The Myth of the Jew: Negating the Negation

Abstract

T O W H AT D E G R E E I S J E W I S H S T U D I E S still engaging with the myth of the Jew? A popular view identifies Jewish monotheism with a consistent opposition to mythological cyclicality and a pantheistic view of nature. In contrast, academic research demonstrated how limited this view is, and how impor tant mythological themes have been to Jewish scripture and commentary.1 Take, for example, the impact of mythological images of nefilim— fallen beings, but also angels or giants— most clearly vis i ble at times of crisis and “ political judgments against royal power.”2 Three recent books—in political history, critical thought, and political theology— exemplify how vibrant but problematic mythmaking still is for our understanding of Jewish culture. Before turning to these recent books, however, it is worth briefly revisiting the history of the problematic relationship between Jews and their myths. If in premodern times Jews were represented in popular imagery as angels and giants, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the mythic