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THE BEGINNING OF AN INFLUENTIAL (BUT UNFINISHED) PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY
Eric Voegelin (1901-1985) is one of the most well-known of modern political philosophers and theorists, but his massive five-volume series "Order and History," as well as the posthumously published eight-volume History of Political Ideas History of Political Ideas (Volume 8): Crisis and the Apocalypse of Man (Collected Works of Eric Voegelin, Volume 26), put forward a coherent and somewhat influential philosophy of history.

In the Preface to Volume II, Voegelin says, "Order and History is a philosophical inquiry concerning the principal types of order of human existence in society and history as well as the corresponding symbolic forms."Volume I (1956) begins with a Preface which states, "The order of history emerges from the history of order."Voegelin proposes to conduct a historical review to attempt to discern this order.The volume is in four parts: "The Cosmological Order of the Ancient Near East"; "The Historical Order of Israel"; "History and the Trail of Symbols"; and "Moses and the Prophets."

In the Preface to Volume III, Voegelin summarized the first volume thusly: "The oldest civilizational societies were the empires of the ancient Near East in the form of the cosmological myth.And from this oldest stratum of order emerged, through the Mosaic and Sinaitic revelations, the Chosen People with its historical form in the present under God.The two types of order, together with their symbolic forms, were the subject matter of Volume 1."

One of the aspects of the book which many readers find congenial is its respectful treatment of the concept of divine revelation in human history.(Volume I even contains at the back an extensive list of the "Biblical references" used in the book.)

Here are some representative quotations from the first volume:
"Ideology is existence in rebellion against God and man."
"God and man, world and society form a primordial community of being."
"Hence, the emphatic partnership with God removes a society from the rank of profane existence and constitutes it as the representative of the civitas Dei in historical existence."
"In the Desert God spoke to the leader and the tribes; by listening to the voice, by accepting its offer, and by submitting to its command, they at last reached life and became the people chosen by God."
"The historian's work subtly transfers the authority of Israel's order from the Kingdom to the new carriers of the spirit."
"There are times, when the divinely willed order is humanly realized nowhere but in the faith of solitary sufferers."

(Read my reviews of the subsequent volumes to see how Voegelin's project changed over the successive volumes.)

The Classical Consensus: Reason and Revelation
Eric Voegelin's monumental historical masterpiece encompass a series of 5volumes of a new vision of a theoretical history.Voegelin's Israel andRevelation approached the question of revelation from a highlysophisticated view of revelation as part of a historical context.Thetraditional theological analysis imparts only a limited dimension to thehistorical reality of revelation.Voegelin's theoretical conception takesus to the heart of revelation as a human activity that created adiscontinuity from the the secular world view.He carefully used theBiblical account of revelation against a scholarly approach to revelationthat is grounded in the order of being, i.e., the order that reflected thesymbolism of revelation.He pointed out the inherent limitations ofconfusing the order of revelation with the pragmatic dimensions of thehuman existence couple with confusing revelation as a "secondreality" experience.Voegelininvestigation in the historicalfigures of revelation and the complex relationship that must be mastered tokeep the religious tension with the order of being and pragmatic structureof human existence.A very absorbing book anda great understanding ofrevelation in a historical context. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A decent overview, but more might have been expected
Where the author shines is in his discussion of the country's political history (the forming and dissolution of parties and coalitions), the cultural dynamic, and especially his portrayal of the economic crises of the 1970s ad 1980s. He clearly believes that the socialism of the early decades was appropriate, that a more free market approach could not have served the new country as it set out to build its infrastructure and absorb the streams of new immigrants. Perhaps he's basing it on the attempted reforms of the Begin years, but he doesn't convince.

Where he falls grievously short is in the limited discussion of topics that play a major role in the country's history and foreign policy. Haj Amin al Husseini, who was a major player in Mandate Palestine - including fomenting boycotts and pogroms against the Jews - is dealt with in only two lines. (Cohen's "Army of Shadows" and Karsh's "Palestine Betrayed" are far superior.) Deir Yessin is described in only a sentence or two (and follows the Palestinian narrative) and not placed in the context of the war or the refugee question, the latter itself given short shrift. The historic changes in relations with Iran and Turkey - both one-time allies, the former now threatening, the latter at least hostile - are not discussed, nor is the changing relationship with Europe.

Where the Palestinians are concerned, like most lsraeli liberals/leftists, he tends to give them the benefit of a doubt, even where historic evidence runs contrary. He still sees Arafat as being serious about peace, claims he was "unable" to control the terror (that he was actually funding), and that it was Sharon who sparked the intifada by his Temple Mount visit when even Palestinians admit otherwise. Curiously, he neither describes "the most powerful blow ... struck in April 2002" (the Park Hotel Seder attack), nor names the military operation it provoked (Defensive Shield); he describes that operation as "only a qualified success", though most consider it the beginning of the end of the terror campaign. And in his Epilogue, he adds his support, barring agreement, for unilateral withdrawal which, based on past experience, few Israelis and almost no military strategists support.

So while it's a decent overview of a big subject, sometimes it seems a bit facile. Given Van Creveld's reputation, one might have expected more. ... Read more

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Israel is dying. And those responsible are not just the terrorists plotting its destruction, but also the political elites within its borders.Drawing on in-the-field reporting and research that has brought him to the front lines of the Middle East news cycle, acclaimed journalist Aaron Klein spells out the shocking truth. In this groundbreaking work, Klein will show how Israel is often its own worst enemy. And how Hamas, Iran and Palestinian terrorists are poised to end the democracy once and for all.Unless these perils are countered soon, warns Klein, the only remnant of the Jewish country may soon be an epitaph: 'The Late, Great State of Israel.' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

analogy
What do Israel and Arizona have in common? They both elect and re-elect fools or cunning liars to lead them.

A timely and cogent warning
Aharon Klein's provocative title is meant to wake up those who complacently take the existence of the state of Israel for granted. He warns that it is in a constant fight for its life, surrounded by enemies who would destroy it, and also threatened by enemies from within. Klein isa daring reporter who has spoken with many of those who are enemies of Israel and openly dedicate themselves to its destruction. Perhaps one of the greatest services he does in this work is to pull the rug out from under the fundamental premise which guides American, European and even Israeli negotiators in their search for peace. i.e. the premise that there is a moderate group of Palestinians, Fatah who truly aim at peace and would be real partners for it. In groundbreakikng work Klein shows how 'Fatah' has been an even worse propagator of Terror than Hamas. He shows how Fatah people are also often Hamas people, how the two groups often work together. He shows the strategy of duplicity which is at the heart of Fatah's alleged willingness to negotiate.
He also addresses many other dangers in this work including the 'withdrawal mentality' which has put two major enemies, Hamas and Hizbollah on Israel's borders. He also shows how the fundamental obstacle to peace in the Middle East is the Arab and Islamic world's refusal to leave in peace with the Jewish state.
Klein too does a service in showing how modern Israel is not as its enemies claim a Western colonial imperialist invention, but rather a product of a three - thousand year old Jewish history, including Biblical history in the land.
Klein is an expert at outlining dangers to the Jewish state.
In the end however he asserts his faith that Israel will with the help of God survive these dangers as it has survived so many dangers in the past.

worth reading
I found the book very informative, was unable to put it down and recommend it highly

Great history of the state of Israel
Everyone should know the history of Israel and what these people are up against.This book gives you a clear-eyed view of what has happened in their history, is happening now and the limited choices they have for their future.

A CLARION CALL TO SAVE ISRAEL FROM EXTINCTION
In his latest book entitled, "The Late Great State of Israel", Aaron Klein, intrepid investigative journalist and Jerusalem bureau chief of WorldNetDaily.com presents an ominous portent of the future of Israel. This meticulously researched exegesis of the complex world of Middle East politics graphically depicts the pernicious agenda of those forces conspiring to eradicate the Jewish state. As we know, the motto of the New York Times is, "All the News that's Fit to Print" and this book is a thoroughly documented repository of "All the News That's Fit to Print, that the New York Times Wouldn't", or any branch of the mainstream media for that matter.

In this eye-opening account of the global machinations that are predicated on the vilification of Israel and surreptitious actions leading to its potential demise, we recoil in horror to learn that in addition to the list of "usual suspects", i.e. Iran, Syria and their proxies known as Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, etc, we find that other such players in the Middle East cacophony are also busy striking their own chords. Despite their declarations of support for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the ultimate two-state solution, the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and other western governmental agencies, Klein informs us, have constructed their own end game as it concerns the viable future of Israel. What is most disheartening is the fact that Mr. Klein explores and spotlights in nuanced detail the sheer masochism of the powers that be in the government of Israel and the fact that it is they that are largely culpable for undermining Israel's survival as a Jewish state.

Mr. Klein is indeed a heteroclite reporter who blazes new trails in journalistic doughtiness as evidenced in innumerable and candid interviews he conducted with terrorist leaders representing Hamas, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Hezbollah, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, as well as other covert groups of that ilk. The scope and magnitude of his research illuminates the fact that Fatah, the "peace partner" of both Israel and the United States, is playing a dangerously duplicitous role in this scenario by positing themselves by day as ostensibly legitimate law enforcement officers of the Palestinian Authority and by night as heinous murderers representing the "military wing" of the movement, better known as the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Replete with arms and training from the United States, these Fatah operatives continue to plan and execute terrorist acts directed against Israeli civilians.

If that were not shocking enough, Mr. Klein also reveals that Fatah's purported enemy Hamas has successfully infiltrated Fatah to the point of mass confusion within their ranks. This essentially translates into the fact that massive US arm shipments to Fatah are now making their way into the hands of Hamas terrorists and that these very same Hamas members are also recipients of advanced US military training under the leadership of Lt-Gen Keith Dayton. We also learn that Hamas operatives frequently travel to Iran for extended training in guerilla warfare and return to Gaza to re-train other wannabe terrorists, all under the watchful eye of the United States.

