x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind

Lobel Center for Jewish Classical Education

Welcome to The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind, a podcast that tells the story of the prophets, philosophers, and poets who created the West. In this podcast, Rabbi Dr. Mitchell Rocklin guides listeners through more than 3,000 years of Western history, offering a coherent, civilizational story of how the West came to be—along with a deepened understanding of the challenges it now faces. While many of the texts discussed will be familiar to students of the humanities, Rabbi Rocklin

history judaism

All Episodes

48:47

The Talmud: Jewish Law and Life

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/04/03

The codifying of the Talmud marked a major turning point for Jewish life and law. As we dive into the topic, we’ll explore the following questions: What exactly is the Talmud? How is the Talmud structured? Is the structure itself important to the content? What drove Jewish passion for and attachment to the Talmud over the centuries? Recommended Reading: Saiman, Chaim. Halakhah: The Rabbinic Idea of Law. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2018.

en

37:51

Imperial Collapse: Rome's Fall in the West and...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/04/01

As the western half of the Roman Empire fell apart, the eastern half remained a dominant force. On today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin will help us address the following questions: How did the western half of the Roman Empire weaken to the point of collapse? Was Christianity really to blame? What shifted to make Christianity become the dominant religion within the empire? Why does the Western Roman Empire ultimately fall apart?

en

33:51

Commodus to Constantine: The Peak and Decline of the...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/03/27

The instability that became the hallmark of the late Roman Republic rears its head again in the late days of the Empire. Today, we’ll explore the following questions: How did Rome’s military manage to hold together the empire in the face of economic challenges? What was happening in the Sassanian Empire at this time? Why did Diocletian split the Roman Empire?

en

50:07

An Animating Spirit: Midrash and the Roman-Jewish Clash

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/03/26

There are many ways to explain a text, yet Midrash remains one of the most important. Today, Rabbi Rocklin will walk us through the following questions: What exactly is Midrash, and why is it important to Judaism? Why are the midrashic texts of the fourth and fifth centuries considered the most authoritative? How do we reconcile midrashic interpretations of the text with the simple understanding of the text that does not include the midrash?

en

35:19

Masters of Satire: Tacitus and Juvenal

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/03/20

Tacitus and Juvenal are vastly entertaining in their critiques of the world around them. As we survey these writers, we’ll uncover answers to the following questions: If Tacitus’ descriptions of the Jews are outrageous, why is it important to read him? How does Tacitus’ explanation of the Jewish day of rest shed light on the Roman, pagan mentality? What makes Juvenal so memorable as a writer? Recommended Reading: Tacitus on the Jews, Book V. Tacitus. Annals. Translated by Michael Grant. New York:

en

29:17

Josephus II: The Legacy of Masada

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/03/19

The story of Masada is one that holds great weight in the collective Jewish memory. On today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions: Why does Josephus emphasize that the Jews at Masada died on the first day of Passover? Why might many religious Jews reading the story reject it as extreme? How did the legacy of Masada influence the establishing of the modern state of Israel? Recommended Reading: Josephus. Complete Works. Translated William Whiston, Grand Rapids Michigan:

en

40:01

Josephus I: The Jewish Revolt

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/03/13

Josephus’ chronicling the story of the Jewish revolt would reverberate across the next two millennia of Jewish history. On today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions: How does Josephus justify the Jewish revolt? Why should we take seriously the position of the Sicarii, the most extreme faction during the Jewish revolt, as it pertains to the spirit of the west? According to Josephus’ account, just how Jewish is the martyrdom at Masada? Recommended Reading: Josephus

en

37:15

Colossal Split: The Separation of Judaism and...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/03/11

Christianity and Judaism eventually split in a fundamental way. To help us explore that rift, we’ll focus on the following questions: If the early Christians were Jewish and early Christianity was similar to Judaism, when and why did Christians develop such animosity towards Jews? How did the Romans relate to the Christians? Why was it so important for the Council of Nicaea to define Christianity and its heresies?

en

44:57

The Dawn of a New Era: Christianity and the New...

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/03/06

It is impossible to understand the west without understanding Christianity. On today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions: Why is the Book of Matthew considered one of the most Jewish books of the Gospels? How does Christianity fundamentally shift the covenant? What makes Christianity reject Jewish ritual law?

en

36:51

Plutarch: Honor, Wisdom, and Duty

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/03/04

Plutarch’s writings remain just as relevant today as they were when he wrote them. As we survey this great Roman writer, we’ll focus on the following questions: Why are we indebted to Plutarch for the prominence of poetry in our literary canon? According to Plutarch, why should parents invest in the education of their children? How are Plutarch’s guidelines on how to learn as relevant today as they were to the imperial Roman? Recommended Reading: Plutarch, The Education of Children. Plutarch, On

en

44:13

From Trajan to Marcus Aurelius: Rome at its Peak

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/02/27

The height of the Roman Empire will come during the second century of the common era. On today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions: What caused the Third Jewish Revolt and how did the Romans respond? What made Marcus Aurelius great as a Roman emperor? Why were Jews and Christians persecuted under Rome if the empire was largely tolerant to other religions?

en

30:53

From Tiberius to Domitian: First-Century Rome in Turmoil

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/02/25

The period following the reign of Augustus was a tumultuous one in Rome. As we explore that time period, Rabbi Rocklin will help us with the following questions: Was Nero actually fiddling while Rome burned? What happened in Judea that caused the destruction of the Jewish temple? Why were the Pharisees willing to live under the yoke of Roman rule?

en

47:13

Roman Poetry: Horace, Ovid, and Seneca

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/02/20

The legacy of Roman poetry is one that has stayed with us for generations. On today’s episode, Rabbi Rocklin will help us answer the following questions: How did Roman poetry differ from Greek poetry, and how did it come to surpass Greek poetry? What makes Horace the most professional of the Roman poets? Why is Roman poetry and drama so important in the development of western civilization? Recommended Reading: Poetry of Dr. Hava Korzakova

en

30:49

Rome Meets the Jews: The First Challenge to Paganism

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/02/18

The relationship between Rome and the Jews is critical to the further development of western civilization. As we learn about their clash, we’ll explore the following questions: How did the Jews end up in Rome and how did they deal with Roman paganism? What are the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, and why were the Pseudepigrapha important towards Rome’s relationship with the Jews? How can the relationship between Rome and the Jews be characterized as a rivalry of sorts? Recommended Reading: Judaism

en

39:17

The Aeneid II: Rome will Rise

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/02/13

Rome’s founding narrative continues to take shape as we move forward in The Aeneid. Together, we’ll explore the following questions: How does Virgil use the story of the Trojan horse to show that the Romans are more virtuous than the Greeks? Why does Virgil place such an emphasis on the fact that Rome is not new? What role does history play in Virgil’s Aeneid, as contrasted with Homer’s focus on natures? Recommended Reading: Virgil. The Aeneid. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin

en

41:29

The Aeneid I: The New Hero

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/02/11

The Roman Empire will find its destiny rooted in Virgil’s epic, The Aeneid. As we explore the poem, Rabbi Rocklin will help us address the following questions: How is Virgil’s storytelling in The Aeneid different than Homer’s storytelling in The Iliad and The Odyssey? What was Virgil’s goal in telling the story of The Aeneid? Why is Aeneas seen as a more compelling hero than the Homeric heroes? Recommended Reading: Virgil. The Aeneid. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Classics,

en

30:21

The Pax Romana: Rome Under Augustus

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/02/06

Creating the Roman Empire was no easy task, and Octavian Augustus was the man for the job. On today’s episode, we’ll explore the following questions: How did Augustus manage to successfully change Rome from a republic to an empire? Why was Rome’s trade system important towards Augustus consolidating his power? How did Augustus successfully appeal to the common people to gain their support?

en

41:55

Cicero: Roman Oratory

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/02/04

In the tumult of the late Roman Republic, Cicero rose to greatness and glory. Today, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions: Why is Cicero considered so important among the great Roman orators? How does Cicero frame the liberal arts to make them appeal to the Roman concerned with valor? According to Cicero, why should we do the right thing? Recommended Reading: Cicero. Cicero’s Political Speeches. Translated with Introductions and Notes by D.H. Berry. Oxford: Oxford University Press,

en

39:53

The Late Roman Republic: Its Troubles and Tribulations

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/02/02

The great Roman Republic eventually came crashing down in a series of civil wars and revolts. As we learn about its final gasps, we’ll address the following questions: How did the Gracchi brothers’ land reforms lay the groundwork for change within the Republic? What set off the first civil war? How did Julius Caesar and his two fellow generals gain enough power to bring down the Republic?"

en

36:43

Myth and Memory: Livy's Stories of Rome

The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind ·

2025/01/28

The Rome that lives on in memory owes its legacy to one of its greatest historians: Livy. As we read some of his writings, we’ll discuss the following questions: What made Livy unique among historians in his time? Why does the story of the Sabine women hold such a prominent place in Roman memory? How does Livy narrate the Roman sense of honor? Recommended Reading: Livy. Stories of Rome. Translated by Roger Nichols. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982. Livy. The History of Rome, Books 1-5

en

101 results

Similar Podcasts

The Old Front Line

Paul Reed

Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Retrospectors

جنود خلدهم التاريخ

ALSUMOOD PODCAST

Film History - Daily

Inception Point Ai

Madonna - Audio Biography

Inception Point Ai