{"id":65279,"date":"2018-07-09T17:45:05","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T14:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wall\/wall-348\/"},"modified":"2023-06-06T09:59:30","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T06:59:30","slug":"wall-348","status":"publish","type":"wall","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wall\/wall-348\/","title":{"rendered":"chapter-Prophets-Isaiah-14"},"parent":0,"template":"","acf":{"type":"chapter","wall_id":"348","date":"20261229","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","books_group":"Prophets","posts":[{"order":1,"id":"65400","color":"#f8ebe3","size":"1","name":"JPS Audio Bible - Isaiah Chapter 14 ","post_title":"JPS Audio Bible - Isaiah Chapter 14","slug":"jps-audio-bible-isaiah-chapter-14","old_id":"65400","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34686,"post_title":"Soundcloud","slug":"soundcloud","old_id":"34686","first_name":"","last_name":"","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34656,"alt":"","title":"491","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","width":300,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","large-width":300,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"348","type_929":"4","show_author_image":true,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"JPS Audio Bible","tile_main_caption":"Isaiah Chapter 14","tile_main_caption_size":"2","tile_sub_caption":"Hear the daily chapter","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/929-bible\/JPS_Audio_Bible_Isaiah_Chapter_14","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":2,"id":"115799","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"From Babylon To Babel And Back ","post_title":"From Babylon To Babel And Back","slug":"from-babylon-to-babel-and-back","old_id":"115799","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":78133,"post_title":"Josh Blechner","slug":"josh-blechner","old_id":"78133","first_name":"Josh ","last_name":"Blechner ","description":"Josh first finished the Tanach during Yeshiva in Mevaseret Zion. He and his daughter studied the Tanach again for her bat mitzvah. Josh has taught many classes on Tanach throughout the years and currently in the New Rochelle 929 group. When not studying for 929, Josh works as an in-house lawyer in New Jersey.","short_description":"Josh has taught many classes on Tanach throughout the years and currently in the New Rochelle 929 group, and is an in-house attorney in New Jersey. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":78134,"alt":"","title":"josh blechner","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","width":276,"height":351,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner-236x300.jpg","medium-width":236,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","medium_large-width":276,"medium_large-height":351,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","large-width":276,"large-height":351,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","1536x1536-width":276,"1536x1536-height":351,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","2048x2048-width":276,"2048x2048-height":351,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","post_full_size-width":276,"post_full_size-height":351,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/josh-blechner.jpg","home_baner-width":276,"home_baner-height":351}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"348","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"A fall - from the highest heights to the lowest depths\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Chapter 14 is a continuation of the prophecy against Babylon. One of the themes utilized in the chapter is the contrast between the tallest heights and the lowest depths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the strains of your lutes! Worms are to be your bed, Maggots your blanket! How are you fallen from heaven, O Shining One, son of Dawn!\u00a0 How are you felled to earth, O vanquisher of nations! Once you thought in your heart, 'I will climb to the sky; Higher than the stars of God I will set my throne. I will sit in the mount of assembly,'\u00a0 On the summit of Zaphon: 'I will mount the back of a cloud\u2014 I will match the Most High.' Instead, you are brought down to Sheol, To the bottom of the Pit (verses 11-15).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The progression begins in the deepest depths of hell, then rises up to the heavens, only to return again to the depths. This sequence mimics the rise and fall of Babylon, in its current iteration, from a small nation beholden by Assyria to a great and powerful nation, only to be returned to nothing in the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

To emphasize this message, Isaiah makes a direct reference to old Babylonia. The ancient kingdom from the days following the great flood. There, the ancient nation attempted to build a great tower to the heavens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And they said: Let us build for ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves lest we be scattered upon the face of all the earth.\u201d (Genesis 11:4).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The commentators explain that the ancient people of Babylon wanted to build a tower to compete with God. Perhaps the motivation behind that interpretation comes from Isaiah\u2019s message in this chapter. Isaiah pulls from this ancient story to tell the contemporary ascendant nation of Babylon that their attempt to match God will result\u00a0 in the same fate of their ancient cousins. Their tower of greatness will be crushed and end up in the depths below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

image: by Michal Ben Hamu<\/p>\r\n

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of Today: Marge Piercy ","post_title":"Prophets of Today: Marge Piercy","slug":"prophets-of-today-marge-piercy","old_id":"65543","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38102,"post_title":"929-English","slug":"929-english","old_id":"38102","first_name":"","last_name":"929-English","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":38333,"alt":"","title":"\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","width":1513,"height":860,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-300x171.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":171,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-768x437.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":437,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1024x582.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":582,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","1536x1536-width":1513,"1536x1536-height":860,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","2048x2048-width":1513,"2048x2048-height":860,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1200x682.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":682,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-739x420.png","home_baner-width":739,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"348","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"There is no justice we don't make daily like bread and love","post_main_content_content":"

The prophets of old expressed themselves in powerful, soaring rhetoric, in inspired bombasts of eloquence, and yes - in poetry. So it's no accident, that some of the people most appropriate for this 929 project on contemporary prophets are themselves poets! And poetesses. The feminist movement in particular has been graced (Paley) with an (Adrienne) rich array of (Marge) piercy-ing, prophetic voices that have contributed to this hard-won transformation to\u00a0a more just, inclusive world.
\r\nThis is the third in a series of feminist poets as contemporary prophets, working to change our consciousness and society.<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

