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The Jewish Story

The Jewish Story

by Daniel Kroft

Courses History Judaism

Season 1

Episode 0: Introduction

Welcome to The Jewish Story! In this brief introductory episode, I introduce myself, give some background on this podcast, lay out a roadmap for Season One, and describe my primary sources for this history.

Episode 1: The Birth of a Kingdom (1200 BCE - 587 BCE)

In this episode, we discuss the earliest evidence of Jewish existence, and follow the Jewish Kingdom from its inception through its various conflicts with neighbouring Empires, culminating in the Babylonian destruction of the First Temple.

Episode 2: A Nation Divided (587 BCE - 400 BCE)

In this episode, we follow the parallel paths of Jews after the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem. A temple is destroyed, a city is rebuilt, and the first public Torah reading is performed.

Episode 3: A Conversation with Rabbi Matthew Leibl

In this episode, Rabbi Matthew Leibl and I sit down to discuss the first eight centuries of Jewish history, and their relevance to modern Jewish life.

Episode 4: It's All Greek to Me (400 BCE - 165 BCE)

In this episode, we watch the Ptolemies and Seleucids battle over control of Israel, follow the intrigue of Jewish elites fighting for the position of High Priest, hear of the brutal Greek repression of Jewish practice, and see the rise of a rebellion.

Episode 5: The Rise of the Hammer (165 BCE - 40 BCE)

In this episode, we follow the rise and fall of the Hasmonean dynasty, and our Jewish story becomes enmeshed with Roman history.

Episode 6: The Prophet, the King, and the Traitor (40 BCE - 70 CE)

In this episode, we follow Herod the Great's rise to power, watch Judea devolve into chaos under the rule of successively unstable Roman Emperors, and witness a climactic and devastating showdown between the Jews and their Roman occupiers.

Episode 7 (BONUS): A Conversation with Sherry Wolfe-Elazar

In this episode, I sit down with Sherry Wolfe-Elazar, a Jewish educator (and my former elementary school teacher) to discuss the Greek and Roman periods of Jewish history, and what lessons modern-day Jews can learn from the past.

Season 2

Episode 0: Season 1 Recap

In this episode, we recap the first 1300 years of Jewish history, from the exodus from Egypt to the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

Episode 1: A Whole New World (70 CE - 250 CE)

In this episode, we explore the aftermath of the First Roman-Jewish War, and watch two distinct Jewish communities form in Judea and Mesopotamia.

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