Jewish history

Dr. Guy Stiebel and his team have challenged the long-held belief about Masada's Roman siege duration with groundbreaking research, revealing it only lasted a few weeks.

Discover how Halberstadt, Germany, became a hub of Jewish learning and culture, all thanks to a visionary banker who lived centuries ago.

Beneath the bustling city of Rome lies a forgotten world—Jewish catacombs filled with stories from the past. These chambers, unseen for centuries, reveal the vibrant lives of Jewish communities during the Roman era.

Rabbi Abdullah Somekh was the influential mentor of the Ben Ish Chai and numerous other great figures. Here are 10 fascinating facts about his life and legacy.

The horrific riots that claimed numerous Jewish lives challenged Enlightenment-era theories. However, for some, these events ignited a return to faith. Among them was Dr. Joseph Salvador, once a staunch proponent of the Haskalah movement.

In southern Egypt lies a small island in the heart of the mighty Nile River. It's likely that the Egyptian children playing in the park have no idea that this island once held a Jewish temple! Priests and Levites served around the altar and offered sacrifices. But who built this temple, and how do we know about it?

They leaped at the gates and opened them, allowing the Muslim army to enter the city. The city contained three hundred markets and two hundred thousand Jews, whose lives became spoils.

On September 22, 1948, a seemingly innocent ice cream cart rolled into Cairo's Jewish quarter on a scorching afternoon. Dozens of children gathered around it. The 'vendor' lit a cigarette, left it on the cart, and disappeared. The cart was a massive bomb. Two buildings collapsed, causing many casualties.

Madame Kaula supported a kolle for Torah scholars in her hometown of Hechingen and provided aid to the poor throughout the country. She established kosher inns for traveling Jews with dignified accommodations and gained fame for her generosity, devotion to Judaism, and fear of Heaven.

Judith Montefiore, the wife of Sir Moses Montefiore, was a remarkable woman in her own right. Her contributions to the Jewish community were as significant as her husband's.

From royalty to rebels, these righteous converts left a lasting legacy

He didn’t face the entire army head-on. Instead, he targeted the precise spot where Lot and the captives were held, descending with his men in one swift move to overcome the guards, gather the captives and spoils, and vanished as quickly as he arrived.

Tzipora secretly adhered to Jewish practices, resisted the imposed religion, and most critically, acted as a covert agent for the Gedaion Kingdom while secretly sharing the emperor's military plans.

Onias IV, once slated to be the High Priest in Jerusalem, was disqualified due to a deformity caused by his envious brother. In anger, Onias left for Egypt and established an alternative temple dedicated to Hashem.

The life, teachings, and mystical legacy of the legendary Kraków scholar who illuminated hidden depths of the Torah

Built after exile and expanded by kings, the Second Temple stood at the heart of Jewish life for centuries. Discover fascinating facts and key moments that shaped one of Judaism’s most sacred sites.

The most horrific event took place in the city of Hebron, where 67 Jews, including men, women, and children, were murdered. Many of the victims were students from the Hebron yeshiva. The perpetrators executed their plan with such brutality and monstrosity, recalling only the Simchat Torah massacre of the previous year.

In the spring, Vespasian stormed through Galilee and the Golan, city by city. The people of Sepphoris surrendered to the Romans, but those in Yodfat held their ground. For 47 days, they bravely defended their city, pouring hot oil on the Roman soldiers approaching the walls.

In Roman times, Jews in Cologne thrived and were recognized as a permitted religion, long before Christianity became dominant. Their community was influential enough to participate in city council elections, and their intellectual leaders were exempt from military and civil service.

In 922, a major event occurred in Jewish history. The Geon of Israel sent out a calendar to Jewish communities, only to face public opposition from the Geon of Babylon: The calendar was wrong, and Rosh Hashanah and Passover were to be celebrated on Tuesday, not Sunday, as the Israeli Geon declared!