The Book of Genesis
10
gathered the essential study
learn
to
lines,
and get
at
Jewish
of
facts
carefully,
think
We
history.
deeply,
We
the hidden truths beneath.
must
between
read
the
must ask
ourselves constantly, wdio were the authors of these narra-
from wdiat sources did they draw their material, for what i)urposes did they write, what was their conception of Jewish history and of Judaism, and how can we best put ourselves into their frame of mind, so that we may interpret tives,
waitings,
their
and less
not,
fantastically,
as
is
so
frequently
reading into them
all
done,
haphazardly
manner
of ground-
conjectures and wild vagaries, but soberly, constructively,
and Jewishly, as they meant them to be interpreted. Above all, we must never forget that history, true history, is primarily the record of the thoughts, ambitions, and ideals of a people finding concrete expression in
its daily life. Thereunderstand the history of even the early Biblical period we need to do more than to merely acquaint our-
to
fore,
selves with
the contents of
The Prophets and
the so-called
Holy Writings,
the
Historical
which
Books.
mirror
so
or at least
and aspirations of the people, of their religious leaders, must be studied and
understood
in
faithfully the thoughts, beliefs,
With the and
difficult,
equal measure. later periods
this
task becomes
more complex
yet not one wdiit less imperative.
Israel's
tory after the close of the early Biblical period the chronicle of a nation's achievements than
his-
far less
the sad, yet
record of a people's sufferings, thoughts, aspira-
inspiring, tions,
is
and
beliefs, finding
literature.
It
heroes, hui
it
takes
has
expression in a vast and diversified
little
much
account of deeds of warriors and
tell of rabbis, teachers, and thinkand of the thoughts they conceived, and the interpretation they gave to Judaism as the result of much thinking and deep and broad experience. The true key then to
to
ers,
Israel's
Exile
is
history in
all
the periods
following the Babylonian
rather the appreciation of what
we might
call
the
