Tag Archives: King Solomon

Secrets of the Ten Plagues & the Passover Seder (Video)

What was the deeper purpose behind the Ten Plagues in ancient Egypt and how did they parallel the Ten Utterances of Creation? How do these correspond to the ten items of the Passover seder? And how do the 14 steps of the Passover seder parallel the 14 key steps of Creation? Find out in this eye-opening class where we also explore the paschal offering and the Temple Mount, how Hillel rose to the presidency of the Sanhedrin, plus the great mystery behind consuming the karpas vegetable – and what does it have to do with the soul of Mashiach?

On the issue of ascending the Temple Mount today, see here.
For more on Shabbat haGadol, see here.

The Truth About the Lost Tribes of Israel

What is the spiritual significance of the Twelve Tribes of Israel? Where did the notion of Ten Lost Tribes come from? Do the Lost Tribes exist somewhere today? What really happened to the ancient Israelites? Find out in this class where we also explore the “Apocalypse of Ezra”, the ancient history of Jerusalem, the strange case of David Reubeni, and when exactly “Judaism” became a religion.

For a written summary with sources and lots more information, please see here.

For the stones, symbols, and flags of the Tribes of Israel, see here.

For the videos on Astrology & Astronomy in Judaism, see here.

For the essay ‘Purim: the First Jewish Holiday’, see Volume One of Garments of Light, available here.

Things You Didn’t About King Solomon

A Modern Replica of the Mishkan in Timna, Israel

This week’s parasha, Terumah, begins the Torah’s lengthy descriptions of the Mishkan, the “mobile sanctuary” or “tabernacle”. Fittingly, the Haftarah is a passage from I Kings describing King Solomon’s construction of the Jerusalem Temple, the permanent version of the Mishkan. Once the Temple was completed, it seems that Solomon actually brought the original Mishkan into the Temple and “parked” it there (I Kings 8:4-6). As per tradition, Solomon foresaw the future destruction of his own Temple, and made sure to build a secret chamber within the Temple Mount to hide the Ark of the Covenant and the original Mishkan vessels there, for safekeeping until the Final Redemption and the Third Temple.

The basic details of his biography are well-known: he reigned as king of a unified Israel for 40 years in a peaceful era (alluded to by his name, Shlomo, meaning “peace”); he had many wives and concubines; and he wrote three books of Tanakh: Mishlei (“Proverbs”), Kohelet (“Ecclesiastes”), and Shir haShirim (“Song of Songs”). What else do we know about this enigmatic king? Some of the lesser-known details will surely surprise you! Continue reading →