The Gifts of the Jews : How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels

Rating:
Summary: well-written, enjoyable read, even if you disagree...
Review: PERSPECTIVE: theologically interested reader, unfamiliar with Cahill's work

The Gifts of the Jews is a wonderfully written exploration of the pivotal role the Jewish people have played in the shaping of our modern perceptions and life, irregardless of faith. Cahill brings extensive theological and historical training to bear, and goes to great lengths, including travelling the world, to do research for his chosen topic. His thesis, as he calls it, is that the Jewish people were the first to break out of the "cyclic boredom" of ancient world views. Through their culture, beliefs, and history, they have given the entire modern world crucial "gifts" of individuality, prospective thinking, freedom, justice, and many more. To illustrate this, he uses a wide variety of historical documents, texts, and commentaries, including several translations of the Hebrew Bible, and weaves them together with a style that is remarkably eloquent, delightfully funny, and impressively accessible.

Whatever your religious or political beliefs, this thought- (and spirit-, if you are so inclined) provoking novel worth a read. Although it is, at its heart, an academic treatise, and as such is eminently open for debate, as exemplified by the many editorial discussions - with much heated agreement and dissention - it is important to note that it is easily enjoyable on a different level.

FINAL WORD: Read this book! Buy it, check it out from the library, or buy it and donate it to your local library.

Rating:
Summary: Cahill's best work by far
Review: The Gifts of the Jews is Cahill's second book in his "Hinges of History" series, and his best work to date. Without prosletyzing or moralizing, Cahill clearly and simply elucidates the tremendous intellectual debt Western Civilization owes the Jewish faith.

The "gifts" are everywhere - from our concept of law and justice, to the way in which we think about art and literature. Using the Old Testament as a template, Cahill demonstrates just how much of Western Civilization and Western thinking has been influenced by the stories and fables of the Jewish people. The Gifts of the Jews was enlightening, made all the more powerful by the simple, almost conversational tone of the book. It is rare to find a book that deals with religion neutrally while communicating its value and importance to the wider world. I am neither a Christian or a Jew - yet I fully appreciate and am thankful for the gifts of the Jews. I am also thankful to Cahill for bringing this to my attention.

Rating:
Summary: A bold title, A very much incomplete work
Review: The title of this book, "The Gifts of the Jews", is very appealing. But this title might be considered as misleading by some readers once they have gone through the book. The title is indeed, bold: How, in over 250 pages, can Thomas Cahill pretend to include the many contributions of these people to the world as it is today, and to "the way everyone thinks and feels"?

The book is certainly very much incomplete in that it ignores different aspects of the gifts of the Jews. For example, what is the contribution of the Jews to political ideas in the world? What is precisely their impact on other cultures? What about Israel? What is forgotten? Who is forgotten?

In fact, the book is mostly a History of the Jews and Jewish ideas. If the prospective reader is looking for refreshing his memory or learning about the Hebrew Bible and Jewish history in a nutshell, this is an ideal book. Although the beginning of the book is quite slow, one soon feels inspired and captivated by the story. Some of Thomas Cahill's original ideas prove to be vivid and striking, as for example, the interpretation of the name of God (p.110), the implications of the Jews' invention of monotheism (p.156), as well as the meaning of chosenness of the Jews. Moreover, the book is very beautifully told.

One thing is sure: Neither the title nor the book itself can leave the reader indifferent. This book allows the reader to discover or rediscover the Jewish heritage present in each and everyone of us, whether Jewish or not, from a fresh and modern perspective. After all, the greatest gift of the Jews is their historical legacy, and Thomas Cahill has perfectly understood this.

Nobody should underestimate the contribution of these people to the world as it is today, and to "the way everyone thinks and feels". Anti-Semitism, racism, and intolerance in general proceed from misunderstanding, and hatred but more fundamentally, from an underestimation of all the people's contributions to the World. In other words, from real ignorance. As far as anti-Semitism is concerned, I truly believe that, if only these intolerant people read more (or at all...) on Jewish culture, they could not possibly be anti-Semite anymore.

Besides, Judaism is a religion that highly values reading and studying. The best way to learn about Judaism is thus simply to read and study it. And one book, as this one, "the Gifts of the Jews" by Thomas Cahill, helps.

Finally, the best advice I can give to people desirous of learning more about the subject, is to turn to more substantial works and encyclopaedias to bring the gifts of the Jews to better light. Two books that are for example very inspiring, are "The Lord is My Shepherd" by Harold S. Kushner, and "Judaism For Everyone" by Shmuley Boteach. To learn about Jewish traditions and spiritual practices, the best book, so far as I am concerned, is the "Jewish Book of Why" by Alfred J. Kolatch.

Rating:
Summary: Their History Is Our History
Review: Thomas Cahill's "The Gifts of the Jews" provides an insight into a thousands-year-old civilization that has markedly shaped modern-day Western society. The thought that thousands of years ago a small clan of believers in a mere Voice could have affected the West to the extent that it did is extraordinary.

