Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/26

 The Book of Genesis

8 narrative.

A

moment's thought should show the incorrectJewish history is more than the chronfew events, all embraced in one short epoch, and

ness of this belief. of a

icle all

recorded

in

during

years,

one book. which its

It

extends over several thousand

fortunes

were

most

varied

and

complex.

Jewish history

may

be divided into seven ])eriods, (I) the

(586 B. C),

early Biblical period, to the Babylonian Exile

(II) the late Biblical period, to the destruction of the ple by the

Romans (70

C. E.),

(HI)

decadence of the Jewish schools

to the

Tem-

the Palestinian period, in

Palestine

(about

(IV) the Eastern period, when the center of Jewnsh life was in Babylon (until about 1000 C. E.), (V) the early European period, wdien the center of Jewish life had shifted, across Egypt and northern Africa, to southern and western Europe (until the expulsion from Spain, 1492 C. E.), (VI) the late European or Ghetto period, w^ien the center of Jewish life had once more shifted, this time to 375 C. E.),

Europe, a period characterized largely by enforced

central

peculiar and far-reaching influences

Ghetto existence with

its

(approximately to the

first

quarter of the 19th century), and

(VII) the modern period.

In

each of these vast periods

Judaism was developing, expanding, adapting itself to new life and thought, contributing its share, and more than its share, to the spiritual progress of mankind. To know Judaism aright w^e must know something of its history in each of these periods. ^'et

proves that

we can that

it is

not teach

Judaism

is

for adults, too,

all

this in the religions school.

This merely

more than a religion for children alone, and must be studied by them as well as by

Our present Jewish religious school, reaching children The time can not complete the task of teaching Judaism. must come when our men and women will seek knowledge of Judaism, not only for their little ones, but for themselves as well. Heretofore our schools have dealt with but little more than the

children. alone,

early

Biblical

period.

I'ut,

as

has

been

said,

it

is

impossible

to