Heritage: Civilization and the Jews (1984)
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.
Seasons & Episode
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.
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.
Episode 3 covers Jewish history during the centuries of the rise and spread of Christianity and Islam, in both the Near East and Europe.
Episode 4 covers the Carolingian empire in the 10th century to the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
Episode 5 covers Jewish history from the time of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain to the French Revolution in 1789.
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.
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.
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.
Episode 9 covers the history of the Jews after World War II and the devastating effects of the Nazi Holocaust.
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