Divine Nature: The Hebrew Tree and River of Life

Dr. Yeshaya Gruber is Professor of Jewish History and Culture at the Israel Bible Center and hosts the Roundtable Talks with leading scholars and authors in Biblical, Second Temple Period, and Jewish-Christian Studies. He earned his Ph.D. in History from Georgetown University and has held research and teaching positions in Jerusalem, Athens, Sydney, and elsewhere. His extensive travels, coupled with his research and teaching experience, help to enrich his students’ understanding of Jewish-Christian relations, history, and potential future paths.

Dr. Tupá Guerra is a post-doctoral researcher in the department of metaphysics at the University of Brasília and is also head of historical research at the Museu do Tribunal de Contas da União, in Brazil. She has a PhD from the University of Birmingham, UK, and studies demonology and magic in the Dead Sea Scrolls. During her Master’s degree at the University of Brasilia she studied the Book of Tobit and other mythical complexes related to the fear of the feminine. She is also a podcaster on topics related to demonology, antiquity and magic.

In addition to his work with Israel Bible Center as Professor of Hebrew Bible, Dr. Schaser is an Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Macalester College and the Adjunct Instructor of the New Testament at Bethel Seminary (both in St. Paul, Minnesota). Professor Schaser’s research interests include rabbinic literature and the Jewishness of the New Testament, with particular focus on Midrash and the Gospel of Matthew. Teaching widely in both synagogues and churches, Dr. Schaser strives to promote mutual learning and respect between Jews and Christians.

Dr. Carlos Santos Carretero was studying of Judeo-Christian traditions in their most heterodox manifestations: apocalyptic literature, apocryphal texts, and mysticism, especially in its relation to the other Middle East ancient religious traditions. His PhD studies dwells into angelology and demonology in the literary cycle of the antediluvian patriarch Enoch. Since 2013 Carlos teaches Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, Jewish Origins of Christianity, and various seminars on Biblical literature. He also teaches Biblical languages in Spain, at CEPOAT (Centro de Estudios del Próximo Oriente y Antigüedad Tardía, University of Murcia, Spain).

Pinchas Shir, Israel Bible Center’s Associate Professor of Ancient Cultures, is nearing the completion of his Ph.D. studies in the Department of Religion at Groningen University in the Netherlands. His academic interests focus on ancient dining culture, culinary contexts of the Second Temple period, and particularly on the table interactions between Jews and Gentiles in antiquity. In addition, Pinchas is keenly interested in the archaeology of Ancient Israel and the Mediterranean. Currently residing in North America, Assoc. Professor Shir lectures internationally and maintains a strong online presence where all can hear his teachings.