September 20

357
B.C.E.: Birthdate of Alexander the Great. 
Alexander’s eastern conquests would bring the Jews in contact with Greek
Culture.  The conflict between Greek and
Jewish values would become a dominant motif in Jewish history over …

September 10

134
CE: The great Talmudic sage, Rabbi Akiva, was taken captive by the Romans, and
executed five days later in Caesarea, Israel. Rabbi Akiva had been a
40-year-old shepherd who could not even read the Aleph-Bet. One day, he came across
a …

 September 3

175(BCE): Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Greek King of the Channukah story
began his reign today.

141 BCE (18th of Elul, 3619): The fight begun by Matthias and
Judah came to a successful conclusion when Simon was elected High Priest an…

September 2

44 BCE: Cicero delivers the
first of his fourteen Philippics (oratorical attacks) on Mark Antony. He will
make 14 of them over the next several months. From a Jewish perspective it
might be proper to say “a pox on both of your houses.”&nbs…

August 19

43 BCE:
Octavian. later known as Augustus compels the senate to elect him Consul. As
the first Emperor of Rome (in fact, if not in name) Augustus would follow the
policies of “moderation and accommodation” towards Judea begun by his uncle,
J…