A Psychoanalytic History of the Jews

Front Cover
Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 1996 - 850 pages
A Psychoanalytic History of the Jews is an interdisciplinary rewriting and reinterpretation of four thousand years of Jewish history. It integrates insights from history, archaeology, biblical scholarship, anthropology, sociology and Jewish studies with those of psychoanalysis to achieve a deep understanding of Jewish history. The main thrust of this work is the application of psychoanalytic insight to Jewish history. This includes the evolution of the Hebrew religion as a projective response to the inner conflicts produced by the human family; the sociopsychological development of the Israelite kingdoms in Canaan; the fascinating duality of Jewish life in the "Diaspora"; and the emotional ties of the Jews to their idealized motherland from the Babylonian exile to modern political Zionism.

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Contents

Franks and Saracens
384
Servi Camerae Nostrae
398
Mysticism and Union with the Mother
412
Crusaders and Kabbalists
429
Transgressions and Fantasies
444
Adapting to Annihilation
453
Strategies of Psychological Survival
466
Disputations and Inquisitions
485

Judges Prophets and Kings
103
The ShortLived Union
115
YahwehEl versus Baal
128
The Personal Roots of Religious Revolution
141
Tragic Queens
154
National Suicide
166
Psychotic Prophets?
179
Family versus Nation
191
Egyptians Greeks and Other Jews
205
The Myth of Maccabean Independence
226
Civil War in Judaea
240
Jews Greeks and Other Romans
252
The Tragedy of Herod the Great
263
Prelude to Christianity
276
Christianity as Rebirth Fantasy
289
Zealous Jewish SelfDestruction
299
Messianism and the Inability to Mourn
311
Jewish Mysticism and Martyrdom
325
Living in the Past
341
Franks and Jews
357
Arabs Muslims and Jews
371
Inquisitors and Messiahs
507
Jewish Renaissance
519
Jews Witches and the Devil
532
Slavs Balts and Other Jews
543
Mystical Messiahs and Fanatical Followers
560
Pietists and Saints
574
Napoléon and the Jews
589
Revolution and Liberalization
599
The Battle for the Jewish Self
615
German Light Russian Darkness
632
The Golden Land
654
The Land of Zion
667
Zionists Arabs and AntiSemites
682
TwentiethCentury Hebrews
688
Holocaust
703
Israeli Paradoxes
722
Bibliography
729
Index of Names
794
Index of Subjects
823
Copyright

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Page 63 - And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh ; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day 15 breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Page 71 - And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
Page 87 - And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
Page 87 - And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud ; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Page 695 - His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.
Page 67 - Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee : and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great ; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee : and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Page 338 - Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
Page 194 - Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low : and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Page 104 - Zeboim toward the wilderness. (Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:" but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.
Page 291 - Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: (for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;) being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood...

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