In this absorbing Jewish history lecture, David examines the stories and contributions of nine remarkable, often powerful, Jewish women from the period of the second temple in Jerusalem, including:
Queen Esther
Judith (Yehudit)
Hannah and her seven sons
Hannah Maccabee
Queen Salome (Shlomtzion)
Queen Miriam
Queen Mariamne
Berenice
Drusilla.
David also explains how the changing political and cultural landscape impacted women’s rights, roles, and opportunities during a period that included:
Persian rule
Hellenic rule
Hasmonean rule
Roman rule.
Moreover, he provides historical background and context to this time in Jewish history, packed with complex political intrigue, military machinations, civil war, and regime changes.
Watch a video slideshow of the podcast lecture on Youtube below.
Beginning in the year 66 CE, the Jewish Revolt in the land of Israel launched a decades-long conflict with the Roman Empire. In this podcast episode, David examines three Roman sieges of Judean fortified towns and cities, culminating in the devastation of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70CE. He describes the key characters during this period, including the Jewish commander-turned-historian Josephus and the Roman general Vespasian, a master of siege warfare. David also creates a vivid picture of each of the battles, setting the scene, recreating the tensions, and leading us to the inevitable catastrophic end.
This Jewish history lecture includes discussions on the:
historical context leading up to the Jewish Revolt of 66 CE
political and geographical necessities for Rome in subduing the Jewish rebellion
character and military experience of Vespasian
strengths and flaws of the Jewish commanders, including Elazar ben Shimon and Josephus
devastation of Jewish factionalism and zealotry
military capabilities and technological ingenuity of the various forces, including the importance of engineering
role played by the environment and terrain in the sieges
use of military intelligence
catastrophic destruction and the enormous loss of life
implications for Jewish life in the land of Israel.
Maps
Extent of the Roman Empire under Augustus. Yellow represents the extent of the Republic in 31 BC, while green represents gradually conquered territories under the reign of Augustus, and pink areas represent client states. CC BY-SA 3.0. Images by Cristiano64. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pax_Romana#/media/File:Impero_romano_sotto_Ottaviano_Augusto_30aC_-_6dC.jpg
Israel relief location map-blank by Eric Gaba – Wikimedia Commons user: Sting. Additions by M Solomon – geographical placements rough depictions only https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_relief_location_map-blank.jpg
Map of Lower Galil provided under a Creative Commons licence by Daniel Baránek with additions from M Solomon (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lower_Galilee_map.svg)
Map indicating progress of the Roman army during the siege by Goran tek-en. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(70_CE)#/media/File:Siege_of_Jerusalem_(70_CE)-en.svg
Archeological sites
Bethoron Elyon; Beth-Horon in 1880.Picturesque Palestine, Sinai and Egypt D. Appleton New York 1883. Public domain.
Hilltop location of ancient Yodfat (Jotapata), showing excavated remains of fortifications by Oren Dozen. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yodfat_071108_001.jpg
Gamla view. Public domain.https://ang.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ymele:Golan_Heights_-_Gamla_view.jpg#/media/Ymele:Golan_Heights_-_Gamla_view.jpg
The Second Jerusalem Temple. Model in the Israel Museum. Image provided by Ariely and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethoron_Elyon_-_Upper_Bethoron_1880.jpg
Find more of David Solomon’s podcast, with dozens of lectures on Jewish history, the Bible, Jewish philosophy, and Kabbalah here.
David discusses the lives and contributions of several remarkable women who lived during the time of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Their stories are not only fascinating in themselves, but they shed a light on the era in which they lived. This podcast episode, released in advance of Purim, a festival based in a tale of female leadership and courage, comes from a recorded lecture to Jewish Studies teachers in 2019.
John William Waterhouse: Mariamne Leaving the Judgement Seat of Herod
Kingship was reinstated in the land of Israel following the return from Babylonian exile. This podcast episode examines the historical background of the period of Second Temple, including the expansion of the Hasmonean kingdom through military annexation and repopulation; the tension between the Sadducees and the Pharisees; and the rise and expansion of Rome. David discusses the characters and reigns of the Hasmonean kings and queens and the rule of the three Herodian monarchs.
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