September 8

70: On the secular
calendar, Jerusalem is sacked by the 60,000 troops of Titus’ Roman army after a
six-month siege. Over a million Jewish citizens perished in the siege and,
following the city’s capture, another 97,000 were sold into slave…

 September
7

70: On the secular calendar the date on which a
Roman army under Titus occupied and plundered Jerusalem.

1191: The Crusader army led by King Richard the
Lionhearted defeated the army of Saladin at the Battle of Arsuf, north of
Jaffa…

September 5

394:
Battle of Frigidus between Emperor Theodosius who ruled the eastern Roman
Empire and Eugenius, ruler of the western part of the empire. Theodosius’
victory brought the two halves of the empire back under on ruler for one last
time. Th…

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 and
was …

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 26

1071:
The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at the Battle of Manzikert. This
battle took place during the successful conquest of Palestine, or as what the
Christians called the Holy Land which lasted until 1080. This left the Muslim
Tur…

August 18

1201:
Founding of Riga, capital of modern-day Latvia. The first Jews appeared in Riga
three centuries later and despite Czars, Nazis and Commissars continue to live
in the city to this day.

1227:
Genghis Khan dies.  According to Arthur…