West Asian religion – Enuma Elish to Islam
Sumerian clay worshippers from Tell Asmar Why did so many religions start in West Asia? West Asia has been the home of many of the world's most popular religions, and [...]
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09, 2017
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09, 2017
West Asian people – families, schools, slavery
West Asian people: Ur-Nanshe, the king's chief musician in Mari, 2400s BC Oppression of women What we notice most about the way people lived in West Asia is the widespread [...]
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08, 2017
What is a theologian? History of religion
Pope Gregory the Great writing, from the 900s AD. Ivory, probably from Kenya. (Now in Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum) A theologian (thee-oh-LOW-gin) is a person who studies religion. The word comes from [...]
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08, 2017
Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah – Jewish holidays
Apples For thousands of years, the Jews celebrated their New Year around the beginning of spring, just like everybody else in West Asia. Passover was probably port of this old New Year celebration. Sometime before 100 [...]
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08, 2017
What is the Talmud? History of Judaism
The Mishnah is at the top center, the Gemara is in the center of the page, Rashi is on the right, and other later commentators are on the left and bottom. [...]
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08, 2017
What’s a synagogue? History of Judaism
The remains of the Second Temple in Jerusalem Synagogue in Greek means a place for coming together, a meeting place, and that is what a synagogue (SIN-ah-gog) is. It is a building [...]
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08, 2017
History of Sukkot – Jewish holidays
History of Sukkot- a Sukkah - a temporary house just for the holiday When did Sukkot get started? People along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea first began celebrating [...]
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08, 2017
Sodom and Gomorrah – Bible stories
Lot's wife turns to a pillar of salt as God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah. Morgan Bible, France, 1250s AD (commissioned by Louis IX) One story from the Bible about how nomads were [...]
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08, 2017
Second Jewish revolt – Jewish history
The Roman emperor Hadrian, 117-138 AD (now in the British Museum) Well, they revolted again During the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the Jews once again tried to get free [...]
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08, 2017
Samson and Delilah story – Bible stories
Samson and Delilah story: Samson (or David?) wrestles the lion. Silk tapestry, probably from Syria, in the 600s AD Backstory of Samson and Delilah Just as the Jews were finally [...]