In an autobiographical essay, novelist and poet Marge Piercy admonishes, \u201cPay sharp attention to that trouble looming, but don\u2019t let it taint your Sabbath celebration.\u201d This tension between celebration and disquietude marks Piercy\u2019s life and work. Grounded in feminism, political activism, and Jewish spirituality, more than thirty volumes comprise Piercy\u2019s oeuvre. Above all else, Piercy wishes her work to be \u201cuseful\u201d to people\u2019s inner and political lives. By articulating their experiences, poetry gives \u201cvalidation and dignity\u201d to the disenfranchised. Novels persuade readers \u201cto cross those borders of alienation and mistrust\u201d and empathize with \u201ccharacters whom the reader would refuse to know in ordinary life.\u201d Piercy\u2019s poetry fuses the political, domestic, and autobiographical spheres with imagery drawn from nature, sensual and dream memories, and Jewish mysticism. Her novels explore \u201cthe choices people make, out of their characters and their time and their class and their social circumstances.\u201d (Sara Horowitz, Marge Piercy, Jewish Women's Archive)<\/p>\r\n

Quotes by Marge Piercy:<\/p>\r\n

\"A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not be done.\"<\/p>\r\n

\"We must shine with hope, stained glass windows that shape light into icons, glow like lanterns borne before a procession. Who can bear hope back into the world but us.\"<\/p>\r\n

\"Hope sleeps in our bones like a bear waiting for spring to rise and walk.\"<\/p>\r\n

\"Never doubt that you can change history. You already have.<\/p>\r\n

\"A strong woman is a woman who craves love like oxygen or she turns blue choking. A strong woman is a woman who loves strongly and weeps strongly and is strongly terrified and has strong needs. A strong woman is strong in words, in action, in connection, in feeling; she is not strong as a stone but as a wolf suckling her young. Strength is not in her, but she enacts it as the wind fills a sail.\"\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThere is no justice we don't make daily like bread and love.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cEconomy is the bone, politics is the flesh,
\r\nwatch who they beat and who they eat.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Image: margepiercy.com<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":65546,"alt":"","title":"Marge_piercy","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","width":150,"height":170,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","medium-width":150,"medium-height":170,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","medium_large-width":150,"medium_large-height":170,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","large-width":150,"large-height":170,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","1536x1536-width":150,"1536x1536-height":170,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","2048x2048-width":150,"2048x2048-height":170,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","post_full_size-width":150,"post_full_size-height":170,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","home_baner-width":150,"home_baner-height":170}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Prophets Of Today - The Poet As Prophet","tile_main_caption":"Marge Piercy (Feminist Poets III)","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"There is no justice we don't make daily like bread and love","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":65546,"alt":"","title":"Marge_piercy","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","width":150,"height":170,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","medium-width":150,"medium-height":170,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","medium_large-width":150,"medium_large-height":170,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","large-width":150,"large-height":170,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","1536x1536-width":150,"1536x1536-height":170,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","2048x2048-width":150,"2048x2048-height":170,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","post_full_size-width":150,"post_full_size-height":170,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marge_piercy.jpg","home_baner-width":150,"home_baner-height":170}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"327","name":"Today's Prophets","old_id":"727"},{"term_id":"362","name":"Poetry","old_id":"762"},{"term_id":"391","name":"In\/Justice","old_id":"791"},{"term_id":"483","name":"Feminism","old_id":"883"},{"term_id":"600","name":"Women","old_id":"1000"}]},{"order":4,"id":"65571","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"2","name":"Gloating Over The Fall Of A Tyrant ","post_title":"Gloating Over The Fall Of A Tyrant","slug":"gloating-over-the-fall-of-a-tyrant","old_id":"65571","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36147,"post_title":"Aaron Koller","slug":"aaron-koller","old_id":"36147","first_name":"Aaron","last_name":"Koller","description":"Aaron Koller is professor of Near Eastern studies at Yeshiva University, where he is chair of the Beren Department of Jewish Studies. His last book was Esther in Ancient Jewish Thought (Cambridge University Press), and his next is Unbinding Isaac: The Akedah in Jewish Thought (forthcoming from JPS\/University of Nebraska Press in 2020); he is also the author of numerous studies in Semitic philology. Aaron has served as a visiting professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and held research fellowships at the Albright Institute for Archaeological Research and the Hartman Institute. He lives in Queens, NY with his wife, Shira Hecht-Koller, and their children.","short_description":"Aaron Koller is professor of Near Eastern studies at Yeshiva University, and chair of the Department of Jewish Studies there.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36148,"alt":"","title":"AJ Koller headshot","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot.jpg","width":5184,"height":3456,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1365,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-1200x800.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":800,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/AJ-Koller-headshot-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"348","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"A mock dirge to welcome the evil Sargon to Sheol, the underworld","post_main_content_content":"

How to react to the fall of a tyrant? The prophet in our chapter gives us one example: he offers an ode of delirious delight over the ignominious death of Sargon, king of Assyria. Although the chapter opens by identifying the poem as one recited over the fall of the king of Babylon, scholars have long noted that it clearly describes Sargon\u2019s fall. (Perhaps Sargon, who spent much of his reign dealing with Babylon, was therefore identified as the king of Babylon; perhaps this is a later editorial mistake or repurposing of the text.) The great scholar H. L. Ginsberg observed that 14:18-19, which says that the king discussed was the only one to be denied a proper burial \u2013 \u201cYou were left lying unburied, like loathsome carrion, like a trampled corpse\u201d \u2013 is exactly what made Sargon\u2019s death in battle in 705 such a traumatic experience for the Assyrians.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Sargon was the king who liquidated the northern kingdom of Israel, the Ten Tribes, and whose violent power terrified Jerusalem during his lifetime. Isaiah\u2019s poem is a mock dirge, a faux lament, over this fallen tyrant. He imagines the joy of all the earth at the end of the prospect of being cut down by Sargon, and imagines the reaction of those already in Sheol \u2013 where all dead people go in Tanakh \u2013 as they greet their new neighbor: \u201cSo you have been stricken as we were, you have become like us!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

