Lost in Translation The Jerusalem Temple as a Den of Ravenous Wild Beasts!

Summary

In this episode of 'Lost in Translation', the host explores the misinterpretation of biblical texts, focusing on Jesus's cleansing of the temple and the phrase 'den of thieves'. The discussion delves into the original Greek and Hebrew meanings, arguing that the temple was likened to a 'den of violent ones' rather than thieves, reflecting Jesus's opposition to the sacrificial system. The video challenges traditional views, suggesting that both Jesus and the prophet Jeremiah intended the temple as a 'house of prayer for all nations', not a place of bloodshed.

Takeaways

• 📜 The speaker is discussing mistranslations in the English Bible, focusing on a specific verse from the Gospel of Mark where Jesus quotes Jeremiah.
• 🕊 The phrase 'den of thieves' is a mistranslation and has led to misunderstandings about the original intent of the temple.
• 🦅 The Greek word 'spalon' and the Hebrew word 'lez' are more accurately translated as 'cave' or 'den' and 'violent ones' rather than 'robbers'.
• 🐑 Jesus' criticism of the temple as a 'den of thieves' is interpreted as a reference to the sacrificial system, which he opposed.
• 🗡 The term 'Leas' in Greek and 'Paritz' in Hebrew are associated with violence and rebellion, not merely theft.
• 🌍 Jesus is believed to have intended for the temple to be a 'house of prayer for all nations' rather than a place of animal sacrifice.
• 📖 The speaker suggests that interpolations by Priestly scribes have altered the original messages of texts, particularly regarding sacrifices.
• 🔍 The analysis of Jeremiah 7 and Isaiah 56 reveals a potential discrepancy between the original messages and the added emphasis on sacrifices.
• 🦇 The term 'den of thieves' is revisited to argue that it refers to the temple being turned into a place of violence, akin to a lair of wild animals.
• 🕋 The speaker points out that the original purpose of the temple, as expressed in Solomon's prayer, was for prayer and drawing near to God, not for sacrifices.
• 📝 The video concludes by highlighting the importance of understanding the original context and intent of biblical texts, especially in light of potential mistranslations and interpolations.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the 'Lost in Translation' miniseries?

The main theme of the 'Lost in Translation' miniseries is to clarify the mistranslations and misinterpretations of texts from the English Bible, focusing on verses that have been commonly misunderstood due to translation issues.

Why does the speaker believe the phrase 'den of thieves' is a mistranslation?

The speaker believes 'den of thieves' is a mistranslation because the original Greek word 'spalon' means 'cave' and 'leas' refers to 'violent ones', not thieves, indicating a place of violence rather than theft.

What does the speaker suggest as a more accurate translation for 'den of thieves'?

The speaker suggests that a more accurate translation would be 'a cave of violent ones' or 'a lair of wild animals that rip apart their prey', emphasizing the violent nature of the actions taking place in the temple.

What biblical figures does the speaker discuss in relation to the temple's true purpose?

The speaker discusses Jesus and the prophet Jeremiah in relation to the temple's true purpose, highlighting how both figures criticized the sacrificial system and its transformation of the temple into a place of violence.

According to the speaker, what was the original intent for the temple as described in the scriptures?

According to the speaker, the original intent for the temple was to be a 'house of prayer for all nations', not a place of sacrifice or violence.

What does the speaker argue about the historical accuracy of sacrifices in the Torah?

The speaker argues that the historical accuracy of sacrifices in the Torah is questionable, suggesting that Priestly writers may have interpolated passages to include sacrifices that were not originally intended or commanded.

What is the significance of the word 'parat' in the Hebrew context of the temple?

The word 'parat' in Hebrew means to break apart, shatter, or shred, and its use in the context of the temple signifies the violent act of animal sacrifices, which the speaker suggests was not the original purpose of the temple.

How does the speaker interpret Jesus' actions in the temple as described in Mark 11:15-19?

