How Jews Became the Last Minority It’s Acceptable to Hate
An empathy gap.
November 9, 2023
The Many Lives of Og, the Giant King of Bashan
How the rabbis wove an obscure figure into the biblical narrative.
Also on the subject of military powers not prepared for attack, the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy mention Og, ruler of the kingdom of Bashan—roughly equivalent to the modern Golan Heights—whom the Israelites, led by Moses, defeat in battle. Og is described as being an enormous man, and as “the last of the Rephaites,” who seem to be a race of giants. While the Hebrew Bible spends only a handful of verses on Og, rabbinic literature constructed an array of tales about him, linking him—or even identifying him—with a number of other characters. Stuart Halpern takes a look at these stories:
November 9, 2023
Why Supporting Israel Won’t Cost Democrats Elections
The progressive left is a paper tiger.
Understanding the IDF’s Successes, and Its Mistakes
What the Pentagon could learn from Israeli innovation.
The Many Lives of Og, the Giant King of Bashan
How the rabbis wove an obscure figure into the biblical narrative.
An Afghan Gentile Finds an Afghan Synagogue in Queens
Family heirlooms and the memories they preserve.