Anti-Semitism

 

This a series of posts explores anti-Semitism, its origins, the motivations behind it, its various manifestations, its consequences, and its possible future. The series also proposes a method for determining when an act or statement is anti-Semitic and concludes with some suggestions for remedying the consequences of anti-Semitism. A series of discussion questions is also included.

 

Review of the previous post.

The previous post, post number 10 of 33, and the third of four posts discussing the consequences of Jewish separateness.

 

Preview of this post.

This post is number 11 of 33 is the fourth of four posts discussing the consequences of Jewish separateness.

Separateness and its consequences

 

1. Jews refused to convert

 

Jews refused to convert to a new religion^[1] (they could not and still remain true to the covenant with God which included the statement “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me” )^[2] and religious conversion is a large step toward assimilation. Jews believed in Monotheism, that is, that there was only one god and there were no others. As such, they refused to accept other religions, and indeed, refused to even recognize that there might be another god^[3]. It began with Abram who according to Midrash broke the idols of his father, continued with the Jews who refused the Hellenistic culture while all others accepted it, continued when the Jews refused to accept Christianity in the Roman Empire, further continued in medieval Europe. This was totally offensive to other religions and they considered Jews to be blasphemous and even the devil himself or at least motivated by the devil since they denied the existence of the other religion’s god^[4] and questioned and doubted their fundamental beliefs. Furthermore, after the advent of Essenism, separation^[5] of Jews from all others was pre-eminent. This apocalyptic movement perceived that to be chosen, the Jews had to adhere to a rigid separation with salvation being based on separation. For example, the book of Jubilees states:

 

Separate yourself from the Gentiles, and do not eat with them, and do not perform deeds like theirs. And do not become associates of theirs. Because their deeds are defiled, and all of their ways are contaminated, and despicable, and abominable…^[6]

 

Separation from Gentiles is further espoused at Qumran^[7]. Under these conditions, especially when taken in combination with the proselytizing by some Jews and the Jewish insistence on remaining separate and refusing to convert, it is not difficult to envision a comparable view from Gentiles that reflected this xenophobia and intolerance. Perhaps this reaction accelerated the metastasis into Anti-Semitism^[8].

 

Preview of the next post.

The next post, post number 12 of 33, is the first of eight posts discussing other causes of anti-Semitism.

 

---

 

[1] For example, Antiochus Epiphanes, a Seleucid king, forbade the practice of Judaism out of his anger at Jewish refusal to bow to Greek culture, see Léon Poliakov, The History of Anti-Semitism, vol. I, From the Time of Christ to the Court Jews, trans. Richard Howard (New York: Vanguard, 1974), p. 23.

 

[2] See Léon Poliakov, The History of Anti-Semitism, vol. 1, From the Time of Christ to the Court Jews, trans. Richard Howard (New York: Vanguard, 1974), p 23; Wistrich, Lethal Obsession, p. 81. But see the discussion later in this essay concerning Jesus-following Jews, such as Paul, who were bound to follow the Torah and its commandments even while following Jesus.

 

^[3] This is a general statement as there are reports, such as Pseudo-Aristeas, Letter of Aristeas, of co-operation among Jews and Gentiles, see Let Aris 184 which reports banquets bringing together Jews and Gentiles at the same table where they discussed and agreed that they had the same desire for good and that they both worshiped the same god albeit under different names. Furthermore, there is also some support for a view that the existence of evil in the world threatened Jew and Gentile alike thereby giving them common ground, see 1 Enoch. Thus, it might be seen that both mutual respect and a mutual feeling of impotence provided common ground between Jews and Gentiles.. See also, Wistrich, Lethal Obsession, p. 81.

^[4] Much of the anti-Jewish sentiment of this early period might even be considered as being propaganda, or even advertising programs, to persuade people to convert to the new religion and not to Judaism, or to even avoid Judaism. Saying that someone was the devil incarnate and was guilty of killing God and delighted in it and deliberately took “credit” for it is a good way to persuade people to avoid that religion. By examining the writings of Paul, it might be concluded that his early writings were, if not anti-Jewish at least they were somewhat neutral, and his later writings became virulently anti-Jewish. Some of the anti-Jewish writings occurred around the time of the Bar Kokba rebellion, which may have been a time when Rome was at its most violent conflict with the Jews in Palestine and wished to weaken Judaism as much as possible. Some might even consider Paul to have been an agent provocateur whose objective was to foment anti-Jewish sentiment in Palestine. In fact, Paul may have been an emissary who was sent to preach a false gospel and to create Christianity as a fake religion and to weaken the Jewish nation either by civil discord or by causing outsiders to hate the Jews. Following this line of reasoning, some might even consider Paul to have been an agent provocateur whose objective was to foment anti-Jewish sentiment in Palestine and to weaken the Jewish nation either by civil discord or by causing outsiders to hate the Jews. While some consider Paul to be the  inventor and founder of Christianity, in fact, it seems that his main contribution was advocating the separation of early Christianity from early Judaism and his views have been characterized by later Christians (many believe, mis-characterized) in order to interpret his letters in a way that fit their own views as being anti-Jewish where Christianity replaces Judaism (rejection-replacement, i.e., the Jews had been rejected by God and had been replaced by Christianity), and which, of course, planted the seeds from which anti-Semitism grew .In other words, Paul’s letters were(mis) interpreted to fit the narrative of later Christian communities( that created the New Testament) of the rejection-replacement view of Judaism, whereby Paul was viewed as the originator of that view and the spokesman of that view – even though he probably did not intend such an interpretation.  One wonders if Paul, a zealous Pharisee, even saw himself as such a central figure in Christianity and its Bible (the New Testament).

[5] Certainly, the doctrine of chosenness did not help.

^[6] Jub 22:16.

^[7] See, for example, 1Q34^bis 2.3-5.

[8] The doctrinal rivalry between Judaism and competing religions, such as Christianity, has often been identified as a main cause of anti-Semitism,, or religious anti-Semitism,  see, for example, Léon Poliakov, The History of Anti-Semitism, vol. I, From the Time of Christ to the Court Jews, trans. Richard Howard (New York: Vanguard, 1974), p. 23.But, anti-Semitism is far more than a mere disagreement about doctrine. As suggested in this essay, its basis may be in the competition for converts where the Christian religion denigrated the Jewish religion in order to attract converts to it and away from Judaism.

 

Series Navigation