JUDAISM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT:
RECLAIMING THE JEWISH WORLD BEHIND THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURE
A Live 8-Week Online Cohort
The New Testament emerged from a Jewish world with competing Jewish and cultural movements. Yet, many of the ideas familiar to Christians today are often presented without this context.
What happens when we read the New Testament with Jewish eyes?
Judaism in the New Testament is an eight-week guided exploration designed for people deconstructing Christianity, exploring the Noahide path, and Jews who want to understand how New Testament ideas connect to Jewish thought.
Limited seats. Enrolment closes August 26, 2026 at 11:59PM
What if you've been reading the New Testament without the world that produced it?
Context changes everything
What does Judaism in the New Testament reveal about the Jewish beliefs, practices, teachings, and debates woven throughout these writings?
We instinctively read the New Testament through the assumptions we've inherited.
Why this course matters
By recognizing the Torah-centered world of their Jewish authors, we’ll uncover meanings often ignored through later Christian interpretations.
Students are then able to better understand religious concepts to support deconstruction with historical, textual, and religious literacy.
We’ll explore questions like:
What did Judaism look like in the world of the New Testament?
How did “Rabbi Yehoshua” (Jesus) and his followers understand Torah, Shabbat, prayer, and Jewish practice?
How and why did a Jewish movement develop into a separate religion?
Using an academic and historical analysis gives the backdrop necessary to engage these texts more accurately, and with greater understanding.
Recover the Jewish world behind Christian Scripture.
Before there was doctrine, there was history.
Together, we'll slow down and examine the New Testament alongside Jewish sources, allowing Scripture to be read within the culture, language, and ideas that shaped it.
INTRODUCING
The Jewish Context of the New Testament
An eight-week journey into historical research, textual study, and interactive discussion.
Each session includes live teaching, Q&A, and guided exploration of primary Jewish and Christian texts. Unlike many New Testament courses, this program is taught from the perspective of Jewish history rather than later Christian theology.
What You'll Walk Away With
By the End of This Course You'll Better Understand:
✓ the Jewish world of Jesus
✓ the earliest Jewish followers of Jesus
✓ Paul's relationship to Torah
✓ how Jewish ideas developed into Christian theology
✓ where Jewish and Christian interpretations overlap and where they diverge
…and why those differences matter
This is For You if...
✓ You're deconstructing Christianity and want historical answers rather than emotional reactions.
✓ You want to understand Jesus within first-century Judaism.
✓ You're exploring Judaism or the Noahide path.
✓ You're Jewish and want to understand how Christianity developed from Jewish roots.
✓ You enjoy thoughtful discussion, history, and textual study.
✓ You're willing to examine evidence even when it challenges assumptions.
THE COURSE EXPERIENCE
Your 8-Week Learning Journey
Eight live sessions that build on one another, moving from the Jewish world of the New Testament to historical analysis, deconstruction, and thoughtful integration.
Before Christianity
The Jewish World of the New Testament
"Rabbi Yehoshua"
Jesus in His Jewish Context
Torah in Practice
Shabbat, Prayer, Tefillin & Sacred Time
Torah, Halakhah & Jewish Debate
Examining interpretation, authority, and Jewish legal disagreement
From Jewish Edge Movement to Christian Religion
Tracing the development of an emerging religious identity
When Jewish Ideas Become Christian Ideas
Messiah, covenant, Torah, salvation, resurrection, and more
Personal Review & Deconstruction
Revisit assumptions, compare sources, and reflect on what has changed
Group Decompression & Integration
Process what you learned, identify remaining questions, and consider what comes next
More Than Eight Classes
Everything you need to engage deeply with the material, revisit what you learn, and continue the conversation between sessions.
Meet Your Instructor
Dr. Ma'asehyahu "Dr. Is" Isra-Ul
This course is taught by Dr. Ma'asehyahu "Dr. Is" Isra-Ul, an educator, historian, university instructor, and founder of the Black Judaic Heritage Center.
Dr. Is earned an Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction (K-12 social studies) along with an Ed.S., M.Ed. (History), and B.A. in Education and History. He earned a Certificate in Jewish Context & Culture Studies through Mekhon Ha-Tanakh/Israel Bible Institute and is currently pursuing a certificate in Biblical Hebrew studies through the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
As founder of the Black Judaic Heritage Center, Dr. Is has become a respected lecturer on Afro-Jewish history. His recent presentations have included lectures at the Virginia Holocaust Museum on African Jewish history and the Igbo Jews of West Africa.
His passion is helping students learn to examine historical sources carefully, think critically, and distinguish evidence from assumption.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This course is designed for anyone who wants to understand the New Testament within its original Jewish historical context. It is especially valuable for people deconstructing Christianity, those exploring Judaism or the Noahide path, Jews seeking a deeper understanding of the New Testament, and anyone interested in biblical history and the Jewish world of the first century.
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No. This is a historical and educational course.
Rather than asking participants to accept or reject any particular belief system, we will examine the New Testament through the lens of Jewish history, culture, language, and primary sources. The goal is to better understand the world in which these texts were written.
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Every live session will be recorded.
Participants will have access to the recordings for 6 months following the course so they can catch up or revisit the material at their own pace.
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Yes.
Each live session includes dedicated Q&A time with Dr. Ma'asehyahu "Dr. Is" Isra-Ul, allowing participants to engage directly with the material and ask questions throughout the course.
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The course includes eight live online sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, held on Wednesday evenings from 8:30 PM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time.
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You'll receive a confirmation email with everything you need to get started, including course dates, access instructions, and details about joining the private course space inside the 7613 community.
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If you choose the deposit option, your $100 USD non-refundable deposit reserves your seat and is applied toward your tuition.
The remaining $299 USD balance must be paid in full one week before the course begins.
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The $100 USD deposit is non-refundable.
Students who pay in full may cancel for a full refund, less any non-refundable deposit, up to 7 days before the course begins. After that date, refunds are not available because enrolment is limited and your seat has been reserved.
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We expect to offer future cohorts, but dates, tuition, and course content may change. Founding Cohort pricing is available only for this inaugural offering.
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No.
The course is designed to provide the historical background and Jewish context needed to engage with the material. No prior academic or theological training is required.
FOUNDING COHORT • LIMITED ENROLLMENT
Choose Your Enrollment Option
Join the founding cohort of an eight-week live course exploring the New Testament within its original Jewish historical context.
Pay your tuition in full today and receive $100 off future regular tuition.
Enroll for $299 USDReserve your place today with a non-refundable $100 USD deposit. The remaining $199 USD balance is due one week before the course begins.
Reserve My Seat
Your Registration Includes
- 8 live 90-minute classes with Dr. Ma'asehyahu “Dr. Is” Isra-Ul
- Live Q&A during every session
- Full access to all course recordings for 6 months
- Digital library of materials and resources
- Three months of complimentary access to the 7613 community
Secure checkout • Enrollment is limited to preserve meaningful discussion and live interaction.
Deposits are non-refundable and are applied toward the $299 USD Founding Cohort tuition. If you reserve your seat with a deposit, the remaining $199 USD balance must be paid in full one week before the course begins. Future regular tuition is $399 USD.