History of Judaism

'An absolute godsend ... Goodman has done both Jews and non-Jews a greatservice with this book, encapsulating most of Jewish thought over fourmillennia into one extraordinarily readable volume' Julia Neuberger, Literary Review

A panoramic history of Judaism from its origins to the present

Judaismis by some distance the oldest of the three Abrahamic religions.Despite the extraordinarily diverse forms it has taken, the Jewishpeople have believed themselves bound to God by the same covenant formore than three thousand years. This book explains how Judaism came tobe and how it has developed from one age to the next, as well as theways in which its varieties have related to each other.

'Aone-volume tour de force. Goodman meets the substantial challenge ofcharting the twists and turns, tributaries and backwaters of Judaism'smany streams over 2,000 years - and succeeds' Harry Freedman, Jewish Chronicle

'Learnedand illuminating ... this magnificently lucid account will become thestandard reference for a generation' Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal

Reviews

A History of Judaism is beautifully written and meticulously annotated, and includes maps and illustrations. Goodman holds the book with authority and impeccable even-handedness, engaging the reader with his erudition, but also seasoning the narrative with some of the great and most influential Jewish lives. I could hardly recommend it more.