Unpacking Israeli History Before Zionism Had A Name (The History of Israel, Part 1 of 5)
Feb 3, 2026
A deep dive into how Zion began as promise, memory, and direction long before modern ideology. Ancient stories, covenants, and the Temple’s centrality are explored. Exile, return, revolts, and rabbinic survival show how ritualized memory kept longing alive. This is the origin story that prefigures later nationalist movements.
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Deep Historical Roots Of Zion
- The Jewish connection to the land predates modern politics and is embedded in religion and practice.
- Noam Weissman argues Zionism's roots extend thousands of years into Jewish memory and ritual.
Avram's Journey As Foundational Example
- Avram obeys God's terse command to leave Haran and travel to an unknown land at age 75.
- Noam uses this founding story to show faith binds people to a promised land across generations.
Memory Holds Peoplehood Together
- After Exodus and conquest, tribal division threatens nationhood and memory.
- Weissman emphasizes that building peoplehood requires ritual, cohesion, and shared purpose, not just territory.