To add insult to injury, Mr. Klein informs us that Israel too, aids and abets the infrastructure of Fatah while simultaneously turning a blind eye to their penchant for deadly terrorism. Having stationed himself in Gaza during the 2005 disengagement, Mr. Klein laments the fact that despite Israeli intelligence reports indicating that Hamas was planning to use the "newly liberated" Gaza as a launching pad for Qassam rockets into Israel, the government proceeded with this suicidal policy while treating the Jewish evacuees with colossal disdain. He also warns us that any attempt by Israel to negotiate away the West Bank and East Jerusalem in peace talks with the PA will inevitably lead to the creation of a state financed and controlled by Iran, with its day to day operations being carried out by its proxy known as Hamas.

Other paramount issues that are examined here is the role of the United Nations in creating the Palestinian "refugee" issue by conferring such status on offspring of Palestinians who fled Israel decades ago and have been residing in such countries as Jordan, Syria and Egypt. Through the creation of the UNWRA (United Nations Work and Relief Agency), the Palestinian demand for the "right of return" can arguably serve as the death knell for Israel in terms of the demographic time bomb that such an influx of Palestinians would represent for Israel's continued existence as a Jewish state.

Mr. Klein takes great pains to dissect and analyze the horrific loss that Israel sustained during the summer war of 2006 against Hezbollah; yet another Iranian/Syrian proxy, and gives us an historical backdrop of the region and the sordid Israeli military blunders that paved the way for the humiliating defeat that shocked the world. As the government of Israel remained in a state of obfuscation concerning the clear objectives of this military endeavor, its convoluted polices have lead to a stronger, better funded and infinitely more confident Hezbollah. The burgeoning guerilla organization apparently now possesses lethal weaponry that can wreak deadly havoc on Israel's northern border and beyond.

Utilizing concepts and quotes from the Torah and Tanach, Mr. Klein connects the dots for us in terms of the historical and religious connection that the land of Israel holds for the Jewish people. He unabashedly admonishes Israel for relinquishing the vast majority of control of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem that miraculously fell into our hands at the end of the Six Day War in 1967. Designating ownership of the site to the Muslim Waqf has emboldened the Muslim claim to Jerusalem and has created a mini theocratic state that seeks to spread it's tentacles far and wide. As it pertains to the Tomb of Joseph in Schechem, Mr. Klein tells us that if we think the partial abandonment of the Temple Mount was bad enough, Israel's complete withdrawal from Judaism's third holiest site is a "travesty" that borders on the reprehensible.

Ultimately, Mr. Klein leaves us with sober assertions regarding the political agenda of the Obama administration as it pertains to the Middle East debacle as well as the role that Benjamin Netanyahu's new government can and will play. He warns us of the existential perils of both global jihadist proliferation and the very real threat of a nuclear empowered Iran. Israel, it would appear is on its own, sans support from the West, yet through its own brand of distorted diplomacy is carving its own trajectory to self-annihilation. Klein makes an important point when he concludes that classical anti-Semitism is no longer considered politically correct by the liberal intelligentsia and has been summarily replaced by our enemies with the more trendier term "anti-Zionism". He correctly equates the terms as one in the same and draws no differences. His final words might give us some measure of hope and bring us back down to earth at the same time when he opines, "I trust and believe that Israel will ultimately survive - against all odds and in spite of the threats from within and without - only through the grace of G-d. But for now, things don't look good."






... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Here is a fascinating overview of Israel's wars with the Palestinians and Arabs.From the 1947-48 Jewish-Palestinian struggle for the possession and mastery of the land of Palestine to the Intifada between 1987-1993, this book also examines Israel's conflicts with its neighbors, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and the PLO in Lebanon.

Bregman analyzes the effect of the wars on the people of Israel.In 1947 with the Holocaust very fresh in their memories, the Israelis demonstrated a great willingness to support and carry the burden of war - high taxes, long military service and fighting in the wars themselves.This book questions why from the late 1960s the Israelis became more critical of their leadership to domestic problems created by the expense of war.Israel's Wars is an exciting and informative history of this intriguing and difficult period of Israel's past. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

This was more than a "somewhat biased" book
I'll keep this short, as I'm not interested in getting into a debate about middle east politics.The author wrote a book that is in the classic modern leftist, anti-Israel mold.If you enjoy Al Jazeera or BBC accounts of Israel, you'll love this book.If you are interested in an even handed account of the history of Israel, this is not the book for you.

Somewhat Biased Account
This brief work purports to cover the Arab-Israeli conflict from 1947 to 1993.The emphasis is not so much on the military as it is on the social and political aspects.The reader comes away with an all too brief and somewhat biased account of the conflict.The author, jewish himself, seems very anti-government in many of his views.This is interesting as until recently not many Israeli authors would dare find any fault with the heroic struggle of the Israeli state.Perhaps this is a sign that Israel has come of age if it can produce this kind of objective, albeit revisionist history.

I like that the author re-appraises many of the conflicts and comes away with some controversial findings.In the 1948 conflict he challeneges the heroic stand of Israel often taken in the past and says that the Arabs actually committed fewer forces preportionately than the new Israeli state did.This is a surprising re-evalution.While he gives the Israeli army credit for many of its victories there is often a critical analyis of its actions, especially by the leadership.Begin, Sharon, Meir, et al receive rather unflattering portraits of their political and military decisions.

The book covers all the basic conflicts and goes into more recent events with the invasion of Labanon in 1982 and ending with the Intafada of the early 1990s.Again, the Israeli government receives harsh criticism from the author in how it responded to these crisis.I would say this is a good overall book, probably suitable as supplemental reading for a college level course on the Middle East today.As a standard history it should be balanced with other works on this subject.Those seeking a military history will be disappointed.Stay with A J Baker and Chiam Herzog for the more standard military histories.Otherwise a pretty quick, but otherwise revisionist read.

Somewhat 'selective' views on Israel's turbulent history.
I bought this book (the most recent revised edition) in the context of furthering my studies in the Middle East and the Arab-Israeli conflict in particular. I also purchased the book due to the fact that the author is a former Israeli Army Captain, who served in the Operation 'Peace For Galilee' conflict in Lebanon of 1982.

Having a military history myself, I have always been prepared to listen to and indeed value the opinions of others with a service history, especially those who have engaged in conflict, irrespective of whose side they fought upon or their political leanings.

To that end I was not disappointed with this book. I listened keenly to everything that the former Israeli officer had to say.

However, with the greatest respect to the author, I find that there is a considerable amount of selective omission and some undocumented/uncorroborated personal opinions expressed here which many will find inaccurate and one-sided.

Bregman's take on the Palestinian refugee issue around 1948 leaves a lot unsaid and therefore omits a great deal of accuracy. He omits any references and makes fleeting statements which are frankly incomplete and untrue.

In specific issues such as that mentioned, readers would be well advised to make reference to the scholarly works of Aryeh Avneri, Joan Peters and Efraim Karsh who are all far more qualifed to teach on such important issues.

This book in my opinion is not so much a reference book as a personal insight/analysis and an expression of the author's own views on many aspects of the Jewish state's military conflicts and political episodes of it's turbulent history.

I feel that Bregman's personal comments on the 1967 war also suffer from the same 'ailments' as that on the 'refugee' issue. I would again suggest readers wishing to study the 1967 conflict refer to works by Michael Oren and Chaim Herzog.

Others might also take Bregman to task over his comments relating to the USS Liberty incident and of more recent significance, as to how the Palestinian intifada began.

Bregman appears to be of the opinion that Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount was the factor that began the more recent phase of the violence. Completely overlooking the fact that Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount was legal, agreed with the Palestinian leadership and that the bloodshed had even began one day earlier when Palestinian members of a joint security patrol opened fire on their Israeli 'colleagues'.

I might just be 'picking holes', but the whole tone of this book seems very 'left wing' to me. I feel an underlying dislike by the writer for the present Israeli government/administration and some criticism of the state's past military encounters. Others might feel differently.

However, despite such comments and criticisms I find there is a fair amount of worthy content to this book that should not be overlooked.

The publication of such personal views and criticisms by an author is of course to be welcomed. However, readers would be lacking if they did not follow up such opinions and statements with an analysis of the issues to ascertain their historical veracity. ... Read more

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Israeli anthropologist and activist Jeff Halper throws a harsh light on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the point of view of a critical insider. While the Zionist founders of Israel created a vibrant society, culture and economy, they did so at a high price: Israel could not maintain its exclusive Jewish character without imposing on the country's Palestinian population policies of ethnic cleansing, occupation and discrimination, expressed most graphically in its ongoing demolition of thousands of Palestinian homes, both inside Israel and in the Occupied Territories. An Israeli in Palestine records Halper's journey 'beyond the membrane' that shields his people from the harsh realities of Palestinian life to his 'discovery' that he was actually living in another country: Palestine. Without dismissing the legitimacy of his own country, he realises that Israel is defined by its oppressive relationship to the Palestinians. This second edition is includes an epilogue gauging the chances for peace after the failed Annapolis process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Passionate and informative
Watching from half a world away as recent events unfolded in Israel on the evening news, I was struck by the plight of the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Territories and wondered if it would be possible to find a balanced discussion of their situation when so much hatred exists on both sides of the conflict. The fact that this book succeeds in doing so is made even more remarkable by the fact that it is written by an Israeli citizen and academic who by his own admission was previously oblivious to the true nature of the Palestinian experience. Jeff Halper is obviously a man of courage and conviction, who writes with the passion of someone enlightened by a transforming insight. In his case, the insight was catalyzed by the destruction of a Palestinian colleague's home. Trying to understand this event led him to a new understanding of the dynamics of the Palestinian-Israeli situation that he found astonishing, as did I.

Unfortunately, as he points out, his rush to disseminate his message at times required him to write his manuscript in airports between meetings, and it shows. There are grammatical and syntax errors on almost every page. This is not enough to distract from his message, however, and could almost be considered charming in the way it reflects his zeal for substance over style.

