I have spent some twenty years getting the Old Testament (TaNaKH) and the Hebrew, Ancient Near East cultural perspective under my belt. I know I still have much to learn here, but I am feeling irresistibly drawn to the New Covenant, which means the New Testament. So, staying true to my methodology, I am going to set the table for what follows by discussing the 2nd Temple, interestamental period and how it set the stage for the arrival of the Messiah and New Covenant. We'll go forward from there.