More on Cleopatra and Judaism

QUEEN CLEOPATRA VII (THE CLEOPATRA) has been in the news a lot lately, ever since the media heard about the the upcoming movie starring Gal Gadot. Ms. Gadot stirred things up last week in a interview:

"I can't reveal a lot, but I can tell you that we're going to celebrate the Cleopatra story," she told InStyle. "We're going to show not just how sexy and appealing she was, but how strategic and smart, and how much impact she had and still has on the world we're living in today.

"I've watched all the Cleopatra movies throughout history, but I feel like we're telling the story the world needs to hear now."

Meanwhile, Dr. Yvette Alt Miller has published an article in Heritage Florida Jewish News on Cleopatra and the Jews.

Cleopatra was a complex figure. Cleopatra VII (there were many Queen Cleopatras in Egypt. The final queen is the most famous) lived 69-30 BCE, and reigned during a tumultuous time in Egyptian history. Her political life touched on many regions, including far away Israel and Rome. Cleopatra didn't rule in a vacuum - she was a real woman, who played a central role in Middle Eastern politics. No matter how much we think we know about Cleopatra, there's always more to discover.

Here are seven surprising facts about Cleopatra and her important relationship with the land of Israel and ancient Jews.

I have mentioned before that (according to Plutarch) Cleopatra spoke Aramaic and Hebrew. This article adds quite a lot about her connections with first-century BCE Judaism.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Cleopatra VII, start here and follow the links.

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