This final part in David’s four-part Zoom series in the lead-up to Yom Kippur, The Power of Challenge, the Challenge of Teshuva, looks at the issue of repentance and forgiveness within community.
David examines three fascinating and, at times, heartbreaking stories from Jewish History of people who have:
accepted their mistakes,
sought communal acceptance of their penitence,
found revelation in teshuva.
Exploring the experiences of:
Rabbi Yonah of Girona, a medieval rabbi who explored the concept of seeking forgiveness for misdeeds from the deceased;
Uriel de Costa, a 17th-century radical thinker with a tragic story of communal punishment; and
Franz Rosenzweig, the 20th-century philosophy who found inspiration in the idea of teshuva.
In each of these episodes, David draws out the principle of individual repentance and its relationship to communal acceptance, connection, and redemption. He also provides essential historical and cultural background to the stories, giving context and depth to the ideas and events discussed.
In the final lecture in his series on the twelve ‘minor’ prophets of Israel, the Trei Asar, David examines the prophets who lived during the period after Israel’s return to Zion, following the Babylonian exile, namely:
Hagai
Zechariah
Malachi.
Zechariah as depicted by James Tissot. Public domain.
With their unique post-exilic messages, these three prophets addressed the concerns of a population grappling with rebuilding Jerusalem after generations away. Some of the ideas expressed in their powerful prophetic books include:
the need to rebuild the leadership of Israel
the importance of building a new temple in Jerusalem
a call to do teshuva
rebuilding oneself through dialogue with God
the failure of previous generations
creating righteous leadership
ecstatic visions
the implications of changing geopolitical realities
false prophecy
the end of the prophetic epoch.
David closely examines key passages of these biblical texts, explaining their meaning and the implications of their messages.
As always, he places the prophets, their lives, and their words in historical context. He also emphasises the lasting importance of their ideas for the Jewish people as a nation and for us all as individuals.
Part three of David’s lecture series on the Trei Asar, the twelve ‘minor’ prophets of Israel, examines the texts and themes of:
Nachum,
Habakkuk, and
Tzephaniah.
Habakkuk, the Biblical prophet, watercolor circa 1896–1902 by James Tissot. Public domain.
While these three books are short in length, David explains the importance of each, their place in the prophetic continuum, and how they sit in relation to significant moments in biblical and world history.
The lecture delves into the prophets’ exploration of:
the destruction of Assyria
the rise of Babylonia
the destruction of the enemies of Israel
the destruction of sinners
the fall of Jerusalem
the need for teshuva and self-improvement
justice for the nations
divine justice
the role of God in history
the power of the God of Israel.
David provides a historical framework for each of the prophets. He reviews the details of their lives and puts the enormity of their words into context.
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.
The early victories of the Maccabees over the Seleucid armies have been etched into Jewish memory in the form of the festival of Hanukkah. In this podcast episode, David examines the first four of these Maccabean victories with a focus on the insight, bravery, and military ingenuity of Judea’s guerrilla fighters. Continuing with his exploration of the role played by the geography and topography of the land of Israel in these battles, David offers a rare insight into why, how, and what was involved in these historic events. He also shares his view on the place these victories should take in our historical celebration of the miracle of Hanukkah.
For listeners to the podcast who can not see the maps David draws in this lecture, we have provided a series of graphics in pdf that capture the information provided on the whiteboard. To gain the most from this lecture, we recommend referring to these maps as you listen.
Rough outline of geography & topography of Land of Israel in relation to Maccabean victories. Image created by M Solomon using creative commons map by Sting (see https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_relief_location_map-blank.jpg)
By 12 tribus de Israel.svg: Translated by Kordas12 staemme israels heb.svg: by user:יוסי12 staemme israels.png: by user:Janzderivative work Richardprins (talk) – 12 tribus de Israel.svg12 staemme israels heb.svg12 staemme israels.png, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10865624
By Nafsadh – Map of fertile cresent.png, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15272124
Depiction of a Macedonian phalanx: this graphic was first published in May, Elmer; Stadler, Gerald; Votaw, John; Griess, Thomas (series ed) (1984) Ancient and Medieval Warfare: The History of the Strategies, Tactics, and Leadership of Classical Warfare, New Jersey, United States: Avery Publishing Group. Public Domain.
A Podcast on Tanach (Hebrew Bible) and Jewish History
The arrival of General Pompey into Jerusalem heralded the beginning of the end for the Second Temple and Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. In this podcast episode, timed to coincide with Tisha B’Av, David explores the fascinating drama of the reign of Herod; the rise of Judean resistance to Rome; and the brutal and tragic consequences that came from the inevitable Jewish rebellion. David examines the final extraordinary months and days leading up to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the long-term ramifications of this historic cataclysm for the Jewish people.
Pompey enters the Jerusalem Temple. Painting by Jean Fouquet, after an event recorded by Flavius Josephus in The Antiquities of the Jews. Public Domain.
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