A History of Judaism

by Martin Goodman

A panoramic history of Judaism from its origins to the present

Judaism is by some distance the oldest of the three Abrahamic religions. Despite the extraordinarily diverse forms it has taken, the Jewish people have believed themselves bound to God by the same covenant for more than three thousand years. This book explains how Judaism came to be and how it has developed from one age to the next, as well as the ways in which its varieties have related to each other.

A History of Judaism ranges from Judaism's inception amidst polytheistic societies in the second and fi rst millennia, through the Jerusalem Temple cult in the centuries preceding its destruction, to the rabbis, mystics and messiahs of medieval and early modern times and, finally, the many expressions of the modern and contemporary Jewish worlds. Throughout, Martin Goodman shows how Judaism has been made and remade over the millennia by individuals as well as communities, and shaped by the cultures and philosophies in which Jews have been immersed.

It becomes a truly global story, spanning not only the Middle East, Europe and North Africa, but also China, India and America, andone that untangles the threads of doctrinal and philosophical debate running through Judaism's history. Goodman demonstrates that its numerous strains have often adopted incompatible practices and ideas - about the authority of ancestral traditions, the meaning of scripture, the nature of God, the afterlife and the End of Days - but that disagreement has almost always been tolerated without schism.

There have been many histories of the Jewish people but remarkably few attempts to describe the history and evolution of Judaism itself. This panoramic book, the first of its kind in almost seventy years, does glorious justice to the inexhaustible variety of one the world's great religions.

Genres: History, Religion, Judaism, Nonfiction, Jewish, Audiobook, Ancient History

656 pages, Hardcover

First published October 26, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Martin David Goodman is a historian and writer on Roman history and the history of the Jews in the Roman period.

Reviews

[Justin Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done indeed--Goodman's book is structured a little oddly, but once you get used to that (one overview chapter per section followed by a series of deeper dives), there's nothing to hold you back. If, like me, you've got pieces of this history floating around your mind, but no way to organize them, this will give you one way to organize them. I'm particularly impressed that he consciously avoided turning this into an all-roads-lead-to-Auschwitz story, but also doesn't minimize the pogroms and hatred that lead precisely to that camp. This is a long book, but the history is longer, and there are surely pieces missing. Unfortunately, the suggested further readings pages aren't particularly helpful.

[Reid Heller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin Goodman's History of "Judaism" (Judaism! not Jews, not Jewish People) is the finest single volume history of Jews and Judaism I have read to date. I can't compare it to Salo Baron's magisterial Social and Religious History of the Jews, but it belongs on any shelf of superb narrative histories. It synthesizes and distills an enormous body of modern scholarship into a clear and pleasing narrative free of schmaltz and scholarly pilpul. Any work of this kind is by definition incomplete, but the art of writing narrative history is revealed in the selection of representative figures, institutions, controversies and trends that illuminate the era in question. Goodman's work is a lesson in the art of this genre. For those who enjoyed Simon Schama's recent history of the Jews, this book makes accessible a raft of detail that Schama drew from but did not discuss. And it has the distinction of sketching the broad outlines of Jewish thought in each age under examination, with sensible comments about the representative books and ideas. At long last, English readers have a modern, thorough and balanced one volume work to introduce them to the the broad outlines of Jewish history. From this work it is possible to transition directly to Salo Baron's 17 volume work as well as more specialized studies. I repeat, this is an unusually comprehensive, condensed introduction to an encyclopedic subject. Martin Goodman's labors have enriched his subject and by virtue of its accessibility, English letters as well.

[Jeremy Neufeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

A broad-brush survey that had me adding various things to my reading list, which is a good sign. But it’s poorly organized, uneven, and bizarrely weighted. We get absolutely nothing on the origins of Judaism, monolatry, or monotheism (compared to pages about the origins of Christianity). And the diversification since the Middle Ages is given scant treatment, especially relative to antiquity. Disappointing frankly, given the praise.

[Margaret Heller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for Library Journal, and I really liked this one.

[Illiterate · Rating 2 out of 5]

A solid history. I dislike the ideas of a chosen people and jealous god; they encourage racism and intolerance.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sheer scope of this book is incredible. He goes through two thousand years of Judaism developing as a religion. Goodman offers a captivating and accurate narrative. I greatly enjoyed this, although a lot of it was review for me. Would recommend to anyone interested in Jewish history.

