Who was Doña Gracia Mendes Nasi and was she the first "Zionist"?

Let's dive in 🧵👇 Beatrice de Luna better known by her Jewish name Doña Gracia, was born in 1510 Portugal to a family of "conversos" (Anusim).
Conversos were Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity but kept their Jewish identity in secret.
Doña only found out she was Jewish at age 12 >>

Has there always been a continuous Jewish presence in Israel?

Let's break it down century by century: 🧵👇 Joshua to the 10th Century BCE:

Joshua's Conquest of Cnaan (c. 1250 BCE) marks the transition from the Exodus to settlement, with the land being divided among the 12 tribes.
The earliest archeological mention of "Israel" is from this period on the Merneptah Stele >>

Is the story of Hanukkah historically and archeologically based?

Let's dive into the history surrounding Hanukkah 🕎 🧵👇 Background:
The Hasmonean (Maccabean) Revolt began in 167 BCE when Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid king, tried to Hellenize Judea, including banning Jewish religious practices.
This led to widespread resistance among Jews who wished to maintain their traditions >>

What are the current laws and status of the land in Judea and Samaria?

To understand the complex legal landscape, we must delve into the historical layers. 🇮🇱👇

(Disclaimer: I've worked on this thread for the past few weeks, but I'm no legal expert) >> 🧵 The Ottoman Empire's land code was nonexistent until 1858 when they tried to make some order and created 5 categories:

1. Mülk - private land.
2. Miri - state property open to leasing.
3. Waqf - holy.
4. Metruka - land designated for public activities of villages. >>

What's it like being a "settler" in Judea & Samaria? 🧵🇮🇱

(This is my most personal threat yet, so I may delete) >> Living in Judea and Samaria is knowing that I walk in the very places Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and many after them once walked.
The place where the stories of the Bible come to life.
Shechem, Beit El, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Ancient Shomron (Sabastia) are just some examples >>

Do you know how we have gotten to the current Israel-Hezbollah war? or how many wars have there been? When and why was Hezbollah created? 🇮🇱🇱🇧

The answers aren't so simple, let's dive in:🧵
#IsraelLebanonHistory #MiddleEastConflicts Background:
The territories of what would become Israel & Lebanon were once part of the Ottoman Empire which lasted from 1299-WWI.
The League of Nations officially gave the French & the British control over the areas they conquered in 1920 & Lebanon became independent in 1943🇱🇧

Did you know Lebanon once had a rich Jewish history with ~16 synagoges in Beirut alone?
So what happened?🧵🇱🇧
#Lebanon #Historical #IsraelLebanonWar The history of Jews in Lebanon dates back to ancient times.
Of the 12 tribes of Israel, Asher & Naftali are believed to have settled in the region during the biblical period. However in the book of Judges (11;31), it is mentioned that cities like Tyre & Sidon weren't captured.>

🔍 Are Jews foreign colonizers in "eastern Jerusalem"?
The archaeological Marvels that lie beneath the City of David, may help us understand the true history of the city 🧵
#Archaeology #Jerusalem #History

Origins of Jerusalem: The City of David lies on the southern part of the eastern ridge of ancient Jerusalem. Scholars believe it was the original settlement core during the Bronze and Iron Ages >

Did you know that Israel once had vast oak forests, with species like the Holm Oak, Tabor Oak, and Kermes Oak dominating the landscape. They ranged from Tel-Aviv to Haifa and covered most of Samaria.
So what happened?

A short thread: 🧵
#Israel #Nature #History

During the Ottoman rule, Israel’s forests faced severe deforestation. A tree tax was imposed to boost the empire’s lumber supply, leading to widespread tree cutting. #Deforestation #OttomanEmpire

Are Jews trying to "steal & colonize Al-Aksa from Muslims"?

Let's take a tour of the history of this little mountain that has a lot of history: 🧵
(The history is so vast I will probably forget some points, you are welcome to add them in the comments). Jewish tradition places the Temple Mt as the location of many Biblical events: the Binding of Isaac, Jacob's dream & the Foundation Stone from where the world was created.
But it's best known for being the site of both Jewish Temples.

Has there always been a continuous Jewish presence in Israel?

This thread has taken me all week to compile, as the history is so rich, but I will try and address some main points of Jewish presence in Israel from each century.

Let's get started: 🧵🧵🧵 1st - 2nd century:
After the destruction of the temple (70 CE) by the Titus and the Romans, many Jews were taken to exile.

In 131 CE Emperor Hadrian renamed Jerusalem "Aelia Capitolina" and constructed the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the site of the former Jewish temple. Jews were banned from Jerusalem and Roman Judaea was renamed "Syria Palaestina", from which is derived "Palestine" in English and "Filistin" in Arabic.

But did any Jews stay?
Yes, as is evident by the Bar Kochba Revolt between 132 and 136 CE which ultimately failed. Many ancient coins were found in Israel & date to the revolt. This one has a picture of the Temple & reads 'To the freedom of Jerusalem'.