• Torah (T): Wayiqra (Leviticus) 4:1-35
• Prophets (P): Ezekiel 18:1-18
• Apostolic (A): Hebrews 10:1-29
• Additional (ADD): Jubilees 16:21-25

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• Numbers 15:22-31 (T)
• Hebrews 5:1-3 (T)
• Hebrews 9:6-14 (T)
• Hebrews 10:1-29 (T)
• Ezekiel 43:13-27 (T)
• Ezra 8:35 (T)
• Romans 8:1-15 (T)
• 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 (T)
• Hebrews 7:26-28 (T)
• 1 Peter 3:17-22 (T)
• 1 John 1:5-10 (T)
• 2 Chronicles 29:20-24 (T)
• Genesis 33:1-4; Leviticus 26:17-18; Joshua 6:1-4; 1 Kings 18:41-44; 2 Kings 4:32-35; 2 Kings 5:10-14; Matthew 18:21-22; Luke 17:3-4 (T)
• Hebrews 9:21-28 (T)
• Hebrews 13:8-16 (T)
• Matthew 27:32-34; Mark 15:21-23; Luke 23:33-34; John 19:16-18 (T)
• Romans 5:11-14 (T)
• Ezra 10:1-19 (T)
• Romans 3:19-31 (T)
• Galatians 4:1-9 (T)
• Psalms 32:1-2; Romans 4:1-9 (T)
• Matthew 9:1-6 (T)
• Matthew 26:26-28 (T)
• Luke 3:1-3 (T)
• Luke 24:40-47; John 20:20-23; Acts 2:37-41 (T)
• Acts 26:14-18 (T)

RELATED ADDITIONAL READINGS

• 2 Esdras 3:17-22 (T)
• Sirach 35:1-7 (T)
• Sirach 47:2 (T)
• Jubilees 6:1-38 (T)
• Jubilees 14:9-11 (T)
• Jubilees 4:29-30 (T)
• Leviticus 4:1-35 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 3.9.1-2 (T)

Note: (T) means the verse relates to that week’s Torah portion. (P) means the verse relates to that week’s Prophets portion. (A) means the verse relates to that week’s Apostolic portion. (ADD) means the verse relates to that week’s Additional portion.

Torah Portion (T)

4:1 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, When a soul will sin in error [unintentionally]^(LXX) from all the commands of YHWH which will not be done, and he will do from one of them. 3 If the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him bring for his sin which he has sinned a young bull [of the herd],^(DSS)(LXX) a perfect one, to YHWH for a sin offering. 4 He will [lead in]^(DSS)(LXX) the bull to the door of the Appointed Tent before YHWH; and he will lay his hand on the head of the bull [before YHWH],^(DSS)(LXX) and kill the bull before YHWH. 5 The anointed priest will take some of the blood of the bull, and bring it to the Appointed Tent. 6 The priest will dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times [with his finger]^(DSS)(LXX) before YHWH, before the veil of the sanctuary. 7 The priest will put some of the blood [of the bull]^(DSS)(LXX) on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before YHWH, which is in the Appointed Tent; and he will pour out the rest of the blood of the bull at the base of the altar of [offering],^(DSS)(LXX) which is at the door of the Appointed Tent. 8 He will take all the fat of the bull of the sin offering from it: the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards, 9 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the hips, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he will remove, 10 as it is removed from the bull of the slaughter of peace offerings. The priest will burn them on the altar of burnt offering. 11 He will carry the bull’s skin, all its flesh, with its head, and with its legs, its innards, and its dung 12 —all the rest of the bull—outside of the camp to a clean place where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire. It will be burned where the ashes are poured out. 13 If the congregation of Israel strays [unintentionally],^(LXX) and the word is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the commands of YHWH which are not to be done, and are guilty; 14 when the sin in which they have sinned is known, then the assembly will bring a young bull for a sin offering, and bring [her]^(DSS) before the Appointed Tent. 15 The elders of the congregation will lay their hands on the head of the bull before YHWH; and the bull will be killed before YHWH. 16 The anointed priest will bring some of the blood of the bull to the Appointed Tent. 17 The priest will dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before YHWH, before the veil. 18 He will put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before YHWH, that is in the Appointed Tent; and the rest of the blood he will pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Appointed Tent. 19 All its fat he will take from it, and burn it on the altar. 20 He will do this with the bull; as he did with the bull of the sin offering, so he will do with this; and the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven. 21 He will carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly. 22 When a chief will sin, and do one from all the commands of YHWH his Elohim, which he will not do in error [unintentionally],^(LXX) then he is guilty. 23 If his sin in which he has sinned is made known to him, he will bring as his offering [for that which he has sinned]^(DSS) a goat, a male, a perfect one. 24 He will lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before YHWH. It is a sin offering. 25 The priest will take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; [and he will pour out its blood].^(DSS) He will pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. 26 All its fat he will burn on the altar, like the fat of the slaughter of peace offerings; and the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin, and he will be forgiven. 27 And if a soul will sin from the people of the land in error [unintentionally],^(LXX) in doing one from the commands of YHWH which will not be done, then he is guilty. 28 If his sin which he has sinned is made known to him, then he will bring for his offering a goat, a female, a perfect one, for his sin which he has sinned. 29 He will lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering. 30 The priest will take some of its blood with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and the rest of its blood he will pour out at the base of the altar. 31 All its fat he will take away, like the fat is taken away from the slaughter of peace offerings; and the priest will burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma to YHWH; and the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. 32 If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he will bring a female, a perfect one. 33 He will lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. 34 The priest will take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and all the rest of its blood he will pour out at the base of the altar. 35 He will remove all its fat, like the fat of the lamb is removed from the slaughter of peace offerings. The priest will burn them on the altar, on the offerings of YHWH made by fire. The priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned, and he will be forgiven.'”

