The Everything Jewish History and Heritage Book: From Abraham to Zionism, all you need to understand the key events, people, and places

403 Pages·2003·3.08 MB·English

by  Richard D. Bank

The
The Jewish History & Heritage Book
Dear Reader:
The great Yiddish writer Yitzhak Leib Peretz once wrote, “A people
without a memory is like an individual with amnesia.” Each generation
is a link in a chain stretching back to Abraham and forward to the end of
time. And according to the Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, it is precisely this
memory that has connected Jews throughout the ages.
Memory has kept the Jews together as a people through four millennia
—memory of a shared history and a rich heritage that we are proud and
honored to write about. Every Jew has a responsibility to keep that
memory alive, and one way to do this is to know about the lives of those
who preceded us.
Although this is a book concerning Jewish history, it is intended for
everyone. Dispersed among the nations of the world, the saga of the
Jews also informs us about Western civilization—its people, nations, and
religions.
Enjoy the adventure that follows, for it is truly an amazing story!
The Series!
Editorial
Publishing Director Gary M. Krebs
Managing Editor Kate McBride
Copy Chief Laura MacLaughlin
Acquisitions Editor Eric M. Hall
Production Editor Khrysti Nazzaro
Production
Production Director Susan Beale
Production Manager Michelle Roy Kelly
Daria Perreault
Series Designers
Colleen Cunningham
Paul Beatrice
Cover Design
Frank Rivera
Colleen Cunningham
Rachael Eiben
Layout and Graphics Michelle Roy Kelly
Daria Perreault
Erin Ring
Series Cover Artist Barry Littmann
Israel Ministry of Tourism and
Interior photographs
Brand X Pictures
Visit the entire Everything® Series at everything.com
THE
JEWISH
HISTORY & HERITAGE
BOOK
From Abraham to Zionism, all you need to
understand the key events, people, and places
Richard D. Bank & Julie Gutin
History is about generations and family. To my “history”: Ruth and Louis
Bank, Rose and Herbert (alav ha-sholom) Jacobs, Frani, Ari, Cory, and Joy.
In memory of Asya Poleyes and Zinaida Samsonovich.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Top Ten Events That Changed the Course of Jewish History
Introduction
1 The Age of the Patriarchs
Where Jewish History Begins
Abraham’s Covenant with God
Father of Two Nations
The Story of Isaac
Jacob and Esau: A Story of Sibling Rivalry
Jacob Becomes Israel
Jacob’s Sons—The Twelve Tribes of Israel
Who Were the Early Hebrews
2 From Slavery to Freedom
Jacob’s Favorite Son
Israel Enters Egypt
A Clan Grows into an Enslaved Nation
A Jewish Hero Is Born
Deliverance from Bondage
Celebrating Passover
The Seder
Passover’s Universal Message
3 Standing at Sinai
Into the Desert
Moses Receives the Commandments
The 613 Mitzvot
Celebrating
The Ark of the Covenant
The Family of Priests
At the Doorstep of the Promised Land
Sukkot—The Feast of Tabernacles
4 Keeping the Sabbath
The Commandment to Keep and Remember
Observing Shabbat
Greeting the Shabbat Queen
Public Worship
Separating from Shabbat
A Pillar of the Jewish Community
5 In the Promised Land
The Conquest of Canaan
Emerging Victorious
The Judges of Israel
Judged by a Woman
Samson and Delilah
Turning from the Law
Samuel Prophesies a State
6 The Kings of Biblical Times
Saul Is Anointed the First King
A New King in Waiting
The Reign of King David
Solomon the Wise
Construction of the First Temple
A Nation Divides
7 The First Temple Period
Who Were the Prophets
Elijah, the Most Celebrated Prophet
The Warnings of Amos and Hosea
The Conquest of Israel
The Ten Lost Tribes
Isaiah’s Preaching in Jerusalem
Jeremiah—A Belief Beyond the Land
8 Judah’s Defeat and Babylonian Exile
Jerusalem Survives the Assyrian Onslaught
The Rise of the Babylonian Empire
Judah Is Vanquished
The New Jewish Communities
The Jews in Babylon
Judaism Evolves in Babylon
9 Purim—A Celebration of Deliverance
The Book of Esther
Ahasuerus Makes Esther His Queen
Haman’s Plot to Annihilate the Jews
Esther and Mordecai Thwart the Plot
Purim’s Customs and Traditions
A Holiday Full of Meaning
10 Observing the Days of Awe
A Time of Repentance
The Jewish New Year
Observances and Customs of Rosh Hashanah
The Day of Atonement
Observances and Customs of Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur Services
11 Return to Zion
Emergence of the Persian Empire
The Migration from Babylon