Zeal for Zion: Christians, Jews and the Idea of the Promised LandShalomGoldman. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009.

Abstract

Zeal for Zion: Christians, Jews and the Idea of the Promised Land Shalom Goldman. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2009. There are whole libraries detailing the history of Zionism. Its beginnings in nineteenth-century Europe, its rise under Theodor Herzl in the 1890s, and its development, are well recorded. Shalom Goldman (of Emory University) has asked an intriguing parallel question: Who were the Christian supporters of the idea of a Jewish state over the years? His responses form the body of this book. Goldman's extensive introduction provides important background information on the fertile soil in which Zionism grew. Unfortunately, he neglects the enormous interest in archeology that exploded after the uncovering of the Rosetta Stone and continues today. This was paralleled by a fascination with the Bible among Christian ministers and scholars, leading to textual analysis of the life of Jesus. Regrettably, Goldman ignores these parallel elements. Once the narrative opens, however, Goldman has several fascinating stories to tell. He begins with Lawrence and Alice Oliphant, a wealthy English couple, and their connection to Naftali Herz-Imber, the composer of Hatikvah (the Israeli national anthem). The Oliphants became fascinated by Imber, a chameleonlike figure who traveled back and forth through several cultures. The trio traveled and lived together for several years, a fascinating grouping. Their connection provides a glimpse into the beguiling effect Palestine had on interested Europeans. In Chapter 2 Goldman explores Christian supporters of Theodor Herzl. In particular, it focuses on William Hechler, an Anglican priest who became close to Herzl as political Zionism was forming. Hechler had access to many high-ranking German officials, and was instrumental in Herzl's meetings with many of them. HerzPs failure to gain their support was a serious blow, but Hechler continued to support the program. As a proponent of the Jews' political success as a means for their ultimate conversion to Christianity, he serves as an important link to later Christian-Jewish relations. The first figure in the book to spend extensive time in Palestine is Rev. Herbert Danby, an early Christian supporter of Jewish settlement. Danby served as an Anglican priest in Jerusalem from 1919 to 1936, and provided important support for Jewish culture there. He befriended Joseph Klausner, who asserted forcefully that Jesus was a product of his time; Roman ascendance, the late Second-Temple era and the age of the Talmudic Rabbis. Another friend was the great poet H.N. Bialik, whose work Danby translated and helped make famous. In addition, Danby was a Hebrew scholar; his translation of the Mishnah is still widely used. After returning to Oxford in the 1930s, Danby continued to support Jewish settlement (and eventual independence) and also advocated Christian missionary work in the Holy Land. …