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The Persian conquest of Palestine in 614 CE is described in historical sources as a most violent military raid that dramatically affected the political and administrative stability of Byzantine Palestine, involving large scale damage to churches and a mass killing of the local Christian population. Common view has it that the conquest marked a turning point in the history of the Near East and was one of the causes for the rapid Early Islamic conquests, twenty years later. Although the Persian domination - lasting only 14 years (614-628), was a very brief episode in the long historical sequence of Palestine,...

While some depict the Bible’s Passover meal and Jews’ Exodus from Egypt as a fable, archeological and other evidence squares with the Bible’s account.Tonight begins Passover, or Pasach, celebrated worldwide by Jews. As recounted in Exodus 13:3-10, this ritual meal marks their ancestors’ escape from Egyptian captivity.About three weeks earlier, Christians celebrated Easter to commemorate Jesus’ Resurrection. Judaism and Christianity share not merely monotheism, but also recount their miraculous foundations as history.Together they form the moral foundation for Western culture, a foundation that is collapsing, in part due to post-Enlightenment critiques of the historicity of these religions. But, as a...

AP) – The Vatican has issued a new document rejecting the concept of changing one’s biological sex – a setback for transgender people who had hoped Pope Francis might be setting the stage for a more welcoming approach from the Catholic Church. Around the world, major religions have diverse approaches to gender identity, and the inclusion or exclusion of transgender people. Some examples: Christianity The Catholic Church’s disapproving stance toward gender transition is shared by some other denominations. For example, the Southern Baptist Convention – the largest Protestant denomination in the United States – adopted a resolution in 2014 stating...

For generations we have hoped, prayed, and yearned for the coming of Moshiach. The Gemara in Sanhedrin sets forth various preconditions for the coming of Moshiach. What are we to make of all these conditions? Are they to be taken literally? How are these teachings meant to help us in our avodah to bring Moshiach? “[Moshiach] Ben-Dovid will not come until fish is sought out for an ill person, and yet none is found.”1 The Gemara states that Moshiach will come in a generation that is either entirely righteous, or entirely transgressors. The Jewish nation will either be on an...

Since the time of Moses, only nine red heifers have been sacrificed. Now, a “massive altar” for the tenth red heifer sacrifice has been built in Israel, and there is a tremendous amount of speculation that it could happen soon. In September 2022, five red heifers were flown from the state of Texas to the land of Israel. Since that time, one of them has been disqualified, but the other four continue to be candidates for a red heifer sacrifice. As I discussed last week, there was “a practice run of the purification ceremony” in 2023. But an official ceremony...

(JTA)-A U.S. government delegation tasked with monitoring religious freedom around the world cut a visit to Saudi Arabia short after Saudi officials demanded that a prominent rabbi on the trip remove his kippah. Saudi officials told Rabbi Abraham Cooper, co-chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, to remove his kippah while in public, the commission said in a statement on Monday. Cooper, an Orthodox rabbi and the director of global social action for the Simon Wiesenthal Center advocacy group, "politely" refused the request with the backing of US embassy staff, the statement said. Saudi officials then escorted...

In this conversation, Mossab, the son of a Hamas leader, discusses the safety of Jewish people outside of Israel, the deep-rooted hatred of Hamas towards Israel, and the fundamental differences between Ishmael and Isaac. In this podcast, Mosab emphasizes the importance of education in the Jewish community and the need for Palestinians to disassociate themselves from Hamas. Mossab also addresses the misconception of Islamophobia and the need for critical thinking. He encourages Jewish people to be proud of their identity and confront hatred with strength. Mossab concludes by discussing the importance of building bridges and seeing Israel as a friend....

Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been slammed for her Christmas post that called Israel a violent occupying force and likened Jesus to the Palestinians. Posting on Instagram on Christmas Eve, AOC shared a photo of a child lying on a pile of rubble surrounded by wooden nativity scene icons. Accompanying the photo, the New Yorker wrote: 'In the story of Christmas, Christ was born in modern-day Palestine under the threat of a government engaged in a massacre of innocents.' She went on to compare Jesus being hunted by King Herod to the 'right-wing forces' currently 'violently occupying Bethlehem.' Her post...

As a child, the thing I found most startling about attending majority-black public schools was the fact that most of my fellow students had no idea what a “Jew” is. To them, I was just a white kid. A few of my schoolmates who had churchgoing parents had heard terms like “Hebrews” and “Israelites,” but there was little understanding of how those words applied to living people in the modern world. I recall one black classmate telling me she’d finally “figured out” what this Jew thing is all about: “You guys just wear the cross, but without the little man...

