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Great video and insight to ancient Athens and into Paul the Apostle. Very well done. The one thing I noticed that was a little bit off in the narration of this video was the repeated emphasis that Paul's message to the Athenians was "The End of the world". I heard it twice in the video. If you read Paul's writings and his sermon on Mars Hill, you will plainly read that Paul's emphasis and message was about Jesus Christ and his resurrection. His message was centered on Jesus, the promised Messiah and Lord, not the end of the world. Yes he taught that Jesus will judge the nations in the end, but the core of his message was that salvation and redemption comes through faith in Christ and that all other god's or religious traditions were futile.

God Bless Everyone Christ is King He is the way the Truth and The Life No one Comes to The Father EXCEPT Through Him turn to Him if you Have Not Already

I’m in Athens now and going to visit these places tomorrow. What a fantastic short introductory video.

"despite the popular belief" that Paul is seen as a Christian missionary? What a horrible and deceptive narrative. Obviously written by non-believers.

Least understood men in history? The Holy scriptures say otherwise. Paul tells and explains much of his motivations and they all start and end with his love and devotion to Jesus Christ.

Is “Paul” the guy who had a schizophrenic “vision”, wrote about it, and now modern “scholars” take those words as fact? Is this the same famous “Paul” that can’t be evidenced by any other literature of the time? 🧐

Too bad this was only 16 minutes

This is an awesome documentary I'm learning so much thank you

In the name of Christianity,the emperor Theodosios he ordered and killed thousands of people who was not believing to his god,he destroyed all the ancient temples and cut the heads of the statues,and also he forbidden the Olympics games,in the ruins of temples he built churches,he destroyed the Greco roman civilization,and turned the people in dark ages,up to day,if was the crego Roma civilization the hole world today it will be much better

Cristians they destroyed the grecoroma civilization,

Thank you professor Eliav for your great work. I'm in Athene, and just visited the little hill of Areopago. Your video helped me a lot to have a deeper understanding of Paul's journey to Athens.

I was very interested in this video and was able to develop some thoughtful insights. During the video, I was impressed by how well these significant places in Athens like the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus were able to be filmed. Filming and speaking within all these different places made it very meaningful and it helped my understanding as I was able to connect many instances with specific places. I really enjoyed this video and appreciate the work put into this. Well done.

In "Paul in Athens," the documentary highlights Paul's visit to Athens, a center of intellectual and philosophical thought in ancient Greece, which serves as a backdrop for Paul's encounter with the Athenian philosophers and his preaching in the Areopagus, the city's marketplace of ideas. This contrasts with Jesus's interactions in Jerusalem, ancient Judea's religious and political hub. Athens, known for its intellectual pursuits and pantheon of gods, presented a unique challenge for Paul. As he wandered the city, observing its temples and statues dedicated to various deities, he became distressed by the presence of idolatry. This contrasts with Jerusalem, where monotheistic Judaism dominated the religious landscape, centered around the Temple and adherence to Mosaic law. In Athens, Paul engaged in dialogue with prominent philosophical schools of thought. He skillfully used their own cultural and intellectual framework to introduce them to the concept of the "unknown god" and proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. This illustrates Paul's strategic approach to conveying the gospel to diverse audiences. In contrast, Jesus's ministry in Jerusalem focused primarily on challenging religious authorities and proclaiming the coming kingdom of God. His teachings often sparked controversy and confrontation with those who represented the religious establishment of the time. While Paul sought to engage with philosophical ideas in Athens, Jesus confronted religious hypocrisy and emphasized spiritual transformation in Jerusalem. Furthermore, Athens symbolizes the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom through human reason, while Jerusalem symbolizes divine revelation and the fulfillment of prophetic promises. The juxtaposition of these two cities shows the tension between worldly wisdom and spiritual truth, a theme prevalent throughout the Bible. Overall, "Paul in Athens" provides a thought-provoking exploration of Paul's encounter with Greek culture and philosophy, offering insights into his approach to evangelism in diverse cultural contexts. By comparing Athens to Jerusalem, we gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and religious dynamics at play in the early spread of Christianity.

