Jewish History Simplified
Jacob Neusner's History of a Culture and Religion
Jacob Neusner explains the history of Judaism from the first covenant to modern times, separating it into periods that can be more easily understood.
A Short History of Judaism is Jacob Neusner’s attempt to summarize the evolution of Judaism from a scholarly perspective, but accessible to the common reader. Neusner, through the perspective of an outsider to Jewish religion and culture, allows scholarly introspection and accessibility for those unfamiliar with this tradition to start to gain an accurate impression of Judaism.
In constructing a history of Jewish thought, Neusner makes numerous leaps from theological writing to historical context. He draws upon the Torah to explain the origins of people of the world, starting with Adam, the origin of man, succeeded in ten generations by Noah and he in ten generations by Abraham and Sarah, the origin of the Israelites.
Neusner divides Judaism into three periods: the beginning of Judaism ending at end of the first temple period, the formative age of rabbinic Judaism ending in 70 C.E., and the domination of Rabbinic Judaism ending around the 19th century, each marked by tragedy.
Neusner proclaims 586 B.C.E as a change in direction for Judaism that forced sacred texts to be written after the Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed and the Israelites exiled to Babylonia. The second important turning point is in 70 C.E. when the second Jewish Temple falls to the Romans, causing more reforms within the religion. This was an important period of Judaism because the rejection and alienation of Jews served to unite the Jews and allow the religion to succeed the system of Temple and priesthood. This incarnation of Judaism saw the oral component of the Torah written down as the Mishnah, a document that spells out the laws of governance for the dispersed Israelites. Neusner writes that the Mishnah takes into account the political economic foundation present in the small towns where Jews lived and their concept of social order.
The Rabbinic Judaism that was to follow gives way to a more plural Judaism in the modern world, where there are new ways of practicing religion that draw upon these previous eras. Neusner, however, goes further than just setting up the different epochs; he explains how the religion has actually changed both practically and theoretically through the ages.
While the progression of Rabbinic thought and Jewish mysticism were thoroughly discussed, the exploration into the liberalization of Jewish thought in the 19th and 20th centuries in the final section of the book is perhaps the most compelling. A protestant form of Judaism began in the early 19th century called Reform Judaism that according to the author is one of the most important forms of Judaism in America today. Reform Jews came to think of themselves as part of the group of Israelites as well as being citizens within nations. Religious clothing, diet and other customs are more relaxed in this form of Judaism in accordance with the traditions of the Jew’s adopted country. In a response to the pressures of modern realities while still respecting the teachings of the rabbinic Judaism, Orthodox Judaism began in the mid-19th century in Germany as a response to more integration into mainstream society. This progression saw Jews make tradition come first but they were given some new freedoms – for instance, they could study science and the humanities in secular settings.
One of the most fascinating and pertinent theories in this book was that of Zionism. In its most basic, Zionism is about erecting a religious state where the Jews would live free from persecution. It is derived from the notion of the Temple periods of Biblical times. Neusner explains that this trend was caused by the disappointing persistence of anti-Semitism in the West and failure to attain political rights in the East.
Neusner’s history shows a religious world that is complex in its understanding of faith and the discourse between the theoretical and the historical. He gives a good introduction to Jewish history and the progression of Jewish thought within Jewish society making every theory presented very clear and logical.
