A

‘adom: Hebrew, meaning “red dirt man”

Adonai: Hebrew, meaning “Lord,” it is read aloud in place of the name YHWH

Advent: from the Latin word meaning,” waiting/ to come,” the four weeks preparing for Christmas

allegory: an expression of truths or generalizations of human experiences through use of symbolic fictional figures or actions

anachronism: something that is out of place in time, like the sound of a clock chiming in Julius Caesar

anawim: Hebrew, literally “the unprotected” referring to those who are materially or spiritually poor and are seeking G-d, traditionally three groups; widows, orphans and resident aliens (ger); YHWH demanded special protection for them (Exodus 22:21-24)

angel: Hebrew, meaning “messenger from G-d”

anthropomorphism: giving human qualities to non-human realities

anti-hero: a character who is placed in the role of a traditional hero, but is not idealized in any way

anti-Semitism: hostility towards or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic or racial group

apocalyptic: having to do with the end of the world, from the Greek word apocalopsis meaning “to be revealed;” exemplified by the following quotation from Scripture, “God did not create one world, but two, the one that is present, and the one to come” -4 Ezra 7:50

apostle: one who is sent, from the Greek apostolos meaning “messenger”

apostolic community: the faith group begun by the apostles

Aqebah: the Hebrew word describing the binding of Isaac by his father Abraham, in preparation for sacrifice (Genesis 22)

Aramaic: a Syrian language, used by the Jews after the Babylonian Exile

archetype: a recurrent character type, image or theme in literature

Ark of the Covenant: an ancient symbol of G-d’s protection and presence among the Israelite people; a portable throne that included a seat to be occupied by G-d; the home of the tablets of the Law (Ten Commandments)

attitude: a measure of acting and feeling which shows our inner and outer disposition

B

Ba’al: literally, “Master,” the Canaanite god of fertility, often symbolized as a snake

Babylonia Exile: the period in history when the Israelites were forced from their homeland and into slavery by the Babylonians, roughly 586-532 BCE

balal: Hebrew, meaning “to confuse,” from which the Tower of Babel was named

ban: the ancient custom of completely destroying everything in a defeated city, including the slaughter of women, children and animals (1 Samuel 15:3)

baptos: Greek, meaning “to dunk;” St. Paul taught Christians that this ritual took the place of circumcision to initiate believers

Bar Mitzvah: Hebrew, meaning literally “son of the commandments,” the coming-of-age ritual for boys in Judaism

Bat Mitzvah: Hebrew, meaning literally “daughter of the commandments,” the coming-of-age ritual for girls in Judaism

beatus: Latin, meaning “blessed” or “happy;” as in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5)

beresit: Hebrew, meaning “in the beginning,” the first word of the Book of Genesis

berit: Hebrew, meaning “to bind or shackle,” the word used to describe covenants in the Hebrew Bible

Bethel: Hebrew, meaning “House of G-d”

Beelzelbul: literally “Master of the House,” the prince of demons

blasphemy: insulting G-d or G-d’s name, especially by claiming to be G-d or to have the attributes of G-d

C

canon: the list of “inspired books” in the Bible; a group of literary works that are generally accepted as representing a field

catechism: religious education/ instruction; teaching about religion

catholic: “universal” or “comprehensive;” from Greek katholikos meaning, “in general “

chastity: the successful integration of sexuality in a person

cherubim: Hebrew, meaning “near ones,” those close to G-d, angels

Christ: Greek, meaning “anointed one;” from the Greek khristos meaning “to anoint”

Christian: the Roman Empire’s official name for the followers of Jesus (64 CE)

Christology: the study of Jesus, both human and divine

chronicle: a listing of historical events

circumcision: the removal of the foreskin of the penis, an act of religious significance for initiation into Judaism

codex: a biblical manuscript in page form

conclave: Latin, meaning “with a key;” meeting of Cardinals to select a new Pope

concubine: a slave wife

conflation: putting two or more stories together in your head to make one

conversion: to change from one belief or action to another

conversion experience: an experience that turns a person toward G-d and encourages him or her to search to understand and do what G-d desires

