Although many of the remarkable developments in 18th-century Jewish life were set within the boundaries of Europe and Ashkenazi Jewry, so much was happening beyond this region.
In this fascinating podcast episode, David explores some of the most remarkable events, personalities, and contributions of Jews in the Sephardic communities of the 1700s, centred in the:
Ottoman Empire
Land of Israel.
In doing so, he discusses:
Yehudah HaChasid
Avraham Revigo
R. Emmanuel Chai Rikki
R. Chayim Abulafia
R. Chayim ibn Attar, the Or Hachayim
R. Shalom Shar’abi, the Rashash.
View of Jerusalem, from the manuscript of the Georgian travelogue by Timothy Gabashvili between 1755 and 1759. Public domain.
He also relays stories of some of the most notable emissaries from the Land of Israel to the diaspora, including:
R. Haim Yosef David Azulai ben Yitzhak Zerachia, the Hida
R. Moshe Malchi
R. Raphael Carigal.
The lecture also considers developments in the “new world”, including:
In the Americas –
Francis Salvador
Haym Salomon
and in the colony of New South Wales, which was to become part of Australia –
Esther Abrahams
Joseph Samuel.
David concludes the lecture by returning to Europe in the final years of the 18th century to look at the enormous changes happening across the continent and their implications for Jewish life in the coming century.
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.
For centuries, Jewish communities were known for producing doctors of the highest order. Even in the most profound climates of anti-semitism, kings and nobles sought the care of Jewish physicians. In this podcast episode, David examines the period he refers to as the “century of the Jewish doctor” for its examples of remarkable figures who lead the way in medical treatment and research.
In the first millennia BCE, the prophets of Israel launched an unprecedented spiritual revolution, the impact of which has resonated throughout the ages and across the world. In this fascinating lecture, David presents an overview of the twelve ‘minor’ prophets of Israel. Although their messages contained profound insight, analysis, and inspiration, these prophets are known in English as ‘minor’ because their books are short compared to those of the ‘major’ prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. With lightning speed and characteristic clarity, David takes us through the story of these prophets and reminds us of the remarkable relevance of their words for us today.
In this podcast episode, David examines the life and ideas of the following prophets:
Hosea
Joel (Yoel)
Amos
Obadiah (Ovadiah)
Jonah (Yonah)
Micah
Nachum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
He places these prophets in their historical context, looking at the following periods and events:
life in the northern Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judea (Judah)
the destruction of the northern kingdom by the Assyrians
the assault on Jerusalem by the Assyrians
the defeat of the Assyrians by the Persians
the Babylonian exile
the return to Zion and the rebuilding of Jerusalem under the proclamation of Cyrus
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 earliest detailed accounts we have of military contests between the Jewish people and their enemies are found in the Bible. In this podcast episode, the first in a four-part series on great battles of Jewish History, David examines three events from the books of Judges and Samuel in which the Jewish people experience war. Beginning with an in-depth exploration of the fundamental role played by the geography and topography of the land, David explains how an understanding of these details can transform our historical picture of the tactics, leadership, and circumstances of those involved. He also discusses other significant elements that led to the success or failure of each military test and how figures like Devorah and Barak, Gidon, and Saul each fared in these critical moments of individual and national survival.
For listeners to the podcast who can not see the maps David draws in this lecture, we have provided a series of graphics that capture the information provided on the whiteboard. In order to gain the most from this lecture, we recommend referring to these maps as you listen.
Geography & topography of Land of Israel. 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
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)
By Nafsadh – Map of fertile cresent.png, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15272124
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