There is particularly delicious irony for Isaiah, in imagining the body of the great Sargon, abandoned on a battlefield in the northern mountains, being consumed by maggots and worms. The fall is appropriately vindictive for a king who said, \u201cI will climb to the sky, above the heavenly stars!\u201d The personal annihilation in the pit of Sheol is a just dessert for a monarch who called himself <\/span>Helel ben Sha\u1e25ar<\/span><\/i>, Shining One, son of Dawn.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

On the other hand, as Isaiah well knows, the same fate of maggots and worms awaits us all.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: rdrdbiblestudy.com<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":65576,"alt":"","title":"is14-sheol","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol.jpg","width":938,"height":470,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol-300x150.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":150,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol-768x385.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":385,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol.jpg","large-width":938,"large-height":470,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol.jpg","1536x1536-width":938,"1536x1536-height":470,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol.jpg","2048x2048-width":938,"2048x2048-height":470,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol.jpg","post_full_size-width":938,"post_full_size-height":470,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol-838x420.jpg","home_baner-width":838,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Gloating Over The Fall Of A Tyrant","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"A mock dirge to welcome the evil Sargon to Sheol, the underworld","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":65576,"alt":"","title":"is14-sheol","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol.jpg","width":938,"height":470,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol-300x150.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":150,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol-768x385.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":385,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol.jpg","large-width":938,"large-height":470,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol.jpg","1536x1536-width":938,"1536x1536-height":470,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol.jpg","2048x2048-width":938,"2048x2048-height":470,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol.jpg","post_full_size-width":938,"post_full_size-height":470,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-sheol-838x420.jpg","home_baner-width":838,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"383","name":"Death","old_id":"783"},{"term_id":"953","name":"Assyria","old_id":"1353"}]},{"order":5,"id":"65556","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"A Moment Of Comic Relief From The Tragedies Of Prophecy ","post_title":"A Moment Of Comic Relief From The Tragedies Of Prophecy","slug":"a-moment-of-comic-relief-from-the-tragedies-of-prophecy","old_id":"65556","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":46656,"post_title":"Molly Morris","slug":"molly-morris","old_id":"46656","first_name":"Molly ","last_name":"Morris ","description":"Molly Morris holds a Masters degree in Leadership and Community Engagement. Her particular area of interest is biblical leadership. Molly participates in the 929 initiative with a dedicated group from the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto congregation. \r\n\r\n","short_description":"Molly Morris holds a Masters degree in Leadership and Community Engagement. Molly participates in the 929 initiative with a dedicated group from the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto congregation. \r\n\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":92561,"alt":"","title":"molly morris","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","width":2192,"height":2488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-264x300.jpg","medium-width":264,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-768x872.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":872,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-902x1024.jpg","large-width":902,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","1536x1536-width":1353,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","2048x2048-width":1804,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-1057x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1057,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-370x420.jpg","home_baner-width":370,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"348","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Being created in the image of God includes being able to laugh at ourselves","post_main_content_content":"

In Isaiah chapter 14, Isaiah is prophesying the downfall of Israel\u2019s enemies. Arguably one of the worst among those enemies was Nebuchadnezzar, leader of the Babylonian empire who was known for his unparalleled cruelty. In addition to his extraordinary evilness, the book of Daniel (spoiler alert) recounts that Nebuchadnezzar was also a vehicle for some quasi-level of prophecy himself (granted for the benefit of the Jewish nation he ruled) and as a result had visions of his own grandeur. Nebuchadnezzar believed he was destined to become a divine being who would \u201craise his throne above the stars of God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It was with amusement that I read, in 14:12, the following words of prophecy about the literal hell awaiting Nebuchadnezzar: \u201cHow you have fallen from heaven, you, the bright light of the morning!\u201d Is God being sarcastic? It is certainly a nice piece of irony and unexpected humor in Tanach, which sent me off on a tangent searching for more examples.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

There is the well-known bit of sarcasm of the Israelites in Parshat Beshalach when their escape from the Egyptians was not going as anticipated. In this episode the people complained to Moses: \u201cWhat, there weren\u2019t any graves in Egypt that you had to bring us here?\u201d And in 1 Kings 18:27, when Elijah the prophet is waiting for the priests of Baal to prove the worthiness of their gods, Elijah remarks: \u201cShout louder! After all, he is a god. Maybe he\u2019s in conversation, or detained, or on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and will wake up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For these, and more, check out the thread<\/span> here.<\/span><\/a> The discussion is worthy of a laugh-out-loud moment of relief from the gravity of these ongoing chapters discussing destruction, downfall and repentance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

