Ancient and Modern Israel

Cover

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Title Page, Copyright, Dedication

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pp. i-v

Contents

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pp. vii-

Preface

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pp. ix-xi

Israel's long history is a blessing and a burden. Jews celebrate their covenant with God, the Exodus from Egypt, the victory of the Maccabees, and the independence of modern Israel. They also mourn the destruction of the Temples by Babylon and Rome, and the Holocaust of the Nazis. Some revere the heroism of Bar Kokhba's...

1 Clues in Ancient History

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pp. 1-14

This book looks for clues to understand modern Israel in conditions that have returned from its ancient history. Israel is in the same place, with many of the same problems that troubled the ancient country of the Jews. The population is small and poor. There are chronic concerns to preserve the security of the country amidst hostile...

2 Reading Jewish History

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pp. 15-29

The challenge of this book is to describe politically relevant conditions in ancient Israel that have modern parallels. This is not a simple task, given the long span and the many versions of Jewish history. A chronological recitation about the governments of the Jews in the distant past would not be helpful. Too many books already overwhelm...

3 The Ancient Country

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pp. 31-71

The history of the ancient Jewish country begins with the appearance of the Israelite tribes in the Holy Land. According to biblical tradition, this occurred as the tribes moved across the Jordan under the leadership of Joshua, after the death of Moses. The people are first described in the Bible as groups of...

4 Modern Israel

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pp. 73-134

Traits of the ancient Jewish country should sound familiar to modern Israelis. Their country has also felt the weight of big powers in important decisions. The Jews have again needed to find a window in history to establish their homeland. They are unable to free themselves from the complications of a mixed population or from...

5 Historic Parallels and Their Implications

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pp. 135-157

The function of this chapter is to pull together materials that have ranged over three thousand two hundred years. The reader should remember that this is not a detailed history of ancient Israel. There is no claim to present new information or new interpretations of the period 1200 B.C.E. to 135 C.E. Its coverage of that period is derived from a number of detailed studies, as well as from...

Notes

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pp. 159-181

Index

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pp. 183-194