The Jews separated themselves from their contemporary civilizations such as the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Sumerians in their concept of time: the latter three did not really grasp the idea of time, believing that life was cyclical in nature, while the Jews believed time was linear and that the future was dependent on actions of the present.

The Jews also emphasized the importance of the individual. Other civilizations believed that only the gods could accomplish great feats, emphasizing deference to the gods and a devalued belief in individualism. Jews, while they revered their God (not gods), believed in the inherent worth of each and every human being inasmuch as each is said to have been created in the image of God. Thus Jews believed that every human being should be treated with dignity and that the rich and well-off had an obligation to assist the poor and marginalized. This view of universal equality among humans can be found in our legal system, where the ideal exists that all men are created equal and that no one is above the law.

Regarding law, the foundations of our legal system also trace back to the Jews and the Ten Commandments; although many laws come straight from Rome and Greece, the idea that one should not steal, kill another, or commit adultery came from Mt. Sinai.

Cahill writes about the lives of three famous Hebrews: Abraham (Avram), Moses (Moshe), and David. The personalities of each are quite different (Avram a well-to-do Sumerian who was ready for whatever he encountered, Moshe a humble mediator between God and His people, and David a blithe, likeable politician), yet all of them never lose faith in God, regardless of the misfortunes they are faced with.

Although the Jews saw time as linear, there is indeed a cyclical nature found in their relationship with God. Throughout their history there have been periods where they have deeply placed faith in God and subsequent periods where they have lost faith in God. Such an ebb and flow is an exemplary allegory to life: everyone goes through highs and lows, but one can always be certain of one thing, and this thought comes straight from the Jews: tomorrow the sun will rise.

Rating:
Summary: Gifts or pretext?
Review: Why is 'Western' culture so unlike that of the majority of other societies in the world? Cahill identifies the sources of our culture in ancient Judaism and relates the revolutionary changes the Jews introduced. In a conceptual treatise, he explains how a small band of people departed from their neighbours by revising their view of the universe and themselves. Viewing time as linear instead of cyclical, replacing a pantheon of deities with monotheism, and enhancing individuality are facets of our culture directly contrasted with those who view Nature as the basis of belief.

These new cultural elements violently detached us from nature. We were given the arrogance to ignore natural rules, using 'divine' commands as an excuse to conquer nature and those who worship it. His opening quote from Black Elk represents the view of those displaced by the 'gifts' granted by the Jewish heritage to Christianity. This arrogance is superbly demonstrated by the book's subtitle: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels. Everyone? Or just those who believe that we have a divine grant to subjugate the rest of Nature? This book is an invitation to reflect on who it is we are. That's a question we should ask ourselves from time to time. Gifts doesn't make that query directly, but the implication is strongly felt.

What is the impact of this novel way of thinking about ourselves? For one thing, the linear view of time is the basis for all Western scientific thought. Without such a concept we could never recognize how evolution controls the flow of life. Seeking the mechanics of the Big Bang wouldn't be among our enquiries. We would never have sought an answer to our origins either cosmic or biological. Cahill contends that adopting the new view of time imparted the concept of free will, which allowed us the freedom to pursue such inquiries.

Monotheism is the most significant element in Cahill's account. Countless aspects of our society derive from this innovation. History is replete with accounts of gods who dealt directly with humanity, more often amicably than otherwise. Zeus descends from Olympus, frolicking with the peasant girls. Among the Australian Aborigines, Baiame joins the hunters, sometimes guiding them to game. Other gods play practical jokes, usually as object lessons. Their company was often sought, and while the gods sometimes acted on whim, fear was not the basis of peoples' relationship with their deities. The gods were as often joyful as terrible.

The Jews' god, however, put it point blank: 'I am a jealous god!' In other words, 'I am a petty- minded god concerned with small things!' How much has followed from that dictum? Not only were the Jews forbidden to worship other deities, ultimately it came to mean that no others were permitted to exist. If they manifested themselves, they were to be eliminated. Since the only way a deity can reveal itself is through its followers, those believers must convert or be destroyed. The impact of the global sweep of Judeo-Christian culture over our planet resulting from that one decree remains to be assessed. Cahill describes this imperialism as having 'taken hold in' and being 'subscribed to' by all non-Western societies [p. 250]. He omits mentioning the subscriptions were achieved at gun point and the bill for the subscriptions paid for in human blood.

Those who grizzle about this book not being 'scholarly' clearly have failed to discern its worth. Wrapping up such vast concepts in 290 pages is no mean feat. It is, after all, the foundation of today's Western society he's coping with here. Would this book actually benefit from more citations and a longer bibliography? I doubt it. Perhaps a few of you maligning his efforts should go back and take another look. Cahill's organization and writing ability combine to present the reader a worthy addition to any bookshelf. The only real downside is that it's clear we're going to have to buy the entire series to have the whole story. Not a bad investment for those with children.