On a final note, I looked for sources of the well-known Yiddish proverb \u201cMan plans, and God laughs\u201d and found two scriptural possibilities:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Proverbs 16:9 \u2013 \u201cA man may plot out his course, but it is God who directs his steps\u201d; and<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Psalms 13:10 \u2013 \u201cGod frustrates the plans of nations, brings to naught the designs of peoples.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I don\u2019t know what the divine purpose of biblical humor is, but I\u2019d like to think that it\u2019s telling us not to take ourselves too seriously, and that being created in the image of God includes being able to laugh at ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":65558,"alt":"","title":"is14-comedy","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy.png","width":1280,"height":1044,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-300x245.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":245,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-768x626.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":626,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-1024x835.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":835,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":1044,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":1044,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-1200x979.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":979,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-515x420.png","home_baner-width":515,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"A Moment Of Comic Relief From The Tragedies Of Prophecy","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Being created in the image of God includes being able to laugh at ourselves","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":65558,"alt":"","title":"is14-comedy","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy.png","width":1280,"height":1044,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-300x245.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":245,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-768x626.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":626,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-1024x835.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":835,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":1044,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":1044,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-1200x979.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":979,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-comedy-515x420.png","home_baner-width":515,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"384","name":"God","old_id":"784"},{"term_id":"475","name":"Humor","old_id":"875"},{"term_id":"946","name":"Nebuchadnezzar","old_id":"1346"}]},{"order":6,"id":"65578","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"The Human Star Who Fell From Heaven ","post_title":"The Human Star Who Fell From Heaven","slug":"the-human-star-who-fell-from-heaven","old_id":"65578","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34243,"post_title":"Moshe Sokolow","slug":"moshe-sokolow","old_id":"34243","first_name":"Moshe","last_name":"Sokolow","description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University, and teaches a weekly class in parashat hashavu`a at Lincoln Square Synagogue. 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Here, the prophet attributed the destruction of Babylonia by the Medes to its arrogance in declaring \u201cI will mount the back of a cloud\u2014 I will match the Most High\u201d (14). He imputed these words to \u201cthe shining one, son of dawn\u201d (<\/span>haylel ben shachar<\/span><\/em>), who was \u201cfallen from heaven\u201d (12). While the object of the simile is clearly Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, the question is, who or what is its subject?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The medievals identified it as <\/span>Nogah<\/span><\/em>, the rabbinic Hebrew designation for Venus, fitting for the \u201cson of dawn.\u201d Here, too, Malbim* offered a modern spin (see his comments on the \u201coracle\u201d in 9:7), explaining the references to \u201cclimbing to the sky\u201d and \u201csitting on the mountain\u201d in v. 13 as follows:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ancient idolaters divided their deities into three groups: lower, middle, and upper: (a) the stars that rule above, whose dominion was deified; (b) minor deities (<\/span>b\u2019nei \u2018elim<\/span><\/em>), who dwell on earth on appointed mountains; and (c) the intermediate deities who dwell in the air. Since they also imputed divinity to their kings, they would associate that king with a star in heaven that had a broad dominion amongst the celestials just as he held sway below, while the king himself was placed among the minor deities who dwelt on their appointed mountains. They had the delusion that he had the ability to rise upon a cloud to be among the minor deities and then leave them to become a star in heaven. This is known in the mythology we possess today, which is a remnant of the delusions and misconceptions that abounded in the ancient world.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Malbim\u2019s willingness to turn to mythology as a key to unlock allusions to ancient idolatry was anticipated in the modern era by Shlomo Ephraim Lunschitz (1550-1619, author of the <\/span>K\u2019li<\/span> Yakar<\/span><\/em>). Appreciating the function of mythology to reconcile opposing forces (light and darkness, rain and drought) by imputing them to conflicting deities, he wrote that one of the Torah\u2019s prime objectives was to \u201celevate God above all the contradictions in the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

*For the significance of Malbim\u2019s commentary to the Book of Isaiah,<\/span> see our introduction to chapter 1.<\/span><\/a><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":65579,"alt":"","title":"is14-venus","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus.png","width":1280,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-300x169.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-768x432.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-1024x576.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":576,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-1200x675.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":675,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-747x420.png","home_baner-width":747,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"The Human Star Who Fell From Heaven","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"The anti-mythological message of the Tanach","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":65579,"alt":"","title":"is14-venus","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus.png","width":1280,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-300x169.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":169,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-768x432.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-1024x576.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":576,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":720,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":720,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-1200x675.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":675,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-venus-747x420.png","home_baner-width":747,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"366","name":"Commentators","old_id":"766"},{"term_id":"404","name":"Myth","old_id":"804"},{"term_id":"429","name":"Idolatry","old_id":"829"},{"term_id":"569","name":"Translation","old_id":"969"}]},{"order":7,"id":"115841","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"The Tanakh Podcast-Isaiah14","post_title":"The Tanakh Podcast-Isaiah14","slug":"the-tanakh-podcast-isaiah14","old_id":"115841","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33692,"post_title":"Alex Israel","slug":"33692-2","old_id":"33692","first_name":"Alex","last_name":"Israel","description":"Alex Israel teaches Tanakh at the Pardes Institute, Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi and Matan, Jerusalem. 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These events correspond to the death in war of Sargon, the Assyrian king, in 705 BCE. So is this about Babylon, or is actually The Pronouncement about Assyria?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":108885,"alt":"","title":"-635baf915f04f--635baf915f050tanakh podcast - Alex Israel.JPG","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","width":350,"height":352,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG-298x300.jpg","medium-width":298,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","medium_large-width":350,"medium_large-height":352,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","large-width":350,"large-height":352,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","1536x1536-width":350,"1536x1536-height":352,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","2048x2048-width":350,"2048x2048-height":352,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","post_full_size-width":350,"post_full_size-height":352,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/10\/635baf915f04f-635baf915f050tanakh-podcast-Alex-Israel.JPG.jpg","home_baner-width":350,"home_baner-height":352}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/3LJkxUJSigr7adftqnsDlZ","tile_link_for_pay":"0","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"589","name":"audio","old_id":"989"},{"term_id":"857","name":"podcast","old_id":"1257"}]},{"order":8,"id":"65553","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Who Are The Kith And Kin? ","post_title":"Who Are The Kith And Kin?","slug":"who-are-the-kith-and-kin","old_id":"65553","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":64450,"post_title":"David Curwin","slug":"david-curwin","old_id":"64450","first_name":"David ","last_name":"Curwin ","description":"David Curwin is a writer living in Efrat, and the author of the Balashon blog www.balashon.com","short_description":"David Curwin is a writer living in Efrat, and the author of the Balashon blog www.balashon.com","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":64452,"alt":"","title":"david curwin","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","width":427,"height":464,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin-276x300.png","medium-width":276,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","medium_large-width":427,"medium_large-height":464,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","large-width":427,"large-height":464,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","1536x1536-width":427,"1536x1536-height":464,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","2048x2048-width":427,"2048x2048-height":464,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin.png","post_full_size-width":427,"post_full_size-height":464,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/david-curwin-387x420.png","home_baner-width":387,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"348","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"A discussion from ancient to modern Hebrew","post_main_content_content":"

