Jewish history

While Yemen's Houthis accuse Israel of being an artificial entity on ancient Arab land, they may not realize they reside on land that was once the powerful Jewish kingdom of Himyar 1,500 years ago.

Every carriage on the main road was stopped by bandit minions, its contents plundered, and passengers injured or killed. Despite numerous military expeditions, the bandits, masters of their terrain, ambushed the soldiers and defeated them effortlessly.

The assassination, famously dubbed "the shot heard around the world," triggered a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I.

In ancient times, when the Temple stood, Adar was filled with joyous celebrations marked in the "Scroll of the Fasts." On these days, people rejoiced, and mourning or fasting was forbidden.

The Romaniote Jewish community is one of the oldest yet least known. Tragically, most of its members perished during the Holocaust, leaving this ancient community largely unfamiliar.

Discover how King Ptolemy gathered seventy Jewish elders in Alexandria to translate a sacred text. Eager for precision, he isolated each elder to prevent shared versions.

Sometimes, parting with jewelry wasn't about mitzvahs, but rather necessity—paying taxes. Our ancestors in the Diaspora faced constant taxes, each time under a new pretext. Just as they earned a few coins, a new order demanded yet another tax.

The Torah mentions woven gold threads along with hammered gold. How were these threads created?

Picture Rabbi Shabtai leading the Shabbat melodies, with Prague’s most esteemed joining in, three centuries ago. But what if you could actually hear it today?

About 300 years ago, a letter from Constantinople reached Jerusalem, detailing fashion do's and don'ts for Jews. What prompted this letter and who was behind it?

We're all familiar with the renowned story of Choni HaMa'agal and his miraculous prayer for rain after a severe drought. However, could it be that Choni was murdered? If so, by whom and when?

Around 350 years ago, a young Jewish girl kept an autobiographical historical diary describing her life from childhood in the Jewish communities where she lived. Her writings vividly capture Jewish community life in Western Europe, offering a fascinating historical perspective on the events of that era.

Why were pomegranates included on the robe? What surprising discovery was made during excavations in Jerusalem's City of David?

In the early settlement sites of the Israelites, a massive public structure shaped... like a foot has been discovered. Why the unique design?

The Torah recounts the sin of the Golden Calf at Mount Sinai. How did the Israelites live their daily lives back then? Did they leave behind any travel journals?

Around 150 years ago, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, a predecessor to the record player. This device could record and play back human voices, causing much intrigue and wonder at the time.

Decades after the execution of nine Jews in Iraq, Joyce Sason recalls those dark days, her father-in-law's imprisonment, and her great-grandfather, the Ben Ish Chai.

The Hasmoneans, upon becoming wealthy, crafted a grand three-cubit golden Menorah, adorned as described in the Torah. This symbol of the Temple and the Jewish people has a rich history. But where is it now?

Irena Sendler was a social worker in Warsaw who began smuggling children out of the ghetto. The Gestapo suspected her, but they couldn't prove anything. They tortured her, but she didn't break. Faced with execution, her life took an unexpected turn.

The Chafetz Chaim, renowned for guarding his speech, once stepped out of character with a warning to a fellow Jew. What led to this unprecedented moment?