Judean kings | David Solomon

July 9, 2020September 1, 2020

#45 Two Temples (part 1)

A Podcast on Tanach (Hebrew Bible) and Jewish History

This episode is the first instalment of David’s next four-part series, Two Temples, launched to coincide with the beginning of the Three Weeks—a period of mourning in the Jewish calendar that marks the destruction of the first and second temples in Jerusalem. In this podcast episode, David examines the construction of the First Temple during the reign of King Solomon. He then explores the major events, personalities, and challenges of the earlier years of the First Temple period, including brutal dynastic struggles, the rise of the institution of the prophet, and the ever-present threats from other nations.

Salomon de Bray: The Queen of Sheba before the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Public Domain.

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December 26, 2019March 21, 2023

#22 Priests and Princes, Power and Politics: the Rise and Fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty (Part 2)

While the period of the Hasmonean Dynasty high-priest rulers saw the return of Jewish control over the Land of Israel, it was also a time of bloody conflict and brutal factionalism. In this podcast episode, David Solomon explores the fascinating reigns of the Hasmonean kings and queens, from John Hyrcanus to Shlomtziyon. He examines the bitter tensions between the proponents of a temple-centric Judaism and those who supported rabbinical Judaism; the ruthless conflicts within the ruling family; and the eventual intervention of Rome in the region – a monumental turning point in the history of the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.

Hasmonean Dynasty - David Solomon Jewish History lecture — Pompey enters the Jerusalem Temple. Painting by Jean Fouquet, after an event recorded by Flavius Josephus in The Antiquities of the Jews. Public Domain.

David provides an in-depth discussion of a number of the battles occurring during the period examined in this series. The video below may help listeners gain a clearer picture of the information provided, particularly in relation to the geography and topography of the Land of Israel and how it impacted on military campaigns.

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December 19, 2019March 21, 2023

#21 Priests and Princes, Power and Politics: the Rise and Fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty (Part 1)

Released in advance of Chanukah is David Solomon’s exciting exploration of the extraordinary (and miraculous) religious revolt led by the Maccabees between 167 and 160 BCE against the Seleucid Empire – the first installment of a two-part series on the rise and fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty. In this episode, David discusses the key figures of the time and examines the revolutionary military tactics used by Jewish guerrilla fighters to defeat an army that was viewed as invincible.

Maccabean revolt: David Solomon Jewish History lectures — Bernard Picart: Eleazar’s exploit as described in the Bible. Public domain.

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