Temple

Beyond tarnishing the sanctity of high priesthood, Jeshua, inclined towards Greek culture, changed his name to Jason and initiated transforming Jerusalem into a Greek 'polis'.

Florus decided to provoke a revolt by force. He arrived at the gates of Jerusalem, where the city's dignitaries came to greet him, only to be trampled by his soldiers' horses. In 'response', he claimed the Jerusalem leaders had insulted him and demanded their surrender.

Ominous signs filled the skies and echoed in the halls of Jerusalem. The Temple's doors, creaking open every morning with thunderous foreboding, marked a kingdom in its twilight. The Temple was meant to unify Israel for spiritual elevation, not political games.

Herod doubled the size of the original Temple Mount by using massive stones, some weighing around 50 tons, parts of which still stand today. This monumental endeavor was unlike any other in its time.

Herod's reign of terror, enforced through a secret police and foreign mercenaries, silenced dissent among Jews except for a few who resisted quietly. This silence, particularly among scholars like Hillel and Shammai, left Herod no excuse to target them.

Exploiting Shabbat's serenity, Romans breached the city, claiming 12,000 lives and leading Pompey into the Holy of Holies, marking a historic desecration.

Hoping this year we'll be blessed, and the Messiah will arrive, allowing us to offer the Passover sacrifice in Jerusalem and witness the work of the priests. But how exactly does Passover look in Jerusalem?

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.

Through clever strategies, loyal priests and leaders protected the temple treasures from rulers and marauders, until the Temple's tragic destruction when Romans seized it all.

We Were Like Dreamers: This week, around 800 Levites stood on the steps, as they did 2,000 years ago, and sang sacred song with Yonatan Razel (the Levite). Highlights of an unparalleled experience with unexpected surprises.

Moshe Kedem decided to import and grow saffron in Israel, believing it to be the most valuable ingredient of the incense. "They told me it wouldn't work, but if King Solomon could smell saffron in Jerusalem, it must be possible," he claims.

An inscribed stone tablet from 3,500 years ago has been uncovered in the City of David, revealing tensions in ancient Jerusalem before the First Temple's destruction.