Council: a meeting of all of the bishops in the world

Council of Jerusalem: the first council of the church, it was called in an attempt to resolve the controversy over whether or not Gentile Christians would have to observe Jewish law

countercultural: values, thinking, and actions not normally accepted by society as a whole

covenant: a binding agreement between two parties, with obligations for both; see berit

creed: a statement of belief or confession of faith; from the Latin credo, meaning “I believe”

D

Dead Sea Scrolls: a collection of fragmentary manuscripts written in Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew; written by the Jewish community living at Qumran and other sites near the Dead Sea

Deuteronomy: Greek, meaning “second law;” the fifth and final book of the Torah, it consists of one long speech by Moses, recounting the covenant and the saving action of YHWH

Decalogue: literally, “Ten Words,” the Ten Commandments (from the Greek deka meaning “ten,” and logos meaning “word”)

Dei Verbum: Latin, meaning “Word of G-d,” the document from Vatican II that provides guidelines for how Catholics can read and understand scripture

denarius: an ancient coin, the usual daily wage for a laborer in biblical times

Diaspora: Greek, meaning “to scatter,” the dispersal of the Jewish people from their homeland in Palestine; it also refers to those Jewish communities living outside of Palestine

Decapolis: Greek, meaning “Ten Cities,” home to the Gentiles in ancient Palestine

disciple: student or follower; from the Latin discere, meaning “to learn”

divided kingdom: the result of the division of Israel into two separate nations, Israel in the north and Judah in the south, after the death of King Solomon

divi filius: Latin, meaning “Son of the Divine One,” a title for Caesar

divine justice: the moral standard by which G-d judges human conduct

doxology: a statement of belief or creed, from the Greek doxos, “to believe”

dokein (Docetist): Greek, meaning “to seem” or “to appear,” the heretical belief that Jesus was fully G-d and only appeared to be human

dualism: belief in two gods, one good and the other evil; an important aspect of Gnosticism

dynamis: Greek, meaning “power,” a word used to describe the miracles of Jesus

dynasty: a succession of rulers in the same family line

E

ecclesiology: the study of the structure of the church, from the Greek ekklesia meaning “church”

ekklesia: Greek, meaning “church,” used only in Matthew’s gospel

Elijah: Hebrew name, meaning “YHWH is G-d,” an important biblical prophet who spoke out against idolatry (see 1 Kings 17-19)

epic: a long, idealized narrative about a hero or heroine who goes through various trials

epilogue: a short addition at the end of a literary work

epistle: a teaching letter, from the Greek “epistole” meaning “message”

epithymia: Greek, meaning “infatuation” or “surface love,” one of five types of love

ergo: Latin, meaning “therefore,” used to conclude a logical argument

eros: Greek, meaning “passion,” one of five types of love

eschatology: the study of the end times

Essenes: a group of monastics who believed that the Jerusalem leadership was corrupt and fled to the desert near Qumran to live a strict life of austerity and religious purity awaiting the apocalyptic end of the world; they accepted the TaNaK and their own community documents (the Dead Sea Scrolls) as revealed by G-d and held an apocalyptic belief that they were a unique group to be saved in the final resurrection

etiology: a story that tells how something came to be the way it is, or what it is named, currently (Genesis 11)

euphemism: an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive (see Isaiah 6- “feet”)

evangelists: the writers of the four Gospels; Mark, Matthew, Luke and John

evangelization: giving witness to one’s faith by proclaiming the good news of Jesus to the world through words and actions, from the Greek euangellion meaning “good news”

exegesis: a critical interpretation or explanation of a text; from the Greek exegeisthai, meaning to explain or interpret; ex (to come out of) + hegeisthal (to lead or to seek)

exile: an individual banished from his or her home; banishment from one’s own land

exitus: Latin, meaning “to go out;” St. Thomas Aquinas taught that in the creation of the universe, everything came out from G-d’s being

Exodus: the departure of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery by YHWH’s power, from the Greek, meaning “to go out”

Ezekiel: Hebrew name, meaning “G-d strengthens,” an important prophet and visionary who spoke to the Israelites in exile

ezer neged: Hebrew, meaning “help-mate” or “partner,” used to describe the first woman (Genesis 2:18)

