Ancient Israel

From the land of Israel to Diaspora.

Warrior + yahwist + expansionist + administrator = model king

Son of King David, builder of the temple, author of three biblical works and the wisest of men, Solomon looms large in Jewish tradition — and beyond.

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.

Menorah, altar, incense stand, showbread table, and more.

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.

In American Jewish society a joke has emerged over the past decades that supposedly summarizes all Jewish holidays: “They tried ...

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.