The Savage in Judaism: An Anthropology of Israelite Religion and Ancient Judaism

Rating:
Summary: not solid basis for understanding
Review: Because ancient Judaism shares features with "savage" belief systems does not make ancient Judaism a savage religion itself.

The differences between savage religions and ancient Judaism are many.

1. The Jews (not most) were literate and possessed written scriptures. No "savage" religion does.

2. Most "savage" religions are nature worship without definite calendars. Ancient Judaism, despite prayers for rain etc, was far from nature worship and possessed a definite calendar with dates corresponding to historical events.

Please be aware, the title and cover of this book are misleading. The bk is not about violence in Judaism, but simply comparisons to primitive religions.

Rating:
Summary: not solid basis for understanding
Review: Because ancient Judaism shares features with "savage" belief systems does not make ancient Judaism a savage religion itself.

The differences between savage religions and ancient Judaism are many.

1. The Jews (not most) were literate and possessed written scriptures. No "savage" religion does.

2. Most "savage" religions are nature worship without definite calendars. Ancient Judaism, despite prayers for rain etc, was far from nature worship and possessed a definite calendar with dates corresponding to historical events.

Please be aware, the title and cover of this book are misleading. The bk is not about violence in Judaism, but simply comparisons to primitive religions.

Rating:
Summary: Illluminating and provocative
Review: Interdisciplinary studies are exciting because they hold the promise of radically new insights into familiar subjects. This book lives up to this promise in every way; in fact, it ranks as one of the most thought-provoking and enlightening books I have read in years. Applying anthropology to the study of Judaism, the author argues persuasively that circumcision among the ancient Israelites, as indeed among many other people, originated as a symbol of kinship and as a means of cementing solidarity between father and son and all male cohorts. Only later, as Judaism evolved in the direction of ethicizing and historicizing all human experience, did the circumcision rite become invested with distinctively Judaic religious significance. Many other provocative insights await readers of this book. Admittedly, anthropological studies into worlds now vanished can rarely provide conclusive evidence for their theses. Still, this author's approach deserves serious attention by anthropologists, historians, and the general public.