Prophets Portion (P)

18:1 the word of YHWH came to me again, saying, 2 “What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the sons’ teeth are set on edge’? 3 “As I live,” says the Lord YHWH, “do not use this proverb any more in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins, he will die. 5 “But if a man is righteous, and does judgment and righteousness, 6 and has not eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife, hasn’t come near a woman in her separation, 7 and has not suppressed any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has taken nothing by robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; 8 he who hasn’t lent to them with interest, hasn’t taken any increase from them, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man, 9 has walked in my statutes, and has guarded my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he will surely live,” says the Lord YHWH. 10 “If he fathers a son who is a robber who sheds blood, and who does any one of these things, 11 or who does not do any of those things but has eaten at the mountain shrines and defiled his neighbor’s wife, 12 has suppressed the afflicted and needy, has taken by robbery, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination, 13 has lent with interest, and has taken increase, will he then live? He will not live. He has done all these abominations. He will surely die. His blood will be on him. 14 “Now, behold, if he fathers a son who sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and fears, and doesn’t do likewise, 15 who hasn’t eaten on the mountains, hasn’t lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hasn’t defiled his neighbor’s wife, 16 hasn’t suppressed any, hasn’t taken anything to pledge, hasn’t taken by robbery, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment; 17 who has withdrawn his hand from the afflicted, who hasn’t received interest or increase, has done my judgments, has walked in my statutes; he will not die for the iniquity of his father. He will surely live. 18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he will die in his iniquity.

Apostolic Portion (A)

Additional Portion (ADD)

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

16:21 And he built booths for himself and for his servants on this festival, and he was the first to celebrate the feast of tabernacles on the land. 22. And during these seven days he brought each day to the altar a burnt offering to the Lord, two oxen, two rams, seven sheep, one he-goat, for a sin offering, that he might atone thereby for himself and for his seed. 23. And, as a thank offering, seven rams, seven kids, seven sheep, and seven he-goats, and their fruit offerings and their libation offerings; and he burnt all the fat thereof on the altar, a chosen offering unto the Lord for a sweet smelling savour. 24. And morning and evening he burnt fragrant substances, frankincense and galbanum, and stackte, and nard, and myrrh, and spice, and costum; all these seven he offered, crushed, mixed together in equal parts (and) pure. 25. And he celebrated this feast during seven days, rejoicing with all his heart and with all his soul, he and all those who were in his house, and there was no stranger with him, nor any that was uncircumcised.

Related Scriptures

22 When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments which YHWH has spoken to Moses— 23 even all that YHWH has commanded you by Moses, from the day that YHWH gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— 24 then it will be, if it was done in error from the eyes of the congregation, that all the congregation will offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma to YHWH, with its grain offering and its libation offering, according to the judgment, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25 The priest will make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to YHWH, and their sin offering before YHWH, for their error. 26 All the congregation of the sons of Israel will be forgiven, as well as the stranger who sojourns among them; for with regard to all the people, it was done in error. 27 If a person sins in error, then he will bring a female goat a year old for a sin offering. 28 The priest will make atonement for the soul who errs when he sins in error before YHWH. He will make atonement for him; and he will be forgiven. 29 You will have one Torah for him who does anything in error, for him who is native among the sons of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them. 30 But the soul who does anything with a raised hand, whether he is native or a foreigner, blasphemes YHWH. That soul will be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of YHWH, and has broken his commandment, that soul will be utterly cut off. His iniquity will be on him.