F

Fertile Crescent: the region of rich farming and grazing land extending in an arc from Mesopotamia to Canann; a “cradle” of human civilization

filia: Greek, meaning “brotherly love,” one of five types of love

folly: a lack of good sense, understanding, or foresight; an act of foolishness

free will: the ability to choose; given to each human being by G-d

G

Gabbatha: Aramaic, meaning “Stone Pavement,” the place where Pontius Pilate stood in judgment on Jesus (John 19)

Gaudete: Latin, meaning “to celebrate,” the Third Sunday of Advent

Gehenna: Hebrew, meaning “Valley of Hinnom,” a place of fire where the ancient Israelites sacrificed their children to the pagan god Molech; Hell (Matthew 5)

genealogy: the study of one’s heritage; a family tree

Gentile: a person of non-Jewish faith or origin

ger: Hebrew, meaning “stranger” or “resident alien;” YHWH demanded special protection of these people; see anawim (Exodus 22:21-24)

glutton: a person who eats to excess, which Jesus is accused of doing (Matthew 11:18-19)

gnosis: Greek, meaning “knowledge”

Gnosticism: the heretical belief that secret knowledge about G-d has been revealed to certain believers, from the Greek word gnosis, meaning “knowledge;” Gnosticism has been a powerful force in the history of Christianity, producing a vast collection of written works, including a number of extra-canonical gospels (e.g. The Gospel of Thomas and The Gospel of Mary Magdalene)

Golgotha: Aramaic, meaning “Place of the Skull,” the location of Jesus’ crucifixion

gospel: literally “good news,” a unique form of literature combining elements of biography, history and fiction to spread a message designed to gain converts; the first four books of the Christian Scriptures

H

Habiru: Egyptian word, meaning “the people from across the river,” used to describe the Israelites who grew numerous and powerful while enslaved by the Pharaoh

Hakeldama: Aramaic, meaning “Field of Blood;” the place where Judas died (Matthew 27 & Acts 1)

Hanukah: the feast in Judaism that celebrates the rededication and purification of the Temple in 164 BCE; from the Hebrew hanukka meaning “to dedicate”

Hasid(ic): Hebrew, meaning literally “pious ones;” followers of a very strict form of Orthodox Judaism

hebel: Hebrew, meaning “vapor;” something that does not last (see the Book of Ecclesiastes)

heresy: any false teaching that contradicts the official position of the church (heretical)

Hebrew Scriptures: the books of the Bible that come from the period of time before the life of Jesus and the writing of the gospels, dealing primarily with G-d’s covenant with the Jewish people

Hellenistic: relating to the Greek history, culture (Hellene) or art that followed Alexander the Great

Hellenists: Greek speaking Jews (see Acts 6)

hesed: Hebrew, meaning “steadfast, everlasting love;” the kind of love that G-d promises to humanity; spoken of in covenants

hochmah: Hebrew, meaning “divine wisdom,” compared to a virtuous woman

Holocaust: the destruction (shoah) of the Jewish people in Europe by the Nazi’s between 1933 and 1945

Horeb: A mountain, about 7,500 ft high, of the south-central Sinai Peninsula; it is thought to be the peak on which Moses received the Ten Commandments; also known as Sinai

I

idolatry: false worship; honoring and revering something in place of G-d; see television

Incarnation: the union of divinity and humanity in Jesus Christ

infatuation: a foolish, unreasoning, or extravagant passion or short-lived attraction

inspiration: divine influence; to be moved and guided by G-d

intercalation: interrupting one story with a second story, then finishing the first, “a Markan Sandwich;” (Mark 5:21-43)

intimacy: close or warm friendship

irony: when the literal meaning of a statement or action is contrary to or opposite of the intended meaning

Isaac: the son of Abraham and Sarah, promised to them by G-d; nearly murdered by his own father (the “Aqebah;” Genesis 22); father to Jacob and Esau; one of the great patriarchs of Judaism

Isaiah: Hebrew name, meaning “the Lord (YHWH) gives salvation,” one of the most important of the biblical prophets; spoke G-d’s word to the Israelites before the downfall of the kingdom

Ishmael: Hebrew name, meaning “G-d hears;” the eldest son of Abraham, conceived with his slave wife Hagar; considered to be the ancestral link between Abraham and Islam

