Edwyn Bevan (1870–1943)

That’s “Israel” as in the people. What we have here is a collection of essays from various hands that explores the cultural influence of Jews on the cultures around them over time. It’s very much a cross-party affair with contributors Jewish and Christian. On the whole it’s an interesting and enjoyable read, but not all essays are to the same standard.

I was particularly looking forward to “The Influence of Judaism on Islam”, as I’m interested in both religions. Ironically, this turned out to be the worst of the bunch. It’s full of snide and contemptuous comments about Mohammed and Muslims generally, and the author makes racist comments about Arabs. I also noticed a few factual errors. The fuck? If I wanted to hear this sort of thing I’d go down the pub. Those errors and the hostility made me doubt the truth of a lot of what he was telling me. I did actually consider once or twice if he were deliberately lying. The author was a professor at Durham. That’s a good university.

The antidote to that sort of thing is the very next essay where the Singers are able to discuss the interplay of Judaism and Islam in a completely normal and grown up kind of a way. In fact, the following three essays (two by the Singers and one by no less a personage than G H Box) are particularly good. In a series of thumbnail sketches of writers and their work they trace European history from the pit of the Dark Ages through to the Renaissance. Very interesting to see this sweep of time from a new perspective.

So on the whole worth dipping in to. You’ll definitely learn something and will be able to impress your friends, or your mother, if you don’t have any friends.

There’s also a very good essay on Judaism in the Hellenistic period by Edwyn Bevan that really falls outside the remit of the book, but is the kind of thing you can get away with if you’re the co-editor.

The Epilogue, by C G Montefiore, talks about his hopes and fears for the future of Judaism in Europe. It’s interesting, but not an easy read, looking back on his words from the other side of the Holocaust.… (meer)