March 301135: On the secular calendar, birthdate of Maimonides (Moses Ben Maimon) in Cordova, Spain. According to Jewish tradition he was born Erev Pesach. “From Moses to Moses there was none like Moses.’ This folk saying sums up the greatness of…

 March 27

347: Traditional birthdate for Jerome, the priest and theologian best
known for the creation of the Vulgate Bible, the Latin translation of the text
and the author of correspondence with Augustine of Hippo that frequently
mentioned the …

March 26

1027: Coronation of Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor, whose court was the site
of religious disputation between Bishop Wazon “the overlord of” Liege and an
unnamed Jewish physician. (As reported by the Jewish Virtual Library) 

1147: Je…

March 23

1369: King
Pedro of Castile who employed Abraham ibn Zaral as his physician was beheaded
by his rival and brother, Henry of Trastamara marking the end of their civil
war for control of the kingdom. Henry “was as hostile to the Jews as Pedro h…

March 22

1144: This
date marks the first ritual murder libel which took place in in Norwich,
England. It set the pattern for subsequent accusations that would be made into
the 20th century all across Europe. A 12-year-old boy, William, was found dead
…

March 18

37: The Roman Senate
annuls Tiberius’ will and proclaims Caligula emperor. Caligula ruled from 37
until his death in 41. From the Jewish perspective he was not so much an
anti-Semite as a lunatic whose crazy behavior affected the Jews. The bi…

March
12

515
BCE: On the secular calendar the construction of the Second Temple was
completed. (Book of Ezra, 6:15 “And this house was finished on the third day of
the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the
king.”  Dar…