In chapter 14, Isaiah prophesies about the punishment Babylon will ultimately receive. In verse 22, he proclaims:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cI will rise up against them\u2014declares the LORD of Hosts\u2014and will wipe out from Babylon name and remnant, kith and kin\u2014declares the LORD\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Hebrew words translated here as \u201ckith and kin\u201d (a phrase meaning people connected by family relationships) are \u201cnin\u201d and \u201cneched\u201d. Those two words appear only three times in the Bible, always together, and in the same order \u2013 here in Isaiah, and also in Genesis 21:23 and Job 18:19. What do they mean?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In modern Hebrew, neched means grandson and nin means great-grandson. However, that was not the sense in biblical Hebrew. Some explain both as synonyms, simply meaning \u201cdescendants\u201d and are coupled together for emphasis.\u00a0 The ancient Aramaic translation to the Torah, Onkelos, says that nin means son, and neched means grandson (probably due to nin coming first), and this is accepted by many later commentators.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It is not clear how nin became the common term for great-grandson in modern Hebrew. The \u201cVaad Halashon\u201d (the predecessor to today\u2019s Academy of the Hebrew Language) opposed this meaning in a 1943 decision. They preferred the word \u201cshilesh\u201d (found, for example, in Exodus 37:7), and that nin be used for \u201cdescendant.\u201d But in the end, language is determined by those who speak it, and in 2014 the Academy of the Hebrew Language confirmed that nin meant great-grandson.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

A similar process occurred with the words for grandfather and grandmother. In that same 1943 decision, the Vaad Halashon wrote that the proper word for grandfather was sav, and grandmother was savah. But those were not the popular words used at the time, but rather, as used today saba for grandfather (likely due to the rhyme with abba \u2013 father) and savta for grandmother. Later, those terms were considered proper Hebrew as well.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

It is somewhat strange that the words for grandchildren and grandparents were being debated well into the second half of the 20<\/span>th<\/span> century. But perhaps this was because in earlier generations, due to shorter life expectancy, it was not as common for grandchildren to know their grandparents. For example, in the Bible, interaction between grandchildren and grandparents was rare. Therefore, it wasn\u2019t as necessary for them to have terms to call one another.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

So perhaps our generation, where children not only know their grandparents well, but often know their great-grandparents, the happy prophecy of Jeremiah has come to fruition: \u201cThen shall maidens dance gaily, Young men and old alike. I will turn their mourning to joy, I will comfort them and cheer them in their grief\u201d (Jeremiah 31:13).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image by: Ben Schachter, Kith and Kin, Inc., courtesy of the artist.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":65554,"alt":"","title":"IS14-kith and kin","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin.jpg","width":1005,"height":487,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin-300x145.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":145,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin-768x372.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":372,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin.jpg","large-width":1005,"large-height":487,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin.jpg","1536x1536-width":1005,"1536x1536-height":487,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin.jpg","2048x2048-width":1005,"2048x2048-height":487,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin.jpg","post_full_size-width":1005,"post_full_size-height":487,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin-867x420.jpg","home_baner-width":867,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Who Are The Kith And Kin?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"A discussion from ancient to modern Hebrew","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":65554,"alt":"","title":"IS14-kith and kin","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin.jpg","width":1005,"height":487,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin-300x145.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":145,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin-768x372.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":372,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin.jpg","large-width":1005,"large-height":487,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin.jpg","1536x1536-width":1005,"1536x1536-height":487,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin.jpg","2048x2048-width":1005,"2048x2048-height":487,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin.jpg","post_full_size-width":1005,"post_full_size-height":487,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/IS14-kith-and-kin-867x420.jpg","home_baner-width":867,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"361","name":"Hebrew language","old_id":"761"},{"term_id":"379","name":"Family","old_id":"779"}]},{"order":9,"id":"65581","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"2","name":"What of Converts? ","post_title":"What Of Converts?","slug":"what-of-converts","old_id":"65581","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33992,"post_title":"Bradley Shavit Artson","slug":"rabbi-dr-bradley-shavit-artson","old_id":"33992","first_name":"Bradley Shavit ","last_name":"Artson","description":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson holds the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean's Chair of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles, and is professor of philosophy there. Artson is married to Elana Shavit Artson, and they are the parents of twins, Shira and Jacob.\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"short_description":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson is the Dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and is Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles.","link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33993,"alt":"","title":"Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","width":204,"height":199,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-256x300.png","medium-width":256,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","medium_large-width":204,"medium_large-height":199,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","large-width":204,"large-height":199,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","1536x1536-width":204,"1536x1536-height":199,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","2048x2048-width":204,"2048x2048-height":199,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","post_full_size-width":204,"post_full_size-height":199,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Rabbi-Dr-Bradley-Shavit-Artson-e1532029361140.png","home_baner-width":204,"home_baner-height":199}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"348","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Isaiah and other positive traditional views\u00a0","post_main_content_content":"

