NB: Murders not obligatory!
I recently read “Under the Banner of Heaven” and liked that I was able to come out of it with an understanding for the evolution of the Mormon faith and its various sects. I am a secular Jew by birth, but relatively uninformed of the religion’s history and traditions. I’m wondering if anyone can recommend any books that provide a similar sort of overarching background, but for Judaism instead! Of course, Judaism has been around just a smidge longer than Mormonism ;P so I realize that a search for a concise history may be doomed from the start.
Touchy subject, but I am not particularly interested in, let call it… propaganda. The subject of the Jewish homeland especially carries a lot of baggage, and I am seeking as unbiased a perspective as possible in that regard. (I appreciated that Krakauer was extremely well researched, but not himself involved with the Mormonism.)
by MagicUnicornFairy
1 Comment
The Story of the Jews by Simon Schama is about the history and evolution of Jewish thought and tradition. It’s a multi-volume work, but very readable. He also hosts the BBC/PBS miniseries of the same title.
I’m suggesting it per your description of wanting to learn about history and traditions. I would not compare it to Under the Banner of Heaven, as that book focuses on a murder case and other crimes for much of the narrative. Banner has the tone of an exposé, whereas Schama’s work is scholarly in tone.
Schama is Jewish, but is often described as “not particularly religious.”