5:1 For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to Elohim, that he may offer both gifts and slaughters for sins. 2 The high priest can deal gently with those who are erring and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness. 3 Because of this, he must offer slaughters for sins for the people, as well as for himself.

9:6 Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services, 7 but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the errors of the people. 8 The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the Holy Place wasn’t yet revealed while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is a symbol of the present age, where gifts and slaughters are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshiper perfect, 10 being only, with foods and drinks and various washings, fleshly ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation. 11 But Messiah having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, 12 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to Elohim, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim?

43:13 “These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a hand width): the bottom will be a cubit, and the width a cubit, and its border around its edge a span; and this will be the base of the altar. 14 From the bottom on the ground to the lower ledge will be two cubits, and the width one cubit; and from the lesser ledge to the greater ledge will be four cubits, and the width a cubit. 15 The upper altar will be four cubits; and from the altar hearth and upward there will be four horns. 16 The altar hearth will be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides. 17 The ledge will be fourteen cubits long by fourteen wide in its four sides; and the border about it will be half a cubit; and its bottom will be a cubit around; and its steps will look toward the east.” 18 He said to me, “Son of man, the Lord YHWH says: ‘These are the laws of the altar in the day when they make it, to cause the burnt offerings to ascendon on it, and to sprinkle blood on it. 19 You will give to the priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me,’ says the Lord YHWH, ‘a young bull for a sin offering. 20 You will take of its blood and put it on its four horns, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around. You will cleanse it and make atonement for it that way. 21 You will also take the bull of the sin offering, and it will be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside of the sanctuary. 22 “On the second day you will bring a male goat, a perfect one, for a sin offering; and they will cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull. 23 When you have finished cleansing it, you will bring a young bull, a perfect one, and a ram out of the flock, a perfect one. 24 You will bring them near to YHWH, and the priests will cast salt on them, and they will cause them to ascend for a burnt offering to YHWH. 25 “Seven days you will prepare every day a goat for a sin offering. They will also prepare a young bull and a ram out of the flock, a perfect one. 26 Seven days will they make atonement for the altar and purify it. So will they consecrate it. 27 When they have accomplished the days, it will be that on the eighth day and onward, the priests will make your burnt offerings on the altar and your peace offerings. Then I will accept you,’ says the Lord YHWH.”

8:35 The sons of the captivity, who had come out of exile, offered burnt offerings to the Elohim of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats for a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to YHWH.

8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yeshua, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yeshua made me free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, Elohim did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; 7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward Elohim, for it is not subject to Elohim’s Torah, neither indeed can it be. 8 Those who are in the flesh can’t please Elohim. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Messiah, he is not his. 10 If Messiah is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are children of Elohim. 15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

5:1 For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from Elohim, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. 2 For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from the heavens, 3 if indeed being clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened, not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now he who made us for this very thing is Elohim, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord; 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him. 10 For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Messiah that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to Elohim, and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences. 12 For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for Elohim. Or if we are of sober mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Messiah compels us; because we judge thus: that one died for all, therefore all died. 15 He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again. 16 Therefore we know no one according to the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Messiah according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no more. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. 18 But all things are of Elohim, who reconciled us to himself through Yeshua the Messiah, and gave to us the service of reconciliation; 19 namely, that Elohim was in Messiah reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Messiah, as though Elohim were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Messiah, be reconciled to Elohim. 21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of Elohim.

7:26 For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up slaughters daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself. 28 For the Torah appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.

3:17 For it is better, if it is Elohim’s will, that you suffer for doing well than for doing evil. 18 Because Messiah also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to Elohim, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit, 19 in whom he also went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who before were disobedient when Elohim waited patiently in the days of Noaḥ while the ark was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 This is a symbol of immersion, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward Elohim—through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah, 22 who is at the right hand of Elohim, having gone into the heavens, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

1:5 This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that Elohim is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t tell the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshua the Messiah his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

29:20 Then Hezekiah the king arose early, gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the house of YHWH. 21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats, for a sin offering for the reign, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. He commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to cause them to ascend on the altar of YHWH. 22 So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. 23 They brought near the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly; and they laid their hands on them. 24 Then the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

Genesis 33:1 Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants. 2 He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. 3 He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4 Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. 5 He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?”

Leviticus 26:17 I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you. 18 If you in spite of these things will not listen to me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins.

Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the sons of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in. 2 YHWH said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. 3 All of your men of war will march around the city, going around the city once. You will do this six days. 4 Seven priests will bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you will march around the city seven times, and the priests will blow the trumpets.

1 Kings 18:41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the land, and put his face between his knees. 43 He said to his servant, “Go up now and look toward the sea.” He went up and looked, then said, “There is nothing.” He said, “Go again” seven times. 44 On the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.”

2 Kings 4:32 When Elisha had come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and lying on his bed. 33 He went in therefore, and shut the door on them both, and prayed to YHWH. 34 He went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. He stretched himself on him; and the child’s flesh grew warm. 35 Then he returned, and walked in the house once back and forth, then went up and stretched himself out on him. Then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

2 Kings 5:10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will come again to you, and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry, and went away and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of YHWH his Elohim, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’ 12 Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 His servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had asked you do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean?’ ” 14 Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of Elohim; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?” 22 Yeshua said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.

Luke 17:3 “Be careful. If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you will forgive him.”

9:21 He sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the service in the same way with the blood. 22 According to the Torah, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23 It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better slaughters than these. 24 For Messiah hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into the heavens itself, now to appear in the face of Elohim for us; 25 nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own, 26 or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the slaughter of himself. 27 Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, 28 so Messiah also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

13:8 Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp. 12 Therefore Yeshua also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate. 13 Let’s therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come. 15 Through him, then, let’s offer up a slaughter of praise to Elohim continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name. 16 But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such slaughters Elohim is well pleased.

Matthew 27:32 As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Shimon by name, and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry his cross. 33 When they came to a place called “Golgotha”, that is to say, “The place of a skull,” 34 they gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink.

Mark 15:21 They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Shimon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them that he might bear his cross. 22 They brought him to the place called Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, “The place of a skull.” 23 They offered him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but he didn’t take it.

Luke 23:33 When they came to the place that is called “The Skull”, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. 34 Yeshua said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

John 19:16 So then he delivered him to them to be crucified. So they took Yeshua and led him away. 17 He went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”, 18 where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either side one, and Yeshua in the middle.

5:11 Not only so, but we also rejoice in Elohim through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12 Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death passed to all men because all sinned. 13 For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.

10:1 Now while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before Elohim’s house, there was gathered together to him out of Israel a very great assembly of men and women and children; for the people wept very bitterly. 2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered Ezra, “We have trespassed against our Elohim, and have married foreign women of the peoples of the land. Yet now there is hope for Israel concerning this thing. 3 Now therefore let’s cut a covenant with our Elohim to put away all the wives and those who are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our Elohim. Let it be done according to the Torah. 4 Arise, for the matter belongs to you and we are with you. Be courageous, and do it.” 5 Then Ezra arose, and made the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel to swear that they would do according to this word. So they swore. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before Elohim’s house, and went into the room of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. When he came there, he didn’t eat bread or drank water, for he mourned because of the trespass of the exiles. 7 They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the sons of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together to Jerusalem; 8 and that whoever didn’t come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited, and he himself separated from the assembly of the captivity. 9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together to Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth new moon, on the twentieth day of the new moon; and all the people sat in the wide place in front of Elohim’s house, trembling because of this matter, and because of the great rain. 10 Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have trespassed, and have married foreign women, increasing the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore make confession to YHWH, the Elohim of your fathers and do his pleasure. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.” 12 Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “We must do as you have said concerning us. 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand outside. This is not a work of one day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. 14 Now let our princes be appointed for all the assembly, and let all those who are in our cities who have married foreign women come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city and its judges, until the fierce wrath of our Elohim is turned from us, until this matter is resolved.” 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this; and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. 16 The sons of the captivity did so. Ezra the priest, with certain heads of fathers’ households, after their fathers’ houses, and all of them by their names, were set apart; and they sat down in the first day of the tenth new moon to examine the matter. 17 They finished with all the men who had married foreign women by the first day of the first new moon. 18 Among the sons of the priests there were found who had married foreign women: of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 They gave their hand that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their guilt.

3:19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of Elohim. 20 Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21 But now apart from the law, a righteousness of Elohim has been revealed, being witnessed by the Torah and the Prophets; 22 even the righteousness of Elohim through faith in Yeshua the Messiah to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of Elohim; 24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Messiah Yeshua, 25 whom Elohim sent to be an atoning slaughter through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in Elohim’s forbearance; 26 to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time, that he might himself be just and the justifier of him who has faith in Yeshua. 27 Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is Elohim the Elohim of Jews only? Isn’t he the Elohim of Nations also? Yes, of Nations also, 30 since indeed there is one Elohim who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

4:1 But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father. 3 So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, Elohim sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, 5 that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as children. 6 And because you are children, Elohim sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” 7 So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of Elohim through Messiah. 8 However at that time, not knowing Elohim, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not elohim. 9 But now that you have come to know Elohim, or rather to be known by Elohim, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again?

