Biblical History

Did the Jews build the pyramids when they were in Egypt? The Jewish people in captivity are credited (in Exodus Ch.1) with building two cities, Pisom and Raamses, for the Egyptians. The pyramids were built much earlier.

In what year was King Yechoniah exiled? According to the Seder Olam, Ch.25, King Yechoniah (also known as Yehoyachin) was exiled in the year 3327 by Nebuchadnetzar; see 2 Chronicles 36:9-10.

Who was Sheshbatzar? He was the official to whom Cyrus gave the Temple vessels to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 5:14). Some identify him with Shenatzar (1 Chronicles 3:18), who was a son of Yechoniah and an uncle of Zerubbabel.

What is the Mearas ha-Machpelah? It is the "double cave" in Hebron that was bought by Abraham from the Hittites at the time of Sarah’s death (Gen. Ch.23); the patriarchs and their wives are buried there.

Where is Carchemish? It is a city on the Euphrates river, about 50 miles north of Aleppo. It was the site of one of Nebuchadnezzar’s battles (Jeremiah 46:2, 2 Chronicles 35:20)

Where was the Yeshiva of Shem and Ever? Shem (the son of Noah) is traditionally identified with Melchi-zedek, who was king of Shalem (Jerusalem) in Abraham’s time (Gen. 14:18). Assuming he was still there in Jacob’s time, his Yeshiva was…

Was Enosh the first person to worship G-d? Adam and Eve had personal contacts with G-d and certainly worshipped Him. What happened in the time of Adam’s grandson Enosh is that people began to treat created things (angels, heavenly bodies,…

What did Lamech, Noah’s father, prophesy at Noah’s birth? According to tradition, Noah made major contributions to agriculture (see Gen. 9:20), so that raising food was no longer such a tedious task (compare Gen. 3:17-19 and Gen. 5:29); at his…

Why was it important for Isaac and Jacob not to marry women from Canaan, but not important for Jacob’s sons? Did the Canaanites change? Isaac and Jacob both had brothers who didn’t follow in their fathers’ footsteps, so it was…