Lions and roses: An interpretive history of Israeli-Iranian relations

This multi-disciplinary research project explores the religious and cultural foundations within the "master commemorative narratives" that frame Israeli and Iranian political discourse. In articulating their grievances against one another, Israeli and Iranian leaders express the tensions between religion, nationalism, and modernity in their own societies. The theoretical and methodological approach of this dissertation is constructivist-interpretivist. The concept of "master commemorative narratives" is adapted from Yael Zerubavel's study of ritualized remembrance in Israeli political culture, and applied to both Israeli and Iranian foreign policy. Israel’s master commemorative narrative draws heavily upon the language of the Hebrew Bible, situating foreign policy discourse within a paradigm of covenantal patrimony, exile, and return, despite the unrelenting hostility of eternal enemies and "the nations." Iran’s master commemorative narrative expresses Iranian suspicion of foreign encroachment and interference, and of the internal corruption that they engender, sacralizing resistance to the forces of evil in the figurative language and myths of pre-Islamic tradition and of Shi'a Islam. Using a constructivist-interpretive methodological approach, this research offers a unique interpretive analysis of the parallels between these narratives, where they intersect, and where they come into conflict. It highlights both the broad appeal and the diverse challenges to the components of these "master" narratives within Israeli and Iranian politics and society. The conclusion of this study explains the ways in which the recognition of religious and cultural conflicts through the optic of master commemorative narratives can complement the perspectives of other theoretical approaches and challenge the conventions of Security Studies. It also suggests some of the potential practical applications of this research in devising more effective international diplomacy.

Lions and Roses: An Interpretive History of Israeli-Iranian Relations

This multi-disciplinary research project explores the religious and cultural foundations within the “master commemorative narratives” that frame Israeli and Iranian political discourse. In articulating their grievances against one another, Israeli and Iranian leaders express the tensions between religion, nationalism, and modernity in their own societies. The theoretical and methodological approach of this dissertation is constructivist-interpretivist. The concept of “master commemorative narratives” is adapted from Yael Zerubavel’s study of ritualized remembrance in Israeli political culture, and applied to both Israeli and Iranian foreign policy. Israel’s master commemorative narrative draws heavily upon the language of the Hebrew Bible, situating foreign policy discourse within a paradigm of covenantal patrimony, exile, and return, despite the unrelenting hostility of eternal enemies and “the nations.” Iran’s master commemorative narrative expresses Iranian suspicion of foreign encroachment and interference, and of the internal corruption that they engender, sacralizing resistance to the forces of evil in the figurative language and myths of pre-Islamic tradition and of Shi‘a Islam. Using a constructivist-interpretive methodological approach, this research offers a unique interpretive analysis of the parallels between these narratives, where they intersect, and where they come into conflict. It highlights both the broad appeal and the diverse challenges to the components of these “master” narratives within Israeli and Iranian politics and society. The conclusion of this study explains the ways in which the recognition of religious and cultural conflicts through the optic of master commemorative narratives can complement the perspectives of other theoretical approaches and challenge the conventions of Security Studies. It also suggests some of the potential practical applications of this research in devising more effective international diplomacy.

Le radici del monoteismo israelitico come riflesso dell'idea di regalita divina in epoca pre-esilica

