Bible Fiber
- Tired of scripture study guides that leave you wanting more substance? Discover a resource that offers comprehensive teaching and deep insights into the prophetic message.
- Have you been avoiding the more challenging books of the Bible because they are hard to understand or apply to your life? Let Bible Fiber build your foundational knowledge about ancient Israel’s history and culture.
Welcome to Bible Fiber, where we are encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry through twelve Minor Prophets, two reformers (Ezra and Nehemiah), and one priest in exile (Ezekiel). Along the way, we take pauses for minicourses on peoples of the Bible and ponder why the prophetic office ended. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern.
You won't find another podcast so committed to teaching the parts of the Bible that get the least attention and also is constantly calling for prayers for the modern state of Israel during this moment of crisis.
Episodes
181 episodes
Behar–Bechukotai: Leviticus 25:1–27:34
This week’s Torah portion is known as Behar–Bechukotai and covers Leviticus 25:1–27:34. These are the final two Torah portions in the book of Leviticus.In Leviticus 25, the concept of the Jubilee is introduced as the ultimate expression...
Emor (Leviticus 21:1–24:23)
This week’s Torah portion is known as Emor—which means “speak”—and it covers Leviticus 21:1–24:23. The counting of the Omer began on April 2 and will end on May 21. For the Jewish people, the goal of counting the Omer is to become a vessel read...
Acharei Mot–Kedoshim (Leviticus 16:1–20:27)
These chapters contain some of the most vital commands for the people of Israel. They include the liturgy for the holiest day on the Jewish calendar—Yom Kippur. A unique part of the ceremony involved two goats of similar size and appearance. On...
Tazria (Leviticus 12:1–15:33)
This week’s reading is called Tazria and it covers Leviticus 12:1–15:33. This portion is completely occupied by issues of ritual impurity. Last week’s reading, Shemini, was concerned with the structural boundaries between the sacred and the pro...
Shemini (Leviticus 9:1–11:47)
Until this point, Leviticus emphasizes that all the preparations and sacrifices had been performed just as the Lord commanded. However, the second the priests went off script, acting spontaneously on their own, disaster struck. Aaron’s oldest s...
Tzav (Leviticus 6:8–8:36)
This week’s Torah portion covers Leviticus 6:8–8:36. The second reading in Leviticus is titled Tzav, which means “Command!” Like last week, the text dryly expounds on how the priests are to present the sacrifices in the tabernacle. Details incl...
Vayikra (Leviticus 1:1–6:7)
The first reading portion in Leviticus goes from 1:1 to 6:7. If you have read ahead—and I always encourage you to take that approach—we are not blazing through creation and early human history like in Genesis. We aren’t following the earth–shak...
Vayakhel-Pekudei (Exodus 35:1–40:38)
This week’s Torah portion is Vayakhel-Pekudei, which covers Exodus 35:1–40:38. This is our 22nd Torah portion in the annual reading cycle and our final Exodus study. Before the people gathered to hold a collection of precio...
Ki Tissa (Exodus 30:11–34:35)
This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tissa, which covers Exodus 30:11–34:35. It is also the week Jews in Israel and abroad celebrate Purim. Purim is the joyous Jewish holiday that marks the survival of the Jewish people in the ancient Persi...
Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20–30:10)
This week, we explore the Torah portion called Tetzaveh, which translates to “you command.” This section covers Exodus 27:20-30:10. Much of the reading is about the priesthood, one of the most critical institutions in Israel’s spiritua...
Terumah (Exodus 25:1–27:19)
This week we enter the nineteenth weekly Torah portion, Terumah, which in Hebrew means “offering.” At this point in the Exodus story, the Israelites have just witnessed the dramatic crossing of the Red Sea and stood at the base of Moun...
Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1–24:18)
This week’s Torah portion is Mishpatim, Hebrew for “laws.” The portion covers Exodus 21:1 to 24:18. At this point in the Exodus chronology, the Israelites are entering their seventh week of freedom. In the previous portion, Yitro
Yitro (Exodus 18:1–20:23)
In this episode of Bible Fiber, we explore the Torah portion Yitro (Exodus 18:1–20:23). While most weekly readings have titles that describe actions, this portion is one of only five named after a person: Jethro, the Midianite priest and father...
Beshalach (Exodus 13:17–17:16)
This week’s portion is Beshalach, which translates to “when he sent.” The name comes from the opening verse: “When Pharaoh let the people go...” (13:17). After ten rounds of increasingly destructive plagues, Pharaoh finally agreed to r...
Bo (Exodus 10:1–13:16)
This week’s Torah portion, Bo, covers Exodus 10:1 to 13:16. The narrative intensity hits its peak here. The last three of the ten plagues descend on Egypt: locusts devour the crops, impenetrable darkness shrouds the land, and finally, ...
Va’era (Exodus 6:2–9:35)
This week’s Torah portion covers Exodus 6:2-9:35. It is called Va’era, which means “and I appeared,” the first words spoken to Moses in the text. In Va’era, the story of the Exodus begins. Plagues hit the Egyptians in full for...
Shemot (Exodus 1:1–6:1)
Genesis closed with the descendants of Jacob living in the land of Egypt, waiting out the period of famine that had overtaken the region. What started as a temporary move turned into a centuries-long stay. We do not know the exact time interval...
Vayechi (Genesis 47:28–50:26)
This week’s Torah portion Vayechi covers Genesis 47:28–50:26. These are the last chapters of Genesis and the final moments of the era of the patriarchs. It is a biblical pivot point. While Genesis covered the personal lives and divine ...
Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27)
As we follow the Jewish reading calendar, we arrive at this week’s Torah portion, called Vayigash (Genesis 44:18–47:27) which means “and he drew near.” It is the climax of the Joseph cycle, when he reveals himself to his brothers, who ...
Miketz (Genesis 41:1–44:17)
The Hebrew title of this week’s Torah portion is Miketz, which translates to “at the end,” and it covers Genesis 41:1 to 44:17. After two years, Joseph’s long season of suffering is almost over. This portion chronicles his meteoric ris...
Vayeshev (Genesis 37:1–40:23)
Joseph’s life story is one of the most masterful literary arcs in the whole of scripture. It goes far beyond just an example of brotherly jealous provoked by parental favoritism. The complex characters are fully developed so that no one is enti...
Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4–36:43)
As we follow the weekly Jewish reading calendar, we arrive at this week’s Torah portion, called Vayishlah, which means “and he sent.” The portion covers Genesis 32:4 through 36:43. Jacob was not the same person returning to Canaan as h...
Toldot (Genesis 25:19–28:9)
As we follow the weekly Jewish reading calendar, we arrive at this week’s Torah portion, called Toldot, which means “descendants” or “generations,” covering Genesis 25:19–28:9.The reading picks up where the last portion ended: the union ...