The speaker interprets Jesus' actions as a symbolic act against the sacrificial system, suggesting that Jesus was blocking the entrance to the temple to protest its transformation into a place of violence and commerce, rather than prayer.

What does the speaker believe about the role of scribes in the biblical texts?

The speaker believes that scribes, particularly those who were part of the Priestly class, may have altered or added to the biblical texts to support their interests in maintaining the sacrificial system and the temple as a place of commerce.

What is the speaker's view on the relationship between the temple's purpose and the concept of justice and righteousness?

The speaker's view is that the true purpose of the temple is closely tied to the practice of justice and righteousness, with the temple being a place where people can turn to God in prayer and seek forgiveness, rather than relying on sacrificial rituals.

How does the speaker connect the ideas presented in the script to the broader themes of the Bible?

The speaker connects the ideas by drawing parallels between the criticisms of the sacrificial system by Jesus and Jeremiah, the prophetic vision of a future where sacrifices are not necessary, and the emphasis on prayer and righteousness as the core of religious practice.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Lost in Translation: Jesus and the Temple's True Purpose

The script discusses the common misinterpretation of biblical texts, focusing on Jesus' actions in the Gospel of Mark, where he quotes from Jeremiah. The speaker aims to clarify the true meaning of the phrase 'den of thieves,' which has been mistranslated and leads to misunderstandings. The video explores the historical and cultural context of Jesus' cleansing of the temple, arguing that the original intent of the temple was as a 'house of prayer for all nations,' not a place for animal sacrifices, which Jesus and Jeremiah opposed.

05:00

📖 Mistranslation of 'Den of Thieves': The Violent Ones

This paragraph delves into the linguistic nuances of the Greek and Hebrew words behind the English translation 'den of thieves.' The speaker argues that the Greek 'spalon lees' and the Hebrew equivalent actually refer to a 'cave of violent ones,' not thieves. The discussion highlights how the mistranslation has led to a distorted view of Jesus' critique of the temple's sacrificial system, which he likened to a lair of wild animals due to the violence associated with animal sacrifices.

10:01

🦁 The Prophetic Call for a Return to the Temple's Original Intent

The speaker examines the words of Jeremiah, who also objected to the sacrificial practices in the temple, viewing them as a departure from the temple's intended purpose. The paragraph explores the original commandments given to the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt, which did not include animal sacrifices. It suggests that the emphasis on sacrifices in the temple's narrative may be due to later interpolations by priestly writers who had vested interests in maintaining the sacrificial system.

15:02

🌏 The Ideal of a Global House of Prayer: Challenging Sacrificial Practices

The script presents the ideal vision of the temple as a 'house of prayer for all nations,' as opposed to a place of animal slaughter. It discusses the prophetic call for justice, righteousness, and prayer, as opposed to the sacrificial practices that Jesus and the prophets critiqued. The speaker suggests that passages in the Torah may have been altered to include sacrifices, which were not part of the original commandments, and that this has led to a misunderstanding of the temple's purpose.

20:05

🔍 Unraveling Biblical Interpolations and the Temple's True Message

The final paragraph addresses the issue of biblical interpolations, where later scribes may have added or altered texts to fit their theological or practical agendas. The speaker points out inconsistencies in the narrative regarding the temple's purpose, suggesting that the original message was about prayer and meeting with God, not about sacrifices. The video concludes with a promise of a future series exploring these interpolations in more detail and their impact on the interpretation of the temple's role.

Keywords

💡Lost in Translation

The term 'Lost in Translation' refers to the phenomenon where the original meaning or intent of a text is altered, misunderstood, or not accurately conveyed when it is translated from one language to another. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the misinterpretation of biblical texts, particularly the mistranslation of Jesus' and Jeremiah's words, which has led to a misunderstanding of the intended message regarding the temple and its purpose.

