Archaeological Finds as Evidence of a Curved Menorah
Obviously, archaeological finds are a good way of finding out more about the mystery of the shape of the Menorah branches. There was a coin found that was minted by Mattathias Antigonus around 40 BCE that depicts a curved-branched Menorah. This was a Jewish coin and there are therefore those that argue that surely this is an accurate depiction of the Menorah found in the Temple. This finding therefore provides support for the theory that the Menorah in the Temple had curved branches. Continue reading
Many religions have customs or laws that prefer or even obligate their members to cover their heads. In some countries it is actually the majority of the people who cover their heads and in some it is considered impolite and disrespectful if one does not cover ones head when visiting their community. We are going to provide a glimpse at some of these religious head-coverings to give the reader some idea of different customs and traditions that are out there.
The Magic of Candles
Mother’s Day is a celebration that honors mothers, motherhood and the influence of mothers. Mother’s Day is celebrated in a large number of countries around the world on a variety of different dates, usually falling in the months of March, April or May. Mother’s Day is an American invention although it has come to be associated with celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have been taking place for many centuries throughout the world. The first modern Mother’s Day was held in 1908 by Anna Jarvis who held a memorial for her own mother. She campaigned to make Mother’s Day a national holiday in the USA and that is what it became in 1914. The holiday was adopted by countries all over the world and today on Mother’s Day anyone who wishes to can pay homage to their mother, grandmother or maternal figure.
If you were to ask the average person on the street about the religious background to the holiday of Valentine’s Day you will probably get a blank look in response. The greeting-card, overflowing flower-bouquet, chocolate filled holiday has little or no connection nowadays to the Christian roots of the holiday that is actually called Saint Valentine’s Day. With this in mind the question arises of whether it is suitable for Jewish people living in the twenty-first century to be celebrating Valentine’s Day? Should Jewish men be concerned with what to buy their Jewish girlfriends or wives? Well, let’s take a look at the origins of the holiday in order to gain a better understanding of what we’re speaking about.