diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3fd8027..b05c45c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ help:
 # Target-specific variables for the publish target
 publish:
 	@if [ "$(clean)" = "True" ]; then \
-		./scripts/publish.sh "$(SOURCE_DIR)" "$(DEST_DIR)" True; \
+		./scripts/publish.py clean; \
 	else \
-		./scripts/publish.sh "$(SOURCE_DIR)" "$(DEST_DIR)"; \
+		./scripts/publish.py; \
 	fi
 	@if [ "$(local)" = "True" ]; then \
 		echo "Running npx quartz build --serve"; \
diff --git a/scripts/publish.py b/scripts/publish.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3413f44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/publish.py
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import os
+import shutil
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+import re
+from typing import Set, Dict
+import logging
+from datetime import datetime
+
+# Configure logging
+logging.basicConfig(
+    level=logging.INFO,
+    format='%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s',
+    handlers=[
+        logging.StreamHandler(),
+        logging.FileHandler(f"/tmp/publish_log_{datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d_%H%M%S')}.log")
+    ]
+)
+
+def load_env_vars() -> tuple[Path, Path]:
+    """Load environment variables and return source and destination directories."""
+    source_dir = os.getenv('SOURCE_DIR')
+    dest_dir = os.getenv('DEST_DIR')
+    
+    if not source_dir or not dest_dir:
+        logging.error("SOURCE_DIR and DEST_DIR must be set in environment variables")
+        sys.exit(1)
+    
+    # Expand environment variables like $HOME
+    source_dir = os.path.expandvars(source_dir)
+    dest_dir = os.path.expandvars(dest_dir)
+    
+    return Path(source_dir), Path(dest_dir)
+
+def get_publish_status(file_path: Path) -> bool | None:
+    """Check if a markdown file has publish: true/false in its frontmatter."""
+    try:
+        with open(file_path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+            content = f.read()
+            match = re.search(r'^---\n.*?publish:\s*(true|false).*?\n---', content, re.DOTALL | re.MULTILINE)
+            if match:
+                return match.group(1).lower() == 'true'
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"Error reading {file_path}: {e}")
+    return None
+
+def extract_image_references(content: str) -> Set[str]:
+    """Extract image references from markdown content."""
+    # Match both ![[image.png]] and ![alt](image.png) syntax
+    obsidian_images = set(re.findall(r'!\[\[(.*?)\]\]', content))
+    markdown_images = set(re.findall(r'!\[.*?\]\((.*?)\)', content))
+    return obsidian_images.union(markdown_images)
+
+def find_image_in_source(image_ref: str, source_dir: Path) -> Path | None:
+    """Find an image file in the source directory."""
+    image_name = Path(image_ref).name
+    
+    # Search for the image recursively
+    for path in source_dir.rglob(image_name):
+        if path.is_file():
+            return path
+    return None
+
+def process_images(content: str, source_dir: Path, dest_dir: Path) -> str:
+    """Process and copy images, updating references in content."""
+    images_dir = dest_dir / "images"
+    images_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+    
+    # Get all image references
+    image_refs = extract_image_references(content)
+    
+    # Process each image reference
+    for img_ref in image_refs:
+        img_path = find_image_in_source(img_ref, source_dir)
+        if img_path:
+            # Copy image to images directory
+            dest_image = images_dir / img_path.name
+            if not dest_image.exists():
+                shutil.copy2(img_path, dest_image)
+                logging.info(f"Copied image: {img_path.name}")
+            
+            # Update reference in content
+            if '![[' in content:
+                # Convert Obsidian to Markdown style
+                content = content.replace(f'![[{img_ref}]]', f'![{img_path.stem}](/images/{img_path.name})')
+            else:
+                # Update regular Markdown style
+                content = content.replace(f'({img_ref})', f'(/images/{img_path.name})')
+        else:
+            logging.warning(f"Image not found: {img_ref}")
+    
+    return content
+
+def clean_destination(dest_dir: Path):
+    """Clean the destination directory."""
+    for item in dest_dir.iterdir():
+        if item.is_file():
+            item.unlink()
+        elif item.is_dir() and item.name != "images":
+            shutil.rmtree(item)
+    logging.info(f"Cleaned destination directory: {dest_dir}")
+
+def sync_files(source_dir: Path, dest_dir: Path, clean: bool = False):
+    """Synchronize files between source and destination directories."""
