There are 9 articles on this title. You are reading the article ranked and rated #3 by Helium's members.
In my opinion the history of Judaism would be incomplete unless one refers to Israel as its nation of origin and its means of transference to the Jewish People.
Judaism, by having its own state, the state of Israel, has acquired tremendous strength, the strength of a vehicle. It is now on a par with Islam and Christianity who have had their own states for the last 2000 years.
Judaism, like any other religion needs a national entity, a state as a vehicle to transfer its beliefs and customs to its adherents, and Israel is the vehicle of Judaism.
The state is such a powerful vehicle for the transference of culture that it's used by religion. In fact without a state a Religion could not transfer its culture to mankind.
Israel is the vehicle by which Judaism was transferred to the Jewish People. Just as the Holy Roman empire was the vehicle for transferring Christianity and the various Arab states was the vehicle of Islam.
Telling the history of Judaism without telling the history of Israel is like a travelogue which only tells about the places a traveler visits without telling how he got from one place in his journey to another.
There have been many histories of the Jews written in the last two hundred years. There is also a book on the History of Jewish Belief by Ezekiel Kaufman, which traces the development of Jewish laws and beliefs through the ages but it isn't concerned with people.
A history of the Jews is a history of a group of people without relating to their religious beliefs. Kaufman's History of the Jewish Belief is about religious beliefs without relating to people.
A history of Judaism must relate to both people and their religious beliefs. It must tell how its customs were transferred to the Jewish People.
If we disregard the nation where Judaism was the main religion practiced, in my opinion we wouldn't be telling the history of Judaism, but like Kaufman we'd be writing a book about abstract concepts.
In my opinion It's obvious that a person isn't characterized by the religion he follows but by the distinctive characteristics of the nation he belongs to.
It's not a person's religion which distinguishes him as an individual belonging to a certain group, it's the nation he belongs to which most influences the way a person looks, speaks, behaves etc.
Excepting for distinctive Jewish customs like manner of prayer, food and belief Jews resemble the other people of the nation where they are living.
Although practically everyone we meet here in Israel is Jewish, outwardly
Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:
by Alan Kotok
Review of The New American Judaism by Arthur Blecher, Palgrave MacMillan, October 2007 (ISBN 1403977461, 256 pp., hardcover).
Arthur
The anecdotal references to miracles as incorporated in the Old Testament had accentuated the heritage of Judaism, crowning
by Leon Gork
In my opinion the history of Judaism would be incomplete unless one refers to Israel as its nation of origin and its means
by Brady Quinn
The Jewish Religion
This is my report about Judaism. The Jewish religion is the third biggest religion in the world. It is
Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. Jews trace their origins back to Abraham ( the father of many Nations), who
View All Articles on:
The history of Judaism
Add your voice
Know something about The history of Judaism?
We want to hear your view.
Write now!
Cast your vote!
Click for your side.
Featured Partner
ResearchSEA - Asia Research News
ResearchSEA - Asia Research News is Asia's first research news portal. It is a one-stop center where journalists a...more
hide