The Invention of the Jewish People

Buen libro y excelente el tiempo de envio para regalo

I highly recommend this comprehensive and very well written book by Shlomo Sand. For people interested in why politics drives into certain directions and leads to path dependency, into apparently ineluctable stable constellations, Sand recapitulates modern instruments in historical sciences since the 1980ies, that is to say the reality of constructivism in its consequences, and comes back to the politics of normative definition, decisive in politics. Worthwile view on the concept of "nation" and and "nationalism" in the modern age adapted to the specific subject matter.If one is interested in humanities: An interesting and important lens for the wish to understand the sociopolitical situation in the middle-east. Moreover: Very well written.

Good and interesting book, well written and well documented. Not that easy to read, the work of a great scholar.

If some people fully armed suddenly came to your house and said, "Get out! This is our land God has promised us!", it would be obvious to any reasonble eye that they are totally insane. Not only insane but also extremely dangerous if they actually implemented the idea. So when the crazy idea came out in 19th century, it naturally was out in the cold among Jewish societies. But the insane and extremely dangerous idea became real power some 70 years ago in Israel. Since then, good and evil in the world have been totally upside down. If we oversight this, the world will meet a consequent catastrophe. And we are most likely going toward it. When insanety has prevailed the country and the world, how is it possible to obstain a good commonsense and straighten things out from wihtin?

This is an exceptionally well written (particularly in the Hebrew original) and bluntly presented exposition. While one may disagree with the political perspective that underlies this compilation, and its more recent companion "The Invention of the Land of Israel", the historical analysis on which it is based is beyond reproach. Incidentally, the correct translation of the respective titles is "When and How was the Jewish People/ Land of Israel Invented" which better reflects the historical perspective of these myths, which is the main focus and interest of these works. The main myth on which the concept of the "Jewish People" is based is, of course the Old Testament. One of the main points that Sand eloquently and systematically demonstrates is that, while being an amazing compilation in its own right, the Old Testament is not a historical document, as some would have us believe. Another myth that Sand attempts to shatter is the direct link of persons currently identifying themselves as belonging to the "Jewish People" to the original inhabitants of the "Land of Israel" (Itself being largely a myth). According to Sand, based on extensive historical analysis, the widespread dispersal of people of the Jewish faith is due not to exile of such people from Judea/ Palestine, an exile for which there is no historical evidence, but to mass conversions to Judaism which took place at certain periods.Themes of a more political flavour relate to the Zionist national movement's claims for a "Jewish Nation State" in "The Land of Israel", claims which are largely based on the myths of the "Jewish Nation" and its connection to the "Land of Israel". As Sand point out, the whole concept of nationality, as a basis for the so-called "Nation State" is a rather modern one, and one that is often based on myths in an attempt to give these new inventions a historical foundation. In the case of Judaism, there is clearly no basis for such interpretation, not only on historical but on simple logical grounds - one cannot be a Jewish Christian, for instance, or an atheist, for that matter. Clearly Judaism is a religion, first and foremost, which does not exclude some common cultural and historical background for persons identifying themselves as belonging to the "Jewish People". Whether such justification is at all needed, especially in view of the Holocaust and persecution of Jews, not just as a religion but as a presumed ethnic group, is a matter for debate.