A History of the Jewish People: A Recommended Ministry Resource

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About the Book

A History of the Jewish People, edited by Haim Hillel Ben-Sasson, presents an extensive account of Jewish history, identity, experience, and achievement.

Written by six scholars from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the book examines the religious, political, social, and economic development of the Jewish people in the land of Israel and throughout the diaspora.

The authors draw upon historical records, archaeological discoveries, Talmudic literature, and other Jewish sources to help readers understand how Jewish faith, culture, identity, and community developed across thousands of years.

Historical Periods Covered

This comprehensive volume examines:

• The origins and formative period of Israel
• The First Temple period
• The Babylonian exile and restoration
• The Second Temple period
• The era of the Mishnah and Talmud
• Jewish life during the Middle Ages
• The Jewish people in the modern period
• Jewish history in the land of Israel
• Jewish communities throughout the diaspora

Brief Excerpt from the Book

“Hadrian changed the name of the province from Judaea to Syria-Palestina.”

— A History of the Jewish People, page 334

This passage appears in the discussion of Roman rule following the Bar Kokhba revolt. The book explains that renaming Judaea was part of a larger effort to weaken the remembered connection between the Jewish people and their ancestral land.

Why This Is a Valuable Ministry Resource

Understanding Jewish history provides important background for studying Scripture. The events recorded in the Bible did not occur in isolation. They unfolded within real historical, political, religious, and cultural circumstances.

This book can help readers explore the history of Israel, the Jewish people, the diaspora, the Second Temple period, rabbinic Judaism, and the historical developments that shaped Jewish life.

It is especially valuable for readers seeking to understand the Hebrew foundations of the biblical faith and the continuing historical relationship between the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

Because the work was originally published in 1976, readers should also consult more recent archaeological and historical research when studying subjects on which scholarship has continued to develop.

Book Information

Title: A History of the Jewish People
Editor: Haim Hillel Ben-Sasson
Contributing scholars: Abraham Malamat, Hayim Tadmor, Menahem Stern, Shmuel Safrai, Haim Hillel Ben-Sasson, and Shmuel Ettinger
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Original English publication: 1976
Paperback edition: 1985
Length: 1,170 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0674397312
ISBN-13: 9780674397316

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