מגילת

A Visual Journey Through Jewish History

Megilat Mordechai Eliyahu

מגילת מרדכי אליהו

Maurice Bollag · Zurich | מרדכי אליהו (מוריס) בולג · ציריך

At a glance:

Culture & Religion Politics & Power Geography & Environment Science & Technology People & Society

Jewish History Timeline — Megilat Mordechai Eliyahu

🔍 Zoom

And so Jewish history goes on… until the Final Redemption

וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיִּתְמַהְמֵהַּ עִם כָּל זֶה אֲחַכֶּה לוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם שֶׁיָּבוֹא

תְּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל לְחֵרוּתֵנוּ וְשָׂא נֵס לְקַבֵּץ גָּלֻיּוֹתֵינוּ וְקַבְּצֵנוּ יַחַד מְהֵרָה מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ לְאַרְצֵנוּ

קוֹל שִׁירוֹת תֵּשַׁע שָׁמַעְנוּ בַּמֶּרֶץ וְהַעֲשִׂירִית עוֹד נִשְׁמַע מִכְּנַף הָאָרֶץ

Piyut Pessah

at the Sea, of the Well, of Joshua, of Deborah, of David, of the Inauguration, of Solomon, of King Jehoshaphat in Maaleh HaTzitz & Emek HaBerachah

↓ Scroll to explore

Latest Update · April 2026 — Pessach

Reliving
History

שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמָן הַזֶּה

After 843 days, the last fallen hostage held in Gaza, was returned to Israel for burial. The trauma and shock are more than present, but the recovery phase can finally begin. It feels like two years were just frozen and the Jewish nation was paralyzed.

Those difficult two years were though accompanied by open miracles! Within the 7 multi front war — The war of Revival/Rebirth — we saw and experienced all the messages written on this Jewish history with our own eyes! We are reliving history, our generation adds a small piece to the big puzzle. A piece of resilience & resistance that strengthens our Jewish Identity and despite increased global antisemitism — a step closer to the final redemption.

עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי — Am Israel Chai

And the next big war with Iran has began…

The Motivation
and the Purpose

In today's unprecedented technology and digital revolution, one must not forget that human brain remains to a larger extent static. In this fast-changing world, it is becoming a challenge to "absorb and digest" special events, moments, and happenings. Tomorrow's happening is already today's history. All the more so, our history – our past – which also represents our future must remain present in our daily life.

King Salomon says אין חדש תחת השמש, „there is nothing new under the sun". The purpose to visualize our Jewish history is not aiming at reflecting the historical moments, events, and facts - as they are mostly known though sometimes the accuracy and/or opinion about the exact location, lifetime, duration, or name is not always clear - but rather to visualize the big picture. From a strategic and high-level perspective highlighting some key learnings and messages.

History is not the past; it is the future – The Big Picture

From history we can learn for the future. The past is the happening of tomorrow. As it says זכר ימות עולם בינו שנות דר ודר, understand and remember the past to "see" the future. We value our past and learn from our forefathers to lead into the present and teach our children. We look back to our history to improve our future.

The perspective

There are different perspectives how to look at our Jewish history. The tragic and dramatic moments which are countless on the one hand, and on the other hand the innumerable goods - as we say על אחת מאלף אלף אלפי אלפים ורבי רבות פעמים הטובות שעשית עם אבותינו ועמנו. Hence, it depends on which perspective we approach and look at our Jewish history.

I am presenting a view of our Jewish history which can be looked at from a high-level overall timeline view as well as detailed and specific events.

Look at the overall timeline. Is that not showing God's bond of love to his Jewish nation? Does the timeline not show how well God prepared and planned the journey to our best? True, sometimes through a seen presence and sometimes through an unseen presence, but always to our best. I have added a few selected דברי חז׳ל which testify to this unseen presence. This visualization changes the unseen presence to become a seen presence and to testify ואפילו בהסתרה שׁבתוך ההסתרה בוודאי גם שׁם נמצא השׁם.

The real purpose of history – "beyond the headline"

R' Yosef Dov Soloveitchik said וזהו בכלל בכל טעמי המצות דלא בשביל הטעם נעשה המצוה רק להיפוך דבעבור המצוה בא הטעם; Biblical commandments are not to remember the history, but we have a history to enable the biblical commandments. In other words: the history is not the prerequisite for the מצות, but rather because we have the מצות a history must take place to make it happen. Our history is at the same time our מצות and the Jewish nation. It goes beyond "The Headlines".

