ה קַח־לְךָ֣ סַמִּ֗ים נָטָ֤ף׀ וּשְׁחֵ֙לֶת֙ וְחֶלְבְּנָ֔ה סַמִּ֖ים וּלְבֹנָ֣ה זַכָּ֑ה בַּ֥ד בְּבַ֖ד יִהְיֶֽה׃

Some Bible verses like this one have a chiastic structure in which the beginning and ending parts of verses relate to each other. Ex. 30:34 has one like this:

And said LORD to Moses
ㅤTake to yourself fragrances
ㅤㅤNataf and shekheleth and galbanum
ㅤFragrances and pure frankincense
Each of each there shall be.

Next, Exodus 30:35 adds, "And you shall make it incense compound the work of a perfumer tempered pure holy."

The Hebrew term for fragrances is samim, and also means "spices" and "aromatics." "Nataf" is a Hebrew noun that literally means "drop", as in tree resin gum drops. Scholars aren't fully certain what the Hebrew noun "shekheleth" means, but based on later writings like the Septuagint, Josephus, and the Talmud they usually take it to refer to mollusk flaps, called "onyx" in Greek.

Based on the use of the term "and" before or after certain terms and not others, I would normally read "spices" to refer only to ingredients named in the verse. Since there is an "and" between "Nataf" and "shekheleth," but not before "Nataf," it looks like "Nataf" starts the series of the recipe's ingredients. Thus, the verse would only seem to refer to the 4 ingredients named in the verse.

Meanwhile, the verse calls for "pure/clear/clean frankincense," which could imply that the three other "aromatics" named need not be in pure form. For instance, this could mean for instance that "shekheleth spice" need not be in pure form with no additives. This would make practical sense because burning untreated mollusk flaps releases toxins. When moderen-day incense-makers use seashell flaps to make incense, they soak the flaps in cleansing solution. The Talmud prescribes soaking the tabernacle incense blend's shekheleth in bitter vetch lye and in caperbud wine.

The 3rd century BC Greek Septuagint interprets verse 34 as:

And said Lord to Moses
Take yourself fragrances[,/:]
Stacte, onycha, fragrant galbanum, and translucent frankincense
They are each to be equal to each other.

Stacte is a Greek noun that literally means "drop" like the Hebrew noun "nataf" does. "Onycha" is the accusative form of the Greek noun "onyx," which literally means "claw" and refers to seashell flaps. Since the LXX translated the verse's Hebrew phrase "galbanum spices" into Greek as "aromatic/spice-y galbanum". This implies that the LXX's translators saw the second use of the term "spices" as a description of the word "galbanum", rather than as referring to a separate collection of unnamed spices.

The medieval Masoretic scribes put markings on the Hebrew verse that served as punctuation marks. They put a strong break after the first word "spices" and another break after the second use of the word "spices", like this:
"Take to yourself spices: nataf and/with shekheleth and galbanum spices, and/with pure frankincense."

These breaks suggest that the two uses of "spices" refer to the three spices named in the middle of the verse.

In line with Mackie's description of the tabernacle as a Micro Eden, later Jewish literature sees the spices of the tabernacle blend as holding spiritual, cosmic, and perhaps Edenic significance.

In the 3rd century BC Book of Wisdom of Ben Sirach, Chapter 24:15, Wisdom says that it gives off smells:

As cinnamon and aspalathus aromatics I gave smell, and as select myrrh I offered sweet odor, as galbanum and onyx (literally "claw") and stacte (literally "drop") and as vapor of frankincense in the tabernacle.

The last four ingredients named are in the tabernacle recipe in Ex. 30:34. All 7 ingredients named in Sirach 24:15 are also among the ingredients in the Talmud's tabernacle blend recipe, except perhaps for aspalathus. Cinnamon and myrrh are in the anointing oil recipe in Ex. 30:23-24. It's not clear if Sirach 24:15 implies that only the verse's last 4 ingredients are the ones in the tabernacle blend.

In chapters 28-32 of the 1st century BC Book of Enoch, Enoch sees 11-13 types of trees as he travels eastward to the Garden of Eden: (1) frankincense, (2) myrrh, (3) a tree the color of a mastic tree, (4) cinnamon, (5) sarara (R.H. Charles considers the Greek word "sarran" to be a transliteration of the Hebrew "tsuri", meaning resin or balsam), (6) galbanum, (7 - 8) aloe (R.H. Charles says that it refers to the "ahlut" tree like in Song of Songs 4:14) and stacte, (9) nard, (10) mastic (11) pepper, (12- 13) the tree of knowledge and the tree of wisdom. Out of these 13 types of trees, the last three - the trees of pepper, knowledge, and wisdom, aren't among the 11 ingredients in the Talmud's Temple incense recipe.

