A History of the Jewish People

The destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. by the army of Nebuchadrezzar marks a radical turning-point in the life of the people of Jehovah, for then the history of the Hebrew state and monarchy ends, and Jewish history, the record of the experiences, not of a nation but of the scattered, oppressed remnants of the Jewish race, begins. Henceforth, not Judeans and Israelites, but Jews and Samaritans are the chief actors in the great drama which the biblical writings record. This sharp distinction between Hebrew and Jewish history is also based upon the fundamental difference in the life, thought, and religion of the chosen people before and after the great catastrophe of 586 B. c. The transformation was as complete as it was sudden. There was really little in common between the care* less, self-confident Hebrews to whom Amos and Isaiah preached, and the despondent, sin-oppressed Jews to whom Ezekiel and Haggai addressed their stirring appeals...