review
Encyclopedia of Jewish History edited by Ilanit Shamir and Shlomo Shavit provides a wealth of information about the Jewish people throughout the ages. It starts with Israel in prehistoric times and ends with the present (1980s). The book dates from 1987 and was published by Kok in Kampen. Various eras, events and key figures in the history of the Jewish people are discussed: the Biblical era; the period of the Second Temple; the time of the Mishnah and Talmud in Israel and the Diaspora (Europe and the East); the rise of Zionism, the Holocaust, the founding of the State of Israel, and the modern-day Jewish people.
data
- title: Encyclopedia of Jewish History ?? The Jewish People Through the Ages
- editors: Ilanit Shamir and Shlomo Shavit
- year: 1987
- publisher: Kok-Kampen
- ISBN: 90-242-3251-1
Contents of ‘Encyclopedia of Jewish History’
This book has been compiled by leading scholars, authors and educators. Hundreds of paragraphs always deal with a certain period of history. The paragraph consists of a basic text of about eight hundred words, supplemented with explanations, drawings, photos, maps and diagrams. The treatment is chronological in design and can easily function as a reference work where a register is helpful. There is also a glossary of Hebrew and other terms.
The book begins with an explanation of the theme of the history of the Jewish people by Shmuel Ettinger of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The Jewish people are special, Ettinger writes, because they occupy a separate place among European, Asian and African peoples and have been able to survive despite the difficult circumstances in which the Jewish people found themselves. Despite the many contacts with other peoples, including many world powers, the Jewish people managed to retain their own identity. The Jews took up the challenge of all those civilizations. Civilizations have even adopted certain elements of the Jewish heritage. There are many assumptions about the special place of the Jews in history. These have in common that they are a careful analysis of historical processes: theological or ideological assumptions, psychological stereotypes, etc. But scholars and historians also did not reach common conclusions. What, then, has influenced the history of the Jewish people? Ettinger mentions the following themes:
- The Chosen People;
- The promised land;
- The municipalities: source of strength;
- Towards a modern society;
- Negative stereotypes and the development of national self-awareness;
- Zionism, the Holocaust and the State of Israel
View from Etsel
Why are the Jewish people so special? Because God has a plan with it. This is clearly stated in the Torah. All history including the persecutions and redemption of the Jewish people is already foretold in the Torah. It is also indicated that the Jewish people will continue to exist forever. Since the Torah is God’s truth, people need not actually search for another explanation of the particularity of the Jewish people. The only correct answer can be found in the Torah and is certain. The Jewish people are not special because of themselves but because of God.
This encyclopedia provides a brief and concise overview of Jewish history. Contributions have been made by dozens of specialists from Israel. The texts are not too long and easy to read. Further explanations are provided in boxes. The many drawings, photos, maps, graphs and diagrams make the encyclopedia even more accessible and readable. There is a nice timetable at the back of the book. The index and glossaries are also useful. What is missing for each chapter and at the back of the book is a bibliography for further study in order to go deeper into the matter. But that lack is compensated for by the quality of the texts, from which it can be clearly concluded that the subject matter was written with great expertise.