Here's a reminder of what has befallen the Jewish people on this date through the ages:

The sin of the spies

The first event cited by the sages is the divine decree that the generation of the Exodus would die in the desert, following the sin of the spies. According to rabbinic tradition, on the night of Tisha B'Av, the Israelites cried over their fear they would never enter the Promised Land. God responded: "You wept for nothing, I will make this a day of weeping for generations." This was the first seed of collective Jewish sorrow tied to the date.

The First Temple's destruction

The First Temple, built by King Solomon, was destroyed on Tisha B'Av in 422 BCE (according to Jewish tradition) by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. This marked the end of the initial period of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel and the beginning of the Babylonian exile. The destruction was perceived both as a national catastrophe and a theological crisis.

The Second Temple's destruction

Roughly 650 years later, on Tisha B'Av in the year 70 CE, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple following the Great Revolt. Roman general Titus led the legions that crushed the renewed Jewish independence. This destruction is the central event commemorated by the current fast, and Jewish mourning on this day has preserved its memory for nearly two millennia.

The fall of Beitar

During the Bar Kochba revolt, about 65 years after the destruction of the Second Temple, the city of Beitar - the last stronghold of the Jewish rebels, also fell on Tisha B'Av, according to rabbinic sources. Maimonides wrote that the belief held by many that Bar Kochba was the Messiah turned into a cruel disappointment. Around 800,000 Jews were killed, enslaved, or exiled. The revolt ended in utter failure.

The plowing of Jerusalem

According to Maimonides, on Tisha B'Av, the Roman commander Turnus Rufus plowed the Temple Mount and all of Jerusalem. This act was viewed as a literal fulfillment of the biblical prophecy that "Zion shall be plowed like a field." The Romans rebuilt the city as a pagan colony called Aelia Capitolina and erected an idolatrous temple in place of the Jewish one. The plowing symbolized a brutal attempt to erase Jewish identity from Jerusalem.

Expulsion from England

On Tisha B'Av 1290, King Edward I ordered all Jews to leave England - the first large-scale Jewish expulsion in medieval Europe. Their property was confiscated, and any Jew who remained faced execution. The edict remained in effect for more than 350 years.

Expulsion from France

Sixteen years later, on the 10th of Av 1306, King Philip IV of France expelled the Jews from his kingdom. Around 100,000 Jews were uprooted, their synagogues and property seized by the crown.

Expulsion from Spain

At the end of the 8th of Av, 1492, the deadline expired for Jews to leave Spain, as decreed by the Alhambra Decree. This marked the end of centuries of thriving Jewish life in Spain. Many Jews were forced to convert to Christianity, while others left their homeland behind. The Spanish expulsion is regarded as one of the greatest tragedies of the Jewish diaspora.

Outbreak of World War I

On Tisha B'Av 1914, Germany declared war on Russia, initiating World War I. About 1.5 million Jews served in the armies of the belligerent nations. Between 140,000 and 170,000 Jewish soldiers were killed, including 100,000 in the Russian army alone.

Jewish soldiers often found themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield. In Eastern Europe especially, Jews were arrested or accused of spying, forced to prove loyalty to ever-changing regimes. After the Bolshevik Revolution, the situation worsened. Rabbis and Jewish leaders were persecuted under communism, and entire Jewish communities were displaced.

Antisemitic accusations surged. Some blamed the Jews for starting the war. US industrialist Henry Ford even sailed to Europe to claim the war was driven by Jewish financial interests and should be halted immediately.

In czarist Russia, Jews from Galicia were falsely accused of aiding Austria, sparking looting and murder in towns along the retreat. The war's end brought new upheavals: In Germany, Jews were blamed by the far Right for betraying their country; in Russia and neighboring states, they were accused of opposing the Bolsheviks.

It is estimated that 100,000 Jews were murdered in postwar pogroms during anti-Bolshevik campaigns in Ukraine, Russia and Poland. This violence triggered a mass Jewish migration to the US, particularly to New York City. The war was seen as the beginning of a descent that ultimately led to the Holocaust.