Questa tesi è un contributo al dibattito meta-terminologico sull'uso scientifico del termine "monoteismo" in relazione alla religione dell'Israele antico. L'attenzione è rivolta principalmente a un tema specifico: l'esplorazione della nozione teistica di "esistenza" divina (implicita nell'uso di "monoteismo" come lente di osservazione) e il problema della sua applicazione alle concettualizzazioni della divinità che emergono nella Bibbia ebraica. In primo luogo, il "monoteismo" come termine e concetto viene ricondotto alle sue origini storiche nell'ambiente intellettuale del platonismo di Cambridge nell'Inghilterra del XVII secolo. Poi, si affronta il dibattito contemporaneo sull'uso del termine "monoteismo" in relazione alla religione dell'Israele antico e si evidenzia il ruolo dell'"esistenza" teistica come lente distorcente nella lettura dei testi biblici. La maggior parte della tesi sostiene questo assunto con una lettura esegetica dettagliata di tre passi biblici scelti come casi di studio: Sal 82; 1Re 18,20-40* e Zc 14,9. Queste analisi mostrano come la nozione teistica di un'esistenza divina astratta non sia in grado di spiegare la rappresentazione del divino che emerge da questi testi. Allo stesso tempo, il potere divino come categoria euristica viene proposto come un'alternativa più adatta a spiegare queste concettualizzazioni della divinità. L'ultima sezione elabora ulteriormente questi risultati. Qui la regalità di YHWH, come immagine metaforica del suo potere, viene utilizzata per descrivere i cambiamenti nella concettualizzazione di questa divinità. L'argomentazione finale è che in nessuna parte del materiale biblico affrontato in questa tesi si trova una nozione simile a quella di esistenza divina astratta. Poiché tale nozione è implicita nell'uso del termine "monoteismo", questi risultati richiedono una considerazione ancora più attenta del suo uso nel dibattito scientifico.

Bible ethics : a manual of instruction in the history and principles of Judaism, according to the Hebrew scriptures

by Jos. Krauskopf and Henry Berkowitz

The exhaustive concordance of the Bible : showing every word of the text of the common English version : together with a comparative concordance of the Authorized and Revised versions : also brief dictionaries of the Hebrew and Greek words of the original, with references to the English words /

Mode of access: Internet.

Imre shefer = Imrai shaipher:a Hebrew vocabulary: containing a complete list of the Hebrew and Chaldee roots, which occur in the Bible, together with their significations in English/

Mode of access: Internet.

Bible and the monuments; the primitive Hebrew records in the light of modern research,

Mode of access: Internet.

The exhaustive concordance of the Bible: showing every word of the text of the common English version of the canonical books, and every occurrence of each word in regular order; together with A comparative concordance of the Authorized and Revised versions, including the American variations; also brief dictionaries of the Hebrew and Greek words of the original, with references to the English words:

"First edition printed April 1894...twenty--ninth printing 1970."

Analytical concordance to the Bible on an entirely new plan, containing about 311,000 references, subdivided under the Hebrew and Greek originals, with the literal meaning and pronunciation of each, designed for the simplest reader of the English Bible, /

Mode of access: Internet.

A dictionary of the Holy Bible : containing an historical account of the persons, a geographical and historical account of the places, a literal, critical, and systematical description of other objects ... and the explication of the appellative terms, mentioned in the writings of the Old and New Testament, the whole comprising whatever important is known concerning the antiquities of the Hebrew nation and church of God, forming a sacred commentary, a body of Scripture history, chronology, and divinity, and serving in a great measure as a concordance to the Bible /

Mode of access: Internet.

The Holy Bible : translated from the Latin Vulgat: diligently compared with the Hebrew, Greek, and other editions, in divers languages: the Old Testament first published by the English College at Doway, A.D. 1609 and the New Testament, first published by the English College at Rhèmes, A.D. 1582 : with annotations, references, and a historical and chronological index.

New Testament has half-title : "The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," dated 1831.

The book of Psalms in an English metrical version : founded on the basis of the authorized Bible translation, and compared with the original Hebrew; with notes critical and illustrative /

Mode of access: Internet.

The Holy Bible: containing the Old Testament: tr. out of the original Hebrew, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised: and the Greek New Testament; printed from the text and with the various readings of Knapp: together with the commonly received English translation. Designed for the use of students.

Text printed in columns on ruled leaves, with wide margins; a few manuscript notes.

A dictionary of the Holy Bible : containing an historical account of the persons : a geographical and historical account of the places : a literal, critical, and systematical description of other objects ... and the explication of the appellative terms, mentioned in the writings of the Old and New Testament : The whole comprising whatever important is known concerning the antiquities of the Hebrew nation and church of God : forming a sacred commentary, a body of Scripture history, chronology, and divinity, and serving in a great measure as a concordance to the Bible. /

Mode of access: Internet.

Bible ethics : a manual of instruction in the history and principles of Judaism, according to the Hebrew scriptures /

Mode of access: Internet.