...For the first two periods the history of the Jews is mainly that of the Fertile Crescent. It begins among those people who occupied the area lying between the Nile, Tigris and the Euphrates rivers on the other. Surrounded by ancient seats of culture in Egypt and Babylonia, by the deserts of Arabia, and by the highlands of Asia Minor, the land of Canaan (later known as Israel, then at various times Judah, Coele-Syria, Judea, Palestine, the Levant, the Holy Land, and finally Israel) was a meeting place of civilizations. The land was traversed by old-established trade routes and possessed important harbors on the Gulf of Akaba and on the Mediterranean coast, the latter exposing it to the influence of other cultures of the Fertile Crescent. Read full entry
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- 1.Jewish History
- The only Year by Year History of the Jewish people on the WEB. ... Click here to find out how you can put "This Day in Jewish History" on your homepage! ...
- http://www.jewishhistory.org.i
l/
- 2.Jewish history - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Since Jewish history encompasses nearly six thousand years and hundreds of ... 1 Ancient Jewish history (to 37 BCE) 1.1 Ancient Israelites. 1.2 Babylonian captivity ...
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J
ewish_history
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Jewish history?
I am interested in learning a
bit about Jewish culture and
history. I don't want to read
a book that focuses on the
Holocaust or the foundation of
the State of Israel. I'm more
interested in a historical
overview of Judaism from
ancient history to modern
times. What are some
enjoyable, introductory level
books about Jewish History...
any suggestions? I'm looking
for a more fun, leisurely read
here, but a little scholarly
analysis wouldn't hurt! Thanks
BTW... I've already read the
Bible! I'm not interested in
attending Sunday School again.
What I'm looking for here is a
historical monograph that
utilizes both primary and
secondary sources. Thanks
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Before you even go spending money on a book, Aish has a nifty little webpage with articles all titled "Crash Course in Jewish History": http://www.aish.com/literacy/j ewishhistory/ As for books, Jewish Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin ought to be recommended reading. Insightful, and providing a nice, broad overview of Jewish history while not being too taxing on the reader. Good stuff. http://www.amazon.com/Jewish-L iteracy-Important-Religion-His tory/dp/0688085067/ref=pd_bbs_ sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=12006 68107&sr=8-1 You can also find some good history books here: http://www.artscroll.com/Categ ories/his.html In particular, I recommend the ones written by Rabbi Berel Wein, which I think includes the first five on that page. I hope this helps you get started, and that you enjoy your studies. Jewish history is a fascinating subject, and has drawn the interest of many scholars, a large percentage of whom aren't even Jewish themselves. I think you'll find the articles and books I've linked to above both informative and entertaining. We're good at that. |
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What does Jewish history and After he and his mother Hagar
left what became of them? Does
Ishmael play any significant
role in Jewish history? Are
their stories of him in the
Midrashes or Talmud?
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From a young age, the Midrash points out that Ishmael bullied his younger half-brother. This led Abraham's first wife, Sarah to throw Ishmael out of her house. He was considered a bad influence. Ishmael, now cast out was stranded in the desert. He had run out of water and was dehydrated. He was halucinating and he realised that death was moments away. He repented for his wrong doing and miraculously, a well appeared and he lived. Genesis 25:12-16 recounts the generations of Ishmael and says that each of his many sons had cities. He became very powerful. In Genesis 37:25-28 it says that the brothers of Joseph sold him to Ishmaelites who had camels bearing spices, balsam and lotus for 20 pieces of silver. This shows that the Ishmaelites were involved with trade and were mercheants. In the Talmud, a Rabbi from the Tanaic times, Rabbi Ishmael is quoted dozens of times. He was considered to be exceptional and was one of the 10 martyrs murdered by the Romans. The question is asked, why did Ishmael merit to have such a great man named after him? The simple answer is that Ishmael literally means 'God will hear' and is a name with deep meaning. Therefore the Rabbi was not named after Ishmael but due to the name's meaning. There are deeper reasons which I shan't delve into. The Spartan, Assyrian and Byzantine empires allegedly descend from Ishmael. I hope that this helps. |
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What is a good overview book My father-in-law is Jewish,
which technically makes my
husband not at all Jewish
according to tradition, but he
grew up celebrating Hanukkah
with his grandparents.
He does not know a lot about
the history of his ancestors,
and I'd like to get him a good
book that provides a thorough
overview of the history of the
Jewish people.
Please suggest some books.
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"Jews, God and History" by Max Dimont One of the best Jewish history books I have ever read (and I've read quite a few). If after learning the history he'd like to learn more about the religion get him the "Jewish Book of Why" series by Alfred J. Kolatch. They are wonderful at explaining why we do the things we do. I hope he enjoys the books. You are wonderful wife for encouraging his interest in his ancestry. |
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