The nations that know thee not

by Robert Goldenberg

The Bible is harshly opposed to participation by Israelites in the worship of other nations' gods. But was it legitimate and acceptable for other nations to worship their own gods? Robert Goldenberg here traces an ambivalent attitude toward foreign religions as it developed through the history of Judaism, and asks why Jewish outlooks on Gentile religions varied so much over time. Further, as Jewish acceptance of paganism increased under rabbinic leadership, did Christianity become heir to other, harsher biblical attitudes towards other religions? In answering such questions, Goldenberg sheds a fascinating light on the ways in which ancient Jews understood the religious worlds in which they lived.