Ancient Israel

From the land of Israel to Diaspora.

Warrior + yahwist + expansionist + administrator = model king

Solomon the Wise, one of King David's three sons, built a truly organized and centralized monarchy.

What Is the Temple Mount?

Holy to both Jews and Muslims, this area in Jerusalem's Old City has been a focal point of inter-religious tension for decades.

From biblical times to the emergence of Rabbinic Judaism.

See where the events described in the Hanukkah story are believed to have occurred and what they look like now.

The second-century sage was the inspiration for many legends and may have died as a martyr.

Their rule falls short of expectations.

The books that tell the Hanukkah tale didn't make it into the Hebrew Bible -- but they are in the Catholic one.

Coping with destruction and building for the future.

An in-depth view of the Greco-Syrian emperor in the story of Hanukkah.

A Diaspora perspective with an emphasis on martyrdom

Christianity and Islam share a reverence for Judaism's patriarch.

As commonly understood, this biblical narrative condemns the first violation of the prohibition against idolatry--but it's not that simple.

Nevi’im (the Prophets section of the Bible) presents Israel's history as a nation on its land.