A small Jewish community lived in the Land of Israel during the 12th century. Records of travelers to the Holy Land attest to its existence. On May 14th 114, the famous scholar and poet Judah HaLevi sailed from Alexandria to Israel. Tragically, he died soon afterwards in Crusader Jerusalem. Maimonides, a commentator, philosopher, physician and […]
The Jewish presence in the Land of Israel continued into the 11th century. An eleventh-century document from the Cairo Genizah describes the Jewish ritual of visiting the Temple Mount and reciting specific prayers at each of its gates. In 1039, Jews gathered at the Mount of Olives for Hoshanah Rabbah prayers. A synagogue on the […]
Evidence of Jewish presence in the Land of Israel in the first century BC and first century AD is plentiful. The Jewish historian, Josephus, describes Jewish life in Israel up until the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD. Josephus was a Jewish general who switched sides and supported the Romans. He wrote The […]