Meet Dr. Eli

Dr. Eli (Eliyahu) Lizorkin-Girzhel is an Israeli scholar who spends his days personally mentoring pastors, priests, missionaries, and Christian lay leaders. His mission is to equip people worldwide to understand the Jewish context, culture, and language of the Bible until they hear the soft sound of sandaled feet. Apart from this ministry, he serves as an academic dean at the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies and is a founder of the Israel Bible Center.

Formal education:

• Ph.D. in Ancient Cultures & Languages (Stellenbosch University, 2011)
• Doctoral Research Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2011) and Princeton Theological Seminary (2010)
• M.Phil. in Bible Interpretation (Stellenbosch University, 2008)
• M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando (2001)

Significant publications:

• Published a monograph in Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium (CSCO) series in Syriac Studies 2012
• Published entries in the Encyclopedia of Christian Literature (2010) and the Encyclopedia for Christian Civilization (2011).
• Published 16 books and countless articles (2011-2025)
• Published article in the Oxford Handbook on Jewish Christianity and Messianic Judaism (forthcoming, 2026)

Organizational accomplishments:

• Co-founder of Haifa Theological Institute (HTI)
• Co-founder of the peer-reviewed Journal of the Jesus Movement in Its Jewish Setting (JJMJS) (2011)
• Founder of Israel Bible Center (IBC)

Appointments:

• Nazareth Theological Seminary (NTS)
• Israel Bible Center (IBC)
• Israel Institute of Biblical Studies (IIBS)

What does all that mean for you? It means the articles here aren’t lightweight devotional thoughts or recycled sermon illustrations. They’re the kind of insights you only get when someone can open the Hebrew Bible, the Greek New Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and a rabbinic commentary—all at the same time—and explain them in plain English (or Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, French, German, Polish, Bahasa Indonesia, or Hindi if you read this blog in translation).

Furthermore, he’s the rare scholar who will work a Seinfeld reference or a Pirates of the Caribbean quote into a footnote without blinking. You’ll get used to it.

Welcome to the blog. Pull up a chair—you’re in for a fascinating ride.