Rejuvenation: The Genesis of Prayer

“Jews and Christians in the ancient world were the original atheists.” What?? Penn State Professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies Daniel Falk joins Eve to discuss the genesis and development of communal prayer. Community prayer- nay, prayer in general- is not Biblically proscribed, so why does the Mishna, redacted 1800 years ago- begin with a rule for the Sh’ma Yisrael prayer? What is the essential element of Jewish prayer? After the Destruction of the Second Temple 1946 years ago - are the 3 daily sacrifices replaced by new prayers, or was there praying in the Temple? It’s the language of Hebrew and of the heart and incidentally, where do Angels fit in? Listen to a fascinating conversation with one of the world’s experts on the Dead Sea Scrolls and his research on the genesis and ritualization of prayer.

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