Big Ideas · 11 · Haggai
What is a nation?
In 1882, Ernest Renan defined a nation as shared memories plus the present-