The story of Jephthah is one of the most dramatic and morally complex narratives in the Hebrew Bible. Found in the Book of Judges, it tells the tale of a man who made a solemn vow to God in exchange ...

Confirmation camp is a rite of passage for many middle school youth in Lutheran churches. As a pastor, I would travel with the confirmands, spending a week in a camp setting. The event became a rite ...

When we read this weekly Haftarah (for parashat Chukat), all that we ‘’know’’ about the daughter of Jephthah, is that her father, a major Israelite chieftain, ignored the thrust of two Talmudic ...

Chapter 9 As I wrote a few days ago, the central message of Judges is that the absence of a strong ruler produces barbarous anarchy. But this chapter’s lesson? Kings aren’t always so hotsy-totsy ...