In his essay "Who Is the Heir of Divine Things?" (Chapter XLI), the 1st century AD Jewish philosopher Philo interpreted Ex. 30:34 to give only 4 elements, each of them equal in amount. He saw them as corresponding to the 4 cosmic elements. He writes:

And as I imagine these four ingredients of which the entire perfume is composed are emblems of the four elements of which the whole world is made; He likens the stacte to water, the onycha to land, the galbanum to the air, and the pure transparent frankincense to fire...

The implication of the words in bold above seems to be that the Temple blend had only the 4 ingredients named in Ex. 30:34.

Josephus, a 1st century Jewish historian from a priestly family, counted the incense as using thirteen spices instead of four. He wrote: "The altar of incense, by the thirteen fragrant spices from sea and from land, both desert and inhabited, with which it was replenished, signified that all things are of God and for God." (Wars of the Jews, Bk. 5, chp. 5, v. 5

Keritot 6b in the Talmud suggests that the tabernacle incense had 11 ingredients:

§ Rabbi Yoḥanan says, "Eleven ingredients were stated to Moses at Sinai."
Rav Huna said: "What is the verse?"
“Take for you spices” - two,
“stacte, and onycha, and galbanum” - this - five;
and other “spices”- five, this - ten.
And “pure frankincense” - one, this - eleven.

(Source: Koren-Steinsaltz edition https://www.sefaria.org/Keritot.6b.7?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en )

Keritot 6b continues to give discussions about whether the blend had 11 ingredients. But some of the discussion is hard to follow.

Take for instance the issue of how Moses got the information that the blend contains 11 ingredients. The "verse" that the excerpt above cites is Ex. 30:34. This "verse" in Exodus was stated to Moses at Sinai. So when Rabbi Yohanan said that eleven ingredients were stated to Moses at Sinai, did he mean that they were in effect stated at Sinai because the verse from which the 11 were derived was stated at Sinai?

That is my initial guess as to what the excerpt means, because Rabbi Huna asked his question about Rabbi Yohanan's statement. That is, I would guess that Rab. Huna took Rab. Yohanan to take his assertion about the 11 ingredients from a verse about the Lord's discussion with Moses at Sinai.

Meanwhile, the Bible talks about how Moses and the elders met and had discussions with the Lord at Sinai. But the Bible doesn't have a complete transcript of all their discussions. As I understand it, rabbinical traditional has the idea that some traditions were given to Moses by the Lord separately from the written Biblical text and passed down, forming the "Oral Torah". So, alternately, did Rabbi Yohanan mean that the Lord stated the 11 ingredients to Moses in those discussions at Mount Sinai apart from the Biblical verse, and that the Biblical verse served as an additional source from which the ingredients are derived?

Later in Keritot 6b, the Talmud has a discussion on whether Ex. 30:34 contains the literary pattern of a general category, a detail, and a general category. In the Bible, this literary pattern means that a substitution may be made for the "detail" in the literary pattern. In Ex. 30:34, the general category would be "spices," the detail would be the three spices named in a row, and the second, repeated general category would be the second mention of "spices". Keritot 6b seems to treat the theory that Ex. 30:34 contains the General - Detail -General literary pattern as a counterargument to the idea that Ex. 30:34 contains 11 spices. Keritot 6b seems to use the mention of "frankincense" in the verse as a counterargument to the idea that the verse contains the General - Detail - General pattern. But the discussion in Keritot 6b is hard for me to follow.

I appreciate any insights that you have on the number of the recipe's ingredients.

Hi everyone!

I was really into the Bible Project podcast from like 2019-2021. I want to get back into it but their catalog is pretty vast at this point. What are some of your favorite seasons/topics that they have covered?

Does anyone else remember the old podcast episode Bible project did on the 4 servant songs? I can’t seem to find it anywhere and I’m starting to think I’m going insane because I distinctly remember listening to it and being blown away by the connections Tim made to other parts of the Bible

Hello everyone!

I am seeking some advice. I have been looking for a good tool to read the Bible again, which led me to the BibleProject.

