Ancient Israel

Herod the Great

Herod's rule accomplished a political and social revolution.

Palestine Under Persian Rule

Rebuilding the Temple and the reign of Cyrus

Jewish Marriage and Family in the Ancient World

Jewish law guided marriage, divorce, and child-rearing in the ancient world.

Jews in Exile

The Purim story is a guideline for living in the Diaspora.

These Nine Tombs Have Attracted Jewish Pilgrims for Centuries

Take a look inside the places that Abraham, King David, Queen Esther and other biblical characters are said to have been buried.

Sanhedrin

Jews and Christians read their own ideas about authority into this ancient legislative institution.

Sacrifice

Since the destruction of the Temples, Jews have struggled with the enduring meaning and legacy of the sacrificial rites.

Who Was the High Priest?

The leader of all priests in the ancient Temple had special rights and privileges.

Jewish Art in the Ancient World

As far back as the biblical period, art has been created and valued in Jewish communities.

2500 BCE to 539 BCE: The Story

Jewish History from the beginning through the Babylonian exile.

Jews in Palestine

The accumulation of disasters in the Middle Ages--expulsions, crusades, and the Black Death, to name a few--inspired a steady stream of Jewish immigration to the Holy Land.

Thriving in the Diaspora

Persian Jewry can serve as a role model for Jews who live outside of the Land of Israel.