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Rome and Jerusalem a Study in Jewish Nationalism
""Rome and A Study in Jewish Nationalism"" is a book written by Moses Hess that explores the historical and political relationship between the Jews and the Romans. The book is divided into two the first part discusses the political and economic situation of the Jews in Rome, while the second part focuses on the development of Jewish nationalism and the idea of a Jewish state in Palestine. Hess argues that the Jews have a unique national identity and that they should have their own homeland. He also discusses the importance of Zionism and the role it could play in promoting Jewish unity and national pride. The book is considered a seminal work in the development of Jewish nationalism and has had a significant impact on the Zionist movement. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Jewish nationalism and the development of the Jewish state.1918. Moses Hess, a fascinating 19th-century German Jewish intellectual figure, was at times religious and secular, traditional and modern, practical and theoretical, socialist and nationalist. He was responsible for converting Engels to communism, and he early introduced Marx to social and economic problems. In Rome and Jerusalem, he imagines a new Jewry, one progressive and traditional, religious and socialist, nationalist and humanitarian. Hess also declared that the freeing and uniting of humanity was the mission of the Jewish people and urged the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
268 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1862
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About the author
Moses Hess
40 books16 followersMoses Hess was a Jewish philosopher and socialist, and one of the founders of Labor Zionism. Hess was notably a friend and collaborator of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Hess converted Engels to Communism, and introduced Marx to social and economic problems.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 24, 2011
This is an interesting exercise in proto-Zionism (published in 1862), particularly as seeing it promotes the undercurrents of Jewish Nationalism which become a pillar of Zionist ideology in the late 1880s and beyond. It certainly speaks to modern historical analysis which concludes that a large obstacle for encouraging Jewish nationalist ideology is the division between Reformers (particularly in the Occident) and Orthodox (particularly in what Hess refers to as those countries between the Orient and Occident, such as Russia, Poland, Turkey, etc). Hess also attempts to tie in Jewish nationalism through a historical linear progression, using examples from antiquity and Talmudic prooftexts, as well as placing the discussion of a national homeland as a natural progression from Spinozian thought (which is in itself quite interesting--and problematic--I believe).
All in all, a must read for any historian of Zionism. Short, easy and accessible (in translation).
All in all, a must read for any historian of Zionism. Short, easy and accessible (in translation).
September 25, 2025
Moses Hess’s Rome and Jerusalem: The Last National Question (1862) occupies a pivotal place in the intellectual prehistory of modern Zionism. Written at a moment when Jewish assimilation into European society seemed both possible and desirable to many, Hess’s work offered a forceful counterpoint: the insistence that Jewish emancipation could not be achieved through cultural integration alone, but required national restoration in Palestine. Often overshadowed by later figures such as Theodor Herzl, Hess nevertheless articulated ideas that anticipated many of the central tenets of political Zionism.
At its core, the book is a polemical intervention in the debates surrounding Jewish emancipation in nineteenth-century Europe. Hess, once associated with the Young Hegelians and an early influence on Marx and Engels, had long championed socialist and universalist causes. Yet in Rome and Jerusalem he confronted what he perceived as the limits of assimilationist liberalism. The “Jewish question,” he argued, could not be resolved within the framework of European nation-states. Antisemitism was not merely a residual prejudice but a structural barrier to Jewish equality. As long as Jews remained dispersed, they would continue to be perceived as outsiders.
The titular opposition between Rome and Jerusalem encapsulates Hess’s analysis of Western civilization. Rome symbolizes materialism, imperialism, and assimilation into the homogenizing culture of Europe; Jerusalem represents spiritual renewal, moral integrity, and the national rebirth of the Jewish people. This symbolic dichotomy frames Hess’s rejection of both cosmopolitan universalism and mere religious identity in favor of a secular yet national Jewish existence. For Hess, Judaism was not simply a faith but a peoplehood, defined by shared history and culture rather than belief alone.
Hess’s vision of Jewish national revival was distinctly modern. While he rejected purely religious messianism, he nevertheless infused his arguments with a quasi-messianic historical optimism. The restoration of Jews to Palestine would not only resolve their status as a “nation without a homeland” but also contribute to a broader moral regeneration of humanity. His commitment to socialism remained intact, yet he argued that socialism without national self-determination risked abstract utopianism. Thus, the “last national question” was the Jewish one, whose resolution would bring about a more just global order.
