History of the Jews

Dovid Parnas

This is a narrative history podcast about the Jews. I aim to tell the story as it unfolds—grounded in archaeology, contemporaneous sources, and modern scholarship, but always focused on the people living through it. How did they experience the world around them? How did they respond to it? Jewish history begins in the ancient Near East over three thousand years ago and continues to this day. The Jews navigate their way through difficult realities - conquest, persecution, social and political changes. They enjoy periods of peace, prosperity and engagement with the world around them. And through it all, they try to find a way to adapt, survive and flourish. Sometimes they succeed. Sometimes they do not. Jewish history is often reduced to religion, antisemitism or politics. But this podcast allows them to just be people, making their way through three millennia of the human experience.

Episodes

  1. E7 - Ancient Israel Enters History

    1d ago

    E7 - Ancient Israel Enters History

    What do we know about the kingdom of Israel? When does it first appear in the historical record? And what is its place among the nations of the Eastern Mediterranean? In this episode, we explore the world of the Israelites in the 9th century and anxiously follow the resurgence of its greatest adversaries - Egypt and Assyria. Israel plays a leading part in the Anti-Assyrian coalition that struggles to hold Assyria's appetite for conquest at bay. But then something changes and internal politics tear apart this alliance, deciding the fate of Israel and her neighbors.

    32 min
  2. E6 - Between Villages and Kingdoms

    May 21

    E6 - Between Villages and Kingdoms

    After the Bronze Age Collapse, Canaan lay in ruins. The invading Sea Peoples emerge as a dominant power, asserting control over the coast of Canaan. But tucked away in the highlands, the Israelites slowly recover and adapt to a dangerous new world. During the late 11th and 10th centuries, this new reality forces them out of their defenseless villages and back into fortified cities. They reinforce their frontiers and build forts to keep a watchful eye on the Philistines and their other neighbors. Out of this period of crisis and transformation emerged something new: perhaps a united Israelite kingdom, perhaps the early foundations of Israel and Judah. Whatever it was, it prepared them for the next great threat. Far in the distance, Assyria was shaking off the dust from the Bronze Age Collapse. And looking westward.

    31 min
  3. The Israelite Origin Story: Memories (Part 2)

    May 15

    The Israelite Origin Story: Memories (Part 2)

    How did the Israelites remember their past? And how does that memory compare to the history uncovered by archaeology? The previous episode (The Israelite Origin Story: The History), told the Israelites origin story from the perspective of archeology. In this episode, we explore the Bible not as history, but as Israelite memory. From Abraham and the Patriarchs to Egypt, the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan, we ask: What the Israelites chose to remember, what they forgot, and what that reveals about who they were. Read the episode and bonus content at: https://historyofthejews.substack.com/ You can also reach me at: hotj.podcast@gmail.com

    15 min
  4. The Israelite Origin Story: The History (Part 1)

    May 15

    The Israelite Origin Story: The History (Part 1)

    Who were the Israelites? Where did they come from? This episode tells the origin story of the Israelites based on archeology - condensing centuries of history into a coherent prequel and first chapter of Jewish history. Competition between Canaan and Egypt creates the conditions for a resurgent New Kingdom Egypt that will dominate the Canaanites for centuries. The Bronze Age Collapse changes the world order, creating a power vacuum in Canaan and new opportunities. And the Israelites leave their homes in search of the good life in the highlands, doing their best to leave the ashes behind. Read the episode and bonus content at: https://historyofthejews.substack.com/ You can also reach me at: hotj.podcast@gmail.com

    24 min
  5. E5 - The Early Israelites

    Apr 29

    E5 - The Early Israelites

    Who were the early Israelites—and where did they come from? In this episode, the Bronze Age Collapse tears apart the eastern Mediterranean, and the Egyptian Empire loses its hold on Canaan. We trace what that collapse looked like on the ground—and the opportunities it created for the people living through it. Overlooking the ashes of the Canaanite cities, new communities take shape in the highlands. The Israelites forge a new life. We step inside an early Israelite home, exploring their culture before turning to the deeper question of how they got there. Were they invaders, nomads, or just Canaanites looking for a better life? Read the episode and bonus content at: https://historyofthejews.substack.com/ You can also reach me at: hotj.podcast@gmail.com