Any impartial survey of Jewish literature on the topic of converts to Judaism is forced to admit to an unsteady ambivalence. Not that any particular thinker is ambivalent; no, each has very strong opinions on the subject. It\u2019s that the strong opinions are mutually incompatible. Converts are as bad for the Jewish people as fleas on a dog, says one sage. No, converts are as good for the Jewish people as ribbons on a stallion, says another. Everyone knows what Judaism says about converts, but no one agrees as to what that is.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In Isaiah 14, we see the prophet of comfort weigh in on the topic: when Israel is once again favored, says Isaiah, \u201cthe proselyte will join them and be attached to the House of Jacob.\u201d That seems pretty clear and unambiguous: non-Jews will join us, and they will become part of the House of Jacob.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For what it\u2019s worth, I think Isaiah is the view to follow. Converts appear scattered throughout ancient Israel\u2019s history in surprisingly positive and prominent places. Ruth is understood to be a convert, and through her we receive King David and eventually the Messiah. The great sages Shemaiah and Avtalion, leading lights of their generation, were both converts to Judaism.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

A Judaism that is based on courage, expansive vision, and hope, is one that embraces and welcomes those people who see themselves as sharing our destiny, even if their ancestors did not share our history.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

That expansive view enters Jewish law with the edit that it is prohibited to remind a convert of their having converted (presumably as a way of disparaging their view or way of practicing Judaism).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In our own day, we have a similar choice to make. Do we retreat to a \u201ccircle the wagons\u201d kind of Judaism in which outsiders are treated with suspicion and the bar to joining is raised impossibly high?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Or dare we stand with Isaiah and live in the light, welcoming anyone brave enough to stand with us, and grateful for any fellow travelers who can share our love for the God of Israel and an embrace of the mitzvot that have elevated Jewish living across the ages?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Rabbi Gershom Sizomu leads the men and boys to the Mikvah to complete their conversion to Judaism in the Abayudaya village of Nabogoye Uganda. (Photo: Yahel Herzog \/ Be'chol Lashon).<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":65582,"alt":"","title":"is14-convers2","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","width":600,"height":402,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2-300x201.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":201,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","medium_large-width":600,"medium_large-height":402,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","large-width":600,"large-height":402,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","1536x1536-width":600,"1536x1536-height":402,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","2048x2048-width":600,"2048x2048-height":402,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","post_full_size-width":600,"post_full_size-height":402,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","home_baner-width":600,"home_baner-height":402}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"What Of Converts?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Isaiah and other positive traditional views\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":65582,"alt":"","title":"is14-convers2","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","width":600,"height":402,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2-300x201.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":201,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","medium_large-width":600,"medium_large-height":402,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","large-width":600,"large-height":402,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","1536x1536-width":600,"1536x1536-height":402,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","2048x2048-width":600,"2048x2048-height":402,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","post_full_size-width":600,"post_full_size-height":402,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-convers2.jpg","home_baner-width":600,"home_baner-height":402}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"579","name":"Convert","old_id":"979"},{"term_id":"667","name":"Judaism","old_id":"1067"},{"term_id":"774","name":"Africa","old_id":"1174"}]},{"order":10,"id":"65549","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Lucifer - The Shining One, Fallen From Heaven ","post_title":"Lucifer - The Shining One, Fallen From Heaven","slug":"lucifer-the-shining-one-fallen-from-heaven","old_id":"65549","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33877,"post_title":"Marc Bregman","slug":"marc-bregman","old_id":"33877","first_name":"Marc","last_name":"Bregman","description":"Marc Bregman received his Ph.D. from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1991. He taught at the Hebrew Union College (Jerusalem), The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, and at the Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheba, Israel. During 1993 he was Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University, and during 1996 he was the Stroum Professor of Jewish Studies and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle. During 2005, Bregman served as the Harry Starr Fellow in Judaica at Harvard University and was awarded a Teaching Fellowship at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has served as Forchheimer Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is the author of The Tanhuma-Yelammedenu Literature: Studies in the Evolution of the Versions (Gorgias Press, 2003). In 2006, Bregman was appointed the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, where he also headed the program in Jewish Studies, until 2013. Bregman retired from UNCG as of July 31, 2017. He has now returned to Jerusalem where he is continuing his research and teaching activities.","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Marc Bregman is the Herman and Zelda Bernard Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies emeritus, at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33878,"alt":"Marc Bregman","title":"Marc Bregman","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","width":361,"height":488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-222x300.jpg","medium-width":222,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","medium_large-width":361,"medium_large-height":488,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","large-width":361,"large-height":488,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","1536x1536-width":361,"1536x1536-height":488,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","2048x2048-width":361,"2048x2048-height":488,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman.jpg","post_full_size-width":361,"post_full_size-height":488,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Marc-Bregman-311x420.jpg","home_baner-width":311,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"348","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Isaiah, Rashi, the Vulgate, Dante, Milton and DC Comics\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

