Ancient & Medieval History
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?
Read more2500 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.
Doņa Gracia Nasi
A 16th-century Portuguese philanthropist, known as the heart of her people.