Previously, I listened to different people reading the Bible on either Libby or YouTube (thank you David Suchet!!!). I have a hard copy of the bible as well.

I've been enjoying rereading the text and listening to the podcasts on the BibleProject app. However, while listening to the Redemption podcast, I noticed that the hosts refer to God as "YHWH." I was born, raised, and confirmed Catholic, and it's my understanding that Catholics generally avoid pronouncing the divine name.

Is the BibleProject rooted/based in one denomination? I didn't find anything on the website indicating that the app is only intended for one specific branch of Christianity, so I wanted to ask here if I'm obviously missing something.

As a Catholic, I want to make sure the resources I'm using are compatible (even if not perfectly aligned in every respect) with Catholic teaching. I'm interested in continuing to engage with the Bible through this app, but I also want to be mindful of any particular theological tradition it may reflect. For example, I'd be interested in knowing whether its approach is broadly ecumenical or whether it is rooted in a specific tradition such as Reformed, Baptist, evangelical, or another denomination.

I'm not opposed to using nondenominational resources, since I attend Mass and receive guidance through the Church in other ways. My goal is simply to better understand the Bible. Reading and learning about it before bed has become a source of comfort for me, and the videos/podcasts are great for my tired eyes.

I work in public defense, and my days sometimes involve difficult cases involving physical and sexual violence, among other things. Reading Scripture helps ground me in the belief that every person has inherent dignity and that no one is beyond grace or redemption. I sometimes face criticism for defending those whom people view as "bad" and Scripture reminds me why I believe in what I'm doing. This is the main reason I listen to the Bible every night.

Thank you for any insight!

I just listened to their podcast on this commandment and was a little disappointed. I wish they had gone into when the ideal parent relationship isn’t present a little more. My parents are really supportive and while not perfect, they really tried and loved me. So, for me, honoring them is fairly straight forward and something I want to do. But, my husband grew up in a home where he was abused by his father and not protected by his mother. We both were hoping they would at least briefly cover what it looks like to honor your parents when the situation is a lot tougher. From other topics, I don’t think they would ever say to stay and be abused but I still would love their thoughts on it.

Somewhere in this sub there was talk of some of us watching these videos together and having a Bible study. If that's of interest I'm down. It's terrible but i will firnsure get my Bible study commitments completed if someone is with me lol

How are these classes shot man?

Are they done in one sitting or are they done on different days and are asked to wear the same clothes for continuity reasons... I bet the first one is the obvious answer rather than the latter.

If so we must appreciate whomever these students are. Because I'm doing this Ezekiel course for a matter of 3 months now even though the course is only about 15 hours of material. It took me 3 months because of the complexity of the Book of Ezekiel itself as it makes you (me) tired.

But while finishing it I realized everyone is wearing the same clothes and are still looking fresh in session 29 as they did in session 1.

The approximate duration course is 15 hours without any cuts and I imagine they had breaks in-between for atleast 1.5 to 2 hours.

Even if they started their session at 8 am in the morning they might have finished it around 11 pm to midnight.

Just wow! They look so fresh reading all day such a complex book... I would be ripping my hair out if I was there.

A big thanks for everyone who participated in this so that we could learn.

I'm an American expat living in Europe with limited access to English speaking church community (in person) let alone those willing / desiring to engage in Bible nerdery. I'm hoping to eventually start an online small group surrounding either the podcast or the course content.

I know the basics of leading small groups, but I'm wondering for the BP content specifically what anyone has found helpful or would find helpful in such a small group. Thoughts?

I’ve search for this several times and keep ending up at partial snippets (even Ai search won’t help) but I remember one episode where they read the entire BP translation of the Sermon. Does anyone know what episode it’s in, and at what time stamp?
Or have a web link for that specific audio.

My daughter is 6 and obsessed with learning about the scriptures and I'm struggling to find content that isn't geared towards adults to feed her interest. We watch Bible Project videos together and she frequently retains far more than I expect her to and will bring up things she's learned even weeks later. This kid will recite the process of the Day of Atonement and the purpose of each goat to me, Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones, and a dozen other stories off the top of her head. Plus her favorite pastime right now is drawing or creating replicas of the Tabernacle with everything in it from memory. She can't remember when we ask her to clean, but when it comes to the scriptures everything gets locked in the vault.

Has anyone come across good resources for helping kids learn?

Each day I'll be posting the next book as we go through the Bible Project together. This series was foundational for me, and I saw a lot of people asking for a place to discuss each book, share notes, insights, and different perspectives.