💡Misinterpretation

Misinterpretation is the act of understanding something incorrectly or in a way that is not intended by the original source. The video discusses how misinterpretation has occurred with the translation of biblical verses, leading to incorrect conclusions about the nature of the temple and the actions of Jesus within it.

💡Temple

The 'temple' in the script refers to the Herodian Temple of Jerusalem, which was the central place of worship for the Jewish people during the time of Jesus. The video explores the controversy surrounding the temple's use as a place of prayer versus a place of sacrifice, highlighting Jesus' actions and words that critique the temple's transformation into a 'den of thieves' or 'cave of violent ones'.

💡Den of Thieves

'Den of Thieves' is a phrase that has become almost proverbial in English, referring to a group of people who are very corrupt. In the video, it is explained that this phrase is a mistranslation of the original Greek 'spalon Lees,' which more accurately means 'cave of violent ones.' The video argues that this mistranslation has led to a misunderstanding of Jesus' critique of the temple.

💡Jeremiah

Jeremiah is one of the major prophets in the Hebrew Bible, and the video discusses a scripture from him that Jesus quotes. The script explains that the original Hebrew meaning of Jeremiah's words has been lost in translation, leading to a misinterpretation of Jesus' message about the temple.

💡Sacrifice

In the context of the video, 'sacrifice' refers to the religious practice of offering animals to God as part of worship in the temple. The video suggests that Jesus and the prophet Jeremiah were critical of this practice, viewing it as a corruption of the temple's original purpose as a house of prayer.

💡House of Prayer

'House of Prayer' is used in the script to describe the intended purpose of the temple according to Jesus and the prophets. It is contrasted with the temple's actual state as a place of sacrifice, which the video argues is a deviation from its original and ideal purpose.

💡Violent Ones

'Violent Ones' is a translation of the Greek 'leas' and the Hebrew 'paratz,' which the video argues is a more accurate rendering of the term than 'robbers.' It is used to describe the people who, according to Jesus and Jeremiah, have turned the temple into a place of violence and corruption, akin to a den of wild animals.

💡Cave of Violent Ones

The phrase 'Cave of Violent Ones' is the video's proposed correct translation of 'den of thieves,' suggesting that the temple has become a place where violence and corruption occur, similar to how wild animals behave in their dens.

💡Interpolation

Interpolation refers to the insertion of additional material into a text, often to serve the interests of the interpolator rather than the original author's intent. The video discusses how interpolations may have been added to biblical texts to promote the practice of sacrifice in the temple, despite the original messages of Jesus and the prophets being against it.

💡Priestly Writers

'Priestly Writers' is a term used in the video to describe those who may have added or altered biblical texts to support the sacrificial practices of the temple and the interests of the priests. The video suggests that these writers may have been responsible for interpolations that changed the original messages about the temple's purpose.

Highlights

The speaker is addressing common mistranslations and misunderstandings in biblical texts, focusing on the phrase 'den of thieves'.

The phrase 'den of thieves' has been mistranslated, leading to a misunderstanding of its original context and meaning.

Jesus' actions in the temple, as described in Mark 11:15-19, are examined for their true meaning and implications.

The Greek word 'spalon' is correctly translated as 'cave' or 'den', not necessarily implying theft.

The term 'leaste' in Greek and 'paratz' in Hebrew refer to 'violent ones' rather than 'robbers', indicating a different interpretation of the temple's misuse.

Jesus is likened to blocking the main entrance of the temple, symbolizing a challenge to the sacrificial system.

Jesus' reference to 'my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations' is contrasted with the actual state of the temple as a 'den of robbers'.

The original intent of the temple was to be a place of prayer, not a place of sacrifice or violence.

The speaker suggests that the sacrificial system in the temple was not originally intended by God, as per the teachings of Jesus and the prophets.

Jeremiah's criticism of the temple as a 'den of robbers' is explained to mean a place of violence and not theft.