It was very interesting to see the city where Paul was able to get a foothold and spread his word. The visual imagery such as the acting and the documentary film of the city and its prominent features, along with Eliav's narration, helped juxtapose Athens and Jerusalem. For example, the use of Doric columns is clear here, and looking at similar structures in Jerusalem we can see the impact of Greco-Roman architecture and culture in general in Jerusalem. Moving on to the Story of Paul himself the video shows us that the use of Idolatry was very common in Athens. This is a big change from the landscape in Jerusalem. The use of Idols was something that Paul had to ponder, and Eliav helps make the conclusion that he was able to accept Idolatry and bridge the gap between Greco-Roman culture and Judaism. This lightbulb moment led to Paul's climax in Athens, where he stood upon the Areopagus and preached his views. This imagery really helps show how prominent of a position he was in at the moment. Showing that this was the beginning of the snowball starting to roll and grow. In summary, this video cements the significance of Paul's views and actions in Athens. Giving essential imagery to help visualize the context of what happened, allowing us to compare the role of Paul in Athens, and Jesus in Jerusalem.

In this discussion, Professor Yaron goes into incredible detail on the importance and the role that baths played in ancient roman times, he also discusses whether jews used the bathhouses or not. Professor Yaron begins by describing the structure of the bathhouse, from the apodyterium to the caldorium, stating that “the bathhouse is not a building, but an architectural complex”, later also stating that the bathhouse is “the number one manifestation of romanitas (the roman way of life). Yaron repeatedly expresses the importance of bathhouses in ancient roman time, to the point where it was the most attended institution in the roman world. Everyone, even slaves would go to the bathhouse (Although slaves would mostly watch out for thievery or bathe separately). Not only was it a place of entertainment, it was also a place of economic importance; vendors would sell food (hotdogs), wine and provide services in the bathhouses, people would also work out deals with the government to buy and create bathhouses in order to charge people for entering the bathhouse (imperial bathhouses were free). Finally, the reason that bathhouses were created was because they had access to too much water via the aqueducts, which lead to them creating the bathhouses as to not waste the water. In regard to jews in the bathhouse, Professor Yaron provides a clear case on why jews DID in fact use the bathhouse. Firstly, a common reason people normally give on why jews didn’t go to the bathhouse was because many things did in the bathhouse would cause the jews to be impure. Professor Yaron combats this by stating that being impure is not necessarily a bad thing, but just a state that a jew may be in, for example, semen would make someone impure, but that doesn’t mean that semen is a bad thing, it just means that there are certain things they cannot do while they are impure(e.g pray). Jews would just go to the miqveh to purify themselves again. In addition, many researchers compare the bathhouse to the miqveh, which Professor Yaron also debunks, he states that the miqveh was used for purely purification reasons and that some research even showed that miqvehs were actually quite dirty/unclean. In contrast, the bathhouse was used for leisurely/sanitary purposes, which directly contrasts the purpose of the miqveh. Overall, this discussion was extremely interesting and I found the social, economical, cultural and political aspects of the bathhouse in the roman world to be extremely fascinating.

n this discussion, Professor Yaron goes into incredible detail on the importance and the role that baths played in ancient roman times, he also discusses whether jews used the bathhouses or not. Professor Yaron begins by describing the structure of the bathhouse, from the apodyterium to the caldorium, stating that “the bathhouse is not a building, but an architectural complex”, later also stating that the bathhouse is “the number one manifestation of romanitas (the roman way of life). Yaron repeatedly expresses the importance of bathhouses in ancient roman time, to the point where it was the most attended institution in the roman world. Everyone, even slaves would go to the bathhouse (Although slaves would mostly watch out for thievery or bathe separately). Not only was it a place of entertainment, it was also a place of economic importance; vendors would sell food (hotdogs), wine and provide services in the bathhouses, people would also work out deals with the government to buy and create bathhouses in order to charge people for entering the bathhouse (imperial bathhouses were free). Finally, the reason that bathhouses were created was because they had access to too much water via the aqueducts, which lead to them creating the bathhouses as to not waste the water. In regard to jews in the bathhouse, Professor Yaron provides a clear case on why jews DID in fact use the bathhouse. Firstly, a common reason people normally give on why jews didn’t go to the bathhouse was because many things did in the bathhouse would cause the jews to be impure. Professor Yaron combats this by stating that being impure is not necessarily a bad thing, but just a state that a jew may be in, for example, semen would make someone impure, but that doesn’t mean that semen is a bad thing, it just means that there are certain things they cannot do while they are impure(e.g pray). Jews would just go to the miqveh to purify themselves again. In addition, many researchers compare the bathhouse to the miqveh, which Professor Yaron also debunks, he states that the miqveh was used for purely purification reasons and that some research even showed that miqvehs were actually quite dirty/unclean. In contrast, the bathhouse was used for leisurely/sanitary purposes, which directly contrasts the purpose of the miqveh. Overall, this discussion was extremely interesting and I found the social, economical, cultural and political aspects of the bathhouse in the roman world to be extremely fascinating.