Our chapter includes Isaiah\u2019s prophecy concerning the fall of the King of Babylon in cosmic terms: \u201cHow are you fallen from heaven, O Shining One, son of Dawn [Heylel Ben-Shahar<\/em>]! How are you felled to earth, who casts lots over nations!\u201d (Isaiah 14:12). In earlier English translations of the Hebrew Bible, following the Latin Vulgate, this epithet, Heylel Ben-Shahar, was translated as \u201cLucifer\u201d (the \u201clight-bringer\u201d, the \u201cMorning-Star\u201d, also the planet Venus), another name for Satan.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Rabbinic Sages (Tanhuma Be-Shalah 13) found in our verse a key reference to how God deals with the Nations of the World that have oppressed Israel: The Holy One, Blessed be He, does not destroy a terrestrial Nation, until He first brings down its extraterrestrial guardian angel [Sar<\/em>], as it is written: \u201cHow are you fallen from heaven, O Shining One, son of Dawn [Heylel Ben-Shahar<\/em>]!\u201d immediately after which is written: \u201cHow are you felled to earth, who casts lots over nations!\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Significantly, the major medieval Jewish bible commentator, Rashi (France, died 1105) adopts the Latin Vulgate understanding of \u201cHeylel Ben-Shahar<\/em>\u201d as the planet Venus that casts light like the Morning Star. In this dirge on the guardian angel [Sar<\/em>] of Babylon, it is said that he will fall from Heaven. \u201cYou are felled to earth\u201d, Rashi understands as referring to Nebuchadnezzar, who \u201ccasts lots over the fate of nations [Holesh \u2018al Goyim<\/em>]\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This pregnant phrase Rashi interprets to suggest that this evil king would determine by lot which ruler of what nation would serve him on each day. This interpretation, Rashi relates, is derived from the tradition recorded in Talmud Bavli Shabbat 149b that Nebuchadnezzar would cast lots each day to decide which ruler would serve him sexually!<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In Dante\u2019s Inferno, Canto 34, Lucifer (i.e. Satan), based on Isaiah Chapter14, is trapped in ice in the Ninth Circle of Hell, as far as possible from God in Paradise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Lucifer reappears in John Milton\u2019s epic poem, <\/span>Paradise Lost<\/span><\/i>, as Satan, who has been banished from Heaven. In Hell, he volunteers to corrupt the newly created Earth and God's most favored creation, Mankind. Famously, in Book I, line 263, he says: \u201cBetter to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Even more recently, Lucifer has the title role in the TV series \u201cLucifer\u201d, based on the character in DC Comics, in which Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil, abandons Hell, which he rules, for Los Angeles where he runs his own nightclub called Lux. Involved in a murder investigation, Lucifer becomes a consultant to the Los Angeles Police Department!<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Gustave Dor\u00e9, Lucifer, King of Hell, illustrating Canto XXXIV of Divine Comedy, Inferno, by Dante Alighieri, c. 1865 \/ wikipedia<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":65550,"alt":"","title":"is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg.jpg","width":800,"height":629,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg-300x236.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":236,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg-768x604.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":604,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg.jpg","large-width":800,"large-height":629,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg.jpg","1536x1536-width":800,"1536x1536-height":629,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg.jpg","2048x2048-width":800,"2048x2048-height":629,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":629,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg-534x420.jpg","home_baner-width":534,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Lucifer - The Shining One, Fallen From Heaven","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Isaiah, Rashi, the Vulgate, Dante, Milton and DC Comics","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":65550,"alt":"","title":"is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg.jpg","width":800,"height":629,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg-300x236.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":236,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg-768x604.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":604,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg.jpg","large-width":800,"large-height":629,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg.jpg","1536x1536-width":800,"1536x1536-height":629,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg.jpg","2048x2048-width":800,"2048x2048-height":629,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":629,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/is14-DVinfernoLuciferKingOfHelljpg-534x420.jpg","home_baner-width":534,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"363","name":"Midrash","old_id":"763"},{"term_id":"373","name":"Literature","old_id":"773"},{"term_id":"404","name":"Myth","old_id":"804"},{"term_id":"478","name":"Christianity","old_id":"878"}]},{"order":11,"id":"65544","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Sheol: Popular Belief Or Poetic Fiction? ","post_title":"Sheol: Popular Belief Or Poetic Fiction?","slug":"sheol-popular-belief-or-poetic-fiction","old_id":"65544","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":54356,"post_title":"Robert Alter","slug":"robert-alter","old_id":"54356","first_name":"Robert ","last_name":"Alter","description":"Robert Alter is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He has written over twenty books, focusing on such topics as the European novel from the 18th century to the present, contemporary American fiction, and modern Hebrew literature. He has also written extensively on the literary aspects of the Bible. His most recent work is his monumental three volume translation of the entire Hebrew Bible - The Hebrew Bible, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019 - from which the selections in 929 are taken. 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Norton & Co., 2019.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":54357,"alt":"","title":"robert alter","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","width":184,"height":275,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium-width":184,"medium-height":275,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium_large-width":184,"medium_large-height":275,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","large-width":184,"large-height":275,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","1536x1536-width":184,"1536x1536-height":275,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","2048x2048-width":184,"2048x2048-height":275,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","post_full_size-width":184,"post_full_size-height":275,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","home_baner-width":184,"home_baner-height":275}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"348","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Prophetic visions of the netherworld","post_main_content_content":"

