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  Disturbing images of Israeli ordinance pounding Gaza into fine grey dust present a serious moral problem for Western democracies.  It is difficult to reconcile the passive trainloads of Jewish victims in the Nazi Holocaust with the new reality of aggressive military vengeance in the Middle East.  Twentieth-century certainties of international justice look increasingly shabby.  This is a different people.  A transformation has taken place. Medieval Tradition has been abandoned in favour of a new wave of 'biblical' interpretation.       "The Midrashic and Talmudic literature grew and developed in the years following the failure of a series of Jewish revolts that broke out against Rome in the land of Israel and beyond its borders during the first and second centuries CE ...        The first uprising was the Great Revolt of 66-73 CE. This rebellion was viciously put down, leading to a great many deaths in battle and by starvation. The peak came with the destruction of the Se

The reputation of English King Henry I is negatively marked by his Purge of the Moneyers in 1124-25. The most vivid contemporary account is contained in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles  for those years. The background of continental war and agricultural dearth suggests other reasons were responsible for the loss of confidence in the currency. Scapegoating those who minted silver into pennies might have satisfied a political need but it did not really solve the fundamental problems of high taxation and poor harvests. ANGLO - SAXON  CHRONICLE AD 1124                All this year was the king in Normandy. That was for the great hostility that he had with the King Louis of France, and with the Earl of Anjou...         This same year were the seasons very unfavourable in England for corn and all fruits; so that between Christmas and Candlemas men sold the acre-seed of wheat, that bis two seedlips, for six shillings; and the barley, that is three seedlips, for six shillings also; and the acre-see