One drawback to having the situation explained by an insider is that he sometimes takes local knowledge for granted: I'm sure every Israeli knows about the Green Line and the details of the First and Second Intifadah, but nowhere are these terms explained for the rest of us. Then there are the favorite terms of the author, such as bantustan and Matrix of Control, that are used so repeatedly throughout the book as to become almost irritating. For some reason, these terms are not defined until well after their first use, probably another artifact of rushed editing.

The author's courage and compelling revelations outweigh any literary deficiencies. It deserves five stars for presenting a constructive and informative analysis of such a fraught subject.

A Challenging Truth
Jeff Halper is a prophetic Israeli Jew who dares to speak truth to power, in Israel, to Jews all over the world, and to all those seek peace and justice among the Israelis and Palestinians based on truth. and actual "facts on the ground".

Well-written, riveting; personal yet wide-ranging
I just finished this book tonight. I couldn't put it down, and read it in three evenings. Jeff Halper does a great job. He is on the scene when his Palestinian friend's house is demolished by Israeli troops (he calls it his "conversion experience"), and throws himself on the ground in front of the bulldozer.His journey to understand this event takes him (and us) through politics, history, Israeli society.It is complex, as all real history and politics is.An important book.

Essential reading for Americans
This book is packed full of information that rarely sees the light of day in the United States. It has credibility because it is written by a patriotic Jewish Israeli citizen, and thus difficult to dismiss by Zionists and their American "lobby".It offers a clear-headed honest assessment of an injustice that is seldom if ever grasped by poorly informed Americans who get their information from the mainstream media.

The author, Jeff Halper, was born to Jewish parents in Hibbing, Minnesota in 1946 where he absorbed the progressive values of a liberal Jewish-American upbringing.He became involved with the civil rights movement and the anti-Viet Nam War protests of the 1960s, and carried these values with him when he emigrated to Israel in 1973 and earned his doctorate degree in anthropology.

In his early academic career Dr. Halper fully identified with a Zionist view of Jewish history, but his contact with educated intelligent Palestinian students soon brought him to question the traditional narrative and a gradual realization that this tiny state has cloistered itself from an honest confrontation with the realities of a brutal occupation of another people.But it was not until he witnessed first-hand the gratuitous demolition of the home of Palestinian friends that he was transformed from a well-meaning but passive observer to a committed activist against Israel state brutality and spearheaded the formation of the Israel Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD).

Halper divides his book into 4 sections.In the first he discusses Comprehending Oppression, triggered by the message of the bulldozers, which had destroyed over 18,000 Palestinian homes by 2007.He analyzes the disinterest ("living in a bubble") of most Israelis to the evils of Palestinian oppression occurring right under their noses and ascribes this to a careful official framing of historical facts to fit the Zionist narrative, combined with a desire to just get along with their own lives.For example, the term "occupation" of Palestinian territory has been erased from Israeli history books and substituted by euphemisms like "disputed territories", town and city names have been "Judaised", the Green Line as the basis for a just solution has disappeared from popular discourse, and the notion that this Middle Eastern territory was a "land without people for a people without land" at the time of early Jewish colonization conflicts with the reality that over 600,000 Arabs populated this land at the beginning of the British Mandate after WWI.

According to Halper the underlying Israeli cultural orientation arises out a "tribal nationalism" acquired in the ghettoes of Eastern Europe, deeply reinforced by the memory of the Holocaust. This has led to a construct he labels"ethnocracy", which is in clear contrast to the claim of Israel as the only "democracy" in the Middle East, because this "democracy" applies only to its Jewish inhabitants .He convincingly argues that this is a recipe for continued turmoil and Israeli insecurity.

In a section labeled Sources of Oppression, Halper elaborates on Zionist ideology and how the leadership has carefully framed a narrative of Jews as virtuous victims, that the "Arabs" are an uncivilized group with whom there can be no political solution, and thus priority is placed on personal security in a volatile region.This Manichean mindset ("we win- they lose") prevents any possibility of a just two-state solution because it denies any vision of a viable and fully sovereign Palestinian state, when all the vehicles of power are wielded by Israel with the support of its American patron.The core frames of this ideology are that Israel is fighting for its very existence, that it is the weak party in this struggle, that the central issue is Palestinian terrorism, that there is no occupation, and therefore that no political solution is possible.He describes in relentless detail the systematic dispossession (nishul) of the Palestinian population into enclaves, a Palestinian "Bantustan", under the guise of a "two-state solution".

In the third section Halper describes in detail a Matrix of Control, whereby Israel pursues its longstanding goal of total annexation and control of a land inhabited by nearly 5 million Palestinians.The Israelis have imposed tools such as zoning laws, obscure bureaucratic regulations preventing new Palestinian home construction, and permits for the uprooting of olive orchards and the creation of "nature preserves" preventing Palestinians from cultivating their traditional farmlands.Orwellian rules prevent Palestinian legal redress for these arbitrary dispossessions.Economic restrictions have reduced Palestinian manufacturing to 10% of its former total resulting in unemployment rates of 49% in the West Bank and over 70% in Gaza.Israel has appropriated most of the water from aquifers beneath Palestinian enclaves.Free movement of the Palestinian population is circumscribed by expanding Jewish settlements, military checkpoints, a separation wall encroaching well beyond the 1967 boundaries into the occupied territories, and arbitrary home demolitions, all woven into the reality of "facts on the ground" rendering any viable Palestinian entity a chimera.The gradual squeezing of the Palestinians into ever shrinking enclaves (Bantustans) is likened by Halper to an open air prison, an Apartheid reality, in total disregard of the Geneva conventions to protect human rights.

This section of the book takes the reader on a historical journey through several stages of Jewish occupation beginning with the early Zionist visions of the late 19th century in Europe through WWI and the Balfour Declaration.This is followed by the British Mandate, the active immigration movements of the 1930s which corresponded to German oppressions in Europe, the partition of Palestine by the UN in 1947, the 1948 War of Independence which caused massive Palestinian ethnic cleansing and resulted in the occupation of 78% of the original British Mandate, the Six Day war of 1967 which expanded Jewish occupation to the entire territory of Palestine, the Lebanon war leading to the first Intifada, various peace negotiations, Oslo, the Camp David talks and the vacuity of the so-called "generous offer" declined by Arafat in 2000 leading to the second Intifada, and to 9/11 and the ascension to power of the neo-conservatives in the United States and paltry failed efforts to broker a viable two state solution.A critical but little discussed element is the Bush Administration's 2004 tacit approval of Israel's annexation of West Bank settlements, locking the two-state "Road Map" concept into a permanent "transitional" Phase II with "provisional borders".

In the fourth section entitled Overcoming Oppression, Halper discusses possible solutions, and here he is not sanguine.He directly addresses the obstacle of terrorism by pointing out the hypocrisy of Israel's false distinction between individual terrorist acts such as suicide bombings employed by Palestinians while dismissing state sponsored terrorist acts utilized by Israeli armed forces, since the latter lack the element of "intention", but which have resulted in far more innocent deaths.

In the short term the "two-state" solution might provide a stepping stone but is filled with obstacles.Essentials include: 1) the right of return of Palestinian refugees, or just compensation as a substitute.2) removal of all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.3) self-determination for a viable and sovereign Palestinian people.4) an independent Palestinian state on 1967 borders, or a negotiation approximating these borders.

Ultimately demographics will force Israel to come to terms with the reality that it must either be a Jewish state or a democratic state, but it cannot be both.Thus an ultimate solution will be either a bi-national single state (such as Canada) or some form of inclusive confederation leading ultimately to incorporation into the larger Middle East.Ethno-nationalism must be abandoned as it already has been in the West, and the double-standard of a religio-ethnocracy acceptable for Israel while denied for the Palestinians is untenable.Thus far world governments have been unwilling to address this problem honestly and therefore Halper believes the burden must fall on NGOs such as various peace groups to bring pressure to bear for change.In the long run the outcome will define whether Israel joins the world community of democratic nations or will end in tragedy for the Jewish people.

An Israeli in Palestine is a powerful book.It should be mandatory reading for American citizens who share much responsibility for what has happened and who remain largely oblivious to the facts.Not mentioned as such but a looming threat is a true conflict of civilizations between Islam and the West if this festering Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not resolved soon.

THE book to read if you want to understand this issue!
Jeff Halper, a Jewish Israeli peace activist, lays out in devastating detail the horrors of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. This book is so well documented, it seems impossible to refute. It's really difficult to read. Not that it's difficult to UNDERSTAND... not at all. But what Israel has done -- and continues to do -- to the Palestinians is so atrocious, it actually hurts me to read it.

This book is CHOCK-FULL of unbelievable facts and statistics that demonstrate the utter complexity, completeness and cruelty of the "Matrix of Control" that Israel maintains over the Palestinians. I would like to quote just one section. It will give you an idea of how devastating the occupation is for the Palestinians:

"The [Jewish-only] settlement blocs are consciously built atop the [occupied] West Bank aquifers from which Israel draws about 30 percent of its water in violation of international law, which prohibits an Occupying Power from utilizing the resources of an occupied territory. Indeed, 80 percent of the water resources of the West Bank and Gaza are under Israeli control, and a full 80 percent of the water coming from the West Bank goes to Israel and its settlements. Only 20 percent is allocated to its 2.5 million Palestinian inhabitants, and they receive none of the water pumped from the Jordan River. As for consumption, the settlers use six times more water per capita than Palestinians. Per capita water consumption in the West Bank for domestic and urban use (drinking, washing, consumption by public institutions, watering parks, and so on) is only 60 liters per person per day, far below the minimum water consumption of 100 liters per person per day recommended by the World Health Organization; Israelis consume 350 liters per person per day. Mekorot, the Israeli water carrier, which controls all the water of the country, allocates 1,450 cubic meters of water per year to each settler, while a Palestinian receives only 83. Around 215,000 Palestinians living in 270 West Bank villages have no running water at all. The destruction of Palestinian wells and water mains, which has intensified with the construction of the ["separation"] wall over the main aquifers, creates months of water shortages, while the need to purchase water from Israeli tank trucks, costing $3 during the rainy season and up to $8 in the dry months, is beyond the financial resources of the impoverished population. As a final blow, Palestinians are forbidden to collect rainwater in open reservoirs."

