Lectures in Jewish History and Thought. No hard questions, please.
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
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.
I’ve been selected as a presenter to speak about my latest book, The Kabbalah of Forgiveness: The Thirteen Levels of Mercy in Rabbi Moshe Cordovero’s Tomer Devorah (The Date Palm of Devorah). Please check out the Limmud’s Facebook Page or website for more information (the full schedule and list of presenters will be live in December).
Hope to see you there on February 22, 2015!
![Depiction of Host Desecration in Sternberg, Germany (1492). Diebold Schilling the Younger [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://henryabramson.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/schilling_hostienfrevel_ausschnitt.jpg)
Breaking the history of antisemitism into four major periods (Ancient Xenophobia, Early Christian Anti-Judaism, Medieval Jew-hatred, and Modern Antisemitism), Dr. Abramson focusses on the third period to look at the ideological basis for the false charges of ritual murder, blood libel, and desecration of the host, ending with a discussion of the Judensau image.
The Jewish Biography as History series at the Young Israel of Bal Harbour continues this week with a presentation on Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, a major figure whose bold and heroic leadership rescued the Jewish people from the threat of national oblivion in the wake of the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century.
Lectures are scheduled for Wednesday nights at 8:00 pm and are free an open to the community.
The schedule of lectures for the Fall 2014 season is now online.
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Enjoy the lectures? You might enjoy one of Dr. Abramson’s books:
An introductory lecture on the role of Jews in the medieval economy. Part of the Essential Lectures in Jewish History series.
I’m so glad that so many of you decided to download my latest book, “The Kabbalah of Forgiveness: The Thirteen Levels of Mercy in Rabbi Moshe Cordovero’s Date Palm of Devorah (Tomer Devorah).” I’m also very grateful that many of you have found this work meaningful, especially in the rare moment of the season of repentance that we are enjoying for a few more days.
If you have time to jot down a few words describing your thoughts about the book (any highly superlative praise will do), perhaps you would consider going online and letting other potential readers know? Here’s a few links:
And if you haven’t had a chance to download a copy for yourself, don’t worry: the free offer extends until the 19th of October. Please visit smashwords and enter coupon code YT52E.
Do you prefer a hard copy? Please visit one of these booksellers:
Thanks and enjoy in good health!
This lecture serves as an introduction to the Rishonim, a body of Rabbinic scholars associated with the 9th through the 15th centuries of the common era. Part of the Essential Lectures in Jewish History series.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons.
Henry Abramson 