In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett

explore how ancient Israel, despite its small size, revolutionized human thought through monotheism. They discuss how Jewish identity emerged from the intersection of various civilizations, developed through cycles of conquest and resistance, and ultimately shaped major world religions - all while drawing thought-provoking parallels to other historical patterns and modern phenomena.

--

📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess

--

SPONSOR: NETSUITE | SHOPIFY | ORACLE

More than 40,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. If you're looking for an ERP platform, get a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program on NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/zen - Download your free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning.

Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/momentofzen

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI): Oracle's next-generation cloud platform delivers blazing-fast AI and ML performance with 50% less for compute and 80% less for outbound networking compared to other cloud providers. OCI powers industry leaders like Vodafone and Thomson Reuters with secure infrastructure and application development capabilities. New U.S. customers can get their cloud bill cut in half by switching to OCI before March 31, 2024 at https://oracle.com/cognitive

--

RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov and researcher Nadia Asparouhova kick off the series with an unfiltered conversation about their relationship evolution.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod

--

FOLLOW ON X:

@whatifalthist (Rudyard)

@LudwigNverMises (Austin)

@TurpentineMedia

HIGHLIGHTS:

Small Groups, Big Impact

Ancient Israel, though only the size of New Jersey, made one of history's most significant breakthroughs with monotheism
Their influence persists despite their relatively small population (around 15 million people today)

Geographic and Cultural Position

Israel was situated at a crucial crossroads between Europe, Asia, and Africa
This position exposed them to multiple civilizations' influences (Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek)
Their frontier position allowed them to synthesize different religious and philosophical ideas

Historical Development

Emerged during/after the Bronze Age collapse
Experienced cycles of independence and conquest under various empires
The Babylonian exile was particularly formative for Jewish identity and religious practice

Religious Innovation

Breakthrough to monotheism was a major departure from surrounding polytheistic cultures
Developed strong moral codes and social structures through the Torah
Prophet tradition developed as a way to maintain social cohesion and moral standards

Cultural Resilience

Developed strategies for maintaining identity under foreign rule
Used suffering and setbacks as opportunities for introspection and adaptation
Created lasting institutional and cultural practices that enabled survival in diaspora

Social Evolution

Shifted from tribal society to kingdom to dispersed cultural group
Developed sophisticated legal and ethical systems
Created mechanisms for preserving identity without territorial control

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jimmy Carr: A Joke About Getting Canceled