This was a really interesting video. It was also nice to see how Paul's Athens and Jesus' Jerusalem were similar and different. This video allowed us to see what Paul saw and feel what Paul felt. It allowed me to understand the spirituality concepts during Paul's time in Athens and how the population of Athens and other areas Paul visited viewed Paul's words: some were open to it, and some were not the most open to it. This video also allows us to see a different point of view that Eliav proposes, in that Paul uses the idolatry that was the population's medium of worship to invite them to his train of thought. Overall, this video really expands the view and knowledge of anyone watching through the visuals (maps, exact locations in the real world, etc.) and words used, and allows us to compare many areas across that region and cite similarities and differences that may stay consistent.

Eliav's use of visuals and actors enable us to immerse ourself in the ancient world and imagine ourself in Paul's shoes when he first step foot in Athens. Walking up through the majestic propylaea entering the acropolis surrounded by all the shrines and gigantic columns. He must have felt an awe similar to what Jesus must have felt when he first entered Herod's complex through the Huldah Hates emerging onto the court of gentiles and being awestruck by the size of the complex and the magnificence of the structures. The aura of the environments the two men felt must have inspired something in both of them. Leading Paul to conduct his sermon on the areopagus where he proposed to the crowd a new way to worship god and Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and pointed out the corruption of the current temple system on the temple complex. These two acts all occurred in front of the center of worship of their respective city and represented a similar message: A wish to change the current system.

What did Paul exactly see? I think this was the first time for me to contemplate what he would have seen other than his own records about the city. What would have been the first thing Paul saw when he entered the city? What was the view of the people when Paul was giving his sermons? What did Paul realize as he saw, not just learn, different cultures and religion? These thinking points are important to understand how Paul's idea developed overtime, and it was interesting to see how it was explained in the video. I also find it very fascinating about the semantics of Paul's records, since he made the literary choice to distinguish what was traditionally sinful in the Judaic religion and culture. Paul, as covered in the video, was a son of a wealthy family and received a professional Greco-Roman education. His views would have differed a lot from other Jews in Jerusalem and other non-Judaic Romans.

I find it interesting how you emphasized how culturally Jews and the Jewish diaspora outside of Judea was impacted by Hellenization, while still showing how foreign these Greek practices were. You explained how Paul viewed the foreign practice of sculpting, and how he coined the term “Idolatry” to separate the religious worship of some statues from the simple acknowledgement and interaction with them. This is foreign from Jewish tradition which banned statues themselves. Paul would thus use this distinction to grow his communities of Jews and including those viewed as Gentiles, by allowing a new path that protected the artistic traditions of sculpting and human depictions around the Mediterranean, paving the way for the religion known as Christianity. Your travels and visits to archaeological sites in this video, along with museums and your usage of actors helped increase the immersion and describe the world Paul experienced in an entertaining way, really driving home the arguments made in this video. Have a wonderful summer! James B.

It is fascinating to see the differences and similarities between the two cities that Jesus and Paul experienced. They are similar in architecture such as large gates, columns, main vias, large temples and civic structures, in their dedication to ornate religious structures such as Herod temple in Jerusalem and Temple of Zeus in Athens, and in their draw for people all over the world. However, it was great to learn about the difference between Athens and its "forest of idols", the absence of religious statues entirely in Jerusalem, and how that reflected the religious and cultural views of the two cities.

