Jewish History

By Dubnow, S. M.

Book Id: WPLBN0000604743
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.6 MB
Reproduction Date:

Title:	Jewish History
Author:	Dubnow, S. M.
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Literature & thought, Literature and history, Literature & philosophy
Collections:	Classic Literature Collection, Project Gutenberg Consortia Center
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Project Gutenberg Consortia Center


Citation APA MLA Chicago M. Dubno, B. S. (n.d.). Jewish History. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Excerpt
The author of the present essay, S. M. Dubnow, occupies a well-nigh dominating position in Russian-Jewish literature as an historian and an acute critic. His investigations into the history of the Polish-Russian Jews, especially his achievements in the history of Chassidism, have been of fundamental importance in these departments. What raises Mr. Dubnow far above the status of the professional historian, and awakens the reader?s lively interest in him, is not so much the matter of his books, as the manner of presentation. It is rare to meet with an historian in whom scientific objectivity and thoroughness are so harmoniously combined with an ardent temperament and plastic ability. Mr. Dubnow?s scientific activity, first and last, is a striking refutation of the widespread opinion that identifies attractiveness of form in the work of a scholar with superficiality of content. Even his strictly scientific investigations, besides offering the scholar a wealth of new suggestions, form instructive and entertaining reading matter for the educated layman. In his critical essays, Mr. Dubnow shows himself to be possessed of keen psychologic insight. By virtue of this quality of delicate perception, he aims to assign to every historical fact its proper place in the line of development, and so establish the bond between it and the general history of mankind. This psychologic ability contributes vastly to the interest aroused by Mr. Dubnow?s historical works outside of the limited circle of scholars. There is a passage in one of his books[1] in which, in his incisive manner, he expresses his views on the limits and tasks of historical writing. As the passage bears upon the methods employed in the present essay, and, at the same time, is a characteristic specimen of our author?s style, I take the liberty of quoting.

Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE TO THE GERMAN TRANSLATION INTRODUCTORY NOTE I THE RANGE OF JEWISH HISTORY Historical and Unhistorical Peoples Three Groups of Nations The Most Historical People Extent of Jewish History II THE CONTENT OF JEWISH HISTORY Two Periods of Jewish History The Period of Independence The Election of the Jewish People Priests and Prophets The Babylonian Exile and the Scribes The Dispersion Jewish History and Universal History Jewish History Characterized III THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JEWISH HISTORY The National Aspect of Jewish History The Historical Consciousness The National Idea and National Feeling The Universal Aspect of Jewish History An Historical Experiment A Moral Discipline 5 Humanitarian Significance of Jewish History Schleiden and George Eliot IV THE HISTORICAL SYNTHESIS Three Primary Periods Four Composite Periods V THE PRIMARY OR BIBLICAL PERIOD Cosmic Origin of the Jewish Religion Tribal Organization Egyptian Influence and Experiences Moses Mosaism a Religious and Moral as well as a Social and Political System National Deities The Prophets and the two Kingdoms Judaism a Universal Religion VI THE SECONDARY OR SPIRITUAL-POLITICAL PERIOD Growth of National Feeling Ezra and Nehemiah The Scribes Hellenism The Maccabees Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes Alexandrian Jews Christianity VII THE TERTIARY TALMUDIC OR NATIONAL-RELIGIOUS PERIOD The Isolation of Jewry and Judaism The Mishna The Talmud Intellectual Activity in Palestine and Babylonia The Agada and the Midrash Unification of Judaism VIII THE GAONIC PERIOD, OR THE HEGEMONY OF THE ORIENTAL JEWS (500-980) The Academies Islam Karaism Beginning of Persecutions in Europe Arabic Civilization in Europe 6 IX THE RABBINIC-PHILOSOPHICAL PERIOD, OR THE HEGEMONY OF THE SPANISH JEWS (980-1492) The Spanish Jews The Arabic-Jewish Renaissance The Crusades and the Jews Degradation of the Jews in Christian Europe The Provence The Lateran Council The Kabbala Expulsion from Spain X THE RABBINIC-MYSTICAL PERIOD, OR THE HEGEMONY OF THE GERMAN-POLISH JEWS (1492-1789) The Humanists and the Reformation Palestine an Asylum for Jews Messianic Belief and Hopes Holland a Jewish Centre Poland and the Jews The Rabbinical Authorities of Poland Isolation of the Polish Jews Mysticism and the Practical Kabbala Chassidism Persecutions and Morbid Piety XI THE MODERN PERIOD OF ENLIGHTENMENT (THE NINETEENTH CENTURY) The French Revolution The Jewish Middle Ages Spiritual and Civil Emancipation The Successors of Mendelssohn Zunz and the Science of Judaism The Modern Movements outside of Germany The Jew in Russia His Regeneration Anti-Semitism and Judophobia XII THE TEACHINGS OF JEWISH HISTORY Jewry a Spiritual Community Jewry Indestructible The Creative Principle of Jewry The Task of the Future The Jew and the Nations The Ultimate Ideal 7