The Historical Dictionary of the Jews presents the history of the Jewish people and their religious culture in a way that makes clear how and why this small, ancient people have survived nearly four millennia and managed to play such an important role in the world-well out of proportion to their population. The Jews trace their origins far back in history to the early tribes of Judah and Moses. Over the centuries, they spread across much of the Western world, as well as into parts of Africa and Asia, until they were crushed by the Holocaust and were forced to find refuge in the United States and the new state of Israel. Because of that horrific event, of the estimated 15 million Jews living today, approximately six million reside in Israel, with almost the same number living in the United States, making these two countries the main center of Jewish life today. This ready reference tells the history of the Jewish people through a detailed chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 200 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy, and politics. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Jewish people.

This revised introduction to Jewish beliefs and practices demonstrates that Judaism is a living religion which retains the vitality apparent in the Biblical corpus, but which has gone on to develop institutions, modes of behaviour and patterns of thought which together constitute the singularity of Jewish expression.;The study offers, for the non-Jew and the uninformed Jew, an insight into the great legal, mystical, theological, ethical and ritual traditions which have preserved the identity of the exiled and often outcast Jew, and enabled him to carry the message of the Hebrew Bible into the modern world. Alan Unterman is the author of "The Wisdom of the Jewish Mystics" and "Dictionary of Jewish Lore and Legend".

A comprehensive survey of the Jewish mystical tradition
An indispensable guide to thousands of years of spiritual inquiry, "The Kabbalistic Tradition" features writings from a variety of literary forms-from the earliest biblical sources through twentieth-century studies-as well as practical information and practices for the modern reader. These selections concentrate on the three main areas of Kabbalistic creativity-the literature of Zohar, the Lurianic corpus, and the Chasidic mystical tradition. Alan Unterman's enlightening introduction examines the unique characteristics of the Kabbalah and places this volume in its proper historical and philosophical context.