Biblical History

What can you tell me about the prophet Jeremiah? Jeremiah is identified (in the first verse of the Book of Jeremiah) as a Kohen from the city of Anasos in the territory of Benjamin. He is said (Talmud, Megillah 14b)…

What was the name of the horse on which Haman led Mordechai around? It was the horse that the king had ridden on the day he became king. The name of the horse is given in the Targum Sheni to…

Is there any commentary that suggests that Abraham actually DID sacrifice Isaac? In the story of the sacrifice, Abraham seems to come down from the mount and return to his land alone. There is in fact one view that Isaac…

Why did Joshua establish a religious center at Shiloh? The Tabernacle was set up in Shiloh in Joshua’s time; see Joshua 18:1. That verse speaks only of the "Tent" (Ohel Moed), but the Tabernacle (Mishkan) is surely also meant (see…

What does the name Shiloh mean? The name might be related to the word “Shalvah”, which means peace; or it might be from the root Sha-al (to ask), suggesting that it was a place where an oracle was consulted.

When did the prophets live? The Talmud (Megillah 14a) lists 48 prophets and seven prophetesses, but the exact dates of most of them are not known. The three major prophets who authored books, and the approximate B.C.E. dates of their…

What were the dates of the Jewish kings? The following is a list of the Jewish kings in Biblical times and their B.C.E. dates according to the Encyclopedia Judaica (vol. 8, table beginning after col. 766): Saul, 1020-1009. David, 1004-965.…

Why were the Samaritans mistrusted? The enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans goes back to the time when the Second Temple was being built after the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile; for the history of that period see…