Op-Ed

It’s Biblical! The Meaning Is Less Relevant

Contemporary Israeli discourse uses the Bible’s rhetorical power to sway public opinion, sometimes interpreting phrases to suggest the opposite of what they meant in their original context.

Prof. Gili Kugler

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"It’s Biblical! The Meaning Is Less Relevant." TheTorah.com, February 20, 2024. https://www.thetorah.com/blog/its-biblical-the-meaning-is-less-relevant.

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"It’s Biblical! The Meaning Is Less Relevant" (2024, February 20). TheTorah.com. https://www.thetorah.com/blog/its-biblical-the-meaning-is-less-relevant

February 20, 2024
It’s Biblical! The Meaning Is Less Relevant

Israel judicial reform slogans and Jerusalem’s Old City / Wikimedia (adapted).

Published: February 20, 2024

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Last Updated: September 7, 2026

  1. See Maurice Keen, “Brotherhood in Arms,” History 47.159 (1962): 1–17.

  2. In the Bible, the adjective shakul, in the singular masculine, is used to refer to a bear (Hos 13:8, 2 Sam 17:8, Prov 17:12).

Prof. Gili Kugler is a Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa and a supervising editor for TheTorah.co.il. From 2023 to 2026, she is also a Humboldt Foundation Fellow for Experienced Researchers at the University… Read More
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