In the discussion talking about his new book: Jews in Roman Bathhouse. Professor Eliav brings us a new and very specific perspective about Roman Empire and the “Romanitas”, which refers to the spirit and lifestyle of ancient Romans. As the time is limited, Eliav talks about the book briefly about following topics: The composition of Roman bathhouses, bathhouse attendance, heating system, reasons for going to bathhouses (for pleasure of course), Romanitas, Roman aesthetes, bathhouse fees, purity issues, and a lot about Jews’ activities in Roman bathhouse. I like the point in the discussion that Eliav emphasizes “Roman” bathhouse instead of saying bathhouse, as Roman bathhouse is different from either similar institutions in Ancient Greek or modern bathhouses. Roman bathhouse is unique, and it plays an important role in ancient Roman Empire, as mentioned by Eliav, everyone could go to Roman bathhouses every day, and it is not only for cleaning, but also for some social contact or business purposes. Compared with the book, Eliav summarizes something which I think are not directly written out in text during the discussion. He mentions that there are actually many layers in the development of Roman Bathhouses, not only about engineering breakthroughs like the water heating system, but also some layers about pleasure, culture and social dynamics. He also points out that beside Jews, the role of Christians in Ancient Roman is also worth researching. Moreover, he puts forward some questions for future research, such as health issue of Roman Bathhouse, the economics of Roman Bathhouse and Christianity in Roman culture. The economic issue is really worth thinking, as constructing and maintaining bathhouses is a really comprehensive process, and lack of historical records. What’s more, maybe the maintenance mode in bathhouses owned by cities is different from the mode of those owned by individuals. All in all, Roman bathhouses really bring us a new perspective of studying Ancient Roman Culture, and the interactions between Jews and Roman Empire.

In Professor Yaron Eliav’s discussion with Anya Leonard about his new book “A Jew in the Roman Bathhouse,” I found that the most interesting point Eliav brought up was the fact that the bathhouse was a place for much more than bathing, it was also a crucial place for social and cultural interaction across the Roman Empire. The reason the bathhouses were so crucial to the social and cultural interactions was because of everything they had to offer. Besides the bathing aspect, people could go get their haircut, see a doctor, get a massage, workout, and eat food all while there. Despite the many attractions inside the bathhouses, the heating system for hot water baths drew the most attention. The combination of aqueducts used to bring an abundance of water to the bathhouses with the heating system created a water revolution in the Roman Empire. Eliav says, the best parallel for us would be comparing the bathhouse to a country club, as they are both a place where people go to engage in a variety of activities. A main difference however is that in the Roman times the bathhouses were used practically everyday while a country club would be used maybe a couple times a month. The bathhouses were also a place for everyone to go. From the Emperor, to the poor, to the slaves, everyone was in there together. The bathhouse's diverse social class spectrum renders it a compelling subject of study, as few places host such a multitude of individuals from varying backgrounds all engaged in similar activities. As the bathhouses became more prominent in Roman society, the Roman way of life, called Romanitas, also spread. During this time the Jews were also part of the Roman Empire, where they followed both Roman and Jewish Law. The Jewish religion maintains conservative values, with customs that discourage full nudity, in contrast to the more liberal Roman attitudes towards public bathing. Nevertheless, Eliav hypothesizes that rabbinic literature authored by rabbis proposes adaptations enabling Jews to partake in bathhouse activities while adhering to their religious principles. With all these different classes in the bathhouses without much protection there was always a high chance of violence. One way people felt more safe was by having slaves with them as a way of protection. This method only worked for people who owned slaves, which were typically the wealthiest people attending the bathhouses. For the less wealthy, they relied on the belief in magic to keep them safe. This magic was not the typical magic seen on TV. There is a ritual where one would break down a pottery bowl. This supposedly would ward off evil spirits and promote good fortune during bathing. In conclusion, Professor Yaron Eliav's illuminating discussion with Anya Leonard on his book "A Jew in the Roman Bathhouse" unveils the Roman bathhouse as a pivotal site of social and cultural convergence within the Roman Empire. Beyond its function for bathing, the bathhouse served as a nexus for diverse activities, fostering interactions among people from all walks of life, including Jews adhering to both Roman and Jewish customs. Eliav's examination underscores the nuanced negotiations between Jewish traditions and Roman societal norms within this shared space, shedding light on the complexities of identity and belonging in the ancient world.