The Israeli state is absolutely brutal in its treatment of the Palestinians... of this there can be no doubt. Another thing Halper makes painfully clear is that Israel has no intentions of negotiating a contiguous, viable and truly sovereign Palestinian state. It has already established "facts on the ground" that preclude such an entity.

I haven't quite finished the book yet, but it seems obvious to me that what Israel wants to do, vis-a-vis the Palestinians, is to make life so intolerable for them in the Occupied Territories that they will give up their dreams (and their rights!) and leave their homeland.

If you really want to understand what is going on in the Middle East, PLEASE read this book. Halper is a genius at explaining what Israel is doing... and why. ... Read more

Product Description
Directed toward a synthesis of the history of the religion of Israel, the essays in this volume address key aspects of Israelite religious development. Frank Moore Cross traces the continuities between early Israelite religion and the Caananite culture from which it emerged, explores the tension between the mythic and the historical in Israel's religious expression, and examines the reemergence of Caananite mythic material in the apocalypticism of early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic
I bought this book because I am totally ignorant about the history of this area. I found it very interesting, but am not adequate to the task of reviewing the information. I learned a lot and also skimmed through a lot that I had no clue about. It is easy for a beginner to get bogged down, but worth the attempt.

resource rich substance poor
This book is overburdened with pointers to other works which may not be familiar to the reader.It is also very poor on drawing conclusions from the bewildering amount of insubstantial information that it contains.Lets face it, if language describing Yahweh is virtually the same as that describing Baal we should be able to draw a reasonably clear conclusion that the writers share a very similar religious culture.Way too cautious for my liking although obviously very well researched.

Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel
Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel

This is one of the most influential, informative, scholarly works - one of the most important on the subject of Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic and has a prominent place in my personal library.

The Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel are absolutely fantastic - an awesome read - Frank Moore Cross does an absolutely fabulous job with detailed footnotes and a thorough treatment of this all important topic - the ancient council of the gods, the names of deity, their meaning and their influence on the Canaanites and Hebrew people - and on the formation of religion as we know it today, both Jewish and Christian.

A top notch book and one I will highly recommend to all who want to understand GOD more and HIS influence as portrayed through his epitaphs.

Difficult but indispensable
This book treads roughly the same ground as Mark S. Smith's The Early History of God and The Origins of Biblical Monotheism.It is a tour de force of historical reconstruction from biblical sources.It deals with many of the thorny problems of the disparate historical books of the Bible (Chronicles and Joshua-2Kings). It includes the crucial paper on the dual redaction of the Deuteronomic History (Deuteronomy and Joshua-2 Kings).That paper alone is worth the purchase of the book, because it has been so influential over the years.Furthermore, he shreds the fashionable Jebusite hypothesis regarding the origins of Zadok, David's high priest, although his own theory has holes as well.

In order to fully appreciate this book you will need a solid grounding in Biblical Hebrew grammar, ancient Near Eastern history and mythology, and Biblical literature.Some of his discussions get extremely technical regarding paleography, epigraphy, and West Semitic grammar.

Still groundbreaking, although some reconstructions pf the premonarchic cultus are questionable
As it was written in the 70s, Canaanite Myth is a little behind the times- it assumes, for example, that monolatry was present in Israel from the premonarchic period, and that later prophetic polemics and reforms were directed against "syncretism."We now know that this is probably not the case, and that most of the gods condemned as "foreign" by the prophets and Deuteronomists- Asherah, Astarte, Baal, and the Heavenly Host- were simply pan-Levantine gods that Israel had inherited from its Canaanite ancestors. It is Cross's work that has, in large part, prepared us to deal with this however.Cross's book meticulously examines a wide variety of biblical and extrabiblical texts, early and late, and observes many continuities between Israelite and Canaanite beliefs and modes of worship; poetics, theophanic language, and so on are largely identical between the two cultures, the only real difference being that Israel's public religion was overwhelmingly focused on a single deity (but not, as Cross assumes, completely excluding others, at least until the late monarchy).Cross's reconstruction of the Judean monarchic cultus is based on a lot of evidence both biblical and comparative; the chapters on the development of apocalyptic language are where the analysis really shines. When he extends this reconstruction into the premonarchic period, however, it becomes problematic.His assumption that the Israelite league was a solid and largely unified politco-religious unit, rather than a loose, shifting coalition of tribes as even the Bible itself suggests (the list of tribes in the Song of Deborah includes ten tribes, not twelve, two of which are demoted to the status of sub-tribal "clans" in later lists) largely distorts his analysis.Nonetheless, the book is still a must-read for those interested in understanding the biblical world. ... Read more

Product Description
A national bestseller, this brilliant 4000 year survey covers not only Jewish history but he impact of Jewish genius and imagination on the world. By the author of Modern Times: The World From the Twenties to the Eighties.Amazon.com Review
Paul Johnson says that writing A History of the Jewswas like writing a history of the world "seen from the viewpoint of alearned and intelligent victim." Johnson's history begins with theBible and ends with the establishment of the State ofIsrael. Throughout, Johnson's history is driven by a philosophicalinterest: "The Jews," he writes, "stand right at the centre of theperennial attempt to give human life the dignity of a purpose. Doestheir own history suggest that such attempts are worth making? Or doesit reveal their essential futility?" Johnson's history is lucid,thorough, and--as one would expect of almost any project with such abroad scope--a little wrong-headed. By the end of the book, readerswill be grateful for Johnson's questioning of the Jews' confidence intheir cosmic significance. However, readers may also be a littleannoyed by his energetic inquiries as to whether this significance wasman-made or providentially provided. Either way, it's a given: for ahistorian of Israel, this should adequately settle thequestion. Johnson's 600-page history is probably the best we've got bya living gentile--which is no small accomplishment atall. --Michael Joseph Gross ... Read more

Customer Reviews (82)

Well-written and Engaging
Paul Johnson makes history engaging. His pace is lively and every sentence contains interesting information and something to think about.

Pleased
Is always pleasing when an author is able to synthesize such a huge material available for research into such meaningful and coherent content.

Balanced History
I own several histories like this one. Well, not exactly like this one, but books on the same topic attempting to do the same. Some readers may accuse the author of partiality. Some may accuse him of dishonesty. Some may say that this is not a history at all. Well, if you do not like Jews and would rather we did not exist, do not waste your time reading this book, please, it will only aggravate you and raise your blood pressure. It talks about a long and very rich history of triumph and despair, victories and retreats, survival and perseverance of the Jewish people. Not a light but very informative read. As a serious student of Jewish history and Jewish studies in general I have to say the author is rather balanced. Many who read Johnson's book will find disagreements with him. Sometimes he will rub the religious the wrong way, then just to be fair the secularists. It's a fair perspective as fair as anyone can be, because we all have biases. I find this book to be more balanced then several others I know in the same category.

Good...but More Detail than I Bargained for
How much a reader likes this book is going to depend on what he/she expects from it.I was looking for something to give me some perspective on the tensions in the Middle East and how they came about.Having read Johnson's superb and concise biography of Winston Churchill, I was hoping this book would offer an equally efficient education on Israel/the Middle East.

As with the Churchill bio, this book is very readable.Unlike the Churchill book, it is NOT CONCISE.In fact, the author tends to ramble on at times.Johnson starts with Abraham and marches forward covering virtually every event and notable leader in Jewish history.Good material, though.A refresher on Biblical history, antiquity, the diasporas, the Holocost and a host of other topics.But a lot more detail than I was looking for.

In the end, I did get what I came for--a better understanding of Israel and the Middle East troubles plus the bonus of reviewing both Jewish history and Western civilization.I just wish that Johnson had streamlined it as he did with the Churchill book.

He really could have done it, and the book would have been better for it!!!

A Well-Written History
I heard of this book during a class I'm taking at my synagogue. It as highly recommended. Although I'm less than 25% into the book, I agree with highly recommending this book. The author covers a lot of ground in a very interesting fashion and had kept up my interest. It integrates a lot of sources that help understanding the flow of the history of the Jews. ... Read more

Product Description
The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has lasted over a century. James L. Gelvin's account of that conflict, from the first glimmerings of national consciousness among Jews and Ottoman Palestinians to the present, offers a compelling, accessible and up-to-the-moment introduction for students and general readers. The book makes no attempt to be encyclopedic in coverage. It is rather an interpretive, thematically composed essay, set within the framework of global history. Now in a revised edition, Gelvin's award-winning book takes the reader through the 2006 Summer War and its aftermath. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Of Two National Movements
Clearly written in a conversational tone Gelvin's book serves as an excellent framework for understanding the history the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.What sets it apart from many other books is its willingness to look into factionalism on both sides.

On the Zionist side he correctly notes the schism between Labour Zionists and the 'Revisionist' stream. To some extent he underplaysthe Altalena incident - he states thatIrgun ship was shelled by Ben Gurionand omits the fact that it was sunk in order to force the submission of the Irgun to main stream Haganah views, however he follows up by relating that the rift doesn't become symbolically healed until 1964 whenJabotinsky's body is reburied in Israel.

On the Palestinian side he notes the factional violence between the Palestinian clans. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire the primary focus of the local Arabs wasnot a local nationalism but an orientation towards a Greater Syria based in Damascus. (pp97-98)Gelvin shows the gradual reorientation to a local nationalismas a result of the split by the League of Nations into areas administered by France and Britain. Gelvin also correctly parses Golda Meir's statement "there <> no such thing as Palestinians"(much misquoted as "are") as a reference to a time in the 1930's when Jews identified themselves as Palestinians andthe local Arabs activists identified themselves as part of some pan-Arab movement. What might have been more illuminating would have been a discussion of the alliances, some temporary, some permanent between Druze, Bedouin and Palestinian clans with the Zionists.

