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Tribalism in the twenty-first century, as it has since prehistoric times, implies the possession of a strong cultural or ethnic identity that separates one member of a group from the members of another group. Based on strong relations of proximity and kinship, as well as relations based on the mutual survival of both the individual members of the tribe and for the tribe itself, members of a tribe tend to possess a strong feeling of identity. I...

The fundamental basis of Judaism, as is well known, is the Torah, the teachings contained in the Pentateuch, the five biblical books the composition of which is traditionally attributed to Moses. These teachings may be grouped in two basic categories, matters between man and man, individually as well as societally, and matters between man and God. The basic guidelines that apply in matters between man and man are referred to as mishpatim or 'o...

Judaism, the origin of which dates from the rejection of polytheism by the patriarch Abraham nearly four thousand years ago, is committed to the worship of the one and only God. In the course of that long period of devotion, the character of that worship has evolved from a primitive form to progressively more sophisticated approaches necessitated by historical circumstances. The present study is concerned primarily with the original concept of...

This book is a continuation of an earlier work, Reading Genesis Politically, the primary focus of which is the first ten chapters of the much larger book of Genesis. The present study begins with chapter eleven of Genesis which introduces the story of the emergence of Abraham, the iconic founder of the Jewish nation and Judaic civilization. As indicated by the title of the present study its primary concern is with the prehistory of ancient Isr...

The central theme of this study is the eschatology of Judaism as conceived by its proponents from remote antiquity to the present day, eschatology being a branch of theology concerned with the end of history and time as we know it. Eschatological theories and beliefs will be found in every culture where its thinkers struggle to make sense of their lives and history, and most particularly regarding what happens to them and their world after the...

It has been asserted that monotheism, in the Jewish tradition, has long been understood both exoterically and esoterically. In the exoteric Scripture-based rabbinic tradition, monotheism is the belief in a one and only God, a belief which goes hand in hand with the affirmation of distinct individual and divine existences, so that there is a dualism between humanity and God. In the esoteric or mystic tradition, this dualism is overcome by a con...

Judaic thought on the role of war in the history of the children of Israel begins with the biblical narratives that record a variety of belligerencies in which God is often depicted as the one who leads the Hebrews in battle, protects them from their enemies, and makes them victorious over other armies. Thus, during the initial phase of the exodus from Egypt, when the people were terrified by the approach of the Egyptian army, Moses sought to ...

The eight studies in this volume focus on additional aspects of the narratives in the Five Books of Moses that have frequently been glossed over by commentators, ancient and modern, and remain contentious to this very day. These studies address subjects such as the primal mission of man in the creation narrative, the 'covenant between the pieces, ' the symbolism of circumcision, the story of Jacob and his four wives, and the rape of Dinah, as ...

The geopolitical history of the Middle East in antiquity is principally the story of the continuing struggle for domination of the trade routes of the eastern littoral of the Mediterranean Sea, some of the most valued of which passed through the relatively narrow strip of territory stretching from the Egyptian frontier in the Sinai desert to southern Syria, and from there to Mesopotamia. That strip of territory, bounded by the Mediterranean Se...

The five studies in this volume focus on aspects of the narratives in the Five Books of Moses (The Pentateuch) that have frequently been glossed over by commentators, ancient and modern, and remain contentious to this very day. These studies address issues such as the complex triangular relationships between Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar as depicted in the book of Genesis, the 'bridegroom of blood' episode in the story of Moses and his Midianite w...

The concern of The Moral Philosophy of Judaism is with the first principles that underlie the approach of Judaic ethics to the manifold issues confronting mankind generally and adherents of Judaism in particular in the contemporary world. The book explores the fundamental biblical concept of man's moral autonomy and its implications, the meaning and significance of the fundamental biblical doctrine of man being created 'in the image of God, ' ...

The concern of The Moral Philosophy of Judaism is with the first principles that underlie the approach of Judaic ethics to the manifold issues confronting mankind generally and adherents of Judaism in particular in the contemporary world. The book explores the fundamental biblical concept of man's moral autonomy and its implications, the meaning and significance of the fundamental biblical doctrine of man being created 'in the image of God, ' ...

According to the biblical narrative, in addition to the Ten Commandments, Moses received a series of supplementary instructions to guide the people as they set about establishing a society in conformity with the covenant that are to be found in the so-called the Book of the Covenant. The book, which is imbedded in the biblical book of Exodus essentially contains addenda or amendments to longstanding customary laws with which the children of Is...

According to the biblical narrative, in addition to the Ten Commandments, Moses received a series of supplementary instructions to guide the people as they set about establishing a society in conformity with the covenant that are to be found in the so-called the Book of the Covenant. The book, which is imbedded in the biblical book of Exodus essentially contains addenda or amendments to longstanding customary laws with which the children of Is...

Geography and Politics Among Nations is intended to assist the general reader to grasp the significance of geopolitical awareness in the conduct of foreign relations. Toward this end, the book begins with a cursory review of selected examples of geopolitical thought from antiquity to the present, which illustrates some of the main tendencies in geopolitical thinking throughout history. This survey of both past and recent geopolitical thinking ...

The studies in this volume discuss some of the issues implicit but not resolved in the Hebrew Scriptures including the problems inherent in the topics of theology and religious philosophy as discussed and argued by scholars for more than two millennia. The studies address the problem of philosophy, the troublesome issues of moral autonomy and divine omniscience and theodicy, from a Judaic perspective. In addition, it includes a study of the bi...

It should come as no surprise that Judaism, which has existed as the religion and culture of the children of Israel since the days of Moses, more than three millennia ago, has had occasion to institute markers reflective of its development and history from then to the present day. The present work, 'Reflections on the Major Holy Days of Judaism, ' is intentionally limited in scope to those occasions earmarked as 'holy convocations' in the prim...

The stories in the Book of Genesis have been studied intensely for more than two millennia, providing a virtual mountain of commentary on every aspect of the narratives contained therein. Viewed from a traditional perspective, the stories related in Genesis are essentially graphic philosophical and theological narratives designed to convey profound ideas and insights that would otherwise be found only in tomes designed for students of philosop...

This book discusses the new ideological synthesis of Judaism, nationalism, and the Land of Israel and its implications for the future of the Jewish state. It explores the significant distinctions between modern Zionism and the traditional Jewish nationalism.

Pharisaic Judaism, discussed in part 1 of this study, was an inseparable element in the political history of the Second Hebrew Commonwealth. With the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, along with the skeleton of what was once a Jewish state, Judaism entered a period of crisis far more severe than experienced with the destruction of the First Temple, along with the First Hebrew Commonwealth. Pharisaic Judaism, integral to the now no...