Roman bathhouses were integral to ancient Roman culture, serving as centers for socialization, relaxation, and most importantly pleasure, reflecting the empire's sophistication in engineering and appreciation for luxury. They were the most attended institution or building in the entire Roman history, with over 900 in the city of Rome alone. Their popularity stemmed from what Professor Eliav calls the water revolution, where the Roman Empire was able to have a surplus of water due to their architectural innovations of the aqueducts. With this surplus of water, they needed to find something to do with this extra water. Through their other technological advancements like the hypocaust heating system, they created the revolutionary roman bathhouses. Everyone used them, poor and rich alike. In fact the rich wanted to show off at the bathhouses as they would show off their wealth by wearing all their jewelry, bringing all their slaves, and often having nice robes to change into after bathing. The process of bathing itself was also interesting, people would enter in the apodyterium where they would uncloth and apply their sandals for the hot floors. They would then participate in activity around the palestra, from there they would enter the frigidarium or the cold room. After this, bathers would cycle between the Caldarium (hot bath), tepidarium (medium heat bath), laconicum (dry heat rooms), and sudatoriums (wet heat rooms). Although it was the main purpose, Bathhouse was much more than just for bathing. People provided services like selling food, doctoral services, and prostitution to name a few. Although the baths were widely loved, it came with its dangers. These included burning yourself, slipping, and even violence/sexual violence. In order to combat this people would rely on rituals or as professor Eliav defines it magic, which bathers believed would protect themselves from these dangers. With about 4 million jews living in the ancient Roman world, they had a unique relationship with the bathhouses. For a long time many rabinic scholars believed that Jews in the Roman world avoided the bathhouse, but the book proves this wrong. In fact in Roman historical records, there are more references to Jews in the bathhouses than in synagogues. The jews practiced what is known as filtered absorption, where they still participated in the activities of the Roman world but filtered it to still follow their beliefs. Jews, like the rest of the population, used the bathhouses on a daily occurrence, and enjoyed their pleasure just as much. While they still enjoyed the baths, there was often body shaming within the bathhouses, and jews were specifically subject to it because of their circumcisions. Circumcisions were frowned upon in the Grecco Roman world so there is evidence of some Jewish men wearing cloths to cover their genitalia, but the majority of them merely dealt with the shaming. This delicate balancing act of embracing the broader Roman bathing culture while adhering to their religion exemplifies the complex dynamics of cultural integration and identity that Jewish communities navigated within the ancient Roman Empire.

In Professor Yaron Eliav’s discussion about his new book “A Jew in the Roman Bath House”, he delved into the arguments that Roman bathhouses were not just places for bathing but were crucial places for social and cultural interactions across the Roman Empire. These bathhouses served various functions: bathing, social interactions, businesses, and leisure activities like exercise and eating. Eliav also emphasizes that people’s simplest reason to go to Roman bathhouses was for pleasure. Eliav mainly studies the Jews in the bathhouses and compares Roman bathhouses with the Jewish purifying facility called Miqveh. The Miqveh only use “rest” water collected from nature, mostly from springs. In contrast, bathhouses use aqueducts to transfer water from rivers or lakes. As an important technical innovation, Roman bathhouses also develop a heating system which provides hot water in Tepidarium and Caldarium. Eliav also mentions the activity is sacred for Jews, with the concept he explains as “inversion”. In contrast, Roman bathhouses have a more relaxed atmosphere for pursuing pleasure. Furthermore, he compares the difference in Jewish and Roman aesthetics about the human body. Most Jewish man are circumcised, and they think their bodies are more beautiful with circumcisions, perceiving it as deliberate decorations on bodies. However, most Roman people, inherited from the ancient Greeks, admires the completeness of their body, and that athletes are more welcomed in Roman bathhouses for their more attractive bodies. In this Greco-Roman culture system, Romans would think that circumcisions are ugly. This difference contributes to the unique role Jews play in the ancient Roman Empire. Moreover, Eliav mentions the huge quantity and the incredible speed of development of Roman bathhouses across Roman Empire. The first Roman bathhouse was built in Rome, and in 30 years bathhouses came to exist everywhere. He also mentioned some potential topics for future studies, such as issue of health in Roman bathhouses, the cost of construction and maintenance of the bathhouses, and Christianity in the Roman culture. In conclusion, Eliav’s new book provides us with a new archeological evidence available for studying ancient Roman Empire: the bathhouses, and stimulate people to compare the modern Jews and the ancient Jews’ lifestyles.

