Holy War in Judaism: The Fall and Rise of a Controversial IdeaHoly war, sanctioned or even commanded by God, is a common and recurring theme in the Hebrew Bible. Rabbinic Judaism, however, largely avoided discussion of holy war in the Talmud and related literatures for the simple reason that it became dangerous and self-destructive. Reuven Firestone's Holy War in Judaism is the first book to consider how the concept of ''holy war'' disappeared from Jewish thought for almost 2000 years, only to reemerge with renewed vigor in modern times. The revival of the holy war idea occurred with the rise of Zionism. As the necessity of organized Jewish engagement in military actions developed, Orthodox Jews faced a dilemma. There was great need for all to engage in combat for the survival of the infant state of Israel, but the Talmudic rabbis had virtually eliminated divine authorization for Jews to fight in Jewish armies. Once the notion of divinely sanctioned warring was revived, it became available to Jews who considered that the historical context justified more aggressive forms of warring. Among some Jews, divinely authorized war became associated not only with defense but also with a renewed kibbush or conquest, a term that became central to the discourse regarding war and peace and the lands conquered by the state of Israel in 1967. By the early 1980's, the rhetoric of holy war had entered the general political discourse of modern Israel. In Holy War in Judaism, Firestone identifies, analyzes, and explains the historical, conceptual, and intellectual processes that revived holy war ideas in modern Judaism. |
Contents
1 | |
The Ancient Jewish World Holy War in Practice | 15 |
The World of the Rabbis Holy War Interrupted | 65 |
The Emergence of Jewish Modernity Holy War on Hold | 139 |
The Jewish State Holy War Revived | 219 |
The Resurrection of Holy War | 319 |
Glossary | 325 |
327 | |
347 | |
Other editions - View all
Holy War in Judaism: The Fall and Rise of a Controversial Idea Reuven Firestone Limited preview - 2012 |
Holy War in Judaism: The Fall and Rise of a Controversial Idea Reuven Firestone Limited preview - 2012 |
Holy War in Judaism: The Fall and Rise of a Controversial Idea Reuven Firestone No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
Abraham Isaac Kook according activist Akiba Amalek anti-Zionist Arab Babylonian Talmud Bar Kokhba Bar Kokhba Revolt became Bible biblical borders called Canaanites century chapter cited conquer the Land conquest considered David defense deferments destroy destruction Deut Deuteronomy Discretionary divine command enemy engaged establishment exile force gentiles God’s Goren Gush Emunim Hapoel Hamizrachi Harav Hasmonean Hebrew Holocaust holy ideology Israeli Israelite issue Jerusalem Jewish Jewish tradition Josephus Joshua king Kook’s Land of Israel leaders leadership living Maccabees Maimonides Masada meaning ment Mercaz Harav messianic Midrash militant military Mishnah Mizrachi modern Nahmanides nations observe Orthodox Jews Palestine Palestinian Talmud period political position Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Rabbi Yehudah rabbinic Judaism Ravitzky rebellion Redemption refers religion religious Zionists Revolt Roman sages sanctity Sanhedrin settlement settling the Land Shanah Beshanah Shapira Shlomo Shlomo Goren term territories Three Vows tion Torah traditional Jewish victory violence yeshiva Yishuv Yisraeli Yohanan zealots Zion