Psalms 32:1 Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom YHWH doesn’t impute iniquity, in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Romans 4:1 What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward Elohim. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed Elohim, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed. 5 But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the impious, his faith is accounted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom Elohim counts righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.” 9 Is this blessing then pronounced only on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

9:1 He entered into a boat and crossed over, and came into his own city. 2 Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Yeshua, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.” 3 Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.” 4 Yeshua, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk?’ 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on land to forgive sins—” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go to your house.”

26:26 As they were eating, Yeshua took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it, 28 for this is my blood of the renewed covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of Elohim came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. 3 He came into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming the immersion of repentance for forgiveness of sins.

Luke 24:40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43 He took them, and ate in front of them. 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the Torah of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms concerning me must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures. 46 He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

John 20:20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Yeshua therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the emissaries, “Brothers, what will we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be immersed, every one of you, in the name of Yeshua the Messiah for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our Elohim will call to himself.” 40 With many other words he witnessed and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were immersed. There were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 26:14 When we had all fallen to the land, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Yeshua, whom you are persecuting. 16 But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will reveal to you; 17 delivering you from the people and from the Nations, to whom I send you, 18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Elohim, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Related Additional Readings​

2 Esdras, consisting of chapters 3-14, (also called 4 Esdras, Latin Esdras, or Latin Ezra) is the name of a book in many English versions of the Bible. Its authorship is ascribed to Ezra, a scribe and priest of the 5th century B.C., although modern scholarship places its composition between 70 and 218 A.D.. It is reckoned among the apocrypha by Roman Catholics, Protestants, and most Eastern Orthodox Christians. The Ethiopian Church considers 4 Ezra to be canonical, written during the Babylonian captivity, and calls it “Izra Sutuel” (ዕዝራ ሱቱኤል). It was also often cited by the Fathers of the Church. In the Eastern Armenian tradition it is called 3 Ezra.

3:17 It came to pass that when you led his descendants out of Egypt, you brought them up to Mount Sinai. 18 You bowed the heavens also, shook the land, moved the whole world, made the depths tremble, and troubled the age. 19 Your glory went through four gates, of fire, of earthquake, of wind, and of cold, that you might give the law to the descendants of Jacob, and the commandment to the descendants of Israel. 20 Yet you didn’t take away from them their wicked heart, that your law might produce fruit in them. 21 For the first Adam, bearing a wicked heart transgressed and was overcome, as were all who are descended from him. 22 Thus disease was made permanent. The law was in the heart of the people along with the wickedness of the root. So the good departed away, and that which was wicked remained.

Sirach, or Wisdom of Sirach, and also known as the Book of Ecclesiasticus (abbreviated Ecclus.) or Ben Sira, is a work of ethical teachings, from approximately 200 to 175 B.C., written by the Jewish scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, on the inspiration of his father Joshua son of Sirach, sometimes called Jesus son of Sirach or Yeshua ben Eliezer ben Sira. The Sirach was almost completely uncovered in Hebrew in the Dead Sea Scrolls, at Masada, and the Cairo Geniza. The multiplicity of manuscript fragments uncovered in the Cairo Genizah evidence its authoritative status among Egyptian Jewry until the Middle Ages. Quotes from Sirach can be found in Rabbinic literature in multiple places including the Talmud in Bava Kamma 92b:13 and Hagigah 13a:2. Additionally, the Gospels and other Apostolic Scriptures quote from the Book of Sirach including the Song of Miriam in Luke 1:52 (cf. Sirach 10:14); the description of the seed in Mark 4:5, 16–17 (cf. Sirach 40:15); the statement by Yeshua in Matthew 7:16,20 (cf. Sirach 27:6); and Ya’aqov (James) 1:19 (cf. Sirach 5:11).

35:1 He who guards the Torah multiplies offerings. He who heeds the commandments slaughters a peace offering. 2 He who returns a kindness offers fine flour. He who gives alms slaughters a thank offering. 3 To depart from wickedness pleases the Lord. To depart from unrighteousness is an atoning slaughter. 4 See that you don’t appear in the face of the Lord empty. 5 For all these things are done because of the commandment. 6 The offering of the righteous enriches the altar. The sweet fragrance of it is before the Most High. 7 The slaughter of a righteous man is acceptable. It won’t be forgotten.

