The Subversive Scribe

In this eighth episode of The Subversive Scribe podcast, show host Jesse “Hesh” Heshel discusses what the word messiah means, what a messiah does and the multiple places that the word appears in the Hebrew Bible. In the Tanakh we have several examples of both people and items that are “moshiach’d” or anointed. It is a commission for a sacred purpose. There are approximately 39 instances in the Hebrew Bible of the word messiah, including even a foreign pagan king, Cyrus the Persian...

In this seventh episode of The Subversive Scribe podcast, show host Jesse “Hesh” Heshel discusses the difference between studying the Bible and Biblical Studies, the academic discipline. Studying the bible is not the same as Biblical Studies though the bible is certainly the object of study in both. Biblical Studies is usually a field associated with private academic study such as a Jewish or Christian university. It is the academic approach to the Bible...

In this sixth episode of The Subversive Scribe podcast, show host Jesse “Hesh” Heshel discusses the question of if personal experience is a reliable source of knowledge, particularly in religious questions. We also discuss the problem of anecdotalism – you may experience something and a friend might but that doesn’t mean it is systematic or happening across the board. There are multiple kinds of evidence and some have more weight than others...

In this fifth episode of The Subversive Scribe podcast, show host Jesse “Hesh” Heshel discusses how we can know if something is true and if truth itself is knowable (it is).  Truth is knowable – to say “we can’t know anything with certainty” is on its face contradictory. The sacred text – the Tanakh – is largely simple, clear and precise – the problem is we just don’t like it...

In this fourth episode of The Subversive Scribe podcast, show host Jesse “Hesh” Heshel discusses the primary and straight forward interpretive method of interpreting the text of scripture (or any text for that matter). This episode focuses on the “P” in PRDS – the Jewish method of interpretation discussed in the last episode. This whole episode is based on the point that the way to be biblical is to take the Peshat route of interpretation – it is letting the text speak for itself...

In this third episode of The Subversive Scribe podcast, show host Jesse “Hesh” Heshel discusses an ancient and long established Jewish method of interpretation called PRDS, which is meant to sound like “paradise” phonetically. PRDS is the Jewish method of interpreting scripture developed over a long period of time. The rabbi’s did well at guarding this and keeping this but there are other Judaic sects like the Karaites who also work on exegesis of the Tanakh...

In this second episode of The Subversive Scribe podcast, show host Jesse “Hesh” Heshel discusses hermeneutics which is the art and science of interpretation. One of the main maxims of a solid hermeneutical foundation is the simple and sensible notion that however one interprets…it cannot mean to us what it did not mean to the original recipients and audience. This can be done if we follow a sound hermeneutical approach...

In this inaugural episode of The Subversive Scribe podcast, show host Jesse “Hesh” Heshel discusses the makeup of the Hebrew canon – also called the Tanakh which is often called the Torah, Prophets and Writing. Tanakh is an acronym for Torah, Naavim, Ketuvim in Hebrew The Hebrew Bible – called the “Old Testament” by Christians – IS the Bible of the New Testament. It IS the only Bible that Jesus or his disciples ever knew...