Jewish History
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An Eye for an Eye – Part I
Did the Jews ever literally enforce the rule “an eye for an eye”? The Oral Torah contains many details that were not included in the Written Torah. For example, the Fourth Commandment (Ex. 20:10) forbids work on the Sabbath; the…
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The Start of the Calendar
When does the Jewish calendar start? The Jewish calendar starts with the Creation, which occurred 5763 years ago. The year is calculated by adding up lifespans of people mentioned in the Bible.
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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…