Truth of Jewish History: 16th to 21st Century
As I explained before, the world changed most significantly around 1500 as the last time.
It started with Columbus sailing over the Atlantic Ocean. As the New World came to be included in the mainstream of the human history since then, the new type of Christianity took its place in the human religious sphere. It apparently reflected the limit of religious and spiritual work and activities by the Vatican and the limit of development of Islam in the past 900 years since the birth of this religion based on Koran around 600.
For human beings to pursue further religious evolution, they needed the New World. And in fact, today we see very different types of Christianity in the US that has society where Judaists, Catholics, and even Muslims can practice their religions without being put under threat.
The US might be more for Protestants and Puritans. But, it looks like being also for Judaists. Then how Judaists lived, thought, and felt around 1500 when this Great Historical Change was set off around 1500?
Jewish Intellectual History: 16th to 20th Century
Professor David B. Ruderman Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
About This Course
24 lectures | 30 minutes per lecture
God. Torah. Israel. These three concepts—incorporated in personal belief, the meaning of Jewish ritual acts, and the purpose of continued Jewish existence—have been the focus of Jewish thought throughout history.
But the last four centuries have presented Jewish thinkers with difficult challenges:
- In a world having a history of untold suffering—especially, it seemed, for Jews—was the existence of an all-powerful and comforting God still tenable?
- What were the purpose and meaning of Jewish practices and customs, given the increasing number of Jews who placed greater value on their own autonomy?
- Could Jews still justify the notion of a "chosen people" in a society where Jewish integration and full participation with the rest of humanity had become the norm?Though it is difficult to present proof, Judaists must have started to change around 1500 along with Christopher Columbus' discovery of America and the Spanish royal court's decision to expel Judaists. However, changes in the Christian world seem to have been faster and bigger than those in the Judaist world. Judaists could not run faster than Christian persecutors when a tragedy fell upon them.
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/jewish-intellectual-history-16th-to-20th-century.html
One thing to be noted is that till the 16th century or all through the Middle Ages, Judaiats were not interested in writing their own history. They did not work out and compile history books of Judaiats after the fall of Jerusalem through wars with Romans in the first century or around AD 100. Time had stopped for them for 1500 years. But with invention of printing technique in Europe, they came to write various types of books for themselves, including some history books of themselves, namely a religious tribe.
Probably, their consciousness of being chosen people must have become a big issue. For 1500 years, they had been living with a notion, if in an unconsciousness manner, that something was wrong in Europe, where they mostly belonged, in terms of the covenant with the God on their being chosen people. But after 1500, they were gradually forced to realize that some Christians could claim that they were also chosen people. It was a grave discovery for them, and they could not cope with the new situation well.
Today, in the US Judaists are requested to recognize that every American is a member of chosen people. JFK was chosen, M.L. King, Jr. was chosen, Obama was chosen, and so on.
The last 500 years is for the process of the change in Judaiats in this context.
So, is the nation Israel chosen especially by the God? Is it for the benefit of all the Americans?
The modern history covering Nazi Germany and today's Israel must be reviewed through historical analysis of the era after around 1500.
Anyway, Gaza is a place chosen by the God.
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Act 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
Act 9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
Act 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?