Israel: Hebrew, meaning “one to wrestles/ struggles with G-d;” the name given to Jacob by YHWH, who came to symbolize the entire nation

Israelites: the descendents of Jacob, who became a nation; the chosen people of YHWH

J

Jacob: the youngest son of Isaac and Rebekah, brother to Esau; gained the inheritance and blessing of his father through trickery; wrestled with G-d and was not overcome, earning the name Israel

Jamnia: a central city of Philistia, also called Yavne, on the northern coast of Israel; in the years before the sack of Jerusalem (AD 70), Jamnia became a great Jewish cultural center. Vespasian spared Jamnia and permitted Johanan to settle there as leader of the Jewish community after the fall of Jerusalem; the Sanhedrin was moved to Jamnia, and the city became the capital of the Jews until the rise of Simon Bar Kokba

Jerusalem: the spiritual and political capital of the Jewish people

Jews: followers of Judaism

Judea (Judah): the nation (later province) of Israel that was home to the capital of Jerusalem, and the spiritual home to the Jewish people

judge: a spiritual or military leader in ancient Israel; specifically one of twelve charismatic leaders of the Israelites during the period between the conquest of Canaan and the establishment of the monarchy chronicles in the biblical Book of Judges

K

kergyma: Greek, meaning “the spread of the Gospel”

Ketuvim: “the Writings;” one of the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible; the collection of books such as Psalms, Proverbs, Wisdom and Ecclesiastes that follows the Prophets

koan: a wisdom teaching in Zen Buddhism; a sort of religious riddle, much like the sayings contained in the Q source

koinonia: Greek, meaning “community;” the word St. Paul uses to describe the common participation and sharing found in Christian fellowship

kore korinthe: Greek, meaning “Corinthian girl;” slang for prostitute

kosher: conforming to the Jewish laws of Kashrut (meaning “fit”); food that is suitable for consumption in accordance with Jewish law (halakha)

L

legend: an unverifiable story that is passed down from generation to generation and accepted as true or partly true

Lent: from the Old English word for “Spring,” the forty days of preparation for Easter

lestes: Greek, meaning “revolutionary” or “outlaw;” (Mark 15:27)

liturgy: a prescribed form or set of forms for public religious worship; from the Greek leitourgia meaning “public service”

logos: Greek, translated into English as “the Word;” it means law, reason and wisdom

M

Maccabeus: Hebrew meaning “hammer;” the nickname for the fierce fighters who led the Israelites in battle against the Greek army, liberating the nation and rededicating the Temple (which is remembered in the feast of Hanukah)

Magnificat: Latin, meaning “to glorify;” the prayer uttered by Mary (the mother of Jesus) upon hearing that she would bear a son through G-d’s grace (Luke 1:46-55)

manna: the bread from heaven provided by YHWH for the Israelites in the desert; from the Hebrew words man hu meaning, “What is it?”

Marah: Hebrew, meaning “bitter;” the place where Moses got water for the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 17)

Massah: Hebrew, meaning “test;” the place in the desert where the Israelites tested YHWH (Exodus 17)

martyr: Greek, meaning “witness;” someone who is willing to die for their beliefs

Meribah: Hebrew, meaning “quarrel;” the place in the desert where the Israelites quarreled with YHWH (Exodus 17)

merkavah: Hebrew, meaning “chariot;” a form of mysticism developed in medieval Judaism, based on the visions of the prophet Ezekiel (who had a vision of a throne chariot); his visions were considered so powerful that underage men were not allowed to read it!

messiah: Hebrew, meaning “anointed one;” the king or deliverer expected in Judaism

messianic mystery: the fact that Jesus, though Son of G-d, would have to suffer, die and then be raised in glory

messianic secret: through his teaching, miracles, and ministry, Jesus both revealed and concealed his true identity; especially true in the Gospel According to Mark

metanoia: Greek, meaning “to change one’s essence/ being;” to repent (Mark 1:15)

miracle: out-of-the-ordinary happenings that are contrary to the ordinary nature or course of things, such as reading this entire glossary

