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PODCAST

HOREB Institute

HOREB Institute

Join Ross K Nichols, an author, explorer, researcher, and teacher, as he delves into the depths of the Biblical texts and their historical contexts. This podcast offers a unique blend of academic rigor and accessible insights, unpacking the complexities of the Bible"s narratives, languages, and cultures. Whether you"re a scholar, student, or simply curious, each episode provides a thought-provoking journey through the ancient world, shedding new light on timeless stories and teachings.

religion & spirituality religion

All Episodes

00:56:07

Wilderness Journey: One Path, Two Versions

HOREB Institute ·

2025/06/14

Wilderness Wonderings 〚 One Path, Two Versions 〛 Pentateuch in Perspective: BehalotechaHave you ever felt like you’ve read this before? In this week’s class, Ross explores moments in the Pentateuch that feel strangely familiar. Across Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, stories seem to repeat—but are they echoes, edits, or entirely new tellings? Once you begin to spot the parallels, the wilderness journey takes on new dimension. Join us as we trace variant versions of key events and ask

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01:21:06

Behalotecha (Torah Pearls: S3E32)

HOREB Institute ·

2025/06/13

Behalotecha 〚 Lights, Layers, and Lost Passovers 〛 Torah PearlsThis week, Ross, Jono, and Ezra unpack Beha’alotecha—from the menorah of Numbers 8 to the one displayed in Jerusalem, with a stop in Zechariah 4 to briefly explore the idea of two messiahs. They trace Israel’s departure from Sinai, noting contradictions in the sources and a curious pair of inverted Hebrew nuns in Numbers 10. They examine Passovers past and forgotten, the fiery lust for meat, and the prophetic overflow to seventy

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01:05:42

Wilderness Wonderings: Solving the Sinai Sequence

HOREB Institute ·

2025/06/07

Wilderness Wonderings 〚 Solving the Sinai Sequence 〛 Pentateuch in Perspective: NasoThe narrative sources of the Pentateuch trace Israel’s journey from Egypt to Sinai—and ultimately to the Plains of Moab. Along the way, the text provides precise dates for major events. But here’s the surprise: they’re out of order.Most readers miss it. But a careful reading reveals a scrambled sequence that begs to be reassembled.In this week’s Wilderness Wonderings, Ross walks us through eight key passages that

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01:19:50

BaMidbar–Naso (Torah Pearls: S3E31)

HOREB Institute ·

2025/06/06

Bamidbar - Naso 〚 Counting Warriors & Cursing Wives 〛 Torah PearlsIn this double portion deep dive, Ross, Jono, and Ezra unpack the census-supported structure of Numbers, tracing tribal arrangements, competing lists, and curious inconsistencies. Why are the Levites sometimes excluded? Is the census in Numbers 1 the same as the one in Exodus? And what’s with the suspicious potion in chapter 5?From Nazarite vows and priestly blessings to tabernacle math, echoes of Ramesses II’s army, and the Ketef

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01:10:00

Wilderness Wonderings: Sand in the Cradle

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/31

Wilderness Wonderings 〚 Sand in the Cradle 〛 Pentateuch in Perspective: BaMidbarBiblical Israel’s story begins not in palaces or promised lands, but in windswept wilderness. In this opening class, we explore the desert cradle where Israel is born as a people, hears the voice of its God, and begins a journey that will shape all that follows.It’s a place of rescue and rebellion, dependence and revelation—and the prophets remembered it as the beginning of everything. This is the essential epoch.◉ Watch

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01:17:43

Behar-Bechukotai (Torah Pearls: S3E30)

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/27

Behar-Bechukotai 〚 Sanctioned Slaves: Leviticus, Liberty, & Lost Jubilees 〛 Torah PearlsIn this week’s episode, Ross, Jono, and Ezra unpack the intricate laws of land, liberty, and value in the final double portion of Leviticus. We explore the radical social vision behind the Sabbatical and Jubilee years—when land rests, debts are released, and slaves go free—but ask: were these ever truly kept?We compare slavery laws across Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus, highlight startling economic

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01:03:13

The Deity Diet: Food for Thought

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/17

ALTARed Texts〚 The Deity Diet: Food for Thought 〛Pentateuch in Perspective: EmorThe Bible frequently mentions altars, offerings, and sacred meals. But what role does food play in the relationship between humans and the divine? Could the ancient sacrifices be more than ritual—could they be meals for God?In this class, we’ll explore an often-overlooked thread running through the biblical texts, one that raises provocative questions about the nature of God, worship, and divine appetite. What is the

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01:34:17

Emor (Torah Pearls: S3E29)

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/16

Emor〚 Holier Than Thou: The Priestly Manual Exposed 〛Torah PearlsThis week, Ross, Jono, and Ezra (our AI-critical scholar) step into the priestly playbook of Leviticus. We explore the rigid hierarchy of holiness, where physical defects disqualify, certain foods belong to God, and even a priest’s daughter can be burned for dishonoring her father.We examine the sacred calendar and ask: do Yom Kippur and Yom Teruah have ancient roots—or were they added later by the Priestly writer? Is “God’s food”

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00:53:46

Who’s the Neighbor You’re Supposed to Love?

