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Quote by Shlomo Sand

Work

The Invention of the Jewish People

This book delves into the historical and cultural factors that have contributed to the formation of the Jewish identity, examining the evolution of Jewish traditions and beliefs over time. more

Author

Shlomo Sand
Shlomo Sand

Shlomo Sand (born September 10, 1946) is an Israeli historian and professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University. He is best known for his controversial books The Invention of the Jewish People (2008) and The Invention of the Land of Israel (2012), which challenge traditional Jewish national narratives. Born in Linz, Austria, to Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors, Sand moved to Israel in 1948. He studied history at Tel Aviv University and earned his PhD from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. His research focuses on nationalism, historiography, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sand's works have sparked intense debate, with critics accusing him of anti-Zionism, while supporters praise his revisionist approach. He argues that Jewish national identity is a modern construct and calls for rethinking Israel's Jewish character. more

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“I hadn't realized until this week that in [Moses'] youth he killed a man, an Egyptian, and buried him under some sandI used to worry that I wasn't enough like Jesus, but yesterday I remembered who was my king; a man who, when God addressed him and told him to lead the people out of Egypt, said, 'But I'm not a good talker! Couldn't you ask my brother instead?' So it should not be so hard to come at this life with a bit of honesty. I don't need to be great like the leader of the Christian people. I can be a bumbling, murderous coward like the King of the Jews.”