Mishna: Jewish oral law, commentary on the Torah

misogynist: a person who hates women

missionary: someone who brings the good news to those who have not heard it, and who help further educational, social, and medical developments in underdeveloped areas

mispat: Hebrew, meaning “justice;” YHWH’s demand of humanity

monarchy: rule by a single head of state, often a hereditary office

monotheism: the worship and belief of one god

myth: a symbolic story that gives insight into ultimate questions about beliefs, natural phenomenon, or practices of a particular people

N

narrative: prose or poetry story

natural law: the moral order that is part of G-d’s design for creating the law that enables people to discern good and evil through the use of reason

navi: Hebrew, meaning “to call;” the word used for a prophet, who both calls out and is called by G-d

nazirite: a male in ancient Israel who is consecrated to serve G-d by keeping three vows; (see Sampson- Judges 13:2-5)

neshama: Hebrew meaning “soul” and “breath;” the power by which G-d created the universe

Nev’im: “the Prophets;” one of the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible; from the Hebrew verb navi “to call”

O

Old Testament: all of the books of the Hebrew Scriptures, plus the deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and additions to the books of Esther and Daniel)

oracle: a message from one who speaks for G-d; the person through whom G-d speaks

oral tradition: unwritten, memorized accounts of historical events and stories

original sin: the human condition of the need for salvation based on the first humans’ choice to disobey G-d (see free will)

P

parable: a short, fictional story with a moral or religious lesson; from the Greek parabole meaning “to place beside;” (Matthew 22:1-14)

paraenesis: ethical teaching and encouragement; exhortation; from the Greek “to advise”

Parousia: Greek, meaning “Second Coming;” in Greek literature it can refer to the official visit of a ruler or the appearance of a god; in the Christian Scriptures it refers to the second coming of Jesus at the end of time

Passover: the event when the Israelites were “passed over” by the angel of death and liberated from slavery in Egypt by YHWH; it is a yearly holiday celebrated in Judaism as the feast of freedom

pastoral: drawn from a rural setting or rustic way of life; acting as a shepherd or pastor

patriarch: the male leader of a family, tribe or nation; especially the ancestors of the Israelites; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Pauline: the collection of 13 epistles in the Christian Scriptures either written by or inspired by St. Paul, coming under the heading of his name; theologian positions and ideas associated with those of St. Paul

Pax Romana: “the Roman Peace,” that resulted from the conquest of much of Europe, the Near East and North Africa by Rome; while actually an extremely violent and bloody period of history, it is referred to as the Roman “peace” as a result of the understanding that a conquered people must bow to a foreign master and its occupying forces

Pentateuch: Greek, meaning “five books;” the first five books of the Bible; the Torah

Pentecost: Greek, meaning “fifty days;” a feast in Judaism celebrating the gift of the law at Mt. Sinai fifty days after Passover; a feast in Christianity celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit given to the apostles in Jerusalem fifty days after Easter

pericope: a short section of the Bible that can stand on its own (Genesis 6:1-4)

persecution: the effort by one group to suppress or hinder the freedom of another by harming or threatening them

personal sin: the free choice to disobey G-d; to do something the opposite of what is good

personification: giving human characteristics to something nonhuman

Petros : the name given to Simon by Jesus (Matthew 16:18); from the Greek petra, meaning “rock”

Pharisee: a group of laymen within first century Judaism who were associated with local synagogues and the Sanhedrin, they accepted the TaNaK as revealed by YHWH, developed Talmud & Mishna “oral law,” they believed in resurrection; from the Hebrew parash meaning “to separate” because of their separation from Gentiles and less observant Jews; their main focus was to keep Jews and Judaism faithful to the Torah

phylacteries: two small square cases of leather, one of which is worn on the forehead, the other on the upper left arm, containing passages of scripture; in Judaism, phylacteries are termed tephillin, plural of the word tephillah, meaning "a prayer;" wearing phylacteries at certain moments is still regarded as a sacred religious duty within orthodox Judaism

polytheistic: belief in many gods

porneia: Greek, meaning “unlawful sexual practices;” used by St. Paul to describe any sexual behaviors forbidden in the Christian life

primeval: literally “before time;” the stories in Genesis that go back beyond recorded history (Genesis 1-11)

prodigal: recklessly or carelessly extravagant; wasteful (see Luke 15:11-32)

prologue: the introduction at the start of a literary work that gives information to help the audience understand the story

prophecy: the words of G-d, delivered through a spokesperson known as a prophet; generally calling for the Israelites to live justly and avoid idolatry

prophet: “one who speaks truth to power;” a person who has a close relationship with G-d and communicates a divine message; from the Hebrew word navi meaning “to call;” one who is both called by G-d and one who calls out to the world

