Jewish History
136 episodes · Page 4 of 6
#3250: Where Does Unclaimed Land Still Exist?
Every habitable square meter on Earth is claimed. Here's how we got here and what that means for buyers.
#3243: Are We Modern Serfs? Land, Rent & Feudalism
How land ownership patterns mirror medieval feudalism—and what Henry George proposed to fix it.
#3238: Ancient Ink, Modern Scribes: The Chemistry of Kosher Ink
What’s really in that bottle of certified kosher ink? A deep dive into Talmudic chemistry, gum arabic, and the Sharpie-on-Tefillin debate.
#3237: The Scribes Who Count Every Letter
Inside the ancient craft of Soferut, where every letter in a Torah scroll must be perfect.
#3235: From 5% to 46%: The Jewish Diaspora's Great Inversion
How world Jewry went from 5% in Israel in 1900 to 46% today — and why the global population still hasn't recovered from 1939.
#3185: The 35 Acres That Could Start a War
How unwritten rules, a gold menorah, and lip movements keep a powder keg from exploding.
#3161: Three Hatreds: Christian, Islamic, Anti-Zionist
Christian, Islamic, and progressive anti-Zionist anti-Semitism — three distinct hatreds with different roots and dangers.
#3156: The 2,000-Year Campaign to Ban Brit Milah
Belgium may ban non-medical circumcision for minors. This isn't new — states have tried for two millennia.
#3032: The Karankawa Beyond the Cannibalism Myth
Who were the Karankawa? New genetic evidence and archaeology reveal a sophisticated maritime culture.
#3022: Who Actually Are Jerusalem's Haredim?
The Haredi community in Jerusalem isn't one bloc—it's a coalition of factions with opposing views on Zionism, military service, and work.
#3012: Where the Holy of Holies Really Was
The closest point to the Holy of Holies isn't the main Western Wall plaza—it's a quiet 15-meter section in the Muslim Quarter.
#2968: The Government That Existed Before the State
How the Yishuv built a fully functioning state within a state decades before 1948.
#2951: Herzl's Unbuilt Utopia: The Man Behind the Dream
The secular dandy who founded modern Zionism — and the state he imagined vs. what got built.
#2931: David Ben-Gurion: The Man Behind the Myth
The neurotic insomniac who read Plato at dawn, built a state, and shaped Israel's DNA.
#2930: How the Rabbis Saved the Bible's Most Dangerous Book
The book that says "everything is pointless" was almost cut from the Bible. Here's how the rabbis reinvented it.
#2929: The Radical Economics of the Sabbatical Year
How an ancient biblical debt reset is playing out in real time in Israel today.
#2926: Barley to Wheat: The Original Shavuot Grain Cycle
Before cheesecake and all-night study, Shavuot was a wheat harvest festival built on a barley-counting calendar.
#2907: How Medieval Queens Shaped Jewish Policy Before 1306
How four French queens used dower lands and household budgets to protect—or restrict—Jewish communities before the 1306 expulsion.
#2870: Pottage, Cholent, and the Eternal Pot
Medieval pottage isn't dead — it evolved into Jewish Shabbat stews like cholent and hamin.
#2856: How Paleo-Hebrew Evolved Over Six Centuries
The Paleo-Hebrew script evolved through distinct phases over 600 years—here’s how scholars trace its development.
#2855: How Medieval Hebrew Became Israel's Handwriting
The surprising 800-year history of how Ashkenazi cursive became the handwriting taught in Israeli schools today.
#2813: How Jerusalem Day Went From Thanksgiving to Sovereignty Display
The holiday began as a rabbinic day of thanks. Now 70,000 people march through the Muslim Quarter. How did it shift?
#2742: Where Ancient Jerusalem’s Walls Actually Were
The City of David was only 12 acres. Here’s how Jerusalem’s boundaries shifted over 3,000 years.
#2734: How Hebrew Printing Defied Book Burnings
The first Hebrew printed book dates to 1475 — and it was Rashi’s commentary, not the Bible.