This Day, February 7, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 7457: Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. As can be seen from this decree, Leo was no friend of the Jewish people. "Therefore We, desiring to accomplish what Our Father failed to...
View ArticleThis Day, February 8, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 8421: Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire serving as co-Emperor with Honorius. Constantinius only reigned for 7 months, but during his long tenure Honorius was no...
View ArticleThis Day, February 9, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 9474: Zeno was crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. “The feeling of Emperor Zeno towards the Jews is illustrated by a remark made at the races of Antioch. After a mob murdered many...
View ArticleThis Day, February 10, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 101163: Baldwin III, the first so-called King of Jerusalem to have been in “the Holy Land” passed away. None of these Crusader monarchs were rightful heirs to the crown worn by David, Solomon...
View ArticleThis Day, February 11, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 1155: Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman Emperorship, dies under mysterious circumstances in Rome clearing the way for Nero to become Emperor Would things have been better...
View ArticleThis Day, February 12, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 12 553: Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered the public reading of the Greek translation to Parshat Hashavuah (weekly Torah portion) on Shabbat morning and prohibited Rabbis from giving drashot...
View ArticleThis Day, February 13, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 13515 BCE (3rd of Adar, 3245): Completion of the construction of the Second Temple at Jerusalem.996: Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim who “ordered…Jews to wear wooden calves around their necks” began...
View ArticleThis Day, February 14, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 14842: Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German languages. The two monarchs were grandsons of Charlemagne making them cousins. Charles,...
View ArticleThis Day, February 15, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 15399 BCE: The philosopher Socrates was sentenced to death today. No, Socrates was not Jewish, and he did not know about what the “Israelites” of his day were. However, Socrates would be one...
View ArticleThis Day, February 16, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 16600: Pope Gregory the Great decrees that the phrase "God bless You" is an appropriate response to a sneeze. Gregory's policy in regard to the Jews is expressed in the following sentence,...
View ArticleThis Day, February 17, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 171411: Musa Celebi became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire which turned out well for a portion of the Jewish population because during his reign the small Jewish community of Manisa grew in size...
View ArticleThis Day, February 18, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 18296: Cassius Dio, the namesake of the historian who “frequently records the religious zeal and self-sacrificing spirit of the Jews” and whose account of the Jewish War against the Roman...
View ArticleThis Day, February 19, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 19197: Emperor Septimius Severus defeated the usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, Severus was trying to use syncretism to maintain imperial unity and authority. Since Jews, as...
View ArticleThis Day, February 20, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 20390: Emperors Valentinian II., Theodosius, and Arcadius issued a decree that thwarted the attempt of the association of "navicularii" (ship-and cargo-owners) of Constantinople to force the...
View ArticleThis Day, February 21, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 21362: Athanasius returns to Alexandria so he can lead the fight against various Christian heretics such as the Arians. His negative views about the Jews were really part of his fight against...
View ArticleThis Day, February 22, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 22 1290 BCE: The coronation of Ramses II, who, according to some, is the Pharaoh of the Exodus. Since the Bible does not mention the Pharaoh by name, Ramses is not the only candidate. In...
View ArticleThis Day, February 23, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 2342(16th of Adar, 3892): King Agrippa I began the construction of a gate for the of Jerusalem.68(4th of Adar, 3828): During the Great Revolt, Vespasian occupied the city of Gadara as the...
View ArticleThis Day, February 24, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 24303: The first official Roman edict for the persecution of Christians was issued by Roman Emperor Galerius Valerius Maximianus. This was part a contest between Pagans and Christians for...
View ArticleThis Day, February 25, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 25161 BCE: Jewish soldiers led by Judah Maccabee defeated Nicanor, the Syrian general who had boasted that he would destroy the Temple and mount Judah’s head on the gates of Jerusalem.138: The...
View ArticleThis Day, February 26, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 2611 BCE: According to some sources, the day on which Herod dedicates the renovated Holy Temple in Jerusalem. According to Heinrich Graetz, the building project began in 20 BCE, the 18th year...
View ArticleThis Day, February 27, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
February 27272: Birthdate of Constantine the Great, Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Constantine adopted Christianity as the state religion for the Roman Empire which marked a turning point (negative)...
View ArticleThis Day, February 28, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"l
February 28628: Persian Shah Khosrau II who “conquered Jerusalem after a brief siege in 614 during the Byzantine – Sasanian War” came passed away today.1255: Bishop Richard of Worms transferred to the...
View ArticleThis Day, March 1, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
March 1286: Roman Emperor Diocletian raises Maximian to the rank of Caesar. Diocletian was determined to restore greatness and stability to the Roman Empire. He was far more concerned about the...
View ArticleThis Day, March 2, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
March 2117(12th of Adar, 3877): As the rebellion by Disapora Jews against the Roman Empire of Trajan came to an unsuccessful close, two Jewish brothers who had been leaders in the revolt, Pappus and...
View ArticleThis Day, March 3, In Jewish History by Mitchell A and Deb Levin Z"L
March 3321: Roman Emperor Constantine named Sunday which had been a Roman pagan day for honoring the sun as a day of rest. This was an attempt by Constantine to close the gap between pagans and...
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