In this Jewish history lecture, David explores the early years of the 18th century, heavily overshadowed by two significant and difficult events of the 1600s – the cataclysm of the Khmelnytsky Massacres and the enormous reverberations of disappointment that followed the false messiah, Shabtai Tzvi.
He discusses Jewish communities of importance in the 1700s – Prague, Amsterdam, Thessaloniki, and Livorno. He also explores the lives, contributions, controversies, and legacies of notable figures associated with these communities, including:
- Glückel of Hameln
- David Nieto
- Nehemiah Hayyun
- Moses Hagiz
- Tzvi Ashkenazi, known as the Chacham Tzvi
- Jonathan Eybeschutz
- Jacob Emden
- Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, known as the Ramchal.
David also addresses the impacts of:
- the Enlightenment
- the rise of capitalism and mercantilism
- changes in political structures and government.
This remarkable hundred-year period not only contained a vast collection of towering individuals, but also brought a range of cultural, intellectual, and spiritual developments that would shape the modern Jewish world.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:48:14 — 107.3MB)
Continue reading “#74 Revelation & Revolution: Jewish History of the 18th Century (1)”