Heritage: Civilization and the Jews
Acclaimed PBS series that recounts the history of the Jewish people from its origins to the current day. The series was written and narrated by the late Abba Eban, an Israeli historian and statesman.
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Seasons & Episodes
1. A People Is Born: 3800-586 BCE
Episode 1 covers the period of the Bible, the life and culture in the ancient Near East and how it was a factor in the idea of monotheism, up to the period of the Babylonian exile.
2. The Power of the World: 586-72 CE
Episode 2 covers destruction of Babylonia by the Persians to the time of the Roman Empire, including the Hellenistic period, the rise of the Hasmonean state, and the destruction of Judea and the second temple.
3. The Shaping of Traditions: 30-732
Episode 3 covers Jewish history during the centuries of the rise and spread of Christianity and Islam, in both the Near East and Europe.
4. The Crucible of Europe: 732-1492
Episode 4 covers the Carolingian empire in the 10th century to the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
5. Search for Deliverance: 1492-1789
Episode 5 covers Jewish history from the time of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain to the French Revolution in 1789.
6. Roads from the Ghetto: 1789-1925
Episode 6 covers 19th century Europe, the time of nationalism, industrialism, romanticism, and socialism, and of massive Jewish emigration from Europe and the growth of Zionism.
7. The Golden Land: 1654-1930s
Episode 7 covers the history of Jews in America from colonial times to the time of the Depression and the contributions of Jews to American society.
8. Out of the Ashes: 1919-1947
Episode 8 covers the history of European Jewry after World War I up through the rise and spread of fascism, the Nazi era and World War II.
9. Into the Future: 1880-1990s
Episode 9 covers the history of the Jews after World War II and the devastating effects of the Nazi Holocaust.