47:1 And after him, Nathan rose up to prophesy in the days of David. 2 As is the fat when it is separated from the peace offering, so was David separated from the sons of Israel. 3 He played with lions as with kids, and with bears as with lambs of the flock. 4 In his youth didn’t he kill a giant, and take away reproach from the people when he lifted up his hand with a sling stone, and beat down the boasting Goliath? 5 For he called upon the Most High Lord, and he gave him strength in his right hand to kill a man mighty in war, to exalt the horn of his people. 6 So they glorified him for his tens of thousand, and praised him for the blessings of the Lord, in that there a glorious diadem was given to him. 7 For he destroyed the enemies on every side, and defeated the Philistines his adversaries. He broke their horn in pieces to this day. 8 In every work of his he gave thanks to the Holy One Most High with words of glory. He sang praise with his whole heart, and loved him who made him. 9 He set singers before the altar, to make sweet melody by their music. 10 He gave beauty to the feasts, and set in order the seasons to completion while they praised his holy name, and the sanctuary resounded from early morning. 11 The Lord took away his sins, and exalted his horn forever. He gave him a covenant of kings, and a glorious throne in Israel.

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

6:1 And on the new moon of the third new moon he went forth from the ark, and built an altar on that mountain. 2. And he made atonement for the land, and took a kid and made atonement by its blood for all the guilt of the land; for everything that had been on it had been destroyed, save those that were in the ark with Noaḥ. 3. And he placed the fat thereof on the altar, and he took an ox, and a goat, and a sheep and kids, and salt, and a turtle-dove, and the young of a dove, and placed a burnt slaughter on the altar, and poured thereon an offering mingled with oil, and sprinkled wine and strewed frankincense over everything, and caused a goodly savour to arise, acceptable before the Lord. 4. And the Lord smelt the goodly savour, and He cut a covenant with him that there should not be any more a flood to destroy the land; that all the days of the land seed-time and harvest should never cease; cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night should not change their order, nor cease for ever. 5. “And you, increase ye and multiply upon the land, and become many upon it, and be a blessing upon it. The fear of you and the dread of you I will inspire in everything that is on land and in the sea. 6. And behold I have given unto you all beasts, and all winged things, and everything that moveth on the land, and the fish in the waters, and all things for food; as the green herbs, I have given you all things to eat. 7. But flesh, with the life thereof, with the blood, ye will not eat; for the life of all flesh is in the blood, lest your blood of your lives be required. At the hand of every man, at the hand of every (beast), will I require the blood of man. 8. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood by man will his blood be shed; for in the image of Elohim made He man. 9. And you, increase ye, and multiply on the land.” 10. And Noaḥ and his sons swore that they would not eat any blood that was in any flesh, and he cut a covenant before the Lord Elohim for ever throughout all the generations of the land in this new moon. 11. On this account He spake to thee that thou shouldst cut a covenant with the sons of Israel in this new moon upon the mountain with an oath, and that thou shouldst sprinkle blood upon them because of all the words of the covenant, which the Lord made with them for ever. 12. And this witness is written concerning you that you should observe it continually, so that you should not eat on any day any blood of beasts or birds or cattle during all the days of the land, and the man who eateth the blood of beast or of cattle or of birds during all the days of the land, he and his seed will be rooted out of the land. 13. And do thou command the sons of Israel to eat no blood, so that their names and their seed may be before the Lord our Elohim continually. 14. And for this law there is no limit of days, for it is for ever. They will observe it throughout their generations, so that they may continue supplicating on your behalf with blood before the altar; every day and at the time of morning and evening they will seek forgiveness on your behalf perpetually before the Lord that they may keep it and not be rooted out. 15. And He gave to Noaḥ and his sons a sign that there should not again be a flood on the land. 16. He set His bow in the cloud for a sign of the eternal covenant that there should not again be a flood on the land to destroy it all the days of the land. 17. For this reason it is ordained and written on the heavenly tables, that they should celebrate the feast of weeks in this new moon once a year, to renew the covenant every year. 18. And this whole festival was celebrated in the heavens from the day of creation till the days of Noaḥ-twenty-six jubilees and five weeks of years [1309-1659 A.M.]: and Noaḥ and his sons observed it for seven jubilees and one week of years, till the day of Noaḥ’s death, and from the day of Noaḥ’s death his sons did away with (it) until the days of Abraham, and they ate blood. 