The book could also be improved in its coverage of the planned pattern of expulsion and dispossession of Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews from Arab lands.Mostlymiddle class in their countries of origin, they were forced to liquidate their assets to survive and were unable to take the proceeds (or much more than the clothes on their back) with them at a time that the State was not well equipped but obligated in its founding principles to take them in, which it did so willingly and without question.Undoubtedly they were disadvantaged over previous waves of immigration but the main story is that by and large they formed their own relationships, power bases and integration into the Israeli body politic and in this sense are no different than immigrant communities elsewhere.

I do have problems with Gelvin's coverage of the 1982 Lebanon war and after.Here he chooses to channel Avi Shlaim's point of view rather than developing his own voice and it comes off sounding inauthentic.Though the main reason for the war was Palestinian terrorist raids from Lebanon against Israeli communities in the north the secondary reason was to protect Lebanon's Maronite communityfrom sectarian violence so that they could act as a permanent buffer. The massacre at Sabra and Shatillawas the primary reason for the failure of partnership between Israel and the Phalangists due to moral outrage within Israel. It was deemed better to have no partner at all than one that could commit such atrocities.

In spite of these criticisms I find Gelvin's book fair and far ranging. His coverage of the early years of the Yishuv and of the Ottoman collapse are succinct. His use of Palestinian/Israeli poetry to discuss current sentiments is a bit quirky but it works.The middle years showing the relationship of the Palestinians to various Arab governments needs a bit more fleshing out IMHO. He is willing to examine nuances such as the differences between Hamas in Gaza vs. Hamas in the West Bank and the position of rival factions. He also challenges conventional notions that anti-Zionist sentiment was solely Islamic.While it is true that the 1929 Arab riots were started over (falsified) claims that Jews were trying to take over the Al Aqsa mosque compound there were many religious Muslimswho were friends to the Jews and Gelvin points out that some of the more radical 1930's anti-Zionist spokesmen came from Christian communities.

My copy is the 2nd edition.In future revisions I hope he will expand more on this kind of analysis. As a college text or for a reading club it would serve as a good jumping off point for further discussions and investigations.Recommended.

Outstanding analysis of the roots of the Israel-Palestine question
Like Gelvin's other general readership work, The Modern Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2005), this is more an analytical essay than traditional textbook.In a field of study that is almost impossibly broad, this work aims to center on central themes and problems rather than a step-by-step narrative of events.More than anything else, reading this work is like sitting down with a very smart, very knowledgeable person for many cups of coffee: you learn a lot, but a lot gets breezed by as well. And the time passes quickly.

This emphasis on the "big picture" is both the book's greatest strength and its most significant weakness.Although aimed at undergraduates and a general audience, without recourse to other works, the reader may not feel that they have a sufficient grasp of chronology or of major actors.For this reason, readers may well find a basic textbook like those by Charles Smith or Mark Tessler to be of value.At the same time, what this work offers - far more than any other work that I know of - is an understanding of the Arab-Israeli conflict as rooted in the very modern problem of nationalism.In a field that often gets caught up in the details or polemics, this broad approach is both engaging and intellectually provocative, offering the reader a means of seeing the Arab-Israeli conflict in a broader context than is generally offered.

Gelvin's breezy style is, at times, too dismissive and, while he argues that both Zionism and Palestinian nationalism are both modern constructions, his fundamental sympathy for the Palestinian cause is clear. This "imbalance" will, no doubt, engage some readers and annoy others.Regardless of political inclinations, however, there are few readers, either novice or specialist, who would not benefit from a careful reading of this engaging and important survey.

A Historian's Historian; A Reader's Writer
As an amateur historian, I appreciate it when I read a book that takes an over-exposed subject and makes it fresh.Gelvin is a superb historian and writer as well as a polymath who is entirely comfortable writing about politics, literature, international exhibitions, poetry, and world history.He uses a short story by the Jewish-Austrian writer Joseph Roth to investigate how and why European Jews turned to nationalism, archaeological evidence to describe how nationalisms like Zionism remake national histories, Palestinian poetry to elaborate the experience of exile, and biographical sketches (Theodor Herzl, Ariel Sharon, Yasir Arafat, Mahmoud Darwish) to make history come alive.His writing is fluent, witty, and never pedantic.I almost felt guilty reading a book this enjoyable about such a bloody and endless conflict.

BRILLIANT and ENGAGING
I've read many books on the Israel/Palestine conflict (Smith, Tessler, Bickerton/Klausner, etc.) but this one is by FAR the best.First, it's actually fun to read.Gelvin writes as if he is there in the room having a conversation.The book is peppered with jokes and wry observations, and although Gelvin obviously knows his way around the academic world, there is none of the usual academic jargon.Second, most historians present history as one disconnected thing after another.Gelvin states a theme at the beginning of the book and sticks to it.For Gelvin, the conflict has had three phases: the first involved the initial encounter between two peoples (Jewish settlers and Arabs); the second began in 1948 when it was defined as an interstate "Arab-Israeli conflict" and the Palestinian question dropped off the map for most of the world (except the PLO); the third began in 1993 when Israelis and Palestinians recognized each other and brought the conflict full circle.This should be obvious, yet no one else I've read has said this directly.Also, the author keeps reminding the reader of the global context for the conflict, from the emergence of nationalism in Europe and its impact on Jews and Arabs in the nineteenth century to the impact of the end of the Cold War.
This is definitely a five star book, but I can see how it will drive some people nuts (i.e. those who can't bring themselves to use the words "Palestine" or "Palestinian" in their reviews).Zionists claim their nationalism is special, but Gelvin points out that it is pretty much a typical 19th century nationalism: it reconstructs Jewish history in its image, it insists that Jews have a right to establish a sovereign state on a piece of land they ruled thousands of years ago, etc.But all nationalisms do the same thing.What will really drive people nuts is that Gelvin shows how much Zionism and Palestinian nationalism resemble each other: both invent traditions, both claim to fulfill their peoples' national destinies, both have used terror to accomplish their goals.Gelvin doesn't let the Zionists off the hook, but he doesn't let the Palestinians off the hook either.Just read his analysis of the PLO doctrine of armed struggle or his profile of Arafat.His argument here is simple: while both national movements have a lot to answer for, if you accept the right of Jews or Palestinians to self-determination, you really can't ignore the right of the other side to self-determination either.
One small criticism: I read another book by this author (The Modern Middle East) in which he added inserts with anecdotes and stories that were related to points raised in the main text.They were a really good read, and I wish he did the same in this book.

Misleading
Gelvin is a professor who knows plenty of facts.But that does not stop him from misleading his readers in this piece of propaganda.

This book does have some really interesting material in it.Some of it is about Masada.Here, the author complains that the traditional Masada story is pretty far off.I tend to agree with much of what Gelvin says here.But I also feel that Gelvin is wrong to imply that Masada is being used as an excuse by Jews for the policies of Israel.I think Israeli policies are typically driven by a desire of Israel to protect the rights of its citizens.

The author discusses Golda Meir's comments about the Levantine Arab nation not having existed prior to 1967.Gelvin and I disagree here: he says that Meir's claim was absurd, while I say it was accurate.As a matter of fact, I think the Levantine Arabs still do not behave like a nation.They do not ask for rights for themselves.They do not ask for land.They ask only for less rights for Jews.They are more like the Sudeten Germans, who did not ask for independence, but merely for an end to Czech independence.Or the Ku Klux Klan, which does not ask for freedom for Whites, but an end to freedom for Blacks.

Gelvin spends some time discussing the Levantine Pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair.This exhibit looked like an idealized Jewish "tower and stockade" construction.And I found the whole section quite interesting.But I was shocked that Gelvin did not appear to take a strong stand against the way the British were treating the Jews at the time.As I see it, the British White Paper of 1939 was one of the most obviously evil acts of a rather wicked twentieth century.I can't imagine why anyone would want to appear to be neutral about it.But Gelvin implies that the Jews should have been more moderate, at a time when we can all see that moderation was totally unsuccessful in preventing a truly huge disaster in which millions of Jews were murdered.That's quite a view to take.

Just to make sure that we readers can be sure where Gelvin stands, he then whitewashes the "poetry" of racist thugs such as Mahmoud Darwish.And he casually mentions that the Jews took land that belonged to the Arabs.But wait a second.Does all land belong to the Arabs?Even land that wasn't Arab before, or was sold by the Arabs to others?Gelvin is misleading his readers quite badly here by implying that all of the Levant was (and is) rightfully Arab land.And he has to know better than that.

In my opinion, if the Arabs want peace, they can have it in five minutes, just by calling off their war and abiding Jewish rights in the region.I suspect the Jews truly want peace, even one that may not be totally fair to them.But it doesn't matter: the Jews would have no choice but to accept such a peace, since they need peace to survive and prosper.

I think we need some scholarly works on the Arab war against Israel, rather than all the propaganda we see.And I think that Gelvin knew enough material to write such a book.Unfortunately, he did not write that book.He wrote this one.







... Read more

Product Description
Histories of ancient Israel have usually focused attention on major figures in powerful positions: kings, prophets, and patriarchs. Kessler asks about the larger social patterns that shaped the everyday life of ordinary people, from the emergence of Israel in the hills of Canaan, to the Jewish populations of Greek city-states in the Hellenistic age.

The introductory section includes discussion of social history as discipline and as method, event history and the "long haul," the representation of social history, and the history of research. Two other sections explore the methods of the social history of Israel and the epochs of Israel's social history, including discussions of environment as living space, Israel's emergence as a kinship-based society, exile and its consequences, and more. Includes a time line, glossary of terms, maps and illustrations. ... Read more

Product Description
A revised edition of a study of the wars of ancient Israel, which ranges from the invasion of Canaan by the Israelites under Joshua's command to the Maccabees' successful rebellion against Seleucid domination, updated to take account of new research, with new maps and plans throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Excellent work
I got a copy of the book recently and have just finished the first chapter and the book reads really clearly. I always thought the battles in the Bible were boring but this book makes them exciting. I don't mind the fact that the authors are not afraid of expressing their views and coming at things from their political slants. I hope there are other books on the subject as good as this one.

