There was a very interesting article in today’s NY Times. It essentially said that all of the nuclear weapons in the world today can be traced back to the Manhattan Project. From there it was through spies, stolen secrets, nuclear scientists looking for work, and certain countries passing this technology on, that other countries acquired [...]
Hillel Gamoran has written a new book, Jewish Law in Transition: How Economic Forces Overcame the Prohibition Against Lending on Interest. From the description, In Jewish Law in Transition, Hillel Gamoran seeks to explain how and when a law of such high moral standing collapsed and fell over the course of the centuries. He explores [...]
John Hobbins has written a thoughtful post in response to a Shmuely Boteach op-ed which said, As for my Christian brethren who regularly quote to me Jesus’ famous saying, “Love your enemies,” my response is that our enemies and God’s enemies are different parties altogether. Jesus meant to love those who steal your girlfriend, cut [...]
In today’s NY Times there are two interesting obituaries. The first is that of Elmer Valentine, the founder of the Whisky a Go Go club in Los Angeles, which back in the day (1960′s) was where many of the great bands of that era played. At one time the house band was the Doors. I [...]
The blog Hebrew Scriptures and More has a short overview on the Beginnings of Old Testament (Tanakh) Textual Criticism.
In Haaretz there is a review of Haym Soloveitchik’s new book Ha-Yayin Bimei Ha-Beinayim, Soloveitchik’s book is a study of the subject of yayin nesekh (or “idolatrous wine,” that is, wine that has been touched by gentiles and is therefore forbidden to Jews) as it affected the day-to-day lives of medieval German Jewry. In the [...]
I have come across a blog devoted to philosophy which has a number of entries on Jewish philosophers. I don’t know who is behind the blog Compossível, but from what I read it seems like a worthwhile haunt for those who are interested in philosophy. 1. Maimonides 2. Ibn Gabriol 3. Gersonides 4. Moses Mendelssohn
See Adderabbi’s review of The Yehuda Bilingual Edition of the Koren Siddur.
Ancient Hebrew Poetry has a translation of and some commentary on a recently discovered stele which may contain the oldest evidence of a belief in the soul. From a press release about the find, Archaeologists in southeastern Turkey have discovered an Iron Age chiseled stone slab that provides the first written evidence in the region [...]
I am a big fan of using maps to illustrate certain aspects of history and this one is highly recommended. Via Targuman.
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