Prophets of the Past: Interpreters of Jewish History

Hardback

Main Details

Title Prophets of the Past: Interpreters of Jewish History
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Michael Brenner
Translated by Steven Rendall
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:320
Dimensions(mm): Height 235,Width 152
ISBN/Barcode 9780691139289
ClassificationsDewey:909.049240072
Audience
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Illustrations 8 halftones.

Publishing Details

Publisher Princeton University Press
Imprint Princeton University Press
Publication Date 22 August 2010
Publication Country United States

Description

Prophets of the Past is the first book to examine in depth how modern Jewish historians have interpreted Jewish history. Michael Brenner reveals that perhaps no other national or religious group has used their shared history for so many different ideological and political purposes as the Jews. He deftly traces the master narratives of Jewish history from the beginnings of the scholarly study of Jews and Judaism in nineteenth-century Germany; to eastern European approaches by Simon Dubnow, the interwar school of Polish-Jewish historians, and the short-lived efforts of Soviet-Jewish historians; to the work of British and American scholars such as Cecil Roth and Salo Baron; and to Zionist and post-Zionist interpretations of Jewish history. He also unravels the distortions of Jewish history writing, including antisemitic Nazi research into the "Jewish question," the Soviet portrayal of Jewish history as class struggle, and Orthodox Jewish interpretations of history as divinely inspired. History proved to be a uniquely powerful weapon for modern Jewish scholars during a period when they had no nation or army to fight for their ideological and political objectives, whether the goal was Jewish emancipation, diasporic autonomy, or the creation of a Jewish state. As Brenner demonstrates in this illuminating and incisive book, these historians often found legitimacy for these struggles in the Jewish past.

Author Biography

Michael Brenner is professor of Jewish history and culture at the University of Munich. His books include "A Short History of the Jews" and "After the Holocaust: Rebuilding Jewish Lives in Postwar Germany" (both Princeton).

Reviews

"A well-translated and welcome addition to Jewish history collections."--Choice