犹太人的历史观

1犹太人的历史观旧约的历史又是如何体现“超自然”世界中的神与“自然”世界、人类社会中的人之间的从属、互动的动态关系。以divinehistory与希伯来民族与以色列国家的humane历史的缠结中如何来认识“神性”与“人性”的原型呢？旧约可以看作希伯来文明以想像与信仰构建的一部神与人关系的史诗，并与历史上自己民族、国家的历史结合起来，以神性观照人性、叙述历史，实现真理的伦理意义。美国BrandeisUniversity校长AbramLeonSachar博士在其《犹太人史》(AHistoryoftheJews)中对“希伯来主义”（Hebraism）做出了准确概括：TheHebrewstressedrelianceuponanomnipotentGodandconformitytoadivinelysanctionedmorallaw;hewasessentiallyserious,restrained,willingtorecognizehisfinitelimitations.ToseekGodwastheultimatewisdom,tofollowHispreceptstheultimatevirtue.TheHebrewwasinclinedtomysticism;heacceptedthemorallawandwouldnotgobeyondit.TheultimateideawiththeHebrewwasconductandobedienceandtheHebrewbelievedinthebeautyofholiness(MathewArnold)HistoryoftherelationshipbetweenmanandGodCollectionofdocumentsinIsraellaws旧约的历史叙述旧约分“申命派”与“祭司派”两种不同史观TheDeuteronomistJoshuaJudges1Samuel2Samuel1Kings2KingsThePriestercodex1Chronicles2ChroniclesEzraNehemiah2ThehistorynarratedbytheSchoolofDeuteronomyTheconquerofCanaanbyJoshuabythewillofMosesThecombatagainstslaverybytheJudgesThegreatdeedsbyKingSaul,DavidandSolomonfortheestablishmentofancientIsraelTheNorthandSouthKingdoms:IsraelandJudahThefallofIsraelandJudahbyAssyriaandBabylonEmpiresThehistorynarratedbytheSchoolofthePriestercodexParallelpriestlynarrativeswiththeBookofLawandthehistorytoldbytheSchoolofDeuteronomyCombiningGenesiswithhistoryofIsraelExtendedtotheperiodofreligiousrevivalledbyNehemiahandEzra:theendofthehistoricalnarrativesoftheOldTestamentThefeaturesoftheIsraelhistoricalnarrativesHistoricalaccountsservingthepurposeofreligionGodoverkingsasprotagonistofthenarrativesProphetsbetweenGodandpeopleDemocracyTheologicalparadigm:Disobedience–Punishment–Appeal–SalvationTheplotoftheDeuteronomists:FromMosesbeforedeathattheeastbankofJordanRivertotheconquerofCanaananddivisionofthepromisedland(“Joshua”);fightingagainstattacksfromothertribesatCanaan(“Judges”);theestablishmentofIsraelbythekingsofSaul,DavidandSolomon(“Samuel”),andsplitintoNorthandSouth:IsraelandJudahandfallattheinvasionofAssyriaandBabylonEmpires(“Kings”).ThecharacterizationandstylesintheDeuteronomistsDeuteronomist:Jewishtheologians,literarywritersandhistorianscomposedaround621BCduringthereignofKingJosiah(onreligiousreform)FocusonthecovenantwithGod(therightunderstandingof约):atheologically-basedhistoryStylisticfeatures:strongreligiousandmonitorycolorsandcombinednarrativeandexpositorystylesofwritingCharacterization:Godasaperfectprotagonistandflawedhumanbeings(evenbetweenGodandMan,suchasjudgesandkings)Samsonandwomen;DavidandthewifeandNabal;Solomonandthetemplesforothergods…Epicsofheroes:judgesandkings;narrativesanddescriptionsofwarsandthegrandhistoryofIsraelites3StoriesintheOldTestamentandepicsandmythologistsSimilaroraltraditionsinGreekmythologies:HomerepicsofOdysseyandIliadEpicsinmuchlaterestablishedEuropeannations:England,FranceandothernationalepicsOraltraditionsandcollectiveunconsciousnessasprototypesfortheWesternliteratureandcultureHebrewhistoryastheologicaldemonstrationsforJudaismandChristianity:anational,symbolicandbiblicalreadingofthehistoryoftheJewsAcapsuleofthehistoryoftheJewsattimeofthebiblicalaccountsTheoriginsoftheHebrewsTheHebrewsenterPalestineGrowthofnationalconsciousnessAhousedividedbyitselfTheprophets:thelivingHebrewconscienceTheriseofJudaismMeetingofHellenismandHebraismTheendofJewishstateTheriseofChristianity（Fordetails,pleaserefertoPartOneofAHistoryoftheJewsbyDr.Sachar,andwe’llcoverthemwhenreadingbooksspecific.）历史对于犹太教的意义HustonSmith在其《世界的宗教》（TheWorld’sReligions）一书中认为历史的意义讨论对于犹太教意义重大。HustonSmith认为在追寻“现实的秩序”（orderofreality）中，最重要的是解读“流动的事件”，也就是历史。亚里斯多德在比较历史与诗歌的不同是，也强调历史是对已发生事件的描述。按此历史观念理解，印度教追求超越感官经历的幻象，从年轮中释放自己，泯灭自己，融入WorldofSoul，亦即Brahma之中。希腊哲学将历史事件看作如自然转换的四季呈周期循环，哲学家们试图从中找出绝对、永恒的规律来。Huston指出：“FortheBible,historyisneithermayanoracircularprocessofnature;itisthearenaofGod’spurposiveactivity.”(283)由此看来，犹太人的历史观是神性的，神的目的性贯穿于其历史事件中，无处不昭显神的旨意。Plsrefertothequotation:Letusbeginwithacontrast.‘Accordingtomostclassicalphilosophiesandreligions,’ahistorianwrites,‘ultimaterealityisdisclosedwhenman,eitherbyrationalcontemplationormysticascent（升天）,goesbeyondtheflowofeventswhichwecall‘history.’Thegoalistheapprehensionofanorderofrealityunaffectedbytheunpredictablefortunesofmankind.InHinduism,forinstance,theworldofsenseexperienceisregardedasmaya,illusion4（幻象）;thereligiousman,therefore,seeksreleasefromthewheeloflifeinorderthathisindividualitymayfadeoutintotheWorld-Order,Brahma（梵、创造神）.Or,Greekphilosopherslookupontheworldasanaturalprocesswhich,liketherotationoftheseasons,alwaysfollowsthesamerationalscheme.Thephilosopher,however,couldsoarabovetherecurringcyclesofhistorybyfixinghismindupontheunchangingabsolutewhichbelongstotheeternalorder.BothoftheseviewsarevastlydifferentfromtheBiblicalclaimthatGodisfoundwithinthelimitationsofthechangeandstruggle,andespeciallythatherevealshimselfineventswhichareunique,particular,andunrepeatable.FortheBible,historyisneithermayanoracircularprocessofnature;itisthearenaofGod’spurposiveactivity.’(Smith:282)Huston将犹太教历史重大意义概括如下：