JUDAISM This all-encompassing textbook is an unrivalled guide to the history, beliefs and practice of Judaism. Beginning with the ancient Near Eastern background, it covers early Israelite history, the emergence of classical rabbinic literature and the rise of medieval Judaism in Islamic and Christian lands. It also includes the early modern period and the development of Jewry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Extracts from primary sources are used throughout to enliven the narrative and provide concrete examples of the rich variety of Jewish civilization. Specially designed to assist learning, Judaism: • Introduces texts and commentaries, including the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic texts, mystical literature, Jewish philosophy and Jewish theology • Provides the skills necessary to understand these step-by-step with the help of a companion website • Explains how to interpret the major events in nearly four thousand years of Jewish history • Supports study with discussion questions on the central historical and religious issues, and includes key reading for each chapter, an extensive glossary and index • Illustrates the development of Judaism, its concepts and observances, with 75 maps and 94 photos, paintings and engravings • Links each chapter to a free companion website which provides things to think about, things to do and tips for teachers as well as other online resources Dan Cohn-Sherbok is an American-born rabbi and Professor of Judaism at the University of Wales, Lampeter. He is a prolific and respected writer and the author of Routledge’s Atlas of Jewish History, Fifty Key Jewish Thinkers, and Judaism in the Religion of the World series. As a teacher and rabbi he is in a unique position to provide guidance for college and university students on the history and practice of Judaism. Judaism History, Belief and Practice Dan Cohn-Sherbok With free companion website at http://www.routledge.com/textbooks/0415236614 For Lavinia First published 2003 invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any by Routledge information storage or retrieval system, without permission 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE in writing from the publishers. Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data by Routledge A catalogue record for this book is available from the 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 British Library Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data This edition published in the Taylor & Francis Cohn-Sherbok, Dan. e-Library, 2005. Judaism : history, belief, and practice / Dan Cohn-Sherbok. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor Includes bibliographical references and index. & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of 1. Judaism. I. Title. eBooks please go to www. eBookstore. tandf.co.uk.” BM562 .C64 2003 © 2003 Dan Cohn-Sherbok 296–dc21 2002036646 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted ISBN 0-203-40251-0 Master e-book ISBN or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter ISBN 0-203-40910-8 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0–415–23660–6 (hbk) ISBN 0–415–23661–4 (pbk) Contents List of maps vii 19 The Rise of Christianity 106 List of figures ix 20 Roman Jewish War and Aftermath 111 Preface xi Tips for students xiii 21 Jews in the Roman Empire 115 Sources xv 22 Jews in Babylonia 123 Acknowledgements xvii 23 Rabbinic Scriptural Interpretation 129 Part I: History 1 24 Rabbinic Theology 133 l Ancient Mesopotamian Civilization 3 25 Judaism under Islamic Rule 137 2 The Bible and Ancient Near Eastern 26 Karaism 142 Civilization 9 27 Jews in Muslim Spain and other Islamic 3 Israelite Monotheism and Law 14 Lands 150 4 The Patriarchs 19 28 Jewry in Christian Europe in the Middle Ages 154 5 Exodus 26 29 The Jews in Christian Spain 165 6 Conquest and Settlement 32 30 Dispersion of the Marranos 171 7 The Rise of Monarchy 38 31 Early Medieval Thought 175 8 Solomon and the Divided Monarchy 45 32 The Philosophy of Maimonides 180 9 Kings of Israel and Judah 50 33 Jewish Philosophy after Maimonides 185 10 Jeroboam II to the Fall of the Northern Kingdom 56 34 Rabbinic Mysticism 194 11 Ahaz and Hezekiah 61 35 The Hasidei Ashkenaz 201 12 From Manasseh to Babylonian Captivity 68 36 The Emergence of Kabbalah 205 13 Aftermath of the Fall of Judah 73 37 Jews in the Ottoman Empire 210 14 Return and Restoration 78 38 The Shabbatean Movement 220 15 The Rise of Hellenism 84 39 Jewry in Eastern and Western Europe 225 16 Judaism under Hellenism 90 40 The Rise of the Hasidic Movement 233 17 The Kingship of Herod 96 41 The Status of Jewry in Europe 241 18 Rebellion against Rome 102 42 Jews in Eastern Europe 247 