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/10

ALTARed Texts〚 Who’s the Neighbor You’re Supposed to Love? 〛Pentateuch in Perspective: Acharey Mot-KedoshimThis Sabbath, Ross explores the origins of what Jesus called the "second greatest commandment"—but long before it was quoted in the Gospels, it appeared in the Holiness Code of Leviticus. What does it really mean to “love your neighbor as yourself”? Who counts as a neighbor in biblical terms? Is it your friend, your fellow Israelite, or the outsider in your land? And how many laws

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01:02:14

Acharey Mot-Kedoshim (Torah Pearls: S3E28)

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/09

Acharey Mot & Kedoshim〚 Weirdness in the Wilderness 〛Torah PearlsIn this week’s episode, Ross, Jono, and Ezra venture into some of the strangest terrain of the Torah—where goat demons haunt the wilderness, “uncovering nakedness” becomes a legal category, and the Day of Atonement seems conspicuously absent from the stories it should inhabit. We explore the infamous Holiness Code (Leviticus 17–20), examine the tension between priestly and prophetic voices, trace odd laws around blood, sacrifice,

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01:16:19

Biblical Diets: Stirring the Pot

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/07

ALTARed Texts〚Biblical Diets: Stirring the Pot 〛Pentateuch in Perspective: SheminiFrom Eden to the end of days, the Bible is full of food—and full of food fights.In this class, we explore the sacred menus of Scripture: 🌿 Eden’s plant-based ideal 🥩 Noah’s post-flood meat allowance 🥓 Leviticus and Deuteronomy’s clean/unclean lists 🍗 Prophetic critiques of blood and flesh 🦞 Apostolic disagreements over what defiles 🍇 And New Testament claims that "all foods are clean"Some say the

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01:17:36

Tazria-Metzora (Torah Pearls: S3E27)

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/07

Tazria-Metzora〚 Fluxes, Flows & Forbidden Fungus 〛Torah PearlsIn this week's Torah Pearls, Ross, Jono, and Ezra wade into some of the most unusual—and uncomfortably specific—sections of the Torah. Covering childbirth, skin eruptions, bodily discharges, and plague-like conditions in homes and garments, we ask whether these priestly purity laws are ancient dermatology, spiritual symbolism, or something else entirely? Why is childbirth treated as a source of impurity? Why is a woman required to

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00:49:29

The Bible in Ten Words

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/07

What if the core of faith could be captured on a single ancient page—and expressed in just ten words? It can. In this session, we trace the quest for the original Ten Words, exploring a long-forgotten version and a remarkable rediscovery that could reshape how we understand the Bible.◉ Watch the video [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]

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01:33:28

Shemini (Torah Pearls: S3E26)

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/07

Shemini〚 Fire, Food, or Fabrication 〛Torah PearlsIn this week’s Torah Pearls, Ross, Jono, and Ezra return to the Tabernacle where things heat up—literally. We explore the dramatic theophany at the altar, the strange death of Nadab and Abihu, and the priestly logic that seems more bureaucratic than divine. Did God really command these things? And if so, where’s the record?We compare multiple texts describing the same event from different angles, examine whether holiness (or uncleanness) is

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01:18:56

Smoke and Mirrors: The Sacrificial System

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/07

ALTARed Texts〚 Smoke and Mirrors 〛Pentateuch in Perspective: TsavDid God ever command the sacrificial system—or was it added later by a “lying pen of the scribes”? In this week's class on Torah Portion Tzav, we examine the prophetic protest against the cult: Jeremiah boldly declares that God never commanded burnt offerings or sacrifices when He brought Israel out of Egypt. What does that mean? Is it possible the entire system was not Mosaic at all?We’ll explore powerful texts from Jeremiah,

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01:03:50

Tzav (Torah Pearls: S3E25)

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/07

Tzav〚 Priestly Perquisites 〛Torah PearlsThis week on Torah Pearls, Ross, Jono, and Ezra (our resident AI textpert) wade deeper into the priestly waters of Leviticus. We examine the curious repetition of the priestly ordination—found in Exodus 28–29, 40, and Leviticus 8—and ask: are these accounts out of order, or does the rabbinic claim that “there’s no early or late in the Torah” explain it?We explore priestly privileges (or "perquisites"), ponder the contagious nature of holiness and

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01:07:46

The Consecration Conundrum

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/07

ALTARed Texts〚 The Consecration Conundrum 〛Pentateuch in PerspectiveThis week’s class uncovers a hidden complexity in the priestly ordination story. What many assume to be a single, unified event may actually be covered by multiple authors presenting differing accounts of the same ceremony.Through close reading and side-by-side comparison, we’ll explore how the biblical texts subtly (and sometimes not-so-subtly) diverge. Could the variation point to different hands behind the narrative? Join us as

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01:10:57

Vayikra (Torah Pearls: S3E24)

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/07

Vayikra〚 Anachronistic Atonement 〛Torah PearlsThis week, Ross, Jono, and Ezra step into the deeply ritual world of Leviticus—the realm of the Priestly source. From gift offerings to expiatory sacrifices, we explore what these rites meant, how they functioned, and what they reveal about the worldview of P.Is blood really required for atonement? What does “a sweet savor” mean? And what is “the salt of your god’s covenant”—and which covenant is it talking about anyway?We tackle the big question: if

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01:01:55

Spoiler Alert - Moses Didn't Write This

HOREB Institute ·

2025/05/07

Leaving Egypt〚 Spoiler Alert - Moses Didn't Write This 〛Pentateuch in PerspectiveThis week’s class explores the Torah portion Pekudey—the final chapter of Exodus—and lifts the curtain on a hidden reality behind the text and the fingerprints of a later hand. Join us as we examine narrative anachronisms and compare synoptic sections of Exodus and Numbers, using a horizontal reading method to re-order events and timelines based on the text itself. What are the clues the text gives us—and conceals

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01:14:46

Pekudei (Torah Pearls: S3E23)

HOREB Institute ·

2025/03/28

Pekudei 〚〛 Torah Pearls◉ Watch the video [⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠]

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