The text is also marked by a tension between historical realism and idealism. On the one hand, Hess recognized the material conditions that shaped Jewish life in Europe and the political obstacles to national restoration. On the other, his confidence in the redemptive power of Jewish renewal often transcends pragmatic considerations. Unlike Herzl, who emphasized diplomatic and political strategy, Hess’s program was more prophetic, grounded in a philosophy of history rather than practical politics.
The significance of Rome and Jerusalem lies less in its immediate impact—contemporaries largely ignored it—than in its later reception. By the end of the nineteenth century, as antisemitism intensified and Zionist movements gained momentum, Hess’s arguments were rediscovered and retrospectively canonized as a precursor to Zionist thought. His insistence on the interdependence of nationalism and socialism also foreshadowed currents within Labor Zionism in the twentieth century.
From an academic standpoint, Rome and Jerusalem is best read as a transitional work that reflects the intellectual dilemmas of its time: the crisis of liberal emancipation, the persistence of antisemitism, and the broader nineteenth-century debates over nationhood. Its combination of philosophical reflection, historical analysis, and visionary rhetoric makes it less a systematic treatise than a manifesto. Yet in its prescient articulation of Jewish nationhood, it remains a crucial text for understanding both the emergence of Zionist thought and the entanglement of nationalism, religion, and socialism in modern Jewish intellectual history.
Moses Hess’s Rome and Jerusalem is an indispensable work for scholars of Jewish thought, nationalism, and political philosophy. Though overshadowed by Herzl’s Der Judenstaat, its anticipatory insights into the necessity of Jewish national revival underscore its enduring significance. Hess’s synthesis of socialist ideals and national particularism highlights the complexity of nineteenth-century Jewish responses to modernity, and his vision continues to provoke reflection on the relationship between universal emancipation and cultural particularity.
GPT
At its core, the book is a polemical intervention in the debates surrounding Jewish emancipation in nineteenth-century Europe. Hess, once associated with the Young Hegelians and an early influence on Marx and Engels, had long championed socialist and universalist causes. Yet in Rome and Jerusalem he confronted what he perceived as the limits of assimilationist liberalism. The “Jewish question,” he argued, could not be resolved within the framework of European nation-states. Antisemitism was not merely a residual prejudice but a structural barrier to Jewish equality. As long as Jews remained dispersed, they would continue to be perceived as outsiders.
The titular opposition between Rome and Jerusalem encapsulates Hess’s analysis of Western civilization. Rome symbolizes materialism, imperialism, and assimilation into the homogenizing culture of Europe; Jerusalem represents spiritual renewal, moral integrity, and the national rebirth of the Jewish people. This symbolic dichotomy frames Hess’s rejection of both cosmopolitan universalism and mere religious identity in favor of a secular yet national Jewish existence. For Hess, Judaism was not simply a faith but a peoplehood, defined by shared history and culture rather than belief alone.
Hess’s vision of Jewish national revival was distinctly modern. While he rejected purely religious messianism, he nevertheless infused his arguments with a quasi-messianic historical optimism. The restoration of Jews to Palestine would not only resolve their status as a “nation without a homeland” but also contribute to a broader moral regeneration of humanity. His commitment to socialism remained intact, yet he argued that socialism without national self-determination risked abstract utopianism. Thus, the “last national question” was the Jewish one, whose resolution would bring about a more just global order.
The text is also marked by a tension between historical realism and idealism. On the one hand, Hess recognized the material conditions that shaped Jewish life in Europe and the political obstacles to national restoration. On the other, his confidence in the redemptive power of Jewish renewal often transcends pragmatic considerations. Unlike Herzl, who emphasized diplomatic and political strategy, Hess’s program was more prophetic, grounded in a philosophy of history rather than practical politics.
The significance of Rome and Jerusalem lies less in its immediate impact—contemporaries largely ignored it—than in its later reception. By the end of the nineteenth century, as antisemitism intensified and Zionist movements gained momentum, Hess’s arguments were rediscovered and retrospectively canonized as a precursor to Zionist thought. His insistence on the interdependence of nationalism and socialism also foreshadowed currents within Labor Zionism in the twentieth century.
From an academic standpoint, Rome and Jerusalem is best read as a transitional work that reflects the intellectual dilemmas of its time: the crisis of liberal emancipation, the persistence of antisemitism, and the broader nineteenth-century debates over nationhood. Its combination of philosophical reflection, historical analysis, and visionary rhetoric makes it less a systematic treatise than a manifesto. Yet in its prescient articulation of Jewish nationhood, it remains a crucial text for understanding both the emergence of Zionist thought and the entanglement of nationalism, religion, and socialism in modern Jewish intellectual history.