Worst Book Ever...
Let's begin with what the authors don't tell you upfront: THEY'VE CREATED A HISTORY TO THEIR OWN LIKING. In other words, without the possibility of including the events, beliefs, and words of the supernatural this book tries to offer 'alternative explanations' to the events listed. My favorite part of this work was how they explained the overnight retreat of Sennacherib, using the common explanation that Israel had a superior defense power. I cannot believe that they'd gloss over the fact that God promised the Israelites deliverance that same day and that Sennacherib had taunted the Jews. How incredibly biased.

Though I admit they have offered sincere apologies for their inconsideration of the recordings from the OT, I don't think they should be considered truly a 'must-read' unless you're some top notch Theological Liberal who can't stand to include the supernatural.

Wars are secular, some people are religionists
One reviewer wrote that the authors were atheists. I don't know whether that's true or not, but I hope it is. We don't don't need another superstitious book attributing every event to somebody's mistaken idea of God. The Jews who fought the wars described in this book certainly may have believed that God was their deliverer, but that does not mean that such was actually the case. The authors do a very good job of describing what is known from the Bible and the archaeological record about these battles. In most cases the terrain is so well described in the Bible that the sites can be pinpointed. Not only do the authors give vivid descriptions of the battles, but their military experience allows them to provide additional insight into the tactics and strategy of the times. Often they relate ancient strategies to modern ones. And, yes, the Jews did the fighting---and they did the winning or losing. There were no divine interventions, no matter what the participants thought and no matter what modern religionists prefer to think.

Great Work!
This is a great book.The Scholarship seen in this book is beyond compare.The book details warfare as seen in the bible through the use of military science. For the person who likes to be an armchair general or is interested in warfare in the bible this book is for you. This is one of the many bible resources that needs to be put back into print.

Battles of the Bible
This is a great book for an objective, historical perspective of the battles in the Bible.I recommend it to anyone looking for a view from a purely historical angle.If you are looking for any kind of spiritual angle, don't bother. ... Read more

Product Description
Three decades of dialogue, discussion, and debate within the interrelated disciplines of Syro-Palestinian archaeology, ancient Israelite history, and Hebrew Bible over the question of the relevance of the biblical account for reconstructing early Israels history have created the need for a balanced articulation of the issues and their prospective resolutions. This book brings together for the first time and under one cover, a currently emerging centrist paradigm as articulated by two leading figures in the fields of early Israelite archaeology and history. Although Finkelstein and Mazar advocate distinct views of early Israels history, they nevertheless share the position that the material cultural data, the biblical traditions, and the ancient Near Eastern written sources are all significantly relevant to the historical quest for Iron Age Israel. The results of their research are featured in accessible, parallel syntheses of the historical reconstruction of early Israel that facilitate comparison and contrast of their respective interpretations. The historical essays presented here are based on invited lectures delivered in October of 2005 at the Sixth Biennial Colloquium of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism in Detroit, Michigan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A questionable quest
This book promotes minimalist views (the title is not honest). For most archaeologists the historical Israel is merely a matter of ideology. "Political correctness" has decreed a priori that the Old Testament writings are historically unreliable and of negligible value.

Two Views from the Center
In this collection, two prominent Israeli archaeologists share their credo and philosophy as well as their views on the history of early Israel.They are not far apart.Both make it clear that they differ from revisionists or minimalists like Philip Davies and Thomas Thompson and also from the biblical school founded by William Albright.Finkelstein calls his position the center between those extremes.

The view from the center is that the Deuteronomistic History, Torah, and many prophets were compiled and edited in the late monarchy, not in the post-exilic or Hellenistic periods as revisionists claim.This view also maintains that there is historical value in the biblical historical accounts.Finklestein makes it clear that he cannot go along with revisionists who maintain that much of the Hebrew Bible was invented out of thin air.He says: "It is unthinkable that the biblical authors invented stories only in order to serve their aims.Had they done that they would have lost credibility among the people of Judah, their target population." (p. 18)

These lectures also bring out significant disagreements between Finkelstein and Mazar.Mazar still maintains there was a united monarchy under David and Solomon while Finklestein argues that David and Solomon were no more than chieftains in an underdeveloped south that was not yet a state.Mazar also stretches the period of biblical origins to the eighth through the seventh centuries rather than limiting it to the reign of Josiah.He criticizes Finklestein as seeing too much of the Deuteronomistic History as a reflection of Josiah projected backward, for Mazar thinks the collecting and editing involved passing down recollections showing the influence of earlier periods.Both scholars believe in viewing history retrospectively by honing in on the period of Josiah and looking backward from that point as through a telescope to see what parts of early history have value.

All in all, these scholars are not far apart on most of what they have to say.One of their biggest differences is that they use different approaches to dating Yigael Yadin's discoveries at Megiddo, thus leading to their divergences over the united monarchy.

This collection can be recommended to anyone interested in seeing how archaeology impacts the history of early Israel.I would also recommend the statements of personal philosophy in the first and last lectures they give.

Excellent end highly recommende!
I am halfway the book right now, have a anormous collecting of works on this topic, and am always on the look out for the ultimate wisdom of the day. Well, this is as close as you can get! I only wish authors would state that today's facts may be tomorrow's old news. Just as the Allbright's, the De Vaux's and the Yadin's have been re-interpreted, so will today's knowledgeturn out to be in need of many revisions one day soon. As long as the minimalists stay away from the essence of this great book that's fine with me!

The Quest for the Historical Israel: Debating Archaeology and the History of Early Israel (Archaeology and Biblical Studies)
Israel Finkelstein is surprisingly candid about presenting the research and inescapable conclusions with honesty and candid love for science regardless of whom the conclusions may displease.

Excellent book for those interested in the history of Israel.
This book is a great resource for those who are interested in the history of ancient Israel.It is written in a manner that is very informative, but not so academic that the material is meaningless to people to aren't scholars.The book is divided into sections, with each part consisting of a chapter by Finkelstein and a chapter by Mazar.The intent of the authors is to examine and evaluate the archaeological data that pertains to the history of Israel, which includes a look at what archaeology says about the period of the patriarchs, the story of the exodus, the conquest, and the monarchy.The book demonstrates in an engaging way that, while the authors disagree on the interpretation of some of the archaeological data they are both in agreement that the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) contains historical data within its pages, and is not, as some scholars would assert, a completely fictional work.The book also serves as a handy summary reference for the archaoleogical data pertaining to these topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

discover israel with ms. strutin
From chapter one's view from camel-top - the Negev, to the concluding chapter - Tel Aviv and environs, Ms. Strutin tells tells the armchair traveler all he wants or needs to know about Israel. In language playful yet articulate, Ms. Strutin informs and enlightens. Her book is the next-best-thing to three months in Israel with the best guide money can buy. It truly was a pleasure to read! ... Read more

Product Description
"A remarkable feat--clear, compelling and accessible--. Critical background for any appreciation of the Jewish state."--The New York Times Book Review

With his characteristic grace and lucidity, Howard M. Sachar, renowned author of thirteen earlier books on Middle Eastern and Jewish history, brings to life the complex and dramatic story of the friendships and fallings-out between Israel and the various European powers over the last half-century.

Dr. Sachar chronicles the always uneasy relationship between Israel and Great Britain; its early love-affair and nasty break-up with France; the shifting Soviet policies toward Israel; and the unlikely emergence of Germany as the new nation's chief European benefactor. A master of historical narrative, Sachar once again enlightens us with fine scholarship, insightful analysis, and an unerring knowledge of human--and national--motivations.Amazon.com Review
On the surface, it isn't surprising that the histories ofIsrael and Europe are intertwined. With such heavy U.S. involvement inrecent decades, however, it bears remembering that Europe played a farlarger role in the development of Israel during its first 30years. Howard M. Sachar, whose previous books include sweeping surveyssuch as The Course ofModern Jewish History and A History of Israel: From theRise of Zionism to Our Time, is one of the greatest historiansof the Jewish people. In Israel and Europe: An Appraisal inHistory, he focuses on the European powers and their tangledrelationships with Israel. Sachar presents a compelling narrative,detailing Israel's shifting alliances: the Soviet Union's earlysupport of the Zionists and later aid to their Arab foes, France'sfull assistance and later indifference, Britain's friendship movingfrom Palestine to Israel as an attempt to maintain a foothold in theHoly Land, and the rise of Germany as Israel's staunchest Europeanally. Sachar's obvious love of Israel lends passion to his talewithout distorting his judgment. Scholar and general reader alike willappreciate Sachar's achievement in telling this complicated history ina concise and clear manner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The very book I sorely needed.
I believe nobody can deny the high quality of this book. It is not only about the history of Israel-Arab struggle but also about the history of European diplomacy toward Israel and Arab nations. Professor Sachar classified European political leaders (Adenauer, Erhard, Brandt, Schmidt, Kohl, de Gaulle, Pompidou, Giscard d'Estaing, Mitterand, Chirac, Kreisky, Eden, Wilson et el) into pro-Israel and pro-Arab, and showed how some of them (for example Willy Brandt) had to shift their stances according to situations. But this book also contains some factual errors most of which are trivial. I'd like to point out one thing which seemed to me more than trivial. In page 226 and 227, the author said,"In 1967 a cabal of army colonels seized power (in Cyprus), and held it for the next 7 years in an effort to press through enosis, a union of Cyprus with the Greek mainland. Yet all the colonels achieved for their effort was international isolation and a Turkish invasion of northern Cyprus in 1974." But according to 'Oxford Dictionary of Twentieth-Century World History,' (see page 154-155, 384) the coup occurred in 1974 instead of 1967. Despite this error, this book is too good for only 4 stars.

