Gen 35: Rewriting Scripture: The Bible in the Second Temple Period

Host: Dr. Hillel Mali. In Genesis 35, Jacob returns to Bethel, where he had once vowed to build a house of God and dedicate a tenth of his possessions. But does he actually fulfill his promise? Ancient Jewish authors noticed the difficulties in the biblical account—and retold the story in surprising ways.

In this episode of The Bible Bar, we speak with Bar-Ilan scholar Dr. Hillel Mali about the fascinating phenomenon of “rewritten Scripture” in Second Temple Judaism. Drawing on works such as the Book of Jubilees, the Genesis Apocryphon, and the Aramaic Levi Document, they explore how ancient Jewish writers expanded, reshaped, and reinterpreted biblical narratives.

Why did these authors feel free to retell sacred stories? Were they explaining Scripture, correcting it, or creating new versions of it?

The conversation opens a window onto a rich and often unfamiliar world of ancient Jewish biblical interpretation—and reveals how the Bible continued to grow in meaning long after its stories were first told.