The speaker argues that the term 'den of thieves' has been misinterpreted due to translation errors from Greek and Hebrew.

The concept of the temple as a 'house of prayer for all nations' is contrasted with the actual state of violence and sacrifice.

The speaker discusses the possibility of interpolations in the biblical texts, particularly regarding the inclusion of sacrifices.

The ideal future envisioned by the prophets, including Isaiah 11, is one where the temple is a place of peace and prayer, not violence.

The speaker concludes that Jesus' and Jeremiah's criticism of the temple aligns with a vision of it as a peaceful place of prayer for all people.

The talk suggests a reevaluation of the traditional understanding of the temple's purpose and the role of sacrifices in biblical narratives.

The speaker will continue to explore biblical texts and their interpretations in future episodes, focusing on potential interpolations and their impact.

Transcripts

hello everyone welcome to another

episode in this little miniseries that

I'm doing called Lost in

Translation I'm taking texts of the

English Bible that have been often

mistranslated and therefore

misinterpreted misunderstood misapplied

and trying to straighten that out a

little bit in terms of what various

texts and verses might have really meant

so today I have a very interesting

example for you in fact you could call

it a double

example it goes back to Jesus in The

Gospel of Mark but he's quoting a

scripture from

Jeremiah and the quotation of Jesus as

well as the quotation of Jeremiah are

both Lost in Translation so there's sort

of a double impact to misunderstanding

this verse and it has led to all kinds

of misleading

conclusions because of the

mistranslation so I'm going to share my

screen so here you see the title Lost in

Translation why did Jesus call the

temple a den of Thieves because of that

translation the phrase den of Thieves

has actually become almost a proverb in

our English language we refer today to a

group of people that are very corrupt as

a den of Thieves so let's take a look

Mark 11:1 15 the setting here if you

don't remember Mark too well is the last

week of Jesus Jesus has come to

Jerusalem he's going to be crucified

this very week by the Romans and where

we're picking this up in verse 15 it's

actually the second day the day before

Jesus had come into Jerusalem that's

when he rides the Donkey down the Mount

of Olives and enters the temple and it

says that he looked around and he stayed

until Nightfall and because it's late in

the day he went back to Bethany which is

on the other side of the Mount of Alives

where he's staying with his disciples so

we pick it up here in verse 15 and they

came to Jerusalem so this is the next

morning second day he enters the temple

this is the herodian Temple of Jerusalem

you can see my series on YouTube on

Jesus archaeology and I have videos and

slides and pictures of the temple and

where all of this took place and he

began to drive out those who sold and

those who bought in the temple and he

overturn the tables of the money

changers and the seats of those who sold

pigeons some of the animals that are

represented but notice this and he would

not allow anyone to carry anything

through the Temple so as I pointed out

in my series on Jesus archaeology we

know the entrance that he went into the

H the gates up into the area where the

money changers and the animals were

being kept before they were taken into

the temple to the place of

sacrifice and so Jesus has actually

blocked the doors of the main entrance

into the temple on the south and then we

read and he taught them and said to them

is it not written now that refers back

to Something in the Hebrew Bible or the

Old Testament the scriptures for Jesus

Jesus is Jewish and when you say the

holy scriptures in this time it means

the tanak the Torah the prophets and the

writings which is made clear various

places in the New Testament so he's

actually referring here to two

quotations one's from Isaiah 56 and the

other is from Jeremiah 7 and the phrase

we're going to drill in on and take a

look at is from Jeremiah 7 so is it not

written question mark my house shall be

called a house of prayer for all nations

in other words that's what it's supposed

to be but you have made it a den of

robbers so there's our phrase you've

made it a den of

robbers now is that the right

translation if you look at the Greek I

wrote wrote the Greek out for those of

you who work on Greek and then I

transliterated it into English sounds so

what we have here in Greek is spalon

Lees literally a cave of violent ones so

the first word spalon we know from

spelunking you know to be a cave

