For centuries, Christians have been taught that the idea that Jesus made atonement for the sins of humanity in his passion and death is firmly rooted in the New Testament. According to most biblical scholars, the basis for this...

What did Jews in antiquity believe they were doing when they offered sacrifices to God, and how did they believe that those sacrifices benefited them and others? Here it is argued that, rather than ascribing some type of atoning efficacy to those sacrifices, most Jews...

In Second Temple Jewish thought, the Mosaic law or Torah was viewed as a gracious gift given by Israel’s God to his people in order to promote their well-being and happiness by leading them to practice justice and righteousness for the good of all. Many of the...

No Old Testament passage has influenced Christian interpretations of Jesus’ death more than Isaiah 53, which speaks of God’s servant bearing sin, suffering, and death on behalf of others in order to heal them and make them whole. Traditional interpretations of Isaiah...

A careful examination of Second Temple Jewish beliefs regarding sacrifice and vicarious suffering and death makes it clear that what was thought to atone for sins was not suffering or death but a renewed commitment to living in accordance with God’s loving will. Both...

Numerous passages from Jewish and Greco-Roman writings of antiquity speak of certain persons dying for others or attaining some benefit for them by means of their suffering and death. While it has been common to argue that many of these passages reflect the idea that...