Jewish history

Every carriage on the main road was stopped by bandit minions, its contents plundered, and passengers injured or killed. Despite numerous military expeditions, the bandits, masters of their terrain, ambushed the soldiers and defeated them effortlessly.

The assassination, famously dubbed "the shot heard around the world," triggered a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I.

In ancient times, when the Temple stood, Adar was filled with joyous celebrations marked in the "Scroll of the Fasts." On these days, people rejoiced, and mourning or fasting was forbidden.

The Romaniote Jewish community is one of the oldest yet least known. Tragically, most of its members perished during the Holocaust, leaving this ancient community largely unfamiliar.

Discover how King Ptolemy gathered seventy Jewish elders in Alexandria to translate a sacred text. Eager for precision, he isolated each elder to prevent shared versions.

Sometimes, parting with jewelry wasn't about mitzvahs, but rather necessity—paying taxes. Our ancestors in the Diaspora faced constant taxes, each time under a new pretext. Just as they earned a few coins, a new order demanded yet another tax.

The Torah mentions woven gold threads along with hammered gold. How were these threads created?

Picture Rabbi Shabtai leading the Shabbat melodies, with Prague’s most esteemed joining in, three centuries ago. But what if you could actually hear it today?

About 300 years ago, a letter from Constantinople reached Jerusalem, detailing fashion do's and don'ts for Jews. What prompted this letter and who was behind it?

The Torah recounts the sin of the Golden Calf at Mount Sinai. How did the Israelites live their daily lives back then? Did they leave behind any travel journals?

Around 150 years ago, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, a predecessor to the record player. This device could record and play back human voices, causing much intrigue and wonder at the time.

Decades after the execution of nine Jews in Iraq, Joyce Sason recalls those dark days, her father-in-law's imprisonment, and her great-grandfather, the Ben Ish Chai.

Was Pharaoh really a little man with a big heart issue? While we haven't uncovered Pharaoh's entire medical history, we're certainly intrigued by his legendary stature.

We've given up on Pharaoh from the Exodus story, as he refused to understand anything despite all the plagues. But what about his son?

How did Rabbi Akiva know about a centuries-old tunnel beneath the graves, and what was its purpose? Discover the details.

Discover how ancient ovens shaped Talmudic discussions and their stark contrast to modern technology.

In Greek times, Egypt retained bitter memories of the Hyksos, who once conquered and humiliated the land. When asked about the Israelites, some mixed the stories: 'Of course, a cruel people once ruled us. What were they called? Hyksos, right?'

In a fascinating discovery in Egypt, an ancient palace was found with significant markings of the number 12. Its main hall is supported by 12 pillars, with 12 prominent tombstones in the burial complex. Could this be Joseph's palace, marking the 12 tribes of Israel?

Thousands of scrolls found in the Judean Desert, known as the "Dead Sea Scrolls," contain a wealth of material, including Torah books and other significant texts. Here’s the story you might not have heard.

In 1837, one of the most devastating earthquakes hit the Jewish settlement in Safed. Its estimated magnitude was 7.0, claiming around 7,000 lives. Discover the full story behind this tragedy.