Hailed as one of the greatest commentators on the Torah, Abraham ibn Ezra lived a life of great scholarly accomplishment amidst great personal suffering.
Who Was Ibn Ezra? Jewish Biography as History Dr. Henry Abramson
Who Was Aaron of Lincoln? Jewish Biography as History
Reputed to be the wealthiest man in 11th century England–wealthier even than the King–Aaron of Lincoln was a hugely successful moneylender whose achievements included the financing of many cathedrals. His story, while exceptional in terms of scope, is nevertheless instructive of the Jewish experience in the medieval economy as a whole.
Who was Eldad ha-Dani? Jewish Biography as History by Dr. Henry Abramson
Claiming descent from the long-lost Ten Tribes of Israel, Eldad was a ninth-century traveler with a fantastic story: beyond the “River Kush” lay an intact civilization of Jews who enjoyed political sovereignty, in preparation for their eventual return to the Land of Israel in messianic times. Surviving shipwreck, cannibals and attack from fire-worshipping pagans, Eldad’s story of the mystical river Sambatyon and the Jews who lived there captivated the Jewish mind for centuries, and had a lasting impact on the development of Christian thought as well. But was he for real?
Dr. Abramson is way better in print (and taller, too):
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- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 10: THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 11: THE CORDOBA CALIPHATE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 12: THE KINGDOMS OF ARAGON AND CASTILLE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 1: THE GREEK EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 2: THE ROMAN EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 3: THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 4: THE SASSANIAN EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 5: THE VISIGOTHIC EMPIRE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 6: THE RASHIDUN CALIPHATE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 7: THE UMAYYAD CALIPHATE
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 8: THE KINGDOM OF AXUM
- SURVIVAL CHALLENGE LEVEL 9: THE KINGDOM OF KHAZARIA
- SURVIVE JEWISH HISTORY
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- The Holocaust: Thirty Brief Lectures
- The Jewish People I: Biblical Jewish History
- The Jewish People II: Medieval Jewish History.
- The Jewish People: A History (Draft)
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Who Was Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai? Jewish Biography as History Dr. Henry Abramson
Emerging from a cave after twelve years of isolated Torah study, Rabbi Shimon Yohai went on to become one of ancient Israel’s most celebrated Kabbalists and leaders of the Jewish people.
Dr. Abramson in Print (and eBooks!)
Who Was Babatha? Jewish Biography as History Dr. Henry Abramson
Rolling her precious documents and carefully wrapping them in a leather pouch tied with twine, Babatha buried her entire legal history in the floor of the cave she shared with Bar Kochba’s rebels. They would remain entombed in that desolate refuge for 1800 years until their discovery by archaeologist Yigael Yadin, and then the life of an otherwise forgotten 2nd-century woman suddenly came to light: her marriages, custody battles for her son, property disputes, and much more. The Babatha archive constitutes an amazing source of information for the history of Jewish women in ancient Israel.
Who Was Bar Kochba? Jewish Biography as History Lecture by Dr. Henry Abramson
“Akiva, grass will grow from your cheeks,” said the talmudic Rabbi Yochanan ben Torta, “and still the messiah will not have come.” A stinging rebuke for the most prominent supporter of Bar Kochba’s would-be messianic leadership of the Jewish people in his 2nd-century rebellion against the Roman oppressors. Who was Bar Kochba, and what did his rebellion signify for Jewish history?
Dr. Abramson in print:
Who was Salome? Jewish Biography as History lecture by Dr. Henry Abramson
Briefly but notoriously mentioned in both Josephus and the Gospels, Salome was the granddaughter of King Herod who is best known for a salacious performance that resulted in the execution of John the Baptist. Who was Salome, and does her bit part play a significant role in the representation of Jews and Judaism in medieval Christian thought? Part of the Jewish Biography as History series by Dr. Henry Abramson at http://www.jewishhistorylectures.org.
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Books by Henry Abramson
Who was Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai? (Jewish Biography as History) Dr. Henry Abramson
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai (d. c. 85 ce) was one of the most influential figures in ancient Jewish history. Emerging from the ruins of the destroyed Temple, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai led the Jewish people through the dangerous first years after the devastation of the last remnants of their state by the Romans. A disciple of Hillel, he was of the “national-realist” school that favored tactical surrender to the overwhelming power of the Roman Empire. In his most famous act, he arranged to fake his own death in order to escape his enemies among the Zealots to negotiate a peace treaty with Vespasian, who would later become Emperor. “Give me Yavneh and its scholars,” asked Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, setting in place the foundation for the existence of Judaism after the Temple could no longer serve as the center of Jewish religious life. Part of the Jewish Biography as History series available at http://www.jewishhistorylectures.com.
Fall 2014 Lectures in Jewish History at Young Israel
Wednesday Nights at 8:00 pm
October 22: Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai
October 29: Salome
November 5: Bar Kokhba
November 12: Shimon bar Yochai
November 19: Abaye’s Mother
November 26: Eldad the Danite
December 3: Aaron of Lincoln
December 10: Amnon of Mayence
December 17: Abraham ibn Ezra
December 24: Qasmunah
All lectures are free and open to the community.
Lecturer: Dr. Henry (Hillel) Abramson
No hard questions, please.
Rabbi Dr. Yosef Baer (J.D.) Soloveitchik (The Rav) Jewish Biography as History
Known as simply “The Rav,” Rabbi Dr. Yosef Baer (J.D.) Soloveitchik was arguably the most influential figure shaping the Orthodox Rabbinate in the United States in the 20th century. From his position at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Rabbinical Seminary at Yeshiva University, he ordained some 2,000 Rabbis over four decades.
To view the Prezi associated with this lecture, please click here.
Henry Abramson 