Ancient/Medieval Jewish History

Joshua and Judges present different versions of the Israelite conquest.

Medieval European Jewry repeatedly faced banishment for both economic and religious reasons.

The joy of the holiday is overshadowed by anti-Semitic violence.

Jews living under Islamic and Christian rule.

Jews got entangled in the Christian quest to recapture the Holy Land from Muslims.

The complex political situation in Muslim Spain impacted Jewish social and cultural life there.

How Jews went from protected minority to persona non grata in just a few years.

The 24 books that make up with the Jewish Bible evolved over time in a process that reveals what the ancient rabbis considered authoritative -- and what they didn't.

During this time Babylonia was the spiritual and political center of Diaspora Jewry, and Jewish communities looked to the Geonim for authoritative teachings on halachic matters.

A day to play games and avoid Torah study.

A biblical scholar reviews the historical claims of the biblical book of Exodus.