In the year 37, two intricately related characters were born. One was the Roman Emperor Nero, and one was Josephus Flavius, an early historian crucial to our understanding of Jews during the end of the Second Temple period.

Nero, the fifth and last Emperor from Julius Caesar's dynasty, came to power at the age of 17 (54 CE) and ruled for fourteen more, During his reign, the first Roman-Jewish War was fought (66-70), the one which culminated in the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE under a different Emperor's reign. Nero, not exactly a nice fellow, is remembered for executing his mother and stepbrother, persecuting early Christians, and "fiddling while Rome burned". After a coup ousted him from power, he committed suicide in 68.

Josephus Flavius, or as some might call him, "Benedict Josephus", was a Jewish warrior who switched sides and became an historian of the Jewish wars with Rome. Much of what we know of the last stand of Mesada's Jewish resistance against the Romans comes through him. He is similarly important as the only primary source who writes about the Essenes, a mystical Jewish sect that might have existed if we take his word for it. His book The Jewish War, contains much detail about the destruction of the Second Temple and how events of the war transpired.

But lets leave this post on a hopeful note. Ezekiel 37, the prophecy of the dry bones, is closely related to the two characters above. In it, a confused Ezekiel is shown a valley full of dry bones, and is incredulous that their situation can have any hope of changing. In his vision, however, they grow flesh and begin to walk, and God informs him that his vision is a symbol for the return of the seemingly destroyed nation of Israel to its homeland.

That chapter actually features a verse, "יָבְשׁוּ עַצְמוֹתֵינוּ וְאָבְדָה תִקְוָתֵנוּ", which means "Our nones have dried and our hope is lost". The second phrase is alluded to in Israel's national anthem, Hatikva ("The Hope"), and the line "Our hope is still not lost" (עוד לא אבדה תקוותנו)

Do you like Falafel? Falafel is a fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas. Falafel is usually served in a pita which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flat bread known as laffa. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables and hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Yummy! A few days prior to the Parade we will be conducting the Largest Falafel in the World contest. More details to follow!

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