What is a rabbi? Judaism – Religion
The rabbi Maimonides, in a later medieval painting What does "rabbi" mean? Rabbi means "great one" in Hebrew, or "respected one". It's a Hebrew word related to the Arabic word rabb, [...]
Where did Purim come from? Jewish holidays
Mordecai is leading Esther (on the horse) to talk to the Persian king. A fresco from the world's oldest preserved synagogue at Dura-Europos in Syria (244 AD) How did Purim [...]
Persia and the Jews – West Asian history
Persia and the Jews: The remains of the Second Temple in Jerusalem The Persians let the Jews go home In 536 BC, Cyrus the Great, the king of the Persians, conquered the Babylonian [...]
Where did Passover come from? Jewish holidays
Handmade Matzoh The beginnings of Passover In its earliest beginnings, which could go back to the Stone Age, Passover was a Jewish spring festival. Like other spring festivals, it celebrated the [...]
Jewish history – West Asian religion
Jewish history: The Pharaoh's daughter picks Moses up out of his basket (synagogue at Dura Europos, Syria, 200s AD) Bible stories There are really three sets of articles here about [...]
Noah’s Ark – Bible stories – Judaism
The rain falling on the drowning people/ Noah lets go a dove to see if the waters have gone down/ He sends out the dove again/He lets the animals off the [...]
Moses and Egypt – Bible stories
The Pharaoh's daughter picks Moses up out of his basket (synagogue at Dura Europos, Syria, 200s AD) The Book of Exodus According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible [...]
Jews in Medieval Europe – History
Jewish money-lenders in medieval France - Jews in medieval Europe A hard time for the Jews The Middle Ages in Europe were a difficult time for the Jews. Many Jews lived [...]
Medieval Hanukkah – Jewish holidays
On the way to medieval Hanukkah: Arch of Titus: Roman soldiers carry off the big menorah from the Second Temple in Jerusalem (70 AD, but the arch was built in the [...]
Maccabees – Jewish history
Alexander the Great (before the Maccabees) Alexander and the Jews Under the Persians the Jews did very well. They were able to worship their own God, and even to travel around the [...]
