The true Israel :uses of the names Jew, Hebrew and Israel in ancient Jewish literature

Abstract

1. It is often asserted that the phrase "True Israel" sums up the interests and aims of any group within ancient Judaism. This thesis examines the extant literature of the period to determine whether this reflects the actual situation. Its approach is to examine the associations of "Israel" together with those of the two most closely related terms, "Jew" and "Hebrew". Only these three terms were used to describe the people in all Jewish literature. 2. "Jew" is primarily associated with Judah and Jerusalem whether those so labelled live in Palestine or elsewhere. Additional associations given to the name depend on views of what has happened in the region and especially in Jerusalem. 3. "Hebrew" occurs less frequently than the other two terms and was conventionally associated with conservatism or traditional values. Links with Abraham are central to this association. "Hebrew" was especially used by those who wished to appear conservative rather than innovative. 4. "Israel" is not associated with a perfect community (even in the phrase "the God of Israel"). It is most commonly the name of an audience a writer wishes to convince or convert. It labels every generation of the people's history and refers to both "good" and "bad". The "true Israel" of ancient Judaisms is not a "pure Israel".