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Ancient & Medieval History

Where do Jews comes from?

The Genesis of Judaism

The Book of Genesis offers some answers to the questions which the nascent Hebrew nation had to contend with at the time: How was the world created? Why does a woman bear children in pain? What is the significance of the rainbow? And first and foremost: Where did we come from? How did the Hebrew nation come into being?

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2500 BCE-539 BCE

Ancient Jewish Religion and Culture

Israelite religion shared a number of characteristics with the religions of neighboring peoples.

Conquest of Canaan

Joshua and Judges present different versions of the Israelite conquest.

King Solomon & His Kingdom

King David's son Solomon built an organized and centralized monarchy.

Daily Life

Daily life in Palestine from the 1st - 5th centuries.

Babylonian Exile

The Temple's destruction reflected the larger political conflicts of the ancient world.

539 BCE-632 CE

Salome Alexandra

The first Hasmonean Queen of Judea.

Hellenism & Judaism

Palestine goes Greek.

How Jewish Christians Became Christians

Three views of the Jewish-Christian schism.

Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes

These three Second-Temple era sects had very different takes on Jewish law.

Judaism After the Temple

Coping with destruction and building for the future.

632-1650 CE

632-1650

Jews living under Islamic and Christian rule.

Jews and Arabs

The Jews of Medina rejected the prophecy of Muhammad.

The Crusades

The quest to recapture the Holy Land

Expulsion and Readmission

Medieval European Jewry repeatedly faced banishment for both economic and religious reasons.

Destination: The New World

Columbus consulted with Jews, and transported some to the New World.

Major Figures

King David

Warrior + yahwist + expansionist + administrator = model king

Josephus

Josephus Flavius both participated in and wrote the history of the Jewish interaction with Rome.

Rufina and Her Sisters

The Greek inscription left by this second-century woman points to unexpected economic and religious leadership among women.

Rashi

From his day until the present, Rashi has been the most beloved of all medieval teachers.

Do�a Gracia Nasi

A 16th-century Portuguese philanthropist, known as the heart of her people.

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