Moses Hess’s Rome and Jerusalem is an indispensable work for scholars of Jewish thought, nationalism, and political philosophy. Though overshadowed by Herzl’s Der Judenstaat, its anticipatory insights into the necessity of Jewish national revival underscore its enduring significance. Hess’s synthesis of socialist ideals and national particularism highlights the complexity of nineteenth-century Jewish responses to modernity, and his vision continues to provoke reflection on the relationship between universal emancipation and cultural particularity.
GPT
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May 9, 2025wat blijkt, zelf in 1862 had het Zionisme al een fascistoïde karakter
September 2, 2020
Letters written by Moses Hess on the idea of a Jewish nationalism: Jews becoming their own nation instead of being loose groupings divided by geography and different forms of Judaism and calls for the colonization of Palestine by jews.
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March 25, 2013Read to help me with an essay-in-progress.
January 18, 2024
This is pretty much the opposite of Herzl’s ‘Judenstaat’. Though often touted along with Pinsker’s ‘Auto Emancipation’ as a key text of proto-Zionism, whereas Herzl’s book is a detailed, practical guide to creating a Jewish colony in Palestine, Hess’s ‘Rome and Jerusalem’ is a rambling, unfocused and mostly theoretical work. Frankly I found it a bit of a slog and it felt longer than it’s scanty 200 odd pages of large print text.
The core of the book consists of 12 letters written to an unknown recipient. While each one usually has a dominant theme, there are multiple tangents as Hess careens about from philosophical speculation, thoughts on the contemporary politics of Germany, biblical exegesis, personal anecdote and his views on racial science (sorry folks, Hess was pretty 19th century in this regard). The actual founding of a Jewish state in Palestine is only covered directly and explicitly in the penultimate letter, and even here Hess mostly just quotes from other Zionist thinkers such as Ernest Laharanne rather than add anything new of his own.
This is followed by an epilogue, which is in fact almost as long as the letter section. The content is similar, albeit more clearly focussed. There are then some pages of notes - amusingly the translator (Meyer Waxman) has heavily abridged a section of Hess’s musings on germ theory and atoms as being “too abstruse to reproduce in its entirety.”
In the translator’s introduction Waxman calls ‘Rome and Jerusalem’ a ‘book for all time,’ as opposed to a book of the hour. I would have to disagree. Had the Zionist project not being so successful in the 20th century I doubt this book would be remembered at all today, outside of circles interested in the arcane byways of Judaica or Marxism (Hess was friends with Marx and Engels). is only that success, and it’s consequences for regional and global geopolitics, that likely lead people to read this work, seeking, as I do, to better understand the deep roots of the seemingly intractable Israel/Palestine issue.
The core of the book consists of 12 letters written to an unknown recipient. While each one usually has a dominant theme, there are multiple tangents as Hess careens about from philosophical speculation, thoughts on the contemporary politics of Germany, biblical exegesis, personal anecdote and his views on racial science (sorry folks, Hess was pretty 19th century in this regard). The actual founding of a Jewish state in Palestine is only covered directly and explicitly in the penultimate letter, and even here Hess mostly just quotes from other Zionist thinkers such as Ernest Laharanne rather than add anything new of his own.
This is followed by an epilogue, which is in fact almost as long as the letter section. The content is similar, albeit more clearly focussed. There are then some pages of notes - amusingly the translator (Meyer Waxman) has heavily abridged a section of Hess’s musings on germ theory and atoms as being “too abstruse to reproduce in its entirety.”
In the translator’s introduction Waxman calls ‘Rome and Jerusalem’ a ‘book for all time,’ as opposed to a book of the hour. I would have to disagree. Had the Zionist project not being so successful in the 20th century I doubt this book would be remembered at all today, outside of circles interested in the arcane byways of Judaica or Marxism (Hess was friends with Marx and Engels). is only that success, and it’s consequences for regional and global geopolitics, that likely lead people to read this work, seeking, as I do, to better understand the deep roots of the seemingly intractable Israel/Palestine issue.
April 22, 2025
An interesting read from one of the earliest intellectuals to argue for a Jewish state and a "regeneration of the Jewish nation".
July 26, 2025
“Know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.”
Was certainly enlightening
Was certainly enlightening
October 18, 2016
This book has changed my life, about the understanding of my collective jewish identity...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews