TL;DR The Book of Ruth is traditionally read by Jews during Shavuot (Pentecost) because of its unique place in the biblical canon and its connection to the harvest season celebrated by the festival. The Jewish festival of Pentecost – one of the three biblical pilgrimage feasts – will be celebrated by Jews around the world […]
The location of the trial of Jesus by Pontius Pilate is one of the most debated subjects in the field of Jerusalem’s historical geography. For over 1500 years Christian pilgrims have followed in the footsteps of Jesus, walking a devotional route known as the “Way of the Cross” from the site of the condemnation of Jesus to the site […]
Many people know that the ancient city of Rome was built on seven hills, the outlines of which are still visible today. Fewer people know that the ancient city of Jerusalem was built on two hills. These hills are known simply as the “eastern hill” (the Upper City) and the “western hill” (the City of […]
TL;DR: It is nearly impossible to know with certainty what ancient Israelites looked like physically, though clues from geography, the Song of Songs, and cultural features like clothing and beards offer limited hints. If you take a look at the Jewish population living in Israel today, you will probably be struck by the huge variety […]
The birth of Jesus, celebrated by hundreds of millions every year on Christmas, is certainly one of the world’s best known stories. Surprisingly, this famous scene only appears in two of the four canonical gospels, Matthew and Luke. Of these two, Luke contains the more detailed description of the birth itself: And Mary gave birth […]
Where did Jesus live during the period of his ministry? Was he an itinerant preacher or did he have a permanent home? The Gospels record that after leaving the wilderness of Judah where he had been baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus returned to his childhood home of Nazareth up north in the fertile rolling […]
Many people are aware that ancient Rome was built upon seven hills. Fewer people know that ancient Jerusalem was built upon two hills. These are two oblong-shaped ridges that lay side by side, known simply as the Eastern Hill and the Western Hill. Between them runs a now filled-up wadi, which Josephus calls the “Valley of the Cheesemakers” (Greek: Tyropoeon).
One of the most important First Temple Era archaeological finds in Jerusalem is a massive stone fortification structure called the Broad Wall. It was built by King Hezekiah in the late 8th century BC prior to the Assyrian assault on Jerusalem (701 BC) and can be seen today in situ in the Jewish Quarter of […]
TL;DR: Tu b’Shevat, the Jewish new year for trees celebrated in mid-winter, marks the start of the fruit tree blossoming season in Israel and is used to calculate the age of trees for agricultural laws. This week we celebrate the Jewish holiday of Tu b’Shevat, the 15th day of the month of Shevat, which marks […]
For many Americans the name “Shiloh” evokes gruesome thoughts of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, fought in April 1862. For others it evokes fond memories of Neil Diamond, who one century later (1967) famously sang: Shilo when I was young, I used to call your name When no one else would come, […]
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