+    if clean:
+        clean_destination(dest_dir)
+    
+    # Create images directory if it doesn't exist
+    images_dir = dest_dir / "images"
+    images_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+    
+    # Track files to keep in destination
+    files_to_keep = set()
+    
+    # Process markdown files
+    for source_file in source_dir.rglob("*.md"):
+        publish_status = get_publish_status(source_file)
+        if publish_status is None:
+            continue
+        
+        # Calculate relative path and destination path
+        rel_path = source_file.relative_to(source_dir)
+        dest_file = dest_dir / rel_path
+        
+        if publish_status:
+            # Ensure parent directories exist
+            dest_file.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            
+            # Read and process content
+            with open(source_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+                content = f.read()
+            
+            # Process images and update references
+            content = process_images(content, source_dir, dest_dir)
+            
+            # Write processed content
+            with open(dest_file, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+                f.write(content)
+            
+            logging.info(f"Processed: {rel_path}")
+            files_to_keep.add(dest_file)
+        else:
+            # Remove if publish is false and file exists
+            if dest_file.exists():
+                dest_file.unlink()
+                logging.info(f"Removed: {rel_path}")
+    
+    # Clean up old files in destination that weren't in source
+    for dest_file in dest_dir.rglob("*.md"):
+        if dest_file not in files_to_keep:
+            dest_file.unlink()
+            logging.info(f"Removed old file: {dest_file.relative_to(dest_dir)}")
+    
+    # Clean up unused images
+    used_images = set()
+    for dest_file in dest_dir.rglob("*.md"):
+        with open(dest_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+            content = f.read()
+            # Extract image filenames from markdown links
+            used_images.update(re.findall(r'!\[.*?\]\(/images/(.*?)\)', content))
+    
+    # Remove unused images
+    for image_file in images_dir.iterdir():
+        if image_file.name not in used_images:
+            image_file.unlink()
+            logging.info(f"Removed unused image: {image_file.name}")
+
+def main():
+    """Main function."""
+    # Parse command line arguments
+    clean = len(sys.argv) > 1 and sys.argv[1].lower() == 'clean'
+    
+    try:
+        # Load environment variables
+        source_dir, dest_dir = load_env_vars()
+        
+        # Validate directories
+        if not source_dir.exists():
+            logging.error(f"Source directory does not exist: {source_dir}")
+            sys.exit(1)
+        
+        # Create destination directory if it doesn't exist
+        dest_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        
+        # Sync files
+        sync_files(source_dir, dest_dir, clean)
+        
+        logging.info("Sync completed successfully")
+    
+    except Exception as e:
+        logging.error(f"An error occurred: {e}")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/scripts/publish.sh b/scripts/publish.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index e5e1f1a..0000000
--- a/scripts/publish.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,141 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-# Check if both SOURCE_DIR and DEST_DIR are provided as arguments
-if [ "$#" -lt 2 ]; then
-    echo "Usage: $0 <SOURCE_DIR> <DEST_DIR> [clean=True/False]"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-# Capture SOURCE_DIR and DEST_DIR from arguments
-SOURCE_DIR="$1"
-DEST_DIR="$2"
-CLEAN_FLAG="${3:-False}"  # Default value is False if not provided
-IMAGE_DIR="$DEST_DIR/images"
-
-# Ensure destination directories exist
-mkdir -p "$DEST_DIR"
-
-# Function to clean DEST_DIR
-clean_destination() {
-    echo "Cleaning $DEST_DIR"
-    rm -rf "$DEST_DIR"/*
-}
-
-# Check if CLEAN_FLAG is set to True
-if [ "$CLEAN_FLAG" == "True" ]; then
-    clean_destination
-fi
-
-mkdir -p "$IMAGE_DIR"
-
-# Temporary log for copied files
-LOG_FILE=/tmp/copied_files.log
-
-# Clear the log file
-> "$LOG_FILE"
-
-# Find Markdown files with "publish: true" and process them
-find -L "$SOURCE_DIR" -type f -name "*.md" -exec grep -q "publish: true" {} \; -exec grep -l "publish: true" {} + | while read -r markdown_file; do
-    # Extract relative path from the source directory
-    relative_path="${markdown_file#$SOURCE_DIR/}"
-
-    # Destination path
-    dest_path="$DEST_DIR/$relative_path"
-
-    # Ensure the directory exists before copying the Markdown file
-    dest_dir=$(dirname "$dest_path")
-    mkdir -p "$dest_dir"
-
-    # Check if the destination file already exists
-    if [ -f "$dest_path" ]; then
-        # Compare the source and destination files
-        if cmp -s "$markdown_file" "$dest_path"; then
-            echo "Skipped $markdown_file as it already exists and has the same content in $dest_path" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-        else
-            # Replace the destination file with the source file
-            cp -p "$markdown_file" "$dest_path"
-            echo "Replaced $dest_path with $markdown_file" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-
-            # Extract and copy referenced images
-            grep -o '\!\[\[.*\]\]' "$markdown_file" | sed 's/\!\[\[\(.*\)\]\]/\1/' | while IFS= read -r image_ref; do
-                # Check if image_ref is a relative path
-                if [[ ! "$image_ref" =~ ^/ ]]; then
-                    image_ref="$SOURCE_DIR/$image_ref"
-                fi
-                
-                # Try to find the image recursively within SOURCE_DIR
-                image_path=$(find -L "$SOURCE_DIR" -type f -name "$(basename "$image_ref")" -print -quit)
-                
-                # Debugging: Print image_path
-                echo "Checking image_path: $image_path" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-                
-                if [ -f "$image_path" ]; then
-                    # Check if the image already exists in IMAGE_DIR
-                    if [ ! -f "$IMAGE_DIR/$(basename "$image_ref")" ]; then
-                        cp "$image_path" "$IMAGE_DIR/"
-                        echo "Copied image $image_ref to $IMAGE_DIR/" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-                    else
-                        echo "Skipped copying image $image_ref as it already exists in $IMAGE_DIR/" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-                    fi
-                else
-                    echo "Image reference $image_ref in $markdown_file does not exist." >> "$LOG_FILE"
-                fi
-            done
-        fi
-    else
-        # Copy the Markdown file since it doesn't exist in the destination
-        cp -p "$markdown_file" "$dest_path"
-        echo "Copied $markdown_file to $dest_path" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-
-        # Extract and copy referenced images
-        grep -o '\!\[\[.*\]\]' "$markdown_file" | sed 's/\!\[\[\(.*\)\]\]/\1/' | while IFS= read -r image_ref; do
-            # Check if image_ref is a relative path
-            if [[ ! "$image_ref" =~ ^/ ]]; then
-                image_ref="$SOURCE_DIR/$image_ref"
-            fi
-            
-            # Try to find the image recursively within SOURCE_DIR
-            image_path=$(find -L "$SOURCE_DIR" -type f -name "$(basename "$image_ref")" -print -quit)
-            
-            # Debugging: Print image_path
-            echo "Checking image_path: $image_path" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-            
-            if [ -f "$image_path" ]; then
-                # Check if the image already exists in IMAGE_DIR
-                if [ ! -f "$IMAGE_DIR/$(basename "$image_ref")" ]; then
-                    cp "$image_path" "$IMAGE_DIR/"
-                    echo "Copied image $image_ref to $IMAGE_DIR/" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-                else
-                    echo "Skipped copying image $image_ref as it already exists in $IMAGE_DIR/" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-                fi
-            else
-                echo "Image reference $image_ref in $markdown_file does not exist." >> "$LOG_FILE"
-            fi
-        done
-    fi
-done
-
-
-# Find Markdown files with "publish: false" and process them
-find -L "$SOURCE_DIR" -type f -name "*.md" -exec grep -q "publish: false" {} \; -exec grep -l "publish: false" {} + | while read -r markdown_file; do
-    # Extract relative path from the source directory
-    relative_path="${markdown_file#$SOURCE_DIR/}"
-
-    # Destination path
-    dest_path="$DEST_DIR/$relative_path"
-
-    # Check if the destination file exists
-    if [ -f "$dest_path" ]; then
-        # Remove the file from DEST_DIR
-        rm "$dest_path"
-        echo "Removed $markdown_file from $DEST_DIR" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-    else
-        echo "File $markdown_file not found in $DEST_DIR" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-    fi
-done
-
-# Print the log file
-cat "$LOG_FILE"
-
-# Debugging: Indicate completion
-echo "Script execution completed."