Another Sachar Gem!
Howard Sachar has done it again! Like his previous works, he has weaved another great tale. The book goes into detail about Israel's diplomatic efforts vis-a-vis the Europeans. The book deals with such as issues asGerman Reparations to Israel, European aid or lack of aid in Israel's questfor survival, the furtive German arms sales to Israel of the sixties, aswell as relations with the various other European powers. Granted, much ofthe book is a "cut and paste" from his other books, but still agreat effort. Finally, the book shows the "relevance" ofGerman-Israeli relations. During the Gulf War, Hans Dietrich Genscher gavethe Israeli's aid in the form of three submarines.One of them, theDolphin, was just launched. These vessels are armed with nuclear missles.Given that the EU is moving towards forming a separate military commandfrom NATO, and that the EU may become a new superpower, this book'simportance should not be underestimated in understanding the future ofEuropean-Israeli relations. Undoubtedly, it will be the defining work foryears to come on the subject; a masterpiece! ... Read more

Product Description
From the Introduction: "In the early Christian centuries thousands turned to the Bible, as
drowning men to a life buoy, because it offered them the only way of escape from the intolerable social and moral ills that attended the death pangs of the old heathenism.Then came the Dark Ages, with their resurgent heathenism and barbarism, when the Bible was taken from the hands of the people.In the hour of a nation's deepest humiliation and moral depravity, John Wycliffe, with the aid of a devoted army of lay priests, gave back the Bible to the people, and in so doing laid the foundations for England's intellectual, political and moral greatness.The joy and inspiration of the Protestant Reformers was the rediscovery and popular interpretation of the Bible.In all the great forward movements of the modern centuries the Bible has played a central
role.The ultimate basis of our magnificent modern scientific and material progress is the inspiration given to the human race by the Protestant Reformation." ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

A Balanced Account
Content Summary:Kramer delivers what she promises:a history of the events that focuses mostly on the events from the Ottoman Empire to the founding of the State of Israel.Readers will learn something of both Jews and Palestinians and how power was exchanged from the fallen Ottomans to the British, and ultimately to the Jews who won the war of 1948.More ancient history (pre-Ottoman) receives some attention, but the book covers nothing after 1949.There is a great deal covered here for an intermediate length book!

Analytical Review:What readers will appreciate most about Kramer is her objectivity.It is hard to give a balanced account of this history that is not stilted towards Jew of Palestinian, but I believe Kramer has done just that.Kramer's book is mostly an engaging read and an important study.A few dry parts perhaps, but mostly very good.It is perhaps unfortunate that she did not go further to 1967 or later, but overall recommended.

A good start...
This book cuts through the propaganda. There are so many aspects to this story and unfortunately the west is fed only one.We don't learn the truth about it in schools, it's brushed under the rug in our history books.
I felt this book presented the truth, and was sympathetic to the plight and tragedy on both sides. Knowing BOTH sides is the only way to understand this conflict.

A Book to Avoid
According to Dr. Sondra Rubenstein (who was asked to review the book):

Islamic Studies Professor Gudrun Kramer's A History of Palestine begins with brief references to biblical times and then focuses on the period 1750 to 1948, the founding of the State of Israel.While ignoring vast amounts of historical evidence, her version of Palestine's painful history is based on carefully selected facts, making her framing and intent clear. While the author cites the continued presence in Palestine of small Jewish communities, she omits others.

Proof of her framing can be seen in the multiple mentions arguing that Palestine, while sparsely populated for much of its history, was never devoid of an Arab majority and that their Islamic culture was not stagnant.

Extensive archeological findings throughout Israel, attesting to a Jewish presence, are mostly acknowledged but summarily dismissed as postdating "Arab roots dating back over a millennium."

Thus, Masada, "whether it actually happened or not" (13), is simply identified as having been turned into "a symbol of Jewish national history." Qumran, for example, site of the Dead Sea Scrolls concerning the Essenes is not mentioned.This find was significant because it revealed more about the Essenes than any other Jewish group of the Second Temple period (which predates Islam by almost a thousand years, 536 BCE -- 70 CE).

Previous historians, Krämer states, criticized Ottoman rulers for their poor statistics (132) and their neglect of Palestine. However, "Critical historians no longer look primarily for external actors ... [but] pay greater attention to local or regional actors...." Thus, Prof. Krämer tells us, "the temporal horizon is broadened, and the boundaries of political change and economic revival are shifted."

Her conclusion is one example of her ignoring historical facts: "The year 1882--beginning of Zionist immigration--loses its status as the date of Palestine's entry into modernity" (40).

The book's theme laments the fact that Palestinian Arabs were disadvantaged as compared to the Jewish settlers, whom Prof. Krämer identifies primarily not as "Jews," but as Zionist settlers (269-270), perhaps implying an alien origin. At some point, however, she acknowledges that it became difficult to distinguish between them (290).

Krämer details the Jews' incredible effort, specifically during the 1920s and `30s, to develop the land, schools, universities, cultural institutions, libraries, industries and jobs, as well as to build new infrastructures, thereby improving the lives of the people (197-198).She also admits that the dynamism of the "Zionist settlers" attracted Arabs from neighboring countries to seek work in Palestine (113).In this regard, she laments the Yishuv's policy of preferring Jewish over Arab workers.

Regarding Israel's War of Independence, Prof. Krämer's research would have been improved had she read Harvard University's Prof. Nadav Safran's From War to War: The Arab-Israeli Confrontation. . . . Among the many unmentioned details in her book was the partiality of the British, who, on leaving Palestine, left vast quantities of military equipment and strategic bases, and flew reconnaissance missions for the Arabs throughout the war, providing them with critical information. Krämer's glaring omissions, innuendoes, and subtle historical distortions throughout this book diminish its potential value.

This review has been accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of The Historian, a journal of history published quarterly in the Unites States on behalf of the National History Honor Society, Phi Alpha Theta.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (54)

Shahak is in the same mold as Jewish Prophets of old
I couldn't resist reading this book. My three favorite American intellectuals Noam Chomsky, Edward W. Said and Gore Vidal have in one way or another recommended it. This in itself is high praise.

I find Israel Shahak's book a spring of fresh water in an arid intellectual environment of disinformation, propaganda and outright intellectual intimidation. For me Shahak is in the same mold as Jewish Prophets of old, warning Israel against a new catastrophe.

I do not pretend to the intellectual heights of Shahak.I can only judge the accuracy of the book by comparing it to areas where I do have expertise, namely the history, as it pertains to the Lithuanian, Polish, Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires. The only portion of the book I found lacking was Shahak's knowledge of Petlura's government of Ukraine during the First World War.

When I sent Shahak a short article about Petlura from a Symposium "Ukrainian & Jews" he responded in a letter to me dated June 1, 1999, quote..."I am sorry for my mistake about the regime of Petlura. Your evidence, especially the translated documents, is very persuasive and I accept it. If possible I will change the next editions" Jewish History, Jewish religion" accordingly."...unquote.

I found Shahak's book made me understand portions of the Bible which I had difficulty understanding. It provided the cultural context for an intellectual conundrum that I had in regard to the Old Testament.

The two conundrums are the ethnic cleansing condoned by God of the Canaanites in Deuteronomy and the other was the dialogue between Jesus and the Canaanite women in Mathew 15:21-28, where he replies , quote..."I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."...unquote.

It is only after reading Shahak that I finally understood the unchristian behavior of Jesus. He after all was not a Christian but a Jewish Rabbi, well versed in the Talmud with all of the cultural taboos associated with it in those times. He came to save the Jews and the World. It was Paul (Saul), another well trained Rabbi who brought Jesus' reformed Judaism to the Pagan Mediterranean world and created Christianity.

This book is replete with insights that only and intellect of rigorous and highly developed moral understanding of History could deliver.

Israel Shahak, Jewish History, Jewish Religion
Shahak is relentlessly faithful to truth.

This is a complete rendition of the truth about Israel. There should be more like it.

I haven't covered the entire book yet, but am entranced with
the rational description of Jewish history and religion.

A courageous Judaic evades the Israeli establishment censors.
I didn't expect to agree with all of Prof. Shahak's views going into this work, but I did find it helpful and insightful.

From this Cats perspective, Pro vs. Con.

On the con side;

1st, He presumptively grants the identity of "Jew" to these non-Hebrew, non-semite, mother-lineage based counterfeits who reject the ratified covenant context wherein a real "Jew" is historically established as such. The distinction "Judaic" should have been used to help clarify and avoid the popular confusion resulting from the well-funded history rewrite and manipulation methodology.

2nd, He maintains the "politically/Zionist correct" Western History (propaganda rewrite) view as-opposed-to the Eastern view and/or the Revisionist view of the alleged holocaust as a historical reference point. Even "Joe Six-pack" is learning that non critically-challenged historical **assumptions** lead to irrational and unjust governmental policy **conclusions**.

3rd, He maintained the obligatory (Kabbalah symbolic) six million figure (publicly advanced as early as October 31 1919 in "The American Hebrew") that has been soundly refuted by both Judaic and non-Judaic researchers alike.

4th, He doesn't in substance address the question:

- that if the alleged Jews really were being "persecuted", as-opposed-to being the recipients of lawful coercion, then why throughout history, in over 100 different kingdoms and differing cultures with differing religions, were they exiled?
- Or, what were they habitually doing to agitate and anger every culture without exception where they immigrated to en mass throughout history?

5th, Having posed that, this cat wonders why such a gifted man apparently didn't confront the Zino-establishment history rewrite manipulation.

On the pro side;

1st, He correctly cites the Zino-establishment foundational argument that the alleged holocaust is the reference point capstone of the alleged persecution histories necessary for the justification of the established alleged state of Israel. Without the uncritical blind-faith granting of a Jewish holocaust in the Western national or public consensus-think, there could not have been the needed rationalization to create an alleged homeland for the post 550 A.D. counterfeits having no legitimate tie whatsoever to the Palestine region.

2nd, What I discovered in his international history rehearsal was a delightfully refreshing perspective for the most part. Even though he didn't elaborate on the Judaic subversion and usurpation of the monarchies that manifested in corruption, his thoughts on how the naive Judaics in general had been used (apparently willingly) by corrupt monarchs and corrupt ecclesiastical officials to do their hypocritical coercive and financial bidding. That added to my understanding of historic cultural dynamics in the mentioned areas.

