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Medieval Jewish Tombstone in Yeghegis, Armenia
Nearly 40 tombstones from the 13th and 14th century CE survive in the Jewish cemetery, and another 30 are located nearby. The oldest tombstone dates to 1266 CE and the latest to 1337 CE. Some tombs have inscriptions in Hebrew or Aramaic...
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Richard II & the Peasants' Revolt
A 15th century CE medieval manuscript illustration showing Richard II of England (r. 1377-1399 CE) meeting the rebels of the 1381 CE Peasants' Revolt in London. (National Library of France, Paris)
Definition
Zealots
The Zealots were a group of Jews who began to emerge as a religious/political movement around the beginning of the 1st century CE. They strongly opposed Roman rule and turned on everyone, including other Jews, who cooperated with Rome. A...
Definition
Cave of Letters
Everyone is aware of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but few realise that these were just one find in a region which continues to yield hundreds of finds significant to our understanding of lives in the first centuries CE, the Jewish revolts and the...
Definition
Essenes
The Essenes were a Jewish sect that emerged in the 2nd century BCE and established the community at Qumran. They emphasized ritual purity, copied books of the Jewish Scriptures, and wrote commentaries on the Books of the Prophets. They believed...
Interview
Interview: The First Black Archaeologist: A Life of John Wesley Gilbert by John Lee
John Lee joins World History Encyclopedia to tell us all about his new book, The First Black Archaeologist: A Life of John Wesley Gilbert. Kelly (WHE): Thank you so much for joining me! Let us start by talking about what the book is about...
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Vandalised Jewish Shop, Berlin
A photograph showing a smashed Jewish-owned shop in Berlin, Germany. The Nazis orchestrated Kristallnacht (‘Night of Broken Glass’), an attack on Jews and Jewish property across Germany and Austria on 9-10 November, 1938. (UK National Archives...
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Smashed Jewish Shops, Magdeburg
A photograph showing smashed Jewish-owned shops in Magdeburg, Germany. The Nazis orchestrated Kristallnacht (‘Night of Broken Glass’), an attack on Jews and Jewish property across Germany and Austria on 9-10 November, 1938. (German Federal...
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Jewish Bread-Stamp from Sardis
In the Late Roman Period, the Jewish faith was expressed through symbols of personal items in much the same way as for Christianity. The Jewish "Menorah" is depicted on this bread-stamp. The stamp bears the name of "Leontios", which perhaps...
Definition
Martyr
A martyr is someone who voluntarily dies for either a religious or secular cause. The word originates from "witness" in Greek and is related to a witness in court testifying to one's beliefs or truth, despite the risk involved. As such, it...