In Professor Yaron Eliav’s discussion about his new book “A Jew in the Roman Bath House”, he delved into the arguments that Roman bathhouses were not just places for bathing but were crucial places for social and cultural interactions across the Roman Empire. These bathhouses served various functions: bathing, social interactions, businesses, and leisure activities like exercise and eating. Eliav also emphasizes that people’s simplest reason to go to Roman bathhouses was for pleasure. Eliav mainly studies the Jews in the bathhouses and compares Roman bathhouses with the Jewish purifying facility called Miqveh. The Miqveh only use “rest” water collected from nature, mostly from springs. In contrast, bathhouses use aqueducts to transfer water from rivers or lakes. As an important technical innovation, Roman bathhouses also develop a heating system which provides hot water in Tepidarium and Caldarium. Eliav also mentions the activity is sacred for Jews, with the concept he explains as “inversion”. In contrast, Roman bathhouses have a more relaxed atmosphere for pursuing pleasure. Furthermore, he compares the difference in Jewish and Roman aesthetics about the human body. Most Jewish man are circumcised, and they think their bodies are more beautiful with circumcisions, perceiving it as deliberate decorations on bodies. However, most Roman people, inherited from the ancient Greeks, admires the completeness of their body, and that athletes are more welcomed in Roman bathhouses for their more attractive bodies. In this Greco-Roman culture system, Romans would think that circumcisions are ugly. This difference contributes to the unique role Jews play in the ancient Roman Empire. Moreover, Eliav mentions the huge quantity and the incredible speed of development of Roman bathhouses across Roman Empire. The first Roman bathhouse was built in Rome, and in 30 years bathhouses came to exist everywhere. He also mentioned some potential topics for future studies, such as issue of health in Roman bathhouses, the cost of construction and maintenance of the bathhouses, and Christianity in the Roman culture. In conclusion, Eliav’s new book provides us with a new archeological evidence available for studying ancient Roman Empire: the bathhouses, and stimulate people to compare the modern Jews and the ancient Jews’ lifestyles.

The Roman bathhouses were a place of leisure and pleasure. Eliav’s modern example of bathhouses are country clubs that people attend to enjoy all the amenities they offer. Unlike country clubs though, everyone went to the bathhouses, from emperors to the poor. The largest reason for the attraction was the hot temperature water in the baths. In the Roman world bathing in cold water was the norm, until aqueducts were made to bring water from a source into cities/towns. The surplus of water inspired the Romans to figure out a way to heat it and offer it to the public. With the bathhouses being so popular is the reason why historians such as Eliav choose to study the social dynamics that occurred within them. I think that overall a bathhouse is full of social layers that could be looked at individually or as a whole, leaving society in Roman times observable. These dynamics are well recorded through rabbinic literature and mosaics. Culture and magic are some of the topics that were either discussed in the book or through the video. As the Romans spread so did their culture which we call Romanitas, it simply means the way the Romans lived their lives. During this period the Jews were also a part of the Roman Empire, they obeyed Roman law and Jewish law(halakhah). The Jewish religion is one that is conservative in showing off the human body, unlike the Romans. This was the major reason why historians today argue that the Jewish population did not attend bathhouses, Eliav disagrees by using rabbinic literature as the rabbis created a way in which Jews could enjoy the bathhouse just like the rest of the population. Although everyone was aware of the dangers involved in attending the bath from falls to physical violence. Magic is how people protect themselves from the dangers. Magic is a topic that really stuck with me, it's not what Hollywood portrays it is actually in a sense a belief. The bathers would scratch curses onto lead pieces similar to dog tags and would nail it to the cubby where they left their clothes. This implied that whoever stole the clothes would be cursed. Although this is obviously not true, conditioning made people believe that something bad could happen if they stole the clothes. My connection to magic is how people today believe in bad luck such as walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror, and opening an umbrella inside a building. Overall the bathhouses allow us as scholars to dive deeper into social dynamics such as culture, magic, and many more.

Blew me away. This guy is a master of all trades - speaks about archaeology, the Roman world, the Jews, rabbinic literature in the same comfortable way as if it's all at his ginger tips. I just couldn't have enough. Very original thinker. I'm gonna read the book next.

really liked this video. I am someone thats extremely self reflective, i am always looking for ways to improve myself and my knowledge, my character and i really appreciate what eliav is trying to do here. This shows me he is a life long learner, always looking for ways to improve teaching which is his passion he shares with us. really sad that my time with him is over, even though myself am of a different region and religion, i always appreciate seeing how the lands he shows us develop and why they are important. thank you eliav.

In the video of the crusades, Eliav helped me understand where the ships came from when they arrived in akka. He also explained the important roads.

In this video, I love the way Professor eliav represented the Temple Mount with its significance to religion. And how he helped us visualize it by being there.

I find it really interesting that the Jewish Temple "competed" with the Christian church that Constantinople built. It made me think about the multicultural and war-torn nature of the city, and in particular the way the cities urban environment reflects that. I also really enjoyed hearing about the gates, and the ways in which they were altered based on which civilizations were in control of the city at the time.

First of all it was crazy to know that they filmed this in just one week, they must have really known exactly what they wanted to do before getting there. It was very cool to see all of the work that went into the production of the film from behind the scenes and all of the people that have very specific roles in doing so.

After already having seen the movie, I can say that the trailer definitely did it justice. It was very cool to see how Eliav navigated through Athens both to learn and tell a story just how it would have happened way back when. It is great to be able to see theses historic sites and buildings while learning about what happened, it really makes you feel as though you are there.

This is one of the first videos I watched when I first began this class, so it seems fitting that it would be one of the last ones as well. When I first viewed this, I had a very limited understanding of the region's geography and its relevance, but now that I have learned so much in the course, I am finally able to link events and facts to the places mentioned in the video. This made it much more engaging for me to watch and reminded me of how far I've come.

This engaging video on the Philistines at Tel Qasila brings lectures to life. It's like a time machine showing how Israel and Palestine's history is full of ups and downs. The area's been through a lot, from being super prosperous to dealing with tons of invasions. It's interesting how the Philistines, part of the Sea Peoples, settled there and brought their own culture and tech, like worshiping the half-fish god Dagon and using iron. The video does a great job connecting this ancient stuff to today's issues, showing that some things don’t change much. It's like history repeating itself with different groups fighting over the same land. This immersive style not only aids in retaining knowledge but also sparks curiosity and a deeper appreciation for the historical and cultural significance of Tel Qasila.

Coming back to this video at the end of this course really puts into perspective the importance geography plays in this conflict. I remember in the beginning of the course, how much Professor Eliav emphasized the importance of geography. At the time, I had no idea how true his would really come to be. So much of what we learned in this class relates directly to the geography of the region we studied. It is extremely interesting, now that I know a lot of the geography, to relate it to how certain things came to be in the land, such as Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Also, the wars which took place in the region, having much to do with strategic locations of the land, are so cool to tie back to what we learned. I had no idea how much this video would be relevant to everything we learned in this class, but I am so thankful for all of these videos.

Eliav does such a great job showing and describing course content, and his video here about the temple mount is no exception. I think the most fascinating part for me was seeing something that many (including myself) consider to be a widely sacred and historical site existing in a modern city surrounded by very normal people. The juxtaposition is so interesting.

Rewatching this video, which covers the landscape of the region, after taking Eliav’s class is fascinating. By comparing it to my first experience watching it, I now understand the extent of the places mentioned and how the geography of the land is necessary to examine while learning about the region. From Acre, a port city, that has flourished throughout history due to its location on the coast of the Mediterranean, to Masada, isolated in the desert, that once homed rebels seeking refuge from the Roman army. However, as a whole I feel that I have come to understand the significance of the geography of the region as a part of the Middle East, for it truly is the bottleneck of the Middle East.

Tel Qasila was a big part of our lecture in Eliav's class. We were provided with this youtube video as a background for our lecture along with the history of this part of the region. Eliav does an amazing job describing how the land and the changes to the land interferes with culture. After many groups taking the land over the previous groups, a change in culture is provided and some saved, some lost. It adds to the multicultural landscape over the years and proves how our region that we have been studying all semester long is very diverse.

I thoroughly enjoyed the discourse surrounding Eliav's book. The topic of the book has raised my interest because I have never thought of the Jews having such an engagement in the Roman bathhouse culture. The book presents a deep exploration of cultural dynamics within the Ancient Mediterranean, offering distinctive insights into individual experiences, notably from a Jewish perspective within the Roman milieu. I like how Eliav explores the complex interplays among diverse cultural facets during that era emerged as both intellectually stimulating and captivating. The conversation underscored the book's substantial impact on enriching our comprehension of historical cross-cultural associations, making it an enticing prospect for history enthusiasts and scholars engrossed in ancient civilizations.