Proverb: a short statement that conveys a truth or rule of life; a book of the Bible within the genre of Wisdom literature

providence: divine guidance and care

Q

Qoheleth: Hebrew, meaning “leader of the assembly;” a title; the name used by the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes

Quelle (“Q”): German, meaning “source;” believed to have been a written source used by both Matthew and Luke in the writing of their gospels, it contains only the sayings of Jesus, often mysterious and abstract; no written copy of Q has ever been found

Qumran: a community near the Dead Sea, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found

R

rabbi: an ordained Jewish teacher and spiritual leader

raqa: Aramaic, meaning “blockhead” or “imbecile;” use of the word is condemned by Jesus (Matthew 5:22)

reditus: Latin, meaning “to return;” St. Thomas Aquinas taught that everything came out of G-d’s being (exitus) in Creation, and that everything would return to G-d (reditus) to be judged in the end times

Remnant: exiles and former exiles who remained faithful to G-d while they were away from the land of Israel

revelation: G-d’s deliberate and gradual disclosure to humans of G-dself; G-d’s nature, G-d’s plan, G-d’s providence, and what G-d wants from people

• Revelation, the Book of: symbolic literature which was readily understood by first-century Christians who were being persecuted; the final book of the Christian bible

S

Sadducees: a group of priests within first century Judaism who were associated with Jerusalem Temple and the Sanhedrin; they accepted only the Torah as revealed by G-d and therefore had no belief in resurrection, they were willing to cooperate with Roman and Greek laws and authorities in order to maintain power and peace

salvation history: how G-d enters into human history; the saving action of G-d working through human history

Sanhedrin: in Jesus’ time, a group of seventy-one people made up of the chief priests, scribes and elders; they made decisions regarding action of the people in the Jewish community; like a religious Supreme Court

satirical humor: humor that exposes human foolishness through a form of ridicule in order to achieve a moral purpose

scribes: the interpreters and the teachers of the Law, who could be either Pharisees or Sadducees

shalom: Hebrew meaning “peace”

Shema: the daily Jewish prayer affirming and blessing the oneness of G-d; the traditional name of the prayer is taken from first word, in Hebrew, taken from Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear O Israel, the LORD is Our G-d, the LORD is One,” (“Sh’ma Yisra’el, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Ekhah”)

Shevu’ot: in Judaism, “the Festival of Weeks;” it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai; from the Hebrew word meaning “weeks”

Septuagint: the Greek translation of the Hebrew bible; from the Greek word “seventy,” which refers to the story of its creation, that seventy translators working independently created an identical translation from Hebrew to Greek

sensory images: images that appeal to any of the five senses

Sinai: A mountain, about 7,500 ft high, of the south-central Sinai Peninsula; it is thought to be the peak on which Moses received the Ten Commandments; also known as Horeb

shofar: the ram’s horn trumpet; blown to signal the start of Yom Kippur

Seder: the meal that celebrates and remembers Passover

Shiloh: Hebrew, meaning “Place of Peace;” an important shrine in ancient Israel (Judges 21:19)

social justice: practice by which social rules and government procedures follow a standard of righteousness and fair treatment

social sin: a collective, societal act or sign that society has distanced itself from G-d

semion: Greek, meaning “sign;” a word used to describe the miracles of Jesus

Synoptic Gospels: the Gospels According to Mark, Matthew, and Luke; so labeled from their similar portrait of the life and ministry of Jesus; from the Greek word meaning “seen together,” or “same vision”

Seraphim: a type of angel described in the bible as having three pairs of wings (Isaiah chapter 6); from the Hebrew meaning “fiery serpent;” stated to be guarding the entrance of the Garden of Eden