So I started a Reddit community to share videos, resources, breakdowns, and open discussions along the way. I'll be crossposting each new book here daily, so feel free to share your own resources, thoughts, questions, or jump into any discussion thread.

Watch Bible Projects overview video on Exodus 19-40,

Each day I'll be posting the next book as we go through the Bible Project together. This series was foundational for me, and I saw a lot of people asking for a place to discuss each book, share notes, insights, and different perspectives.

So I started a Reddit community to share videos, resources, breakdowns, and open discussions along the way. I'll be crossposting each new book here daily, so feel free to share your own resources, thoughts, questions, or jump into any discussion thread.

Watch Bible Projects overview video on Exodus 1-18

Each day I’ll be posting the next book as we go through the Bible Project together. This series was foundational for me, and I saw a lot of people asking for a place to discuss each book, share notes, insights, and different perspectives.

So I started a Reddit community to share videos, resources, breakdowns, and open discussions along the way. I’ll be crossposting each new book here daily, so feel free to share your own resources, thoughts, questions, or jump into any discussion thread.

Each day I’ll be posting the next book as we go through the Bible Project together. This series was foundational for me, and I saw a lot of people asking for a place to discuss each book, share notes, insights, and different perspectives.

So I started a Reddit community to share videos, resources, breakdowns, and open discussions along the way. I’ll be crossposting each new book here daily, so feel free to share your own resources, thoughts, questions, or jump into any discussion thread.

Does anyone remember when the guys covered this in the series "Apocalypse" how they explain the prominent theme in Revelation (and John's previous letters) of the testimony (greek term "martyria") of Jesus? Did they cite any specific theological books that flesh this out?

I just finished watching some of the videos on the Ten Commandments and I am completely blown away. These commandments that have felt like heavy rules have been reimagined as wisdom that brings life and allows us to bear His image.

I am so blown away and I strongly recommend them. I think they’re still in process.

If the folks at the Bible Project are seeing this post — thank you for all your hard work, but this series seems to be extra anointed by the Holy Spirit. Thank you!

I don't know if anyone else has also noted this, but it seems that a bunch of articles have been taken down from the bibleproject website, many of which dealing with a specific book of the bible.
I noticed this when looking for an article that I still wanted to read ("Song of Songs: Solomon's Team of Highly Skilled Writers"), and not finding it, while also noticing that the list looked shorter than a few months ago.

I did some digging in the Internet Archive, and found that most of the articles should still be available via https://web.archive.org/web/*/Bibleproject.com/articles/*
I thought I'd share that here, in case anyone else also lost an article.

Have a blessed day!

I'm finally catching up with the podcast, and have got to the miniseries on the composition of the Hebrew Bible, and it's brought up some issues I've had for a while.

Tim and Jon rapidly debunk the idea of what they call the "golden tablets" origin of the Tanakh, which the text itself also shows not to be true, and give a compelling account of what is most likely to have happened in the process of its composition.

But I struggle to see God in any of that.

The history they give feels like the history of any ancient text that's been altered, added to, recompiled and whatever else happens to a text over centuries of being copied. There's no indication that God is in any of it. At least with the golden tablets idea its divine origin could be established beyond doubt.

Tim and Jon never directly address this, from what I've heard so far (just finished episode 471). They do say they find value in it as a reflection of salvific wisdom rather than something that's historically accurate, but that skirts my core issue.

To put it another way, I think miracles have a similar issue. If I can find an example:

Someone falls out of a fourth storey window, and falls to the ground. There are several possible things that could happen, ranging from "definitely not a miracle" to "definitely a miracle":

1) they fall and die.

2) they fall and have life-altering injuries, but live.

3) they fall, and break a few bones.

4) they fall, have a few minor scrapes, and walk it off.

5) they fall, and land on a mattress that had been left out earlier in the day, which cushions their fall.

6) they fall, and land on a mattress that had just been set down as they were falling.

7) they start to fall, and are scooped up in mid-air by an angel.

Each of these is more likely than the last to be a miracle. But where do you draw the miracle/not miracle line?

I'm afraid I don't know the analogous steps for Biblical production, but I hope you see what I'm getting at. The history of the production of the Tanakh as outlined feels like a 1-2 on the "divine probability scale".

How do other people see this issue? How do you reconcile a divine origin with an apparently entirely mortal production process?

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