Bomb threats targeting synagogues and symbols of hate along Hawaii’s busiest roadway — the messages appear to be connected to a war 9,000 miles away. HONOLULU (Hawaii 7News Now) -- Bomb threats targeting synagogues and symbols of hate along Hawaii’s busiest roadway — the messages appear to be connected to a war 9,000 miles away. Along the H-1 highway by the Barber’s Point exit, one of the many places that have a swastika along with the star of David graffitied onto signs. Those symbols can be seen for about 10 miles along the H-1 heading into town. “We think of...

NOW - MP Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Jewish Hanukkah candles at Poland's parliament.

@jacksonhinklle Over 60,000 anti-Zionist Jews gathered in New York "Israel is not the state of the Jews." "Zionism is not Judaism."

Argentina’s new president Monday visited the Queens grave of one of the most revered rabbis in modern history, paying his respects as he met with Jewish leaders in the Big Apple. Javier Milei — a firebrand libertarian and outspoken admirer of Israel who has been fostering a close relationship with New York’s Hasidic community since well before his Oct. 22 election victory — stopped at the Ohel, the gravesite of the Chabad Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Donning a yarmulke and flanked by Hasidic community leaders, Milei, who is Catholic, somberly toured the rebbe’s final resting place, where he shared...

When Israel was attacked two weeks ago, Saul Teplitsky leaped into action, trying to help Israel from his home in the Bronx. Like many others, he donated money to emergency efforts at resupplying Israel. But like so many others, he felt that whatever he did was simply not enough. On Sunday, eight days after the horrific attack, Saul put out a Whatsapp message to his community calling on people to donate necessary items and received an overwhelming response. A young man in the community, the son of a friend, was traveling to Israel to serve in the IDF and Saul,...

A child's prayer blessing his father who goes into battle. Amen and your prayers will be fulfilled and that all the soldiers and abductees will return home to us in peace. Oct 13, 2023 Still imagehttps://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1712763513439911936/pu/img/JCqcvOiNrEj2m3_X?format=jpg

Since the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the holy day of Yom Kippur has been observed with intense prayer and fasting. But the Bible mandates 15 specific sacrifices and many other rituals for Yom Kippur outlined in Leviticus chapter 16. This included the Kohen Gadol (high priest) wearing five different sets of garments, immersion in the mikvah (ritual bath) five times, and washing his hands and feet ten times. The temple service on Yom Kippur was the only time the Kohen Gadol entered the Kodesh Kedoshim (holy of holies) three times, the only day of...

What are we to make of the recent comments by Dennis Prager that Judaism only calls actions evil, not thoughts? And what should we think of his comments that someone deriving sexual pleasure from watching animated child porn was not doing something “evil”? (See here and here for relevant clips.)Christian readers are familiar with the words of Jesus, spoken in the Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27–28)....

Jews trying to defend themselves when attacked by Arabs are not "terrorists". Would Biden's State Department have called the Fogel, Biton or Palmer families "terrorists" if one of them have managed to defend themselves and killed one of the terrorists that attacked them? Would Biden's State Department have called the Yazidi women "terrorists" if one of them have managed to defend themselves and killed one of the Islamists that raped them? Both Yazidi and Jews are native to their ancestral land. The same way it would be wrong for the State Department to call the Yazidi defending themselves against Islamists...

Hebrew Coins, stamps provide overwelming evidence that the original Palestinians were Jews. The Knesset should switch the name of Israel to Palestine. The use by Arabs of the name "Palestine" is cultural appropriation, the original Palestinians were Jews. The Knesset must claim the name Palestine back to the Jews, the change of one word would reveal Arab lies. It is easy to prove that the original Palestinians were Jews, this will destroy the Arab narrative By Ezequiel Doiny Part 1 - The Knesset should switch the name of Israel to Palestine On January 13, 2014 Elder of Zion wrote "I...

It was common in the Middle Ages for Jews to get the blame for the spreading of disease. In the 14th century, Jews were accused of poisoning wells, infecting the water with something terrible that was then transferred to the whole community. There was of course never one shred of evidence of this. The Black Death had nothing to do with the Jews—it was a bacterial infection transferred through many sources—but they caught the blame anyway. Indeed, that’s where we get the phrase “poisoning the well.” It has anti-Semitic connotations in history. Scapegoating Jews is a habit with ancient origins....