| 1. The dispersal of any people from their original homeland 2. The dispersion of the Jews beyond Israel. |  |
As it is half-term this is technically a “Word of the Fortnight” - but fitting that it should last a long time as it is in the nature of diaspora to extend beyond expectations. It is also fitting as during half-term our students disperse all over the globe - but luckily for us it will not take millennia for us to be reunited!
A diaspora is any mass movement of people away from their homeland, the scattering of a population; there have been many over the course of history - but for the purpose of this post I want to focus on one particular peoples’ diaspora - that of the Jews. This diaspora is so important is is often called The Diaspora - capital T, capital D.
A diaspora is any mass movement of people away from their homeland, the scattering of a population; there have been many over the course of history - but for the purpose of this post I want to focus on one particular peoples’ diaspora - that of the Jews. This diaspora is so important is is often called The Diaspora - capital T, capital D.
It began in the 6th century BC when the elite Jewish population of Israel was exiled to Babylon, although they were eventually freed many decided to remain abroad and so the dispersal began. This pattern was repeated under the Persians and many Jews also fled to Egypt founding a new community there. The most famous scattering of the Jews happened under Hadrian in 135AD. The Romans had already destroyed the 2nd Temple in 70AD and after the revolt by Simon Bar Kokhba in 132AD the Romans effectively ran out of patience. They put down the revolt in a brutal fashion and then forbade the Jews from settling in Jerusalem or its environs. This led to Jews being dispersed all across the known world where they remain to this day.
It was only in 1948, after the horrific events of the Holocaust, that the leaders of the western world felt that the Jews should be returned to their homeland and the modern state of Israel was founded. Today 48% of the world’s Jews live in Israel. I am not going to get into rights and wrongs of this decision and the very difficult debate that surrounds Israel-Palestine; I only hope that we see peace in the near future.
It was only in 1948, after the horrific events of the Holocaust, that the leaders of the western world felt that the Jews should be returned to their homeland and the modern state of Israel was founded. Today 48% of the world’s Jews live in Israel. I am not going to get into rights and wrongs of this decision and the very difficult debate that surrounds Israel-Palestine; I only hope that we see peace in the near future.
What remains the case is that The Diaspora had a huge impact upon the Jewish faith, turning it from a Temple religion focused on sacrifice offered by a priest , to a religion of the Book focused on the Torah and the role of the Rabbi (teacher). It has also been a source of artistic and creative inspiration ranging from the Psalms in the Bible (“By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembered thee, oh Zion”) to modern day literature and music. As ever, out of something negative came something positive - such is the human spirit and the spirit of Diaspora Jews especially.
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