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fuck, I wrote 6 paragraphs on this review since my feelings on it are very mixed, and the app crapped out on me and I lost it all. I’m not rewriting all that.

To summarize:
-Author sucks at writing
-Feels more like a collection of details instead of a history book
-But I still learned a lot

[Caleb Ruppert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Astonishingly boring

[gina]

I can't imagine how much of a gargantuan undertaking this must've been for the author, I learnt so much from this!

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As advertised, an exploration into the history of Judaism from the Second Temple Period until the modern day.

The author is very thorough; he begins with Josephus and works through what can be known about Second Temple Judaism, and does not spend much time attempting to ascertain what might have come before it. Over a third of the work is dedicated to this early story.

He then covers Roman and early medieval period, the late medieval period, the early modern era, and we are introduced to the modern era in terms of the movement toward Reform in Germany, and envisioning other modern "denominations" of Judaism as responses to it. Perhaps this understanding is provocative; I do not have the range of understanding of the history of the time to challenge it.

Overall the author does well at keeping to his lane and provides a lot of details. One can tell the author is British; more emphasis is given to Judaism in England than might otherwise be imagined, and one intrusion that is certainly noticeable is his denunciation of the idea that 2TP Jews saw themselves in a kind of exile. OK, he certainly is aware of N.T. Wright's premise, and sufficiently bothered to bring it up, yet never really makes any kind of significant and coherent argument against it beyond a few points which I would imagine Wright and others could easily brush away. Quite odd, really.

Nevertheless, if you're looking for a good primer for the history of Judaism across the Western and Middle Eastern world, this works well.

**--galley received as part of early review program

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a monumental work! I learned so much from this book, though there were sections I skimmed, rather than read thoroughly. It was expertly researched and documented, however, and though it was scholarly in nature, it was still accessible.

It was interesting to me also in the respect that the author is British, rather than American, so there was what I consider a more worldly and broader view.

I would have to say that breaking it down into two volumes might make it more appealing, and less overwhelming, because at 600+ pages, it is quite a tome. Even holding such a heavy book for an hour or more can be daunting.

I'm glad I took the time I did with it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good survey of Jewish history through the lens of Judaism qua religion. Spends ~30% of the book in antiquity which is definitely too much. Overall was mostly old news for me, but is pretty comprehensive. There were a few points where it felt like he was taking the view of a specific chronicler (i.e Josephus or one of the Sabbatean prophets) rather than a more objective view. I think I would have wanted more of a community and networks analysis in some places (i.e. what does it mean to have an Ashkenazic and Sephardic community together in Amsterdam).

Overall its a good survey book. One volume. Not bad

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its sweep encompasses enough that you will feel grounded - given a framework for further inquiry and the means to test that framework. The depth of treatment given to Judaism in the antique period is not matched in the contemporary world, with particularly thin treatment of non-European Judaism after the middle ages. But very worthwhile.

[Benjamin Siegel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An gripping, superlative read as far as antiquity to the medieval world are concerned, but he really phones in the early modern and modern.

[Andrew Canfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A History of Judaism provides an excellent three thousand plus year tour through the development of one of the world’s most ancient religions.

The early portion explains how Judaism came to be within the context of polytheistic near and Middle Eastern religions. Historian Martin Goodman, who is a British professor with an expertise in Jewish and Roman Empire history, primarily keeps the focus on the religious and ritualistic aspects of Judaism.

The mysticism of Jewish sects like the Essenes and their time in the West Bank settlement of Qumran during the Second Temple Period is analyzed. Other sects, like the Pharisees and Sadducees, are also compared and contrasted thanks to Goodman’s sharp eye for historical detail.

The Dead Sea scrolls and the writings of Josephus are leaned on in the narrative as Goodman presents the story of a religion which had elements both apocryphal and highly ritualistic wound in its foundational years.

As might be expected, Semitic founding fathers like Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon, play key roles early on in The History of Judaism. The author shows himself adept at weaving together the important individuals into a storyline which never becomes excessively bogged down with marginalia.

