How Competition with the Palestinian Authority Led Hamas to Start, and End, Attacks on Israel
Along with the terrorist group’s internal politics.
September 1, 2020
The Ancient History of the Talmud’s Version of Instant, Long-Distance Communication
Fire beacons for the new moon.
According to the talmudic tractate of Rosh Hashanah, in the evening after the Jerusalem authorities announced the beginning of a new month, messengers would stand on the Mount of Olives and wave a large torch until they could see their counterparts doing the same on another mountain. The message would be spread in this manner from one mountain to another, “until the entire face of the Diaspora looked like a bonfire.” Thus, without the benefit of modern technology, announcements about the calendar could by conveyed quickly from the Land of Israel to Babylonia. Tiffany Earley-Spadoni explains this practice’s long pedigree:
September 1, 2020
The Thread That Links Protests in Belarus, Russia, and Lebanon
Problems for Putin.
In the Face of Pandemic, Must Freedom of Speech Trump Freedom of Worship?
Sacred cows and sacred spaces.
The Newest Workplace Fad? Ritual Consultants
Enterprising divinity-school graduates offer new rituals for shapeless workdays.
The Ancient History of the Talmud’s Version of Instant, Long-Distance Communication
Fire beacons for the new moon.