Creating the light in time of darkness – Light in Dark Times

The dark moments cannot be ignored; the "Tochacha" – the warning of the dire results that will befall the Jewish people if they violate their trust and covenant with the Lord became reality throughout the history. But as it says: "My precious child. I love you and I will never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you did not see the set of my footprints it was then, that I carried you". The unseen presence: The Lord never disdains His handiwork. When it seems that He ignores His universe, He creates new forms of good for the world, because everything He does is good, and He constantly seeks to benefit His creatures.

The Power of Recovery

Another lesson and message (see Rabbi Sacks - lessons in leadership - parshat Vayetzeh) is the fact that Jacob had at his lowest ebbs of his life his greatest visions of heaven. It is at these points of maximal vulnerabilities that Jacob encounters God and finds the courage to continue despite all the hazards of the journey. Yet, Jacob prayed to G'd that should tragedies be bestowed, not to bring them at the same time (ורוח תשׂימו בין עדר ובין עדר (בראשית ל'ב י'ז, though Jacob understood that it is about the "Power of Recovery".

To try, to fall, to fear and yet to keep going: that is what it takes to be a leader and a Jewish nation.

We continue to pray

Yet, we are in the dark and continue to pray "Sound the great shofar for our freedom, raise the banner to gather our exiles and speedily gather us together from the four corners of the earth to our land". במהרה בימינו. אמן

Maurice Bollag · מרדכי אליהו בולג
Zurich · ציריך
Jan 2023 / 5783

Key Messages

What History
Teaches Us

The Jewish History — "His Story"

The Power of Recovery & Resilience

God's Unseen Presence

Light in Dark Times

The survival of the Jewish — physical & spiritual, cultural, national & religious — identity

The history that contradicts all the laws of history

The illusion of contradiction — beyond contradiction

Divided in 12 Tribes — Unified as one nation

As for the Jewish People, our best revenge, as always, is survival

Torah & Talmudic Insights

A selection…

As explained in the Introduction, the main purpose of this timeline was never simply to visualize history — but rather to reveal the big picture, with Talmudic insights that illuminate and support the key messages. What follows is a personal selection of Talmudic insights that I believe fit this vision particularly well.

וְרוּחַ תָּשִׂימוּ בֵּין עֵדֶר וּבֵין עֵדֶר

בְּרֵאשִׁית לּ'ב י'ז · Bereishit 32:17 · Ramban

יש בזה רמז: אמר יעקב לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע אם יהיו באות צרות על בני לא תביא אותן זו אחר זו אלא הרוח להם מצרותיהם (רמב"ן בשם ב"ר)

Yakov prayed to G'd that should tragedies be bestowed, not to bring them at the same time.

וְאֶת הַצִּפֹּר לֹא בָתַר

בְּרֵאשִׁית ט'ו י' · Bereishit 15:10 · Rashi

רֶמֶז שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל קַיָּמִים לָעוֹלָם (רַשִׁ"י)

And the bird was not divided. G'd hinted to Avraham that the Jewish Nation will ever exist.

בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

קִידּוּשִׁין ל"ו · Kiddushin 36a · R' Meir

ר' מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ אַתֶּם קְרוּיִים בָּנִים

R' Meir says: Either ways, we always are G'd's children.

וְהַסְּנֶה אֵינֶנּוּ אֻכָּל

שְׁמוֹת ג' ב' · Shemot 3:2

And the bush was not devoured — a symbol of Israel's indestructibility.

צַדִּיק בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו, יָשָׁר מֵצִיץ מֵחַרְכָּיו

פִּיּוּט · Piyut

The Upright One peers. God is fair and upright; even when He seems angry and distant, He unobtrusively peers to see our plight and protect us.

אָמְרוּ לֵאלֹהִים. קָרָא הַדּוֹרוֹת מֵרֹאשׁ

פִּיּוּט · Piyut

מַגִּיד אַחֲרִית מֵרֹאשׁ, בָּחַר בְּאַם דַּלַּת רֹאשׁ, עַזּוֹ יוֹם יוֹם לִדְרוֹשׁ

He summons from the beginning. God has His plan for the history of the world — He chose Abraham so that the future generations of Israel would be summoned forth from him.

שִׂמְחוּ אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְגִילוּ בָהּ

יְשַׁעְיָה ס"ו · תַּעֲנִית ל' · Yeshayahu 66 · Taanit 30

מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ כָּל הַמִּתְאַבֵּל עַל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם זוֹכֶה וְרוֹאֶה בְּשִׂמְחָתָהּ

Whoever mourns for Jerusalem will merit seeing its joy.

