Sample Sources
The sources below are those contained in our three curated collections—covering themes of Passover, Gender Roles, and Holocaust Resistance. They represent a fraction of the thousands of sources that will be available when the full site launches in 2024.
The Divine Matchmaker
R. Levi opened [his discourse by quoting the verse]: For God is judge, lowering one and raising another (Psalm 75:8). A [Roman] matron asked R. Yosi bar Ḥalafta, saying to him, “In how many days did…
A King Who Wants to Marry a Noblewoman
To a king who wanted to marry a noblewoman of high birth. He sent a messenger to her, who spoke to her. She said, “I am not worthy to be his maidservant, but I want to hear it from his mouth.” When…
Babylonian Rabbinic Descriptions of Arab Life
What does it mean [when the Mishnah states that] one may not force-feed [a camel on the Sabbath]? R. Judah said: One may not [feed it until it] creates a manger inside its stomach. Can…
Mishnah Gittin
1. If a man sends a get [divorce document] to his wife and meets the bearer [before he delivers the get], or sends a messenger after him and says to him [the bearer of the get], “The g…
Yerushalmi Shevi‘it
[A vote was taken and it was stated:] Regarding the entire Torah, whence do we know that if a non-Jew orders a Jew to transgress any of the commandments written in the Torah except for idolatry…
Sifre Numbers
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses [because of the Cushite woman he had married] (Numbers 12:1, NJPS).
Now how did Miriam know that Moses had separated from having sexual…
Jews as Seleucid Soldiers
The Jews also received honors from the kings of Asia when they served them in war; for example, Seleucus Nicator made them citizens of the cities that he built in Asia and in lower Syria, and in the…
Conflicts between the Young Herod and Hyrcanus
Antipater saw Caesar out of Syria and then returned to Judaea. His first act was to rebuild the wall of the capital which had been destroyed by Pompey. He then toured the country, suppressing any…
Antipas Contests Archelaus’ Rule
Meanwhile Antipas returned to the fray and disputed the succession to the throne, asserting that the original will, which named him as king, had greater…
The First Flames of War
Meanwhile the Greeks of Caesarea had won their case at Rome, and came back with the document recording Nero’s decision to award them…
The Temple Falls
Titus, now realizing that his attempt to spare a foreign temple was only causing injury and death to his own men, gave orders for the gates to be fired. [ . . . ]…
Laws about Jews in the Theodosian Code
emperor constantine augustus to evagrius
We want the Jews, their principals and their patriarchs informed, that if anyone—once this law has been given—dare attack by stoning or by other…