History of the Jews
Claim This Podcastby Dovid Parnas
Podcast Overview
<p>This is a narrative history podcast about the Jews. I aim to tell the story as it unfolds—grounded in archaeology, contemporaneous sources, and modern scholarship, but always focused on the people living through it.</p><p>How did they experience the world around them? How did they respond to it?</p><p>Jewish history begins in the ancient Near East over three thousand years ago and continues to this day. The Jews navigate their way through difficult realities - conquest, persecution, social and political changes. They enjoy periods of peace, prosperity and engagement with the world around them. And through it all, they try to find a way to adapt, survive and flourish. </p><p>Sometimes they succeed. Sometimes they do not.</p><p>Jewish history is often reduced to religion, antisemitism or politics. But this podcast allows them to just be people, making their way through three millennia of the human experience.</p>
Language
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Publishing Since
4/1/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 22, 2026
E12 - The Fall of Jerusalem
<p>In 586 BC, Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah are destroyed by the Neo-Babylonian empire. It is estimated that Judah lost more than two-thirds of its population in what is one of the greatest tragedies of Jewish history.</p><p>In this episode, we try to understand why this happened? How Babylonia came to power? And what did Judah do wrong to bring upon itself this calamity?</p><p>Using the ancient records of imperial Assyria and Babylonia, we reconstruct the turbid history of the 7th century BC. We watch Assyria fall from its greatest heights to non-existence and geopolitical chaos that this causes. Judah is caught between Babylonia and Egypt with no good options.</p><p>Lastly, we use archeology to get a snapshot of post-destruction Judah and to get a better understanding of the catastrophe that had befallen the Judeans.</p><p>This episode was released on the eve of Tisha B'av, the date according to Jewish tradition when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple. I hope that it sheds light on this period of Jewish history from the perspective of archeology and modern scholarship.</p><p>Read the episode transcript and my thoughts about Jewish history at: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://historyofthejews.substack.com/">https://historyofthejews.substack.com/</a></p><p>You can also reach me at: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:hotj.podcast@gmail.com">hotj.podcast@gmail.com</a></p>
July 8, 2026
E11 - The Twilight of Judah: Life Under Assyria
<p>The 7th century BC is the twilight of the kingdom of Judah. After Hezekiah's failed revolt in 701 BC, Judah has been reduced to an Assyrian vassal state.</p><p>How much does that change Judean lives?</p><p>In this episode, we explore how Judah adapted post-701 and how Assyria shaped the Judean relationship with their Philistine and Edomite neighbors. Meanwhile, Judean culture survives this new world and we find the first mention of Sabbath in recorded history.</p><p>We build this history on Judean and Philistine archeological findings at Ekron, Yavne-Yam and Jerusalem. This episode features the Ketef Hinnom scrolls recording the Priestly Blessing also found in Numbers, dating to around 600 BC.</p><p>Read the episode transcript and my thoughts about Jewish history at: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://historyofthejews.substack.com/">https://historyofthejews.substack.com/</a></p><p>You can also reach me at: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:hotj.podcast@gmail.com">hotj.podcast@gmail.com</a></p>
June 24, 2026
E10 - Hezekiah's Revolt
<p>Judah navigates its destiny in the trying times of the late 8th century BC.</p><p>The kingdom of Israel has been destroyed and divided. Tens of thousands of refugees flood into Judah. And Judeans ask themselves the hard question, what do they do about Assyria?</p><p>Do they rebel and suffer the consequences? Or do they pay the price of quiet and submission?</p><p>In this episode, we discuss Judah's choice, the fallout and why they made the choice that they did.</p><p>Read the episode transcript and my thoughts about Jewish history at: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://historyofthejews.substack.com/">https://historyofthejews.substack.com/</a></p><p>You can also reach me at: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:hotj.podcast@gmail.com">hotj.podcast@gmail.com</a></p><p></p>
15 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is History of the Jews?
<p>This is a narrative history podcast about the Jews. I aim to tell the story as it unfolds—grounded in archaeology, contemporaneous sources, and modern scholarship, but always focused on the people living through it.</p><p>How did they experience the world around them? How did they respond to it?</p><p>Jewish history begins in the ancient Near East over three thousand years ago and continues to this day. The Jews navigate their way through difficult realities - conquest, persecution, social and political changes. They enjoy periods of peace, prosperity and engagement with the world around them. And through it all, they try to find a way to adapt, survive and flourish. </p><p>Sometimes they succeed. Sometimes they do not.</p><p>Jewish history is often reduced to religion, antisemitism or politics. But this podcast allows them to just be people, making their way through three millennia of the human experience.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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