Table of Contents

Foreword
Abbreviations
Introduction
Part One: The Ancient Jewish World: Holy War in Practice
Chapter 1: Holy War in the Bible
Chapter 2: Jewish Holy War in Practice: Early Success
Chapter 3: Holy War Fails
Part Two: The World of the Rabbis: Holy War Interrupted
Chapter 4: Rabbinic Responses to War's Failure
Chapter 5: Rabbinic Typology of War
Chapter 6: Who is the Enemy?
Chapter 7: Maimonides' Counting of the Commandments
Chapter 8: Nahmanides' Critique, and Other Thinkers
Part Three: The Emergence of Jewish Modernity: Holy War on Hold
Chapter 9: The Crisis of Modernity and Jewish Responses
Chapter 10: From Practicality to a New Messianism
Chapter 11: The New Jew
Chapter 12: From Holocaust to Holy War: Israel's War of Independence
Part Four: The Jewish State: Holy War Revived
Chapter 13: 1948 to 1967: From Defensive War to Preemptive War
Chapter 14: 1967 to 1973: The Miracle of Conquest and the Test of Yom Kippur
Chapter 15: The 1980s: Holy War and its Excesses
Conclusion: The Resurrection of Holy War
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

Reuven Firestone is Professor of Medieval Judaism and Islam at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles.

Reviews

"Holy War in Judaism has serious implications for the Arab-Israeli conflict whose peaceful solution, as Firestone stresses in the end, can only be reached when radicalism ceases on both, the Israeli and Arab sides." --Middle East Media and Book Reviews
"In Firestone's hands, holy war in Judaism moves quickly from a self-acknowledged questionable premise to a well-documented ancient historical reality,arabbinic theoretical possibility, and now once again an operative category and a modern-day paradigm for military action. His thoughtful assessments and painstaking research are matched by an easy-to-read style that makes the book suitable for nonexperts, and students of history, sociology, and religion can all
benefit from its detailed discussions." --Journal of Church and State
"Admirers of Reuven Firestone will not be disappointed with this book, and its intriguing title and subtitle accurately outline its main thesis...This is in every way an excellent book, detailed and accurate and well-argued throughout...The book is certainly now the standard text on the topic and I am sure will remain so for a very long time. A sign of its excellence is that it raises many issues which it does not settle, and readers will find it a stimulating
and inspiring read. --Ilahiyat Studies
"Reuven Firestone's comprehensive and deeply researched study of Jewish ideas of holy war could not be more timely. Modern Jewish sovereignty has caused some Jews to reject the rabbinic restrictions on 'commanded war' and to portray the struggles of the state of Israel in messianic terms. The tradition that Firestone has unearthed and reconstructed is now very much at stake in the most contemporary debates over Israel's future."--David Biale, Emanuel
Ringelblum Distinguished Professor of Jewish History Chair in the Department of History, University of California at Davis
"Reuven Firestone has given us a first-rate history of the origins, transformations, and renewed relevance of the idea of divinely-justified war in Judaism. Firestone's narrative is crystal clear, and his selection, presentation, and interpretation of the primary sources reveal him to be a master of his topic. This is a worthy companion to the author's earlier volume on jihad in Islamic thought."--Martin S. Jaffee, Samuel and Althea Stroum Chair in
Jewish Studies, University of Washington
"Simultaenously interesting and valuable as a study of both the historical conceptualization of normative rabbinic thought on war and its reconceptualization and application in contemporary Israel... Firestone takes readers inside the religious debate that is also going on, places it in the moral frame that nourishes it, and helps readers to understand not only the nature of that frame but the internal tensions that define it." --Journal of the American
Academy of Religion
"Reuven Firestone's clear and comprehensive account of the career of the idea of holy war in Judaism is a most welcome contribution. This book will push readers to think about concepts-for example, 'holy' war as fighting considered legitimate in virtue of its authorization by God-as well as about the ways human communities develop ideas about war in response to concrete social and political conditions. Firestone's study deserves extensive discussion from a
wide audience."--John Kelsay, Bristol Distinguished Professor of Religion and Ethics, Florida State University
"Holy War in Judaism is written in a very clear and explanatory style and is therefore also suitable for non-expert readers with an interest in Judaism, Israel, peace and violence, and holy war. Students and scholars of political and social sciences, history, and religious studies will benefit most from its detailed discussion of Jewish religious thinking on divinely sanctioned military action."--LSE Review of Books