Atlas of Jewish History

This fascinating Atlas traces the history of the Jewish people, from the early Jewish migration from Ur to Canaan, in about 2000 BC, up to developments in the modern State of Israel. He traces the migration of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt back to the Promised Land, and the conquest of the Promised Land by the Israelites, the whereabouts of the Twelve Tribes of Ancient Israel, the kingdoms of David and Solomon 1000 to 925 BC, as well as the destruction of Jewish independence by the Assyrians and Babylonians and the subsequent deportations and dispersions of the Israelites. The book shows us maps revealing the Hasmonean Kingdom and the Jewish revolts against Roman Rule. Gilbert outlines the development of ancient Jewish communities in Iraq, Persia, India and China, as well as Europe, the persecutions, pogroms, expulsions and different places of settlements of the Jews throughout the world. The book deals with some lesser known facts such as the whereabouts of the Karaite Jews, 10 000 of whom were murdered by the Nazis in Crimea, in 1943, the fact that in 1805 Napoleon formed a Jewish battalion that fought at Waterloo, while in 1799 the Jews of Jerusalem joined the Turks in preparing to defend the city, and in 1812, the Jews of Russia, supported their Russian overlords against Napoleon, as they feared that Napoleon's liberalization would be a threat to their orthodoxy. A fascinating map shows the possible whereabouts of the ten lost Tribes of Israel, and the intriguing possibility that their descendants could include the Ibos of Nigeria, the Masai Tribe of East Africa, the Berbers of North Africa, the Khazars, the Bnei Menashe of Eastern India, the Karens of Burma, and the Shinadai Tribe of Japan. Other maps show the development of Jewish life in the Americas, Jewish military activity from from 1794 to 1967, the return of the Jews to the Land of Israel, the numbers of Jews in Europe at the outbreak of World War II, and those that perished in the Holocaust, the numbers of Jews who fled Europe for Palestine, during the Holocaust, Jewish resistance against Nazis persecution in Europe, and against Arab pogroms in Palestine, and Israel's War of Independence in 1948, the Suez War of 1956 and the Six Day war of 1967, describing the balance on the eve of that war of Arab and Israeli forces: The total Arab strength was 547 000 troops, 2 504 tanks and 957 combat aircrafts, while Israel's strength consisted of 264 000 troops, 800 tanks and 300 Combat aircrafts. While the author is correct about persecution in Europe, of the Jews, by Christians, he underestimates and does not fully describe the many massacres and pogroms against Jews in Moslem-ruled lands, as well as the severe dhimmni status under which they lived. Nevertheless Gilbert succeeds, in illustrating the vast panorama of the Jewish people, through the ages. He makes obscure periods in Jewish history better known, if only in outline, leaving the reader the task of embarking on deep

Surprise: The Nazis were Germans and Austrians. In recent years, there has been a curious tendency to euphemistically substitute the political party of the Germans for their nationality, all the while retaining the ethnicities of other peoples. (Thus, "Nazi killers of Poles and Jews" makes as much sense as "German killers of Pilsudskyites and Bundists"). Gilbert's atlas unabashedly calls the Nazis for who they were: the Germans. (Of course there were exceptions, but they were just that--exceptions). For example, Gilbert refers to German concentration camps, not Nazi concentration camps. And, although this atlas is about Jews, Gilbert does not avoid mention of the fact that the Germans also murdered several millions of non-Jews. (This, of course, does not include the additional millions killed directly or indirectly by German military action). Gilbert's atlas is concise enough to fit on an ordinary bookshelf, yet is packed with much useful information. Maps depict many Biblical and post-Biblical events. The travels of the Apostle Paul are included. So are many "alternative Zions", where Jews were to find a new home. The history of Jews in the USA is also featured. Only one obvious error stands out: When Gilbert depicts the Bogdan Khmelnitsky (Bogdan Chmielnicki) revolt, he incorrectly states that the killers of Jews (and also Ukrainian and Polish nobility) were Polish peasants. In the main, the killers were actually Ukrainian peasants. Gilbert's atlas includes the experience of Jews outside of Europe and the Americas. Although certain Muslim lands offered the Jews more tolerance than Christian ones, there were also many Muslim lands in which the Jews suffered extreme persecution. This alone should refute the common claim that anti-Semitism is a product of traditional Christian teachings about Jews. In fact, from Gilbert's atlas, it is obvious that the Jews suffered from pagans long before Christianity.

The author of this book chronicles and displays the Jewish history beautifully in this atlas.