Approval of the Final Solution

On Tisha B'Av 1941, Heinrich Himmler approved a memo from Hermann Göring instructing the preparation of a plan for the Final Solution - the systematic extermination of European Jewry. From there, the path to Auschwitz and humanity's greatest trauma in the 20th century was short.

Holocaust deportations from Warsaw and Paris

On the 7th–9th of Av 1942, mass deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka death camp took place. Thousands of families were torn apart, their fates sealed. At the same time in France, the Vichy regime rounded up more than 13,000 Jews from Paris and deported them to concentration camps.

The post The dark history of Tisha B'Av in Jewish memory appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Tisha B'Av fast of 5784 began this year on Monday evening and continue until Tuesday evening, August 12-13, 2024.

What is recommended to eat before the fast?

The last meal before the fast begins is especially important. It's recommended to eat foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as rice, pasta, or whole-grain bread, which provide energy for an extended period. Vegetables and fruits rich in fluids and dietary fibers can help maintain good hydration levels in the body. It's important to drink plenty of water before the fast begins. It's recommended to drink at least 8 cups of water on the day before the fast.

Video: What is TIsha B'av? / Credit: Israel Hayom

Tips for easing the fast

Resting and avoiding strenuous physical activity during the fast are recommended. Staying in a cool place can help prevent feelings of thirst and dehydration. If there's a need to take medication during the fast, it's advisable to consult with a doctor about the safe way to do so.

Why do we fast on Tisha B'Av?

The Tisha B'Av fast is a day of fasting and mourning commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples. This day is considered one of the most difficult days in the Jewish calendar, and it includes five afflictions intended to stir the hearts and inspire repentance. Here is a detailed account of the main events that occurred on Tisha B'Av throughout Jewish history:

The sin of the spies: According to tradition, on this date, the generation of the wilderness was decreed not to enter the Land of Israel because of the sin of the spies. When the spies returned from Canaan with a negative and discouraging report, the people cried on that night. In response, they were sentenced to wander in the desert for 40 years until the entire generation that didn't believe died. This event is considered one of the most important points in Jewish history, symbolizing the lack of faith and trust in God's promises. The sin of the spies occurred during the period of Bein HaMetzarim, the period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, which symbolizes the most difficult days in Jewish history.

Destruction of the First Temple: The First Temple, built by King Solomon, was destroyed on the 9th of Av in 586 BCE by Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon. The destruction of the First Temple marked the end of the First Temple period and the beginning of the Babylonian exile, which was a significant low point in the history of the Jewish people.

Destruction of the Second Temple: The Second Temple, built after the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile, was destroyed on the 9th of Av in 70 CE by the Romans led by Titus. This destruction marked the end of the Second Temple period and the beginning of the Roman exile. The destruction of the Second Temple is considered one of the greatest disasters in the history of the Jewish people and marked the beginning of the Jewish dispersion throughout the world. This destruction occurred during the Nine Days, which begin on the first day of Av and end on the 9th of Av, constituting the most difficult period in the Jewish calendar.

Fall of Betar: On the 9th of Av in 135 CE, the city of Betar was conquered by the Romans, an event that marked the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt. This was the largest Jewish revolt against Roman rule, and the fall of Betar was one of the worst points in this revolt. After the fall of the city, the Romans killed all the inhabitants and did not allow the dead to be buried.

Plowing of Jerusalem: After the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt, on the 9th of Av, the Roman Emperor Hadrian plowed Jerusalem and established the Roman city of Aelia Capitolina in its place. This event marked the complete change of Jerusalem and the transformation of the holy city into a pagan Roman city. Turnus Rufus, the Roman commander, destroyed the holy places of the Jews and built a temple for the Roman gods.

Additional events on Tisha B'Av

Throughout Jewish history, additional tragic events occurred on Tisha B'Av. Similar to the destruction of the Temples, where the events leading to them began before the 9th of Av itself and continued after it, mourning customs begin gradually before Tisha B'Av and continue into the 10th of Av. Over the years, events that occurred close to the day itself were also perceived as part of the calamities of Tisha B'Av. Among the later events:

Expulsion of the Jews from England: On the 9th of Av in 1290 (July 18, 1290), Edward I, King of England, ordered the expulsion of all Jews from his country. The Jews were required to leave England by the first day of November 1290, and anyone who remained after that date would be executed.

The Great Expulsion from France: On the 10th of Av in 1306 (July 22, 1306), Philip IV, King of France, ordered the expulsion of all Jews from France within a month.

Expulsion from Spain: On the night of the 8th of Av in 1492 (July 31, 1492), the deadline given to the Jews of Spain to leave the country ended after the four months allocated for their departure.

Outbreak of World War I: On the 5th of Av in 1914 (July 28, 1914), the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia, thus beginning World War I. On the 7th of Av, Russia joined the war, and on the 9th of Av, Germany joined the war.

Deportations of Jews during the Holocaust: On the 2nd of Av in 1942 (July 16, 1942), the Vichy regime imprisoned 13,000 Jews from Paris under very harsh conditions. On the 7th of Av, they were deported to concentration camps. On the 8th of Av, the great deportation from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka extermination camp began.

Laws and customs

Prohibition of eating and drinking: Every Jew is obligated to fast on this day, meaning to refrain from all eating and drinking for 25 hours, from sunset on the eve of Tisha B'Av until the next day's nightfall.

Sick people: Those who are ill and in danger must break the fast according to medical guidelines.

Pregnant women: They are obligated to fast, but if fasting might cause them significant illness, they should be lenient and not fast. It is recommended to consult with a doctor and a rabbi.

Nursing women: Nursing women are obligated to fast, but if fasting might affect the amount of milk or their health condition, they should be lenient and not fast.

New mothers: A woman within thirty days after giving birth is exempt from fasting.

Soldiers: Soldiers who are in operational activity, such as soldiers in Gaza or in war, are exempt from fasting if the fast might affect their operational fitness. In training or operational activity, these soldiers can break the fast to maintain their fitness.

Prohibition of washing: Washing for pleasure is forbidden on Tisha B'Av. This means that one should not wash with hot or cold water for enjoyment.
Leniencies: Washing for the purpose of removing dirt is permitted.

Prohibition of anointing: Anointing for pleasure is forbidden on Tisha B'Av, meaning one should not anoint the body with oils, creams, or ointments.
Leniencies: Anointing for medical purposes or to remove a bad odor is permitted. For example, someone suffering from severe skin dryness can use a medical ointment.

Prohibition of wearing leather shoes: One should not wear shoes or sandals made of leather on Tisha B'Av.

Leniencies: It is permitted to wear shoes made of fabric, rubber, or other materials that are not leather. In case of medical necessity, such as a wound or severe pain in the foot, it is permitted to wear more comfortable shoes, even if they include leather parts.

Prohibition of marital relations: Marital relations are forbidden on Tisha B'Av.

Leniencies: There are no special leniencies for this prohibition. Married couples observe separations similar to those during the niddah period.

Reciting lamentations: It is customary to read the Book of Lamentations and recite lamentations in the synagogue. The lamentations deal with the difficult and tragic events that happened to the Jewish people throughout history. This is usually practiced in all Jewish communities, regardless of ethnicity or location.

Special prayers: In the Amidah prayer, we add the prayer of Nachem, which describes the anticipation for the building of the Third Temple.

Tefillin: It is customary not to put on tefillin during Shacharit but during Mincha, as mourners do. This custom is mainly practiced by Ashkenazim and some Sephardim.

Sitting on the floor: One does not sit on a chair but only on a low chair or on the floor, as mourners do.

Greeting: One should not greet friends or say "good morning." If someone says "shalom," one should respond in a subdued manner to avoid offending.

Working: There is no absolute prohibition on work, but the Shulchan Aruch rules that "anyone who does work on Tisha B'Av will not see a sign of blessing from that work." However, work involving a potential loss (if not performed, the person would suffer a loss), work for public needs, or a mitzvah is permitted. Mainly people working in essential jobs or in occupations involving potential loss. According to legal directives, local authorities can prohibit the opening of restaurants and entertainment venues on Tisha B'Av.

Fast start times for Tisha B'Av:
Jerusalem: 7:30 p.m.
Tel Aviv: 7:28 p.m.
Los Angeles: 7:42 p.m.
New York: 7:57 p.m.

Fast end times for Tisha B'Av:
Jerusalem: 7:53 p.m.
Tel Aviv: 7:55 p.m.
Los Angeles: 8:21 p.m.
New York: 7:41 p.m.

Weather forecast for Tisha B'Av:
Jerusalem: 90°F
Tel Aviv: 90°F
Los Angeles: 86°F
New York: 79°F

The post Everything you need to know about Tisha B'Av appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The round weight, made of limestone, turned up as excavated material from an IAA dig near Wilson's Arch was being sifted.

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The IAA is cooperating with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation on the excavation, which is part of the preparatory work in plans to build a new visitors' entrance to the Western Wall tunnels.

Dr. Barak Monnickendam-Givon and Tehillah Lieberman, who are overseeing the dig for the IAA, pointed out that the weight is rounded at one end with a flat bottom. The rounded end is incised with a sign that resembles the Hebrew letter Ayin, an Egyptian symbol that represents the word "shekel." Next to the symbol, they said, are two lines, indicating that this object is a double weight.

"In this period, silver coins were not used, so a precise measurement played a very important role in trade. Men and women would carry weights like this around, would go out shopping her in ancient Jerusalem 2,700 years ago. They used it to weight out precise amounts of spices or food," the archaeologists explained.

Earlier finds have established that the weight of a single shekel was 11.5 grams (0.4 ounces), so a double shekel should weigh 23 grams – which the newly-discovered weight does.

Director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation Mordchai Eliav said, "How exciting, in the month of Tishrei, whose symbol is the scales of justice, to find a souvenir from the First Temple period.

"At this time, when visits to the Western Wall are so restricted due to the COVID pandemic, this discovery strengthens the eternal connection between the Jewish nation, Jerusalem, and the Western Wall while offering us all encouragement," Eliav said.

Part of this article is reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The post 2-shekel weight from First Temple era appears in archaeological debris appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Spoiler – We can't. What we can offer you is our pick of the coolest developments in Israeli archaeology over the past 10 years. So let's hop into the trenches and dig in:

So you're jogging with your dog through a wooded area of the Neve Yaakov neighborhood in northeast Jerusalem and all of a sudden, you see a 1,400-year-old wine press that definitely hadn't been there before.

5: Ancient wine press appears out of nowhere

The Israel Antiquities Authority was a little surprised, to say the least, when an archaeologically minded resident called in her find in May 2015, because none of its people were excavating in the area. But the IAA team dispatched to investigate discovered that the wine press had been discovered by a group of teenagers who were self-professed "archaeology buffs" who had taken it upon themselves to carefully excavate the site.

The archaeologists praised their careful work. "The story touched our hearts and reminded us of our own childhoods," said IAA archaeologist Amit Re'em. However, the Authority gently suggested that in the future, the young archaeologists call in professionals, as "non-methodic" work can damage ancient artifacts. Oh, and the teens were invited to put their talents to use as volunteers on official IAA digs.

In the 1950s, researchers and a group of Bedouin discovered a trove of tens of thousands of scraps of parchment and papyrus comprising parts of about 1,000 manuscripts that had been inscribed 2,000 years earlier. Because of their small size and delicate condition, many of the fragments were stored in cigar boxes and shelved.

4: The Dead Sea Scrolls -Maybe NASA can help?

The Israel Antiquities Authority has long aimed to make the content of the Dead Sea scrolls, as they became known, available to all through the internet. Great! But what to do about the many fragments, some minuscule, of the scrolls that have yet to be decoded?

In 2018, the IAA brought in the big guns and used special imaging technology developed for none other than NASA to shed new light on some of the scrolls.