    30 min
  6. E4 - Bronze Age Collapse

    Apr 22

    E4 - Bronze Age Collapse

    The Israelites enter recorded history around 1208 BC—right as the world of the Eastern Mediterranean unravels in what we call the Bronze Age Collapse. In this episode, we explore that collapse—the final piece of the puzzle before we can begin telling the story of the ancient Israelites. We trace its impact across the region, from the great powers of Greece and Anatolia to the empire of Egypt. Along the way, we confront one of history’s enduring mysteries: the “Sea Peoples.” Who were they, and what did they want? Displacement—perhaps caused by drought, famine, or earthquakes—may have pushed them into a wave of migration and conflict. As they move south, clashing with the civilizations of the Near East, their advance ultimately ends in Egypt. There, they are defeated—and many are resettled in Canaan, setting the stage for the later encounters between the Israelites and the Philistines. Read the episode and bonus content at: https://historyofthejews.substack.com/ You can also reach me at: hotj.podcast@gmail.com

    30 min
  7. E3 - Canaan: An Egyptian Province

    Apr 14

    E3 - Canaan: An Egyptian Province

    Did you know that Egypt ruled Canaan before the Israelites? After the Egyptians ravage the Hyksos, they integrate Canaan into their empire and rule there. This episode follows the story of Lab'ayu, a corrupt Canaanite king, to show the chaos and corruption that pervaded Canaan under the Egyptians. We also examine the Habiru, a mysterious group of outsiders often linked to the Hebrews, and their role in the chaos of the time. Read the episode and bonus content at: https://historyofthejews.substack.com/ You can also reach out to me at: hotj.podcast@gmail.com

    30 min
  8. E2 - Rise and Fall of the Hyksos

    Apr 7

    E2 - Rise and Fall of the Hyksos

    Who were the Hyksos—the “foreign kings” who once ruled Egypt—and why did they leave such a deep scar on Egyptian memory? And could they be connected to the origins of the Israelites? In this episode, we trace the long and bitter relationship between Egypt and its northern neighbors. As migrants from Canaan move into Egypt, they rise from traders and migrants to rulers of the Nile Delta, establishing the Hyksos kingdom. Their rule provokes a violent Egyptian response: the rise of the New Kingdom and a campaign of destruction that reaches into Canaan itself. By the end of the episode, the world before the Israelites looks very different—shaped by migration, conquest, and the lingering memory of foreign rule. Check out transcripts and bonus content: https://historyofthejews.substack.com/

    19 min
  9. E1 - Where to Begin?

    Apr 1

    E1 - Where to Begin?

    We begin our journey through Jewish history with the first explicit mention of Israel in the historical record: the Merneptah Stele. But on its own, it raises more questions than it answers—why are the Egyptians attacking Israel, and who are these Israelites in the first place? We turn to ancient accounts—from the Bible and Greek writers—but they don’t fully explain what we see. So instead, we step back and explore the broader world of Bronze Age Canaan and Egypt. As that context comes into focus, the tension between them—and the stage on which Israel first appears—begins to take shape. Substack: https://historyofthejews.substack.com/

    27 min
  10. E0 - Introducing Jewish History

    Apr 1

    E0 - Introducing Jewish History

    This episode introduces History of the Jews. Through the story of Dmitrii Bogrov, a revolutionary assassin, we explore how Jewish history is often misunderstood—reduced to familiar themes like religion or antisemitism. This podcast takes a different approach: telling a full history, grounded in archaeology and contemporary sources, and focused on context rather than clichés. Check out Substack to see bonus posts! This weeks post explores two other ways to look at Bogrov's life. Substack: https://historyofthejews.substack.com/

    9 min

Trailer

About

This is a narrative history podcast about the Jews. I aim to tell the story as it unfolds—grounded in archaeology, contemporaneous sources, and modern scholarship, but always focused on the people living through it. How did they experience the world around them? How did they respond to it? Jewish history begins in the ancient Near East over three thousand years ago and continues to this day. The Jews navigate their way through difficult realities - conquest, persecution, social and political changes. They enjoy periods of peace, prosperity and engagement with the world around them. And through it all, they try to find a way to adapt, survive and flourish. Sometimes they succeed. Sometimes they do not. Jewish history is often reduced to religion, antisemitism or politics. But this podcast allows them to just be people, making their way through three millennia of the human experience.

Information

  • Creator
    Dovid Parnas
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dovid Parnas
  • Show Website
    History of the Jews

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