November 3

166 BCE (15th of
Cheshvan, 3595): Mattathias ben Yochanan passed away.

361: Roman Emperor
Constantius II died. Constantius II enhanced the anti-Jewish policies begun by
his father. Under his rule, converting to Judaism became a combination…

OCTOBER 31

445 BCE: In Jerusalem Ezra, the Scribe reads the Scroll
of the Law, the Torah, to the Jews of Judea as described in Nehemiah 9:1. 

475: Twenty-five years
after the redaction of the Jerusalem Talmud, Orestes refused to “wear
the Purpl…

OCTOBER 29

539
BCE:  On the secular calendar, Babylon fell to
Cyrus the Great of Persia.  This is a
significant date because it marked the start of the return of the exiles to
Eretz Israel where the Second Temple would be built.

969:
Byzant…

OCTOBER 25  

1135:
Louis VII, who “banished from the kingdom those Jews who had been converted to
Christianity and had later returned to Judaism” was crowned “Junior King of
France” today; following a Capetian custom of holding the coronatio…

OCTOBER 14

680:
Wamba, the Visigoth King of
Hispania, abdicated.  During his reign,
he issued an order expelling the Jews from Spain.  This was part of an on-going policy of abuse,
mistreatment and humiliation the Jews suffered under the Cat…

OCTOBER 12

539 BCE: The Persian armies of Cyrus the Great captured
Babylon.  Within the year, Cyrus would make it possible
for the Jews to return to their homeland.

1129: The tombstone of Elijah ben Simon dated October 12, 1129 is among
the olde…

OCTOBER
6

877: Charles the Bald, King of France, passed away. Regardless of whatever others may think of him, Charles the
Bald, who was King of France, comes up on the plus side in Jewish history when
compared to other monarchs since he resisted enfor…