This video does a wonderful job of portraying the Jewish revolts in such a short time. Since it focuses on Masada, we get introduced to an extremely nice site but is paired with eerie music. The sheer fear that the Roman's military power forced among the Jews was enough to cause this Tragedy. This was the first time I had heard of the Masada incident, and this video did a great job of framing the main points of the events that occurred in Masada.

It was very interesting to see the professor comment on different styles and practices in teaching. I enjoyed learning about how styles of teaching have changed as technology has changed. I also enjoyed seeing him talk about connecting students to the ancient world and how it is a unique challenge because that time is so far removed from what we see in todays world.

I like the fact that Eliav goes into detail with the history of Jerusalem, mentioning the destruction of the temple in 70 CE. This was an important part of the structure of the history, because the city was rebuilt from this moment. The layout of the city changed along with their sense of religion. The Temple Mount was described very well with Eliav's narration. I enjoy the fact that these small videos always relate to what we learn in class but into more detail with more important features that we should know.

The Temple Mount has remained something that Professor Eliav has alluded to multiple times in class but seeing it is inexplicably something completely different. I liked that I was able to learn about its historical and cultural significance before seeing it through a video such as this one, it's cool to note parts in the video and be able to connect it to class content. I also like that Eliav provides historical background as well to how Omar's travels (as in the Pact of Omar) paid homage to the Jewish traditions that preceded his time.

This video has helped me immensely on understanding the geography of the region better, especially regarding tel qasila the origin and dynamics of the people living there as amalgamation was mentioned. It’s very informative and entertaining to study with the video accompanying

This video adds a dynamic layer to our learning experience of this class. Incorporating visuals of Tel Qasile and diving into the daily lives of the Philistines through the connection with archeology, really helps viewers be more engaged in the subject. The mix of information and creativity makes it easier to understand and remember the important details. Personally, learning about the Philistines' material culture and the sea-centric aspects of their lives has been able to provide insights that have helped me grasp difficult concepts. Eliav's guided tour through the ruins provides an important visual aid, enhancing my understanding of their rich culture.This video offers a unique perspective on the Philistines' impact on the region and their lasting influence throughout history.

One topic touched on in this video and present in the book that sparked my interested was that regarding the openness that the Greeks and Romans felt towards the body, especially in the nude. For the class that professor Eliav teaches at the University of Michigan about this book I am writing a paper about sports in the Greek and Roman world, and nudity is a topic that is mentioned often in my research. Almost all of the time, athletes participated in the nude, and one topic I am not researching but was curious about was how this idea related to Jewish people at the time. As seen in the novel, Jewish people frequented bathhouses, where everyone was in the nude, with some exceptions. It is also seen that the rabbis had laws against practicing and discussing scholarly topics in the nude, so it can be inferred that they were in the nude in the bathhouse, at least enough for this to be a problem requiring a law. So, it makes me interested as to whether or not this prevented Jewish people from participating in sports in the bathhouse, and if they were present in the athletic scene. I think this would be an interesting topic for me to research, as I was surprised to hear for the first time how prevalent nudity was in the bathhouse, as it is not something I would have considered on my own.

This video provides a visual understanding of the importance and value of the region’s diverse geography. As we learned in class, the land’s geographical features of the fertile Seashore Plains and the Jezreel Valley along with water resources such as the Sea of Galilee made it highly sought after by numerous groups. Cities such as Acre and Jerusalem being home to sites such as the Temple Mount and the Ottomon Clock Tower show the rich history of the region. These sites represent thousands of years of history regarding religion, politics, architecture, and other cultural components. The explanation of the unique geography further reinforces Eliav’s concept of the “bottleneck” as countless groups throughout history such as the Philistines, Persians, Greeks, and Romans fought to control the region and have access to its benefits.

Professor Eliav is one of my best teachers. His teaching abilities is among the best I have ever seen. I believe the University and people across the country should listen to his input regarding how we can approach teaching students. I am currently taking his class and I can say with confidence that the course website paired with the slides, videos and his speaking and teaching skills made the class extremely enjoyable and extremely efficient to follow and learn. It is difficult to put an entire history of a region in one semester and teach it effectively, however Professor Eliav takes this challenge and executes it flawlessly. There needs to be a diverse space of learning in the classroom. It shouldn't be reading from a textbook and re explaining it in class. The teacher is there to teach, and I think all teachers need to learn from Professor Eliav.