19. But Abraham observed it, and Isaac and Jacob and his children observed it up to thy days, and in thy days the sons of Israel forgot it until ye celebrated it anew on this mountain. 20. And do thou command the sons of Israel to observe this festival in all their generations for a commandment unto them: one day in the year in this new moon they will celebrate the festival. 21. For it is the feast of weeks and the feast of first fruits: this feast is twofold and of a double nature: according to what is written and engraven concerning it celebrate it. 22. For I have written in the book of the first law, in that which I have written for thee, that thou shouldst celebrate it in its season, one day in the year, and I explained to thee its slaughters that the sons of Israel should remember and should celebrate it throughout their generations in this new moon, one day in every year. 23. And on the new moon of the first new moon, and on the new moon of the fourth new moon, and on the new moon of the seventh new moon, and on the new moon of the tenth new moon are the days of remembrance, and the days of the seasons in the four divisions of the year. These are written and ordained as a witness for ever. 24. And Noaḥ ordained them for himself as feasts for the generations for ever, so that they have become thereby a memorial unto him. 25. And on the new moon of the first new moon he was bidden to make for himself an ark, and on that (day) the land became dry and he opened (the ark) and saw the land. 26. And on the new moon of the fourth new moon the mouths of the depths of the abysses beneath were closed. And on the new moon of the seventh new moon all the mouths of the abysses of the land were opened, and the waters began to descend into them. 27. And on the new moon of the tenth new moon the tops of the mountains were seen, and Noaḥ was glad. 28. And on this account he ordained them for himself as feasts for a memorial for ever, and thus are they ordained. 29. And they placed them on the heavenly tables, each had thirteen weeks; from one to another (passed) their memorial, from the first to the second, and from the second to the third, and from the third to the fourth. 30. And all the days of the commandment will be two and fifty weeks of days, and (these will make) the entire year complete. 31. Thus it is engraven and ordained on the heavenly tables. And there is no neglecting (this commandment) for a single -year or from year to year. 32. And command thou the sons of Israel that they observe the years according to this reckoning-three hundred and sixty-four days, and (these) will constitute a complete year, and they will not disturb its time from its days and from its feasts; for everything will fall out in them according to their witness, and they will not leave out any day nor disturb any feasts. 33. But if they do neglect and do not observe them according to His commandment, then they will disturb all their seasons, and the years will be dislodged from this (order), [and they will disturb the seasons and the years will be dislodged] and they will neglect their ordinances. 34. And all the sons of Israel will forget, and will not find the path of the years, and will forget the new moons, and seasons, and sabbaths, and they will go wrong as to all the order of the years. 35. For I know and from henceforth will I declare it unto thee, and it is not of my own devising; for the book (lieth) written before me, and on the heavenly tables the division of days is ordained, lest they forget the feasts of the covenant and walk according to the feasts of the Nations after their error and after their ignorance. 36. For there will be those who will assuredly make observations of the moon–now (it) disturbeth the seasons and cometh in from year to year ten days too soon. 37. For this reason the years will come upon them when they will disturb (the order), and make an abominable (day) the day of witness, and an unclean day a feast day, and they will confound all the days, the holy with the unclean, and the unclean day with the holy; for they will go wrong as to the new moons and sabbaths and feasts and jubilees. 38. For this reason I command and testify to thee that thou mayest testify to them; for after thy death thy children will disturb (them), so that they will not make the year three hundred and sixty-four days only, and for this reason they will go wrong as to the new moons and seasons and sabbaths and festivals, and they will eat all kinds of blood with all kinds of flesh.

14:9 And he said unto him: “Take Me an heifer of three years, and a goat of three years, and a sheep of three years, and a turtle-dove, and a dove.” 10. And he took all these in the middle of the new moon; and he dwelt at the oak of Mamre, which is near Hebron. 11. And he built there an altar, and slaughtered all these; and he poured their blood upon the altar, and divided them in the midst, and laid them over against each other; but the birds divided he not.

4:29 And at the close of the nineteenth jubilee, in the seventh week in the sixth year [930 A.M.] thereof, Adam died, and all his sons buried him in the land of his creation, and he was the first to be buried in the land. 30. And he lacked seventy years of one thousand years; for one thousand years are as one day in the witness of the heavens and therefore was it written concerning the tree of knowledge: ‘On the day that ye eat thereof ye will die.’ For this reason he did not complete the years of this day; for he died during it.

Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in 37 AD in Jerusalem of a priestly and royal family. He excelled in his studies of Jewish law and studied with the Sadducees, Pharisees, and the Essenes, eventually aligning himself with the Pharisees. In 62 AD he went to Rome to free some imprisoned priests. After accomplishing this mission through the intercession of Nero’s wife, Poppaea, he returned to Jerusalem in 65 AD to find the country in revolt against Rome. Josephus shrewdly reinterpreted the Messianic prophecies. He predicted that Vespasian would become the ruler of the ‘entire world’. His prophecy became true in 68 AD when Nero committed suicide and Vespasian became Ceasar. As a result, Josephus was freed; he moved to Rome and became a Roman citizen, taking the Vespasian family name Flavius. Vespasian commissioned Josephus to write a history of the war, which he finished in 78 AD, the Jewish War. His second major work, the Antiquities of the Jews, was completed in 93 AD. The extant manuscripts of the book Antiquities of the Jews contain two references to Yeshua of Nazareth (18.3.3. and 20.9.1.) and one reference to the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist (18.5.2.).

3.9.1. I Will now, however, make mention of a few of our laws which belong to purifications, and the like sacred offices, since I am accidentally come to this matter of slaughters. These slaughters were of two sorts; of those sorts one was offered for private persons, and the other for the people in general; and they are done in two different ways. In the one case, what is slain is burnt, as a whole burnt offering, whence that name is given to it; but the other is a thank offering, and is designed for feasting those that slaughter. I will speak of the former. Suppose a private man offer a burnt offering, he must slay either a bull, a lamb, or a kid of the goats, and the two latter of the first year, though of bulls he is permitted to slaughter those of a greater age; but all burnt offerings are to be of males. When they are slain, the priests sprinkle the blood round about the altar; they then cleanse the bodies, and divide them into parts, and salt them with salt, and lay them upon the altar, while the pieces of wood are piled one upon another, and the fire is burning; they next cleanse the feet of the slaughters, and the inwards, in an accurate manner and so lay them to the rest to be purged by the fire, while the priests receive the hides. This is the way of offering a burnt offering.

3.9.2. But those that offer thank offerings do indeed slaughter the same creatures, but such as are unblemished, and above a year old; however, they may take either males or females. They also sprinkle the altar with their blood; but they lay upon the altar the kidneys and the caul, and all the fat, and the lobe of the liver, together with the rump of the lamb; then, giving the breast and the right shoulder to the priests, the offerers feast upon the remainder of the flesh for two days; and what remains they burn.

3.9.3. The slaughters for sins are offered in the same manner as is the thank offering. But those who are unable to purchase complete slaughters, offer two doves, or turtle doves; the one of which is made a burnt offering to Elohim, the other they give as food to the priests. But we will treat more accurately about the oblation of these creatures in our discourse concerning slaughters. But if a person fall into sin by ignorance, he offers an ewe lamb, or a female kid of the goats, of the same age; and the priests sprinkle the blood at the altar, not after the former manner, but at the corners of it. They also bring the kidneys and the rest of the fat, together with the lobe of the liver, to the altar, while the priests bear away the hides and the flesh, and spend it in the holy place, on the same day; 23 for the law does not permit them to leave of it until the morning. But if any one sin, and is conscious of it himself, but hath nobody that can prove it upon him, he offers a ram, the law enjoining him so to do; the flesh of which the priests eat, as before, in the holy place, on the same day. And if the rulers offer slaughters for their sins, they bring the same oblations that private men do; only they so far differ, that they are to bring for slaughters a bull or a kid of the goats, both males.

3.9.4. Now the law requires, both in private and public slaughters, that the finest flour be also brought; for a lamb the measure of one tenth deal,—for a ram two,—and for a bull three. This they consecrate upon the altar, when it is mingled with oil; for oil is also brought by those that slaughter; for a bull the half of an hin, and for a ram the third part of the same measure, and one quarter of it for a lamb. This hin is an ancient Hebrew measure, and is equivalent to two Athenian choas [or congiuses]. They bring the same quantity of oil which they do of wine, and they pour the wine about the altar; but if any one does not offer a complete slaughter of animals, but brings fine flour only for a vow, he throws a handful upon the altar as its first fruits, while the priests take the rest for their food, either boiled or mingled with oil, but made into cakes of bread. But whatsoever it be that a priest himself offers, it must of necessity be all burnt. Now the law forbids us to slaughter any animal at the same time with its dam; and, in other cases, not till the eighth day after its birth. Other slaughters there are also appointed for escaping distempers, or for other occasions, in which grain offerings are consumed, together with the animals that are slaughtered; of which it is not lawful to leave any part till the next day, only the priests are to take their own share.