March 8

1126: Alfonso VII is
proclaimed king of Castile and Leon, after the death of his mother Urraca.
Under the reign of Alfonso Christian Spain “became a refuge for the persecuted
Andalusian Jews.  The capital city of Toledo
became a new cente…

February 28

628: Persian
Shah Khosrau II who “conquered Jerusalem after a brief siege in 614 during the
Byzantine – Sasanian War” came passed away today.

1255: Bishop
Richard of Worms transferred to the chapter of the local cathedral, among other
rev…

February
26

11
BCE: According to some sources, the day on which Herod dedicates the renovated
Holy Temple in Jerusalem. According to Heinrich Graetz, the building project
began in 20 BCE, the 18th year of Herod’s reign. A year and half
later, (18 BCE)…

February 21

362:
Athanasius returns to Alexandria so he can lead the fight against various
Christian heretics such as the Arians.  His negative views about the Jews
were really part of his fight against Christian heretics. His “anti-Jewish
rhetor…

 February
19

197:
Emperor Septimius Severus defeated the usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of
Lugdunum, Severus was trying to use syncretism to maintain imperial unity and
authority.  Since Jews, as well as Christian, resisted this conce…

February
13

515 BCE (3rd of Adar, 3245): Completion of the
construction of the Second Temple at Jerusalem.

996: Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim who “ordered…Jews
to wear wooden calves around their necks” began his reign today.

1130: The Papacy of Honorius I…

February 12

 553:
Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered the public reading of the Greek translation
to Parshat Hashavuah (weekly Torah portion) on Shabbat morning and prohibited
Rabbis from giving drashot on the Torah portion.

1049:
Beginning of t…