One section written in proto-Hebrew did not appear to belong to any of the 1,000 manuscripts known today, causing researchers to wonder if there were parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls that had never been discovered.

The NASA technology even raised the tantalizing prospect that there could be an entire additional Dead Sea Scroll whose existence was unknown!

In 2018, archaeologists excavating the Raqefet Cave in the Mount Carmel region near Haifa discovered evidence that beer was brewed there 13,000 years ago – the earliest example of alcohol production found to date.

3: 'Drinking the dinosaurs' - Beer 13,000 years ago and today

The researchers, a joint team from the University of Haifa and Stanford University in California, found traces of beer that was brewed in the cave by the Natufian people, who lived between 15,000 and 11,500 years ago and were among the first people in the world to abandon a nomadic way of life. The Mount Carmel settlement was one of the most important Natufians communities, and researchers from the University of Haifa have been studying the Natufian sites on and around the Carmel for decades.

"They made beer and drank it, apparently as part of special ceremonies," explained Professor Dani Nadel of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa.

But why stop there? In theory, yeast that was good enough to brew beer back in the day should still do the job. In 2019, that theory became practice when Israeli researchers raised a glass to celebrate a long-brewing project of making beer and mead using yeasts extracted from ancient clay vessels – some over 5,000 years old.

Archaeologists and microbiologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority and four Israeli universities teamed up to study yeast colonies found in microscopic pores in pottery fragments from Egyptian, Philistine, and Judean archaeological sites in Israel spanning from 3,000 BCE to the fourth century BCE.

Scientists are touting the brews made from "resurrected" yeasts as an important step in experimental archaeology, a field that seeks to reconstruct the past in order to better understand the flavor of the ancient world.

"In Jurassic Park, the dinosaurs eat the scientists," he said. "Here, the scientists drink the dinosaurs," said Aren Maeir, an archaeologist from Bar-Ilan University.

2: Stop, thief! Antiquities Authority inspectors nab robbers in the act

This past decade has seen some Indiana Jones-like derring-do on the part of Israeli authorities who are doing battle with modern-day antiquities thieves. According to Amir Ganor, who heads the Antiquities Robbery Prevention Unit at the IAA, explained that bands of robbers have been operating in the Judean Desert for years, looking for objects that they sell for hefty profits.

In 2014, a group of robbers who were trying to sneak ancient scrolls and artifacts out of a cave in the Judean Desert were nabbed in the act – the first time antiquities robbers had been caught in 30 years. The would-be thieves were spotted by members of a desert search and rescue team that was on training maneuvers. The first responders contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority, who rushed to the site.

The suspects, Arabs from a village near Hebron, were digging illegally at a site archaeologists know as the Cave of Skulls and had already caused major damage by the time they were apprehended.

Artifacts found in their possession included a 2,000-year-old lice comb.

In the summer of 2019, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman attended an unveiling ceremony for new sections of the Pilgrim's Road in the Old City of Jerusalem, which archaeologists have been excavating for the past six years.

1: An ancient route leading to the Second Temple is excavated, revealing surprises

The Herodian road, which was traversed by pilgrims on their way to the Second Temple, was rediscovered by archaeologists in 1894. The excavated sections now run for 700 meters (2,300 feet), from the Pool of Siloam in central Silwan to the slopes of the southern corner of the Western Wall.

But the name "Herodian road" is misleading, as King Herod apparently had nothing to do with its construction. In fact, research published a few months after Friedman and former Trump advisor Jason Greenblatt attended the unveiling of the latest sections of the road indicates that it was most likely built by none other than the infamous Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate.

More than 100 coins found beneath the ancient road prove it must have been completed between 31 and 40 CE, a period mostly covered by Pilate's governorship, Dr. Donald Ariel of the IAA explained.

Ariel suggested the possibility that Pilate had the street built to reduce tensions between the Romans and the Jewish population.

It will likely take another five years or so of work to dig out the full length of the Pilgrim's Road, and who knows what treasures will be revealed along the way?

The post From beer to NASA: The top 5 archaeological moments of the decade appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.