וַתִּשָּׂא כָּל הָעֵדָה וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת קוֹלָם

בְּמִדְבַּר י"ד · תַּעֲנִית כ"ט · Bamidbar 14:1 · Taanit 29

אַתֶּם בְּכִיתֶם בְּכִיָּה שֶׁל חִנָּם וַאֲנִי קוֹבֵעַ לָכֶם בְּכִיָּה לְדוֹרוֹת

You cried for nothing — G'd established that night as Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning for generations.

צוֹם הָרְבִיעִי... יִהְיֶה לְשָׂשׂוֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָה

זְכַרְיָה · Zechariah

The fasts shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for the House of Judah — but you must love honesty and integrity.

אַשְׁרֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִי כָמוֹךָ

דְּבָרִים ל"ג כ"ט · Devarim 33:29 · Blessing of Moshe

Happy are you, Israel: who is like you? You are a nation delivered by God — your enemies shall come with deceit, and you shall crush their high places underfoot.

עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן הֲרוּגִים עַל קִדּוּשׁ שְׁמֶךָ

תְּפִילָּה · Prayer

Act for the sake of those killed in sanctification of Your name, for those slaughtered over Your unity, for those who went through fire and water in sanctification of Your name…

הַקָּבָּ"ה בּוֹרֵא רְפוּאָה קֹדֶם שֶׁיָּבִיא הַמַּכָּה

מְגִלַּת אֶסְתֵּר ג' א' · Megilat Esther 3:1 · Rashi

The Holy One creates healing for the people of Israel before the blow comes upon them.

גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי הַקָּבָּ"ה שֶׁעָתִיד הָמָן לִשְׁקוֹל שְׁקָלִים

מְגִלָּה י"ג · Megila 13:2 · R' Shimon ben Lakish

G'd knew that Haman would weigh shekalim against Israel — therefore He preempted his shekalim with their shekalim.

חָפַף עָלָיו כָּל הַיּוֹם וּבֵין כְּתֵפָיו שָׁכַן

דְּבָרִים ל"ג י"ב · זְבָחִים קי"ח · Devarim 33:12 · Zevachim 118

חָפַף — מִקְדָּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן · כָּל הַיּוֹם — מִקְדָּשׁ שֵׁנִי · בֵּין כְּתֵפָיו — יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ

First Temple · Second Temple · Days of Messiah.

כִּי אֲנִי ה' שֹׁכֵן בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

בְּמִדְבַּר ל"ה ל"ד · יוֹמָא נ"ו · Bamidbar 35:34 · Yoma 56 · Rashi

אַף בִּזְמַן שֶׁהֵם טְמֵאִים שְׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם

G'd is with us, even in impure times.

אֵין הַקָּבָּ"ה מַכֶּה אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן מְקַדִּים רְפוּאָה

מְגִלָּה י"ג · Megila 13 · Rashi

God does not strike Israel unless He first creates medicine for them.

וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶם לֹא מְאַסְתִּים

וַיִּקְרָא כ"ו · מְגִלָּה י"א · Vayikra 26 · Megilla 11

לֹא מְאַסְתִּים — בִּימֵי יְוָנִים · וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים — בִּימֵי אַסְפַּסְיָינוֹס · כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם — בִּימֵי גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג

In every era of persecution, God never abandoned His covenant with Israel.

בְּכָל צָרָתָם לוֹ צַר וּמַלְאַךְ פָּנָיו הוֹשִׁיעָם

יְשַׁעְיָה ס"ג · שֶׁבַע דְּנֶחֱמָתָא · Yeshayahu 63 · Sheva D'Nechemta

The bond of love is forever. In all their pain, He felt pain. He carried them for all eternity. "The years when you saw only one set of footprints, My Child, is when I carried you."

וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקוֹב

וַיִּקְרָא כ"ו מ"ב · Vayikra 26:42 · Rashi

יַעֲקֹב נָטַל אוֹת מִשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁל אֵלִיָּהוּ, עַרְבוֹן שֶׁיָּבוֹא וִיבַשֵּׂר גְּאוּלַת בָּנָיו

Jacob took a letter from Elijah's name as a guarantee that Elijah will come and announce the redemption of his children.

וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ

הַגָּדָּה שֶׁל פֶּסַח · Haggadah shel Pesach

שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ וְהַקָּבָּ"ה מַצִּילֵנוּ

In every generation they stand up against us to destroy us, and the Holy One saves us from their hand.

טַעֲמוּ וּרְאוּ כִּי טוֹב ה'

תְּהִלִּים ל"ד ט' · Tehillim 34:9 · Radak

Contemplate intellectually, by analyzing events — by noticing God's deeds — and you will realize that Hashem is good.

בְּרֶגַע קָטֹן עֲזַבְתִּיךְ וּבְרַחֲמִים גְּדֹלִים אֲקַבְּצֵךְ

יְשַׁעְיָה נ"ד · Yeshayahu 54

For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you.

וְאַפִילוּ בְּהֶסְתֵּרָה שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַהֶסְתֵּרָה — גַּם שָׁם נִמְצָא הַשֵּׁם

רַבִּי נַחְמָן מִבְּרֶסְלוֹב · Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772–1810)

Even within the concealment within the concealment, certainly there too G'd is to be found.

עֶזְרַת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַתָּה הוּא מֵעוֹלָם מָגֵן וּמוֹשִׁיעַ

תְּפִילַּת שַׁחֲרִית · Shacharit prayer

You have always been the help of our ancestors, their Shield and Savior, and that of their children after them in every generation.

More insights to be added…

The Timeline

5,786 Years
in one viewמבראשית עד היום

The full timeline spans from Creation (-3761) to today — across political empires, rabbinic eras, and millennia of Jewish life. On screen you see a glimpse; the full experience is the printed board.

Rabbinic Eras — Hebrew Calendar

A D A M T O N O A H

(0–1000)

N O A H T O A V R A H A M

(1000–2000)

A V O T & I M A O T

(2000–2516)

S H O F T I M

(2516–2881)

N E V I ' I M

(2881–3560)

S U G O T

"The Pairs"

(3560–3768)

T A N A ' I M

"The Teachers"

(3768–3848)

Dor Hamavar

(3848–3948)

A M O R A ' I M

"The Explainers"

(3948–4260)

S A V O R A I M

(4260–4349)

G E ' O N I M

(4349–4800)

R I S H O N I M

(4800–5252)

Late Rishonim & Early Acharonim

(5252–5408)

A C H A R O N I M

(5408–5700)

M E L A K T I M

Modern Israel & Current Era

Political & Historical Periods

The period of patriarchs
"the family"

Migration and enslavement in Egypt

Settlements of the tribes and the period of judges

The united monarchy

The divided kingdom

Kingdom of Judah

Babylonian exile

Return to Zion & The Great Assembly / The Hasmonean kingdom

The Herod kingdom

The Roman

The Byzantine & Rise of Christianity

The Rise of Islam

The Crusaders

The Muslims

The Ottoman

The British Mandate

The State of Israel

The Story

Key Periods of
Jewish History

-3761 to -1200 BCE

The Patriarchal Age

From Adam to Noah, from Avraham to Moshe — the formation of the Jewish family, the covenant, and the first encounter with Egypt and slavery.

עידן האבות והאמהות

-1200 to -586 BCE

Kingdoms & Prophets

The settlement in Canaan, the period of Judges, the united and divided monarchy, and the age of the great prophets — from Shmuel to Yeshayahu.

תקופת המלכים והנביאים

-586 to 70 CE

Exile & Return

The Babylonian exile, the return to Zion, the Great Assembly, the Hasmonean kingdom, Herod, and the Roman destruction of the Second Temple.

גלות ושיבה לציון

70 CE to 1000 CE

The Rabbinic World

Tannaim, Amoraim, Savoraim, Geonim — the great teachers who built the oral tradition into the Talmud and preserved Jewish life through Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic rule.

עולם התנאים והאמוראים

1000 to 1800 CE

Rishonim & Acharonim

From Rashi and Rambam to the Baal Shem Tov — the great codifiers, mystics, and community leaders who shaped Jewish practice and thought through the medieval world.

הראשונים והאחרונים

1800 to Today

Modern Israel

The Haskalah, the Shoah, the birth of the State of Israel in 1948, and the ongoing story of the Jewish people in the modern world.

ישראל המודרנית

Contact

Get in
Touch

Interested in a presentation or workshop for your school? Just get in touch.

This is a labour of love, freely shared.

Name: Maurice Bollag · מרדכי אליהו בולג
Email: maurice.bollag@gmail.com
Mobile / WhatsApp: +41 78 934 91 61

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