The origins of the Talmud and Torah as well as the history of sacrifices of the Temple in Jerusalem all come under the microscope of Goodman’s literary study. The intersection of Hellenistic culture and Judaism as well as the ministry of Jesus and Paul of Tarsus’s attempts to convert Gentiles make for some interesting reading as the book goes on.

The destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in AD 70, the Bar Kohlba revolt against localized Roman rule in the 130s, and the rise of Islam provide contexts for looking at the evolution of Judaism in the first millennia.

If this seems like a lot to cover in a single volume, it really is. Goodman does yeoman’s work and tries to put three thousand years into several hundred pages, but it would have been better served broken up into multiple volumes.

The antirabinnical Jew Anan ben David’s reforms in the eighth century resulted in the formation of the Karaite branch of the faith. These sorts of schisms and disagreements, inherent in nearly all religions, are explained in a pretty straightforward manner by Goodman’s prose.

Ashkenazi Judaism, Hasidism, the Kabbalah mystical Jewish movement; the origins of these are covered in the confines of this book.

Even the reforms of comparatively more recent Jewish thinkers like Moses Mendelssohn are featured.

The book runs through the establishment of Israel in the timeframe after the Holocaust, looking at the efforts of Jewish leaders to help make this hope a reality.

These contexts allow for the current divisions of Judaism between Reform and Orthodox to become better understand in all of their nuances.

This book is such a superb resource of Judaism’s varying branches and elements. It sheds light on figures both well-known and more obscure, creating a rich portrait of a religion built on an over three millennia foundation.

-Andrew Canfield Denver, Colorado

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd assume that just about everyone who would pick up this book are at least vaguely familiar with the current divisions between Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and ultra-Orthodox Jews. And perhaps a bit confused about the added layer of Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrachi Jews. But maybe couldn't say where the various denominations came from, how long they've been around, and what happened in between the Talmudic sages and modern times.

The book starts in the first century, with the writings of Josephus, and great characters like Herod, Hillel, and Shammai. We learn about the Sadducees and the Pharisees, and a third contemporary group called the Essenes, of Dead Sea Scroll fame. And let's not forget the Samaritans, and the early Christians. Then the temple is sacked, the people exiled, Rome falls, the Talmud is written, the Arabs invade, and suddenly we're in medieval Europe, with Rashi and Maimonides, then on to the Kabbalists, the Enlightenment, the centuries long effort to codify the Halakha, before finally arriving at modern times.

In every age we see that there various groups with different interpretations, different approaches, and different traditions. So the current fissures between various Hasidic sects, what to do about women and gay people, and attitudes towards Israel are nothing new, just further complicated by things like the Internet. Seeing what changed over time and what stayed constant provides some insight into how the religion adapted to its surrounding, including influences from its Muslim and Christian neighbours.

I would have liked a bit more examination of not just the 'what' but also the 'how' and 'why' the Jews managed to retain their heritage, in scattered communities, usually a poor and oppressed minority. I know it was already a lot just to describe the major trends, but it just made me more curious to understand why some of the things happened the way they did. The book also largely treats Judaism as a religion, and aside from a few mentions doesn't really embrace the notion of the Jewish People as a nationality. But it's already a long book and covers a ton of material, so I really can't complain too much that it didn't focus more on my own particular interests.

[Michael G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, long slog through the history of Judaism (not the Jews). The first third is especially interesting, given so much of it aligns with what I have learnt as a Christian. Indeed the interplay between Christianity and Judaism is an enduring theme through the whole book. Christianity starts (arguably) as an ‘offshoot’ of Judaism, but as time goes on there is much reverse borrowing. And it is very interesting that a significant proportion of the sources of Jewish practice around the time of Christ are Christian. Worthwhile if you’re up for the slog. First part of the book better than the rest.

[Pesach Feldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't exactly a comprehensive history of Judaism; rather, it primarily retells Josephus's narrative during the late Second Temple period. The next two thousand years are swiftly skimmed, though it does touch upon intriguing and often overlooked tidbits lost in time. For instance, it explores the emergence and significance of Karaite Judaism. However, it lacks the sustained pacing and breadth found in Paul Johnson's "A History of the Jews" and doesn't delve deeply into the genius of its subject matter. Nevertheless, as an introduction to Josephus's writing, it's fantastic.

[Lysandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This does not read as a history book, but more as a well-developed and detailed research, each historical statement being backed up by several (or at the very least two) reliable and heavily verified sources. I have enjoyed the proper objectivity of this research, as it had provided me, as a reader with minimal knowledge of the topic at hand, with information which is never taken with any gram of subjectivity, thus relating to me events and facts as they actually happened and educating me regarding Judaism from scratch. Very good from an empirical standpoint.

[Nathan Lyubarsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found that this book spent way too much time on irrelevant information. It felt like hours were spent on the most minor and irrelevant Jewish sects. It is although an American history book were to spent 20% of the time on the shakers and Oneida communities. Almost no time was spent covering narratives of rabbis, and the author came at it from a strictly scholarly approach, unfitting given his background as an Orthodox Jew. I may return to this book at some given point in the future, and if I do I will modify this review.

[Dan Nuxoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a history of Jewish practice and thought. It is not a history of the Jewish people. However, each major section begins with a chapter that discusses the major political and social developments that formed the context for Judaism.

This book deals mostly with Judaism over the past two millennia. Given its scope, it is remarkably detailed. I could have used a summary at the end of each chapter to put the mass of detail in perspective.

[Noah]

I read half of this book. It's an academic history of Judaism, not of Jews. I thought I would be more interested in it that I was, partially because there's a lot of conjecture about early Judaism that's almost entirely reliant on one source, Josephus, and partially because the ins and outs of Judaic law can be pretty dull, at least to me. I might try out the Schama history at some point. Hopefully, it will bring Jewish history and belief to more life for me.

[Marie French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin makes some assumptions that I can’t agree with, but it is good to get the actual information he presents.

For example, he says how Josephus illogically says that David was a man of unsurpassed wealth earlier in his text, but then his son surpassed his wealth later on. I would assume that Josephus meant that up to that time no one had surpassed David’s wealth. sometimes it is necessary to understand one’s meaning and stop asking for every i to be dotted and t to be crossed.

[Ash]

I pitched a little above my knowledge level here but really interesting. First few chapters an interesting contrast to Mesopotamian sources. Discussion of the struggle of Judaism to become one with statehood particularly interesting - that Judaism has historically been something operating separately from government, or at lesat for the time the temple has been destroyed. Also just how quickly American Jews went from anti-Zionist to Zionist with mass emigration in the early 1900s.

[Jose Guilherme Giocondo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has the potential to be truly excellent. It could benefit from the inclusion of maps and a clearer, more organized structure. However, the writing is deeply disappointing. The narrative is confusing and relies excessively on Josephus as its primary source. It is unfortunate that a subject as rich and significant as the history of Judaism is presented in such a disorganized and messy manner.

[Guillaume Lapointe-Gagner]

Can't really give this a star rating. Read more like a textbook than a casual read on Judaism - that is to say, it was super dense and difficult to get through. It was also more a history of the religion (i.e. different branching sects of Judaism and interpretations) rather than a history of the Jewish people, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

[Justin Wheaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very great and detailed description of Jewish history from the beginning to today. A must read for any student of Jewish history or theology, or someone who just wants to find out more about the Jewish history. My favorite section was the descriptions of the many different Jewish groups (more than you think) during the Second Temple period.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is purely religious history, so the "judaism" in the title is accurate. i was expecting it to be more generally about jewish history but once i'd reorientated myself it was impeccable, if exhausting. how does goodman tackle covering such a long and complicated subject in a single volume? simply by writing one of the densest books i've ever read

[Alexander Sperber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice history of Judaism, but some parts of the book are clearly stronger than others. Martin is at his best explaining Second Temple Judaism and all of its constituent parts. I also very much enjoyed his discussion of Judaism in late antiquity. His take on more recent history; however; reads more like a breezy survey. Overall; though, I would certainly recommend the book.

[Jill Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a scholar of Judaism, so it was a pretty good overview. If you've already read Josephus recently, it might be too repetitive. I listened to it as an audiobook, which is probably weird for a book of this nature, but I really enjoyed it. The section about Shabbetai Tzevi was entertaining. I yelled, "What????" out loud over and over as his hijinks continued.