Sheleg: Revisiting SNOW

This week Prince Edward Island has enjoyed some lovely, sunny, snowy days. It’s a good time to revisit where and why snow (sheleg in Hebrew) shows up in the Bible. We don’t tend to think of the Holy Land as a snowy place, but it did grace the mountains in the North. Today Mount Hermon is the main place to go skiing in Israel. Mount Hermon is also the most likely candidate for the mountain where Jesus was transfigured to a Spiritual state:

Mark 9:2-10

And six days later Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here; let’s make three tabernacles, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For he did not know how to reply; for they became terrified. 

Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him!” And suddenly they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.

As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead. They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant.

The fact that Yeshua (Jesus) glowed white on a snowy mountain would have made him all the more dazzling. The phrase as white as snow is one of the more common uses of the word snow in the Tanakh (Old Testament). It’s almost a shame that it was not used here, although Mark’s laundry image gets the point across very well.

This (above) is a picture of my backyard, taken yesterday (Dec.9, 2023). The DeSable River, which flows into the Northumberland Strait, is just beyond the trees. The Northumberland Strait links up to the Atlantic Ocean and its effect gives us some interesting winter weather. The large body of water gives us milder temperatures (compared to the deep freeze of inland Canada) but the ocean winds can cause a ruckus on this Island with the powdery snow, producing whiteouts and wild winter gales. Although I’m not a fan of driving in the winter, I do think snow is mighty pretty! I love how the snow in my backyard photo looks like waves on a wintery Sea.

To revisit the earlier posting on snow, click below:

SNOW (Sheleg)

As many of you are aware, I am working on my Doctorate of Biblical Studies. I have two papers due imminently and so with that, the festive celebrations, and the homecoming of my children, the next few postings will be a revisit to some older posts from years past (which allows me to tidy up these earlier postings into the format I presently use). I will also give you an update, early in the New Year, of my progress as a Doctoral Researcher. For now, know that I’m having a blast, regardless of the great amount of reading and study that it takes out of my daily schedule! I’m constantly rediscovering the beauty, sophistication, and refinement of what we call the Bible… and I wouldn’t have it any other way! 

Next week: Revisiting Counsellor