Prof.
Sara Japhet (Professor of Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
and Recipient of the Israel Prize, 2004) The Biblical Basis of Zionism
as a Political Movement
Zionism's
main goal was to resettle Jews in the Land of Israel and to achieve
a normal national existence, an endeavor that culminated successfully
in 1948. The Bible was a major factor and source of inspiration behind
Zionism. It played a central role in the educational system, the revival
of the Hebrew language, literature, art, music, and as a source of
place names for settlements, and so on.
The biblical heritage of the Jews
has been their strongest binding factor over time. The Bible's general
status as a sacred canonical text with a religious message, however,
does not adequately account for its role in Zionism. Traditional Jewish
attachment to the Land of Israel was based on the Halachah (Jewish
religious law), and on eschatological and non-political hopes of a
return to the Promised Land expressed in the liturgy.
Zionism
was, however, a political movement of a non-religious, to some extent
even anti-religious nature, and one of its main tenets was the refusal
to wait for divine intervention. How, then, was it connected to the
Bible?
The
name Zionism is taken from the bible and alludes to the "return to
Zion" (Psalms 126). Zion is a poetic name for Jerusalem and an epithet
for the Land of Israel. The Zionists adopted the Restoration period
as their model, when Jews, exiled since the Babylonian conquest in
587 BCE, were allowed by King Cyrus of Persia to return to Israel
to rebuild their temple beginning in 537. Cyrus looked upon himself
as the redeemer of those who had suffered at the hands of the Babylonians.
Eighteen years after the return of the Jews, the temple was dedicated.
Nehemiah, governor of Judah between 445-432, made further progress
in establishing an administrative-economic basis for the country.
This Restoration period has historical
and ideological parallels with Zionism, which saw itself as a Second
Restoration. Zionist leaders compared Lord Balfour to Cyrus of Persia,
and verses from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah became inspirational
poems and songs for the nation. Both Restorations had a primarily
political, rational, and practical nature, in accordance with the
basically secular character of the Zionist movement.
Once the State of Israel was established,
the model of the Hasmonean conquest, the Canaanite conquest and later
also David and Solomon's conquests replaced the Restoration model.