14:9 \u201cSheol below stirs for you to greet your coming. It rouses the shades, all the chiefs of the earth. It raises from their thrones all the kings of the nations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For the most part, Sheol in the Bible is imagined as a vast and deep pit that swallows those who have died, who thus know nothing but darkness and silence after their deaths. Here, however, the poet imagines an assembly of spirits of the dead, greeting their king, an idea loosely analogous to the representation of Hades in the sixth book of the Odyssey. It is hard to know if this whole picture reflects popular belief or is rather a useful--and vivid--poetic fiction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From: Robert Alter, <\/span>The Hebrew Bible, <\/span><\/i>vol. 2: Prophets, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019, ad loc. By permission of the author<\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"From Robert Alter's Bible Translation and Commentary","tile_main_caption":"Sheol: Popular Belief Or Poetic Fiction?","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Prophetic visions of the netherworld","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":[{"term_id":"362","name":"Poetry","old_id":"762"},{"term_id":"445","name":"Fiction","old_id":"845"},{"term_id":"511","name":"Heaven","old_id":"911"}]},{"order":12,"id":"65368","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Sefaria Source Sheets - Isaiah 14 ","post_title":"Sefaria Source Sheets - Isaiah 14","slug":"sefaria-source-sheets-isaiah-14","old_id":"65368","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":42228,"post_title":"Sefaria","slug":"sefaria","old_id":"42228","first_name":"","last_name":"Sefaria","description":"Sefaria is a non-profit organization dedicated to building the future of Jewish learning in an open and participatory way. 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\u201cConverts in Jewish History: Controversy, Conundrums and Contributions\u201d<\/a> by Aliza Bulow: Sources about joining the Jewish people.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThe Jewish Response to Refugees\u201d<\/a> by Noah Farkas: Explore sources about our responsibilities to others.<\/p>","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Go deeper into the chapter....","tile_main_caption":"Source Sheets - Isaiah 14","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Links to learning resources","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":42232,"alt":"","title":"sefaria-words-sunburst","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","width":608,"height":395,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst-300x195.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":195,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","medium_large-width":608,"medium_large-height":395,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","large-width":608,"large-height":395,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","1536x1536-width":608,"1536x1536-height":395,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","2048x2048-width":608,"2048x2048-height":395,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","post_full_size-width":608,"post_full_size-height":395,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","home_baner-width":608,"home_baner-height":395}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"Sefaria word sunburst visualization","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":13,"id":"65541","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Points to Ponder - Isaiah 14 ","post_title":"Points to Ponder - Isaiah 14","slug":"points-to-ponder-isaiah-14","old_id":"65541","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38102,"post_title":"929-English","slug":"929-english","old_id":"38102","first_name":"","last_name":"929-English","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":38333,"alt":"","title":"\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","width":1513,"height":860,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-300x171.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":171,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-768x437.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":437,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1024x582.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":582,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","1536x1536-width":1513,"1536x1536-height":860,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","2048x2048-width":1513,"2048x2048-height":860,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1200x682.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":682,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-739x420.png","home_baner-width":739,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"348","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"

    \r\n\t
  1. New \u201cgerim\u201d<\/em>. The \u201cgerim\u201d (strangers, foreigners) that we have seen til now in the Tanach have been residents of foreign origin that lived among Israelites, and possessing a special status (in particular, welfare support). In verse 1, apparently we\u2019re talking about a new sort: those that want to join Israel.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  2. \u201cHow are you fallen from heaven, O Shining One, son of Dawn! (Heylel ben Shachar)\u201d<\/em> (verse 12). The king of Babylon falls and crashes like Heylel ben Shachar. Who was Heylel, and who was Shachar, and is this connected to god-like beings that fell to earth? In Ugaritic epic poetry that are remnants of a story like this, that might be the background for this prophecy.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  3. No burial<\/em>. That\u2019s the fate of the King of Babylon according to verses 19-20. This biographical detail has led researchers to try to identify which king it was. See for instance Aaron Koller\u2019s post today.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Bitterns and brooms - what do they have in common?<\/em> Both appear in verse 23. The bittern (Heb. kipod, elsewhere \u201chedgehog,\u201d here though, a swamp dwelling creature; Alter translates \u201cheron) has inherited the destroyed Babylon, and the \u201cbroom of destruction\u201d will sweep it all clean.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  5. Everyone, except Jerusalem<\/em>. Philistia and the whole region will feel the mighty arm of the Assyrian captor, the heir to Tiglat Pileser. Everyone, that is, except Jerusalem. And if this sounds familiar to you, like Sennecharib, and his campaign in 701 BCE, then you are a good 929er!<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","post_main_content_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Isaiah 14","tile_main_caption":"Points to Ponder","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Insights and questions for personal reflection and group discussion","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Isaiah","chapter":"14","chapter_main_number":"348","date":"20261229","wall_id":"348"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false}],"hide_acf":true,"home_image":false,"home_posts":false,"home_posts_title":"","posts_home":[],"static_cube_title":"","static_cube_brief":"","static_cube_color":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall\/65279"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wall"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}