A Short History of the Jewish People From Legendary Times to Modern Statehood

by Scheindlin, Raymond P.

• ISBN13: 9780195139419
• ISBN10: 0195139410
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-07-27
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Where did the Jews come from? How did they retain their strong sense of community through centuries of dispersion? How have the Jews of the present, with their proud ethnic identity and thriving national home, emerged out of the downtrodden Jews of the past? Such questions arise naturally in the minds of anyone contemplating the long history of Jewish people. In one concise, authoritative volume, A Short History of the Jewish People provides insights and answers. This sweeping and highly informative work presents the major geographical, cultural, and political forces that have determined the course of Jewish history, introducing the many individuals, both religious and secular, who have shaped the character, mindset, and prospects of the Jewish people. Organized chronologically, the narrative follows the Jewish experience from legendary times to the peace agreements currently being negotiated in the Middle East. And, to give this overview an international and timely perspective, Raymond P. Scheindlin focuses his study on the pivotal events and dominant communities within each historical period. Written by a respected Hebrew scholar, cultural historian, noted author, and rabbi, A Short History of the Jewish People carefully describes the story of a people as varied as the many cultures in which they have lived. Including detailed maps and stirring photos, as well as timelines and sidebars, this pioneering work is a valuable resource for anyone broadly curious about the Jewish people.

Author Biography

Raymond P. Scheindlin teaches at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City. His other books include Wine, Women, and Death: Medieval Hebrew Poems on the Good Life (OUP 1999) and The Gazelle: Medieval Hebrew Poems on God, Israel, and the Soul (OUP 1999).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vii
Introduction	viii
Israelite Origins and Kingdom (Before 1220 B.C.E. to 587 B.C.E.)	1	(24)
Judea and the Origins of the Diaspora (587 B.C.E. to 70 C.E.)	25	(26)
Roman Palestine and Sassanid Babylonia (70 C.E. to 632)	51	(20)
The Jews in the Islamic World: From the Rise of Islam to the End of the Middle Ages (632 to 1500)	71	(26)
The Jews of Medieval Christian Europe (Ninth century to 1500)	97	(26)
The Jews in the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East (1453 to 1948)	123	(26)
The Jews of Western Europe (1500 to 1900)	149	(24)
The Jews of Eastern Europe and the United States (1770 to 1940)	173	(26)
The Holocaust	199	(18)
Zionism and the Origins of the State of Israel	217	(18)
The Jewish People after 1948	235	(26)
Afterword: The Outlook for the Jews	261	(3)
Bibliography	264	(6)
Index	270