Samuel: Hebrew, meaning “name of G-d” or “asked of G-d;” the son of Elkanah and Hannah, who asked G-d for a son; Samuel was an important prophet in Israel, and anointed both Saul and David to lead the people as king

Saul: Hebrew, meaning “asked;” the first king of Israel, he fell out of favor with G-d and went insane

selah: Hebrew, meaning uncertain; the word is found frequently in the Book of Psalms, and was written as instruction for musicians using Psalms during liturgies

sedaquah: Hebrew, meaning “righteousness;” the word is used repeatedly by the prophets, demanding YHWH’s justice for the anawim

Sheol: Hebrew, meaning “the Pit;” the place below the earth where living things went after they died; not to be confused with Hell, which is a type of afterlife, Sheol referred to a place where nothing lived

Sophia: Greek, meaning “divine wisdom;” personified as a woman in the Wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible

soteriology: the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation as the effect of a divine agency; the study of salvation; from the Greek soterion meaning “deliverance”

syllogism: a form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion;
Syncretism: is the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. It is especially associated with the attempt to merge and analogize several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, and thus assert an underlying unity.

T

ta biblia: Latin, meaning “the Books;” refers to the bible as a collection of books by a variety of authors

Talmud: a collection of Jewish oral law and commentary; a guide for conduct in particular circumstances

talent: an ancient coin, worth more than fifteen years wages for a laborer

TaNaKh: an acronym in Hebrew for the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible, the Torah, the Nevi’im (Prophets), and the Ketuv’im (Writings)

tell: an archaeological term for a mound concealing the ruins of an ancient city

Ten Commandments: the laws given by G-d to Moses that prescribe moral obligations for the Israelites as part of G-d’s covenant with them

teras: Greek, meaning “marvel;” a word used to describe the miracles of Jesus

the Way: the first name for the movement that followed “the way” of Jesus before they were called Christians

theocracy: a nation ruled by G-d, or by religious leaders claiming divine authority

theology: Greek, meaning “the study of G-d;” a branch of academic studies devoted to the study of the divine

theological virtues: faith, hope, and love; so named by St. Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 13)

theophany: any manifestation of G-d; i.e. the burning bush, the dove at Jesus’ baptism

tikkun olam: Hebrew, meaning “the repair of the world,” the task of every believer

Torah: the Hebrew name for the first five books of the Bible, meaning “the way of living;” often translated as “Law”

treason: an attempt or desire to overthrow and replace the head of government to which one owes allegiance

Triduum: Latin, meaning “three days;” refers to Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, the highest holy days of the Christian calendar

Theophilus: Greek, meaning “G-d lover;” the person (real or not) to whom the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are dedicated

tzaddik: Yiddish, meaning “righteous man;” a link between G-d and humans; a spiritual bridge between heaven and earth

U

V

vow: a solemn promise

W

wadi: a valley, gully, or streambed that remains dry except during the rainy season

worship: to honor or revere a divine being, usually within a religious ritual

X

Y

Ya-Shova: Joshua; Hebrew, meaning “YHWH helps,” or “YHWH saves;” translated into Greek as Jesus

yam suph: Hebrew, meaning “sea of reeds,” where the Israelites crossed out of Egypt under the guidance and protection of YHWH

Yavne: a central city of Philistia, also called Jamnia, on the northern coast of Israel; in the years before the sack of Jerusalem (AD 70), Jamnia became a great Jewish cultural center. Vespasian spared Jamnia and permitted Johanan to settle there as leader of the Jewish community after the fall of Jerusalem; the Sanhedrin was moved to Jamnia, and the city became the capital of the Jews until the rise of Simon Bar Kokba

yeshiva: a private Jewish school for boys for the advanced study of Jewish texts (primarily the Talmud)

YHWH: Hebrew name for G-d, sometimes translated “I AM” or “I AM WHO AM”

Z

Zealots: a group within first century Judaism who engaged in armed resistance to the Roman and Jerusalem establishment; accepted the TaNaK and their own apocalyptic documents as revaled by G-d; they believed in fighting a messianic war (Davidic messiah) for freedom from political oppression; referred to in the Gospels as lestes; Greek, meaning “brigands/ outlaws” (MK 15:27)