3rd, What I found surprising was his willingness to openly elaborate on the ultra-oppressive ultra-racist and non-tolerant character of "Classic Judaism" in how it relates to its political sibling of Zionism; both having the intended same net effect on pseudo-open cultures. All throughout the book, and especially in chapter 5, he gives sufficient introductory source-noted elaboration on the hatred/deceit-based ideological dogmas that have oppressed and tyrannized both professing Judaic and non-Judaic alike for centuries.

- Could this relate to the fourth point above?

**On a relational side-bar note; if one grants the "oral traditions" as articulated in the Talmud as being conveyed by God, as assumed by the rabbis throughout their arguments, one can easily and clearly see (reasoning from their premises) the very covenant-breaking doctrines and consequent behavior of the carnal Hebrew Israelites (maintaining in substance of what later became the Jewish Talmud/Kabbalah) that Jehovah severely chastens, exiles and ultimately divorcees as being an "unfaithful bride" or "whore" all throughout the Old Testament documents that professing cultural Judaics as-well-as Christian-Zionists seem to be ignorant of or blinded to.

Corrupt control manipulation through information falsification and suppression is shamefully and disgustingly part of all current cultures usurpedly-built upon the rabbinic deception paradigm.

It is no wonder their "oral tradition" (i.e. Talmud/Kabbalah principle progenitors) while being chastened again under Hellenistic Roman military occupation as recorded in the New Testament documents, rejected their Covenant Messiah; in context, real Israelites as a "covenant-breaking" carnal (materialistic) people in bondage to the dark religious manipulation of their sages, who in the broken Covenant sense, are still not God's people.

Amos 8:2-6 "And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.3 And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.4 Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?6 That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?"

Jeremiah 23:12-14 "Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah."

No wander that the agencies and kept press of corrupt puppet governments as-well-as their covertly controlled public corporations have cooperated in suppressing books elaborating on the Talmud and continuing rabbinic oral traditions!

3rd, I found it delightful that the author stated that the working poor cultural Judaic found oppression and ternary relief from "outside of the system" of "Classic Judaism". Sadly, many have drifted back into Zionism without realizing its intended ultimate use.

Zionism (as-well-as socialism) is merely the civil back-door return deception to covenant-breaking rabbinical (Talmudic/oral) "Classic Judaism", just as the false construct of Judaio-Christianity is the closing of the Covenant-keeping front door by the same Pharisaical wolves in ministers clothing within the apostate pseudo-Christian churches of the current times.

Insights into Polish Peasantry and Jewry Two-Three Centuries Ago
Certain issues raised by Shahak are undeveloped by other reviewers, and I elaborate on the situation facing Polish Jews and peasants at about the time of the Partitions and thereafter.

The anti-Semitism in part of the peasantry of eastern and central Europe is commonly stereotyped as the product of Christian religion and of their backwardness. By contrast, Shahak emphasizes the evolution of Polish society in a direction that placed peasants and Jews into a quasi-adversarial position. It began with the uncontrolled growth of the power of self-interested nobility since about 1600: "This process was accompanied by a debasement in the position of the Polish peasants (who had been free in the Middle Ages) to the point of utter serfdom, hardly distinguishable from outright slavery and certainly the worst in Europe." (p. 61).

The Jewish situation then was very different: "Polish Jewry burst into social and political prominence accompanied, as usual, with a much greater degree of autonomy. It was at this time that Poland's Jews were granted their greatest privileges...Until 1939, the population of many towns east of the river Bug was at least 90 percent Jewish...Outside the towns very many Jews throughout Poland, but especially in the east, were employed as the direct supervisors and oppressors of the enserfed peasantry." (pp. 62-63).

"But, as we have remarked, the peasants suffered worse oppression at the hands of both landlords and Jews; and one may assume that, except in times of peasant uprisings, the full weight of the Jewish religious laws against Gentiles fell upon the peasants." (p. 63).

Shahak continues: "Internal conditions within the Jewish community moved in a similar course...In the period 1500-1795...The considerable power of the Jewish autonomy was used increasingly to stifle all original and innovative thought, to promote the most shameless exploitation of the Jewish poor by the Jewish rich in alliance with the rabbis, and to justify the Jews' role in the oppression of the peasants in the service of the nobles." (p. 63).

If I could recommend a book to a Zionist Christian, this would be it: They can learn about how Jesus is in hell, buried in feces
Our media and Hollywood gave me the impression that Jews are, more or less, the most persecuted group in history.And yet, depite all of the hatred that is thrown at them, they don't return hatred or at least return very little.

People who read a book of this kind for the first time are going to be shocked at how much hatred the teachings in Judiasm (specifically orthodox) has for non-Jews (especially Christians).The one "teaching" that stood out for me was the philosophical rule that Jews are forbidden to push non-Jews down a well, but at the same time are forbidden to help them out.That's not a moral religion.For what moral person would want to practice this appalling religion?

And, yes, the thing that gives this weight and credibility is the fact that it was written by a Holocaust survivor (a very courageous Jew) who lives in Israel and who obviously is very sick of the racist laws against non-Jews.This man deserved the medal of freedom for writing this.

After reading this book, you can make one conclusion:Israel is, was, and probably will remain a racist state unless there is some internal debate (the primary hope of the author). ... Read more

Product Description
Immensely readable and digestible in just a few sittings, this book examines the complete history of ancient Israel—from Abraham to the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in 70 A.D. Offers highest-quality authorship from respected leaders in their fields. Provides numerous color and black-and-white photos, maps, charts, and timelines. Gives a broader sweep of history, starting at an earlier point and/or ending at a later point than other books on the subject. Adds and updates evidence, analysis, and insights of events, based on developments since the book's first edition.Perfect for adult study groups and Bible groups, and anyone who wants to learn more about Israel's history or needs a refresher course. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Review of Shanks' Ancient Israel
I struggle to call this Shanks' work, as he is merely the editor for a series of essays from leading scholars, which follow the history of Israel chronologically. Such a collaboration seems risky, but this history is excellent. All of the writers are engaging and easy to read (alright... The Divided Kingdom was a bit drawn out...). This history also has the benefit of going a little farther than most--it considers the Jews under Roman rule, whereas many histories of ancient Israel end after the return from exile, or the advent of Alexander.

Be sure to read Shanks' introduction. He's a character.

Lots of pertinent facts
I wanted this book to help research info from the time of the prophet Hosea and it has proven to be as useful as I'd hoped. The maps & charts gave clarity to time and place, and the book has answered in a short time, some questions as to why the Bible lists only one Israeli king during Hosea's lifetime.

I'd like more info on the daily, mundane life of ordinary people back then, but Ancient Israel has given me the big picture with plenty of flavor of the times.

A concise and informative history with a balanced point of view.
There are two broad audiences for histories of the Old Testament period in Israel: those who want to know the archaeology and those who want to know the history as it is depicted in the Bible.Now, there are a wide range of books for those audiences.Some take a delight in debunking the Bible, while others are respectful of it while presenting honest archaeology, while others ignore archaeology (or make very selective use of it) and discuss only what is in the Bible.This book is in the middle category.The editor and the various authors clearly do not regard the history of Israel as presented in the Bible as authoritative or terribly accurate.They do not go out of their way to attack the Bible, but use it as a only a small part of a larger scientific framework of examining Israel's history.

As a believer in the Bible, I would like to reassure those who still would like to know what archaeology has to say, that they can read this book and not lose their faith.Not because the book doesn't challenge some of the beliefs readers of the Bible might have, but because faith and science measure and discuss different things.In my view, knowing what honest examination of history tells us can enrich what we know from the Bible.We also don't need to worry about what God has told his prophets because of what someone without faith has thought up.We can consider and examine everything without having to set our faith aside.Ignoring history out of fear is, I believe, more damaging and a poor witness of our faith.

This book covers the period from the time of Abraham through the destruction of the second temple by the Romans.The period from the Greeks through the Romans is not covered in the King James Bible, so for those unfamiliar with the gap of several centuries from Malachi to the opening of the New Testament, this book is particularly helpful.

You will find this book to be readable, balanced, thoughtful, and informative.There are many useful pictures, diagrams, maps, and footnotes.I found the discussion the range of thought about historical events and how some theories were developed and why discovery favors some approaches over others to be fascinating.I am glad that I have this on my library shelf.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

Worth the effort
This is not easy reading for the non-scholar.However, I submit that most "mind candy" books or worse, TV shows/movies, are long on style and short on substance.That accusation cannot be leveled against this book.

This book was recommended to me after I had cracked open Pandora's Box with The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts and found myself very disillusioned and antagonistic towards my believing family members and friends.

I hardly noticed the difference in literary styles moving from one chapter to the next.The treatment of the subject is very even-handed and seems to be ideal for both interested believers and highly critical skeptics.

As an example from Chapter 2, the authors readily concede that there is an absolute dearth of archaeological evidence that supports an Israeli exodus from slavery in Egypt, and yet some such event must have happened because of the existence of the Pentateuch.At first this struck me as fanciful logic aimed at pacifying believers.Yet the argument that no people would invent a foundational story based on indentured servitude without some grounding in history is persuasive (if not conclusive).

You will certainly be much better informed than your fellow attendees (and perhaps even the clergy) at your next religious service.

The best I have read
If you are looking for a history of ancient Israel. This is probably as good as you can get. ... Read more

Product Description
The period of the Babylonian Exile (597/587–520 B.C.E.) is one of the most enthralling eras of biblical history. During this time, Israel went through what was probably its deepest crisis; at the same time, however, the cornerstone was laid for its most profound renewal. The crisis provoked the creation of a wealth of literary works (laments, prophetic books, historical works, etc.) whose development is analyzed in detail by the methods of social history, composition criticism, and redaction criticism. The history of this era is hard to grasp, since the Bible has almost nothing to say of the exilic period. The author nevertheless attempts to illuminate the historical and social changes that affected the various Judean groups, drawing heavily on extrabiblical and archaeological evidence. His study also includes the treatment of the exile in later biblical material (Daniel, Tobit, Judith, apocalyptic literature). Thirty-five years after Peter Ackroyd’s classic Exile and Restoration, this book summarizes extensively the results of recent scholarship on this period and builds on them with a number of its own hypotheses. ... Read more