VI CONTENTS 43 The Emergence of Jewish Thought in 68 Prayer 438 the Enlightenment 253 69 Love and Fear of God 443 44 The Origins of Reform 259 70 Messiah 449 45 Jewish Thought in the Age of Reform 269 71 The Afterlife 456 46 The Rise of Anti-Semitism 273 47 The Zionist Movement 278 PRACTICE 48 Jews in the United States, Palestine, Africa and Asia 284 72 Community Life 461 49 The Nazi Regime 295 73 Jewish Education 468 50 The Death Camps 305 74 The Jewish Calendar 474 51 The State of Israel 312 75 Places of Worship 483 52 Jewry after the Holocaust 321 76 Worship 488 53 Modern Jewish Thought 328 77 The Sabbath 494 54 The Future of Judaism 336 78 Special Sabbaths 501 79 Pilgrim Festivals 507 Part II: Belief and Practice 341 80 New Year and Day of Atonement 515 BELIEF 81 The Days of Joy 522 82 Fasts 528 55 The Unity of God 343 83 Life Cycle Events 533 56 Divine Transcendence and Immanence 349 84 Marriage 538 57 Eternity 357 85 Divorce 544 58 Omnipotence and Omniscience 365 86 The Home 549 59 Creation 371 87 Dietary Laws 554 60 Providence 377 88 Death and Mourning 559 61 Divine Goodness 383 89 Jewish Ethics 564 62 Revelation 391 90 Conversion 572 63 Torah and Mitzvot 397 64 Commandments 404 Glossary 577 65 Sin and Repentance 420 Reference Bibliography 582 66 The Chosen People 426 Judaism on the Internet 584 67 The Promised Land 432 Index 585 Maps 1 Babylonian empire 3 35 Spanish Jewry in the fourteenth century 165 2 Sumer and Akkad 4 36 Expulsions 167 3 Abraham’s journey from Ur to Canaan 19 37 Medieval Jewish migration 173 4 Abraham’s journey to Egypt 20 38 The Jewish world in 1200 182 5 Egypt 27 39 Central Europe, 1000–1500 186 6 Exodus 28 40 The Jews of Spain and Portugal, 7 Conquest and settlement 33 1000–1497 187 8 Battles of the judges period 39 41 The Jewish world in 1500: Europe and 9 Monarchy 39 Islamic states 210 10 The wars of David’s reign 40 42 The Jewish world in 1500: The Far East 211 11 Solomon’s kingdom: administrative 43 Jewish centres in the sixteenth and districts 46 seventeenth centuries 213 12 Jerusalem at the time of the First Temple 46 44 Shabbatai Zevi 222 13 The kingdoms of Israel and Judah 51 45 Court Jews, 1500–1800 225 14 Jeroboam II and Uzziah 57 46 Poland–Lithuania in the sixteenth and 15 Sennacherib’s campaign 62 seventeenth centuries 227 16 Assyrian empire 63 47 Jewish communities in Poland and 17 Growth of diaspora 65 Lithuania under the Council of the Four 18 Assyrian and Babylonian exiles 69 Lands and the Council of Lithuania 227 19 Judah during the time of Nehemiah 79 48 The Chmielnicki massacres and 20 Jerusalem at the time of the Second aftermath 228 Temple 85 49 The Baal Shem Tov 234 21 The Maccabean revolt 86 50 The rise of Hasidism 235 22 Hasmonean rule 87 51 The Jewish world in 1800 248–9 23 The kingdom of Herod 97 52 Pale of Settlement, 1835 251 24 The area administered by the tetrarchs 98 53 The great yeshivas of eastern Europe 25 Zealot revolt 103 during the Enlightenment 255 26 The land of Israel after the destruction 54 Enlightenment 256 of the Second Temple 112 55 The Jews of North America, 1654–1860 262 27 Jewry under Arab rule in AD 900 143 56 Jews of the United States, 1860–1960 263 28 Karaite settlement 144 57 European Jewish population, 1880 285 29 Integration under Islam, 908–1318 150 58 Zionism 287 30 Blood libels 155 59 Palestine and Russian Jewry, 1882–1914 288 31 Crusader kingdoms 157 60 Jewish immigrants by country of origin, 32 Jewish culture in the Middle Ages 158 1899–1924 289 33 Jewish settlement in the Byzantine 61 Jewish settlement in Palestine 291 empire in the twelfth century 159 62 Arab–Jewish conflict, 1882–1914 291 34 Desecration of the host libels 162 63 Jews in Germany, 1933–1938 296 VIII MAPS 64 The flight from German persecution, 70 United Nations partition plan, 1933–1941 298 29 November 1947 315 65 Jewish revolts, 1942–1945 300 71 Arab–Israeli conflict, 1948–1985 315 66 Jewish partisan and resistance fighters 302 72 The Six Day War 316 67 Concentration camps 308 73 The intifada 317 68 Jewish death toll, 1939–1945 310 74 European Jewish population, 1939 322 69 Palestine Mandate, 1922–1948 313 75 European Jewish population after the Second World War 322 Figures 1 God Ningirso as lion-headed eagle 5 21 Third century declaration of loyalty by 2 Gilgamesh, or the Lion Spirit 9 the ‘Parnas’ of a synagogue 117 3 Code of Hammurabi 14 22 Adam and Eve and scene from the 4 The Sacrifice of Isaac 23 Talmud 124 5 Moses with Tablet of the Law 29 23 The word when He created, from the 6 Joshua before Jericho 35 Talmud 129 7 David with head of Goliath 41 24 Detail of Hell from The Garden of 8 King Solomon overseeing construction Earthly Delights 134 of the Temple, Jerusalem 47 25 Turkish Book Painting.