Rabbi Azriel Schreiber
855 answers
Whenever possible, JewishAnswers.org tries to include the name of the author on every post. However, at certain times, we make significant changes to the answers posted. In that case, we will often sign the post with our generic “pen name” – Rabbi Azriel Schreiber. This “pen name” may also be used when a writer declines to have his name published.
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Years Missing from the Calendar
Are any years missing from the Jewish calendar? The accepted Jewish calendar is based on the view that the period of Persian domination (from Cyrus to Alexander) was only 34 years long (Talmud Avodah Zarah 9a), whereas secular scholars believe…
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Periods in History
Into what periods is the history of the world divided? The (nearly) 6000 years since the creation are divided into three 2000-year periods (see Talmud Rosh Ha-Shanah 31a, Sanhedrin 97a, and Avodah Zarah 9a). The first, called the period of…
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The Life Spans of the Patriarchs
How can we reconcile the extremely long life spans of the Biblical patriarchs with today’s life expectancies? It was decreed (Gen. Ch.6) that the human life span would drop sharply after the Flood, and it continued to drop in later…
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Tzivia
Who was Tzivia? She was the mother of King Yehoash (2 Kings 12:2; 2 Chron. 24:1).
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The Killing in the Temple
Who was the person who was killed in the Temple? He was a priest and prophet named Zechariah ben Yehoyada. He was stoned by the people, with the encouragement of the king, because of his unpopular prophecy. In 2 Chron.24:20-22…
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Nabunaid
Who was Nabunaid? Nabunaid (Nabonidus) was the last king of Babylon at the time it was conquered by Cyrus.
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The End of Prophecy
When did prophecy end? Prophecy ended at the beginning of the Second Temple period; the last prophets were Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. When there no longer were prophets who could consult G-d, the Rabbis made religious decisions on the basis…
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The Samaritans
Who were the Samaritans? Answer: The Samaritans claimed descent from the Ten Tribes, but they were primarily descended from the people whom the Assyrians settled in the country after deporting the Ten Tribes.
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The Samaritans and the Bible
What books of the Bible did the Samaritans accept? They accepted only the Five Books of Moses and the Book of Joshua.