Explorer it's just the word cave a

cavern a den maybe a lair if you're

talking about an animal

and a Le tase is really badly translated

as a robber because you think of a cave

of robbers that is somebody stealing and

robbing and then meeting in a cave to

divide up the loot that's not the image

here actually the word leas in Greek and

we're going to go to Jeremiah because

he's quoting Jeremiah and it's even more

clear in Hebrew least means violent ones

for example in Mark 15 just a few

chapters later among the rebels in the

Insurrection who had committed murder

there was a man named barabus so

remember this exchange that ponches

pilate the Roman Governor offered the

crowd that wanted to kill Jesus what

about releasing barabus the murderer and

here you have the word rebel which is

one translation of lace taste but it

means Rebel in the sense of a brigon

somebody that's going to jump you on the

road and basically slit your throat to

commit

murder uh Josephus uses it for the

Sakari you know the dagger men that are

essentially gangs that attack people so

I would translate it a cave of violent

ones and as we're going to see from the

Hebrew it's very clear now when Jesus is

crucified mark 15: 27 notice this and

with him they crucified two thieves it's

the same word L tast well we see here

the violent ones two violent ones is the

idea not a couple people that had stolen

something but it's referring back to

this Insurrection we don't know the

history of the Insurrection but the idea

would be somebody tried to rebel against

Roman Authority or Jewish Authority

perhaps even in the temple and had

committed murder and so they're actually

called Le so two thieves meaning violent

ones dagger men

basically so a cave or a den of violet

ones essentially refers to making the

temple like a lair of wild animals that

rip apart their prey Jesus is referring

to the sacrificial system he's opposed

to it he doesn't think it was ever given

by God now I know that's going to shock

people and as he says here the original

intent for the temple was to be a house

of prayer for all the nations of the

world not a place of sacrifice or

ripping or shredding apart animals but

you've made it a den of wild animals

that rip apart beasts so the priests are

being likened to wild beasts can you

imagine the blood and all of the intrs

and all of the awful that takes place in

a temple where there are hundreds and

hundreds of sacrifices taking place it

would be an unbelievable slaughterous it

would be very much like our slaughter

houses today where you have this Mass

killing of these animals whether it's

bulls or cows or sheep or goats

or whatever it is they're being

slaughtered and the meat cut up and the

blood and the anils disposed of another

use of the word you see also in these

same chapters Mark

14:48 Jesus says when he's arrested in

the Garden of Gethsemane have you come

out against a lace tase in other words

do you think I'm a violent brigan that

I've got a band with swords and

therefore you brought swords and clubs

to beat us down and you can see how he's

using that same term lace taste it's

consistent I think now let's go to

Jeremiah and look at the source of the

quotation and it really becomes clear

that this is the meaning of the original

phrase and also Jesus's intent

reflecting Jeremiah by quoting

Jeremiah so what does Jeremiah say he

goes up to the temp temp Le in his own

time and this is before the destruction

of the temple by the Babylonians this

would be Solomon's Temple in the 6th

Century

BC and he says objecting also to the

sacrifices has this house which is

called by my name become a den of

robbers in your eyes okay that's how

it's translated in English and that's

why it gets translated like this in the

New Testament in English but what is the

Hebrew it doesn't mean that at all it's

not talking about thieves or robbers

it's very similar to the Greek Lees it's

a term of violence first of all the word

cave is very simple in Hebrew it's May

and the second word is

parit parit from the word paratz what

does paratz mean to break apart to

shatter to shred to utterly Crush

something if I were going to translate

this into English I think what I would

do is say how's this house which is

called by my name become a laay of

ravenous beast in your eyes there's are

you ripping apart animals the way

ravenous beasts do here's an example of

the verb parat being used precisely in

that way Isaiah

359 and it's talking about the future

the way leading up to Jerusalem no lion

will be there nor any ravenous Beast

that word ravenous there is the verb

parat a ripping shredding Beast so

turning the temple from a House of

Prayer in the previous episode I talked

about Jesus giving the parable in Luke

18 of the two man who went up to the

temple to pray not to sacrifice and this

one went up Justified from his sins the

one who repented of his sins remember he

didn't offer any sacrifices so I believe

that Jesus is against these sacrifices

and the way they're being carried out

and does not believe they were ever

intended now I know many would question

that but you need to read further in

Jeremiah as he explains what he actually

means let's look at chapter 7 same

chapter verse 21 thus says the Lord of

hosts the god of Israel and this is

sarcastic add your burnt offerings to

your sacrifices and eat the flesh other

words go ahead and Slaughter these

animals cut them up spill the

blood for in the day that I brought you

out of the land of Egypt when I first

set you up as a nation I did not speak

to your fathers or command them

concerning burnt offerings and

sacrifices now if you immediately read

that and say now wait a minute I can go

back to the Book of Exodus and there's

all kinds of

sacrifices these are Priestly writers

that are pro- sacrifice and want the

temple to become a place of

sacrifice and want to charge for the

animals and want to turn it into a place

of commers and they have added these

accounts to the Torah Jeremiah goes on

to say in the next chapter that the

false pin of the scribes has made the

Torah a lie and he's referring

specifically to this violence that's

being done in the

temple so what did he tell them in the

day that he led them out of Egypt he

didn't want these burnt offerings and

sacrifices they're the ones that began

to do that with the golden calf offering

sacrif Rices like the Pagan Nations but

this command I gave them obey my voice

and I will be your God and you will be

my people and walk in all the way that I

command you that it may be well with you

now this idea that sacrifices were not

originally intended or even commanded

when God LED Israel out of Egypt is also

found in the Book of Amos read this

chapter in context and he's saying what

do you mean bringing me all these

sacrifices and he goes on to say but let

Justice roll down like Waters in

righteousness like an everflowinglife

that Jeremiah is saying that this was

not the original intent looking to the

Future according to the prophets and

this is Isaiah 11 which is about the

Messiah coming okay Christians believe

Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus's

followers believed he was the Messiah so

you can see how this would fit these

texts all go together and what does it

say at the very end it talks about the

bear and the lion and the Wolf and and

the lamb and poisonous animals and a

little child will lead them and it

concludes by saying they will not hurt

or destroy and the word destroy there is

shet which means to slaughter that's

what you do and this is talking about

the Holy Mountain of God and all my Holy

Mountain for the Earth will be full of

the knowledge of the Lord as the waters

cover the sea so this is the ideal the

ideal is that people obey God that

people practice Justice and

righteousness and if they do sin and if

they do fail that they go to God it

becomes a house of prayer for All

Peoples and God hears the prayers of

people from the temple so the original

idea is that it didn't have anything to

do with sacrifices now this is a big

subject I

realize was Jesus supposed to sacrifices

were the prophets opposed to sacrifices

and do the Priestly writers of the Torah

interpolate passages into the Torah that

put the sacrifices in the narrative when

they weren't originally there well what

we find here at least in the mouth of

Jesus is that this is a house of prayer

for all people but you have made it a

den of robbers now if we go back to the

quotation is it not written my house

shall be called a house of prayer for

all nations and if I'm right that he's

objecting to the sacrifice and the

slaughter you made it a lair of wild

shredding

beasts then let's look at the quotation

this is from Isaiah 56 now notice this

this is

amazing I talked about the scribes the

Priestly writers adding things let's

just read Isaiah 56 where we get the

quotation just bear with me here I want

to show you something this is how

interpolations were in Isaiah 56 an open

invitation is given to foreigners House

of Prayer for all nations foreigners who

aren't Jewish who aren't Israelites who

join themselves to the lord they're

known as God fears they minister to God

they love the name of the Lord they love

God with all their heart they keep keep

the Sabbath day one of the Ten

Commandments and they don't profane it

they hold fast to the Covenant the 10

words are called the words of the

Covenant these I will bring to my Holy

Mountain now remember the Holy Mountain

is where there's no Slaughter right you

see that in Isaiah 11 and now we're in

Isaiah

56 now look at this part that's crossed

out we'll skip that for a minute and

make them joyful in my House of Prayer

for my house shall be called a house of

prayer for All

Peoples now look I've crossed out some

words here I believe that Priestly

scribes copying Isaiah added this

because they're very worried that if

there's going to be no Slaughter and

it's a house of prayer for all

people what are we going to do because

our whole business and industry and the

whole point of the Temple

is a place of animal sacrifice but we

just read in Jeremiah that that was

never intended right that animal

sacrifices were not

ideal and here Jesus is putting together

these two concepts Jeremiah 7 going back

to Jeremiah saying I never commanded you

concerning these things so why are you

doing

them and House of Prayer for all nations

you can tell when you read verse 7 that

nothing is missing these I will bring to

my Holy Mountain and make them joyful in

my house of prayer for my house shall be

called a house of prayer for All Peoples

thus says the Lord who gathers the

outcasts of Israel I will gather yet

others to him besides those already

gathered so you're talking about the in

gathering of the Exiles this is

something the prophets address often

when Israel is gathered back to the land

but foreigners or the nations are also

coming up to Jerusalem to learn the way

of God but they're not coming up with

burnt offerings and sacrifices but

they're coming up because it's a House

of Prayer now for all nations that's the

ideal and I believe it's very clear that

a Priestly scribal

interpolator has gotten worried that

sacrifices are not mentioned and you

read the rest of the chapter there's

nothing about

sacrifices so I think that translation

den of Thieves and also two thieves

crucified next to Jesus like we're

talking about people who are robbing

somebody the Romans don't crucify people

for stealing okay crucifixion is

reserved for brigin and Rebels and

insurrectionists and in fact Jesus was

crucified as an

insurrectionist even though the

witnesses against him were false

witnesses that he was going to destroy

the temple what he's doing here at least

according to the gospel of Mark is

exactly the same thing that Jeremiah

tried to do he reminds them that the

original purpose of the temple in the

Tabernacle it was called a tent of

meeting was to meet God not to slaughter

animals but to pray to God to turn to

God and I'll just add this you can look

this up on your own but if you go back

to the dedication of Solomon's

Temple it's in First Kings chapter 6 and

read Solomon's Prayer just the

prayer around it is all the sacrifices

which I think the Priestly writers added

but the prayer itself is most

interesting because Solomon never even

mentions sacrifice and he constantly

talks about prayer and this will be a

place of prayer and a place to draw near

to God and he says things like even the

heaven can't contain you you know so

what is this house that we've built for

you it's a place of prayer it's an

orientation in other words to pray

towards the Creator God and he even

mentions foreigners coming non-jews

coming from all over the world and

coming to the temple and praying nothing

about

sacrifices but after the prayer just

read the prayer you'll see that the

Priestly writers have given a whole

Narrative of the thousands and thousands

of offerings and sacrifices that were

made in the temple as if that was its

purpose so it's pretty obvious when you

study some of these texts that the

Hebrew Bible has various voices

competing voices in terms of the temple

and its purpose and what it's for

and the cult of the priests is very very

interested in

sacrifices and I'm convinced that Jesus

refers to them as did Jeremiah as a den

of wild shredding beasts and is critical

of that and wants the temple to become a

house of prayer for all nations so take

care everyone and in the future I'm

going to do another series different

from this one but related as you saw

today to some of these obvious

interpolations that have been added to

the text where you can be reading along

and there's a central idea and then the

interpolator butts into the text and

adds a point they want to make that has

nothing to do with the context and

that's very clear in Isaiah 56 that's

the false pen of the scribes that's made

the text a lie according to Jeremiah see

you next time

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