[“A king of flesh and blood lives today and dies ... our heroes are so assimilated they bear the names of pagan gods, Marduk and Ishtar. But naughty comedy becomes sacrilegiously daring in ...

According to the Sages, it was Esther who asked the Jewish community to write the Megillah, so that they would remember her: ...

His name likely means “Bel, protect the king.” Bel (Marduk) was the primary Babylonian god. While a king, he co-ruled with his father, Nabonidus. In the days of Nebuchadnezzar, Judah had turned away ...

Nebuchadnezzar’s rule was not considered absolute or permanent—it had to be renewed annually during the Akitu Festival, the Babylonian New Year celebration held in honor of Marduk and his son Nabû, ...

Jupiter represented Marduk, the most important deity in Babylonia, while Saturn represented Kajamanu, the ruler of Israel. For the Babylonians, it was so glaringly evident that the conjunction of the ...