The Hebrew Bible Soon after the arrival of Ezra in Judea in the middle of the fifth century B.C.E., the Judeans entered into a pact to observe the laws of the Torah. As part of this covenant renewal ceremony, the Torah was read aloud and explained. 7-73 When the seventh month arrived—Israelites being [settled] in […]
The Hebrew Bible One of the earliest examples of midrashic exegesis was in the manner it which Lev. 23-40-42 was interpreted by the book of Ezra. The interpretation proposed here was rejected by Jewish tradition which saw Lev. 23-40 as referring to the taking of the lulav and etrog, not to the building of the […]
The Hebrew Bible After the public reading of the Torah, the people entered into a pact to fulfill its commands. The specific details of the obligations of this covenant indicate by their formulation that they are based on halakhic (legal) midrash, mostly intended to harmonize various prescriptions in the Torah. The most prominent aspect of […]
The Hebrew Bible During the Persian period, the Book of Chronicles was edited from a variety of earlier sources. A major theme of Chronicles is King David and his dynasty. The Davidic Dynasty represented the ideal era of peace and security in the Land of Israel. Its promise of perfection has led the restoration of […]
The story of the return of the Jewish people to Israel in the sixth century BCE begins with a rather eccentric king by the name of Nabonidus. Nabonidus, the son of Belshazzar, served as a minister for many years in the court of Nebuchadnezzar and eventually became the final king to rule over Babylonia. He […]
Greco-Roman Period In the fall of 539 B.C.E., Cyrus (II) the Great, already king of Persia and Medea, vanquished the Babylonian army and gained control of the entire area of Mesopotamia. He immediately adopted a policy which was to be characteristic of his reign- he encouraged the repatriation of exiles and the rebuilding of shrines, […]