The early Israelites made sacrifices at the Holy Temple, and they were distinct from other Levantine peoples, each of whom worshipped their local gods.
Beginner's Guide
videos + essays
We're adding new content all the time!
Bayt Farhi, a Jewish house in Damascus
Learn about the complex history and contemporary restorations at Bayt Farhi, a Sephardic palace in Ottoman Damascus
Medieval synagogues in Toledo, Spain
These eclectic buildings embody the close ties between Muslim, Jewish, and Christian cultures in medieval Spain.
Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, Jobar (Syria)
Diarna digitally documents endangered Jewish sites—like this historic shrine near Damascus, now razed.
The manuscripts of Luis de Carvajal
This tiny book tells the complex story of the conflict between Christians and Jews in the Old and New Worlds.
Book of Morals of Philosophers
This Hebrew book copies an Arabic text that itself began life as a work of classical Greek philosophy.
Altneushul, Prague
In the “Old New Synagogue,” desks surround a Torah plaform. Text outweighs image—only plants ornament the space.
The Spoils of Jerusalem, Arch of Titus
The emperor Titus sacked the temple in Jerusalem and looted its most holy treasures.
The Golden Haggadah
No splashes of wine stain this luxurious book! Its 56 miniatures illustrate the story of Passover.
Writing a history of Jewish architecture
Long ignored by historians, Jewish architecture employs a rich formal language that melds local styles.
Jewish history in the post-war period
Lacking any unifying authority, doctrine, or practice, Judaism is highly diverse.
Jewish history 1750 to WW II
The emancipation of European Jews from ghettos became a benchmark of sorts indicating a nation’s transformation from the medieval to the modern.
Jewish history to the middle ages
After the Roman world embraced Christianity, Jews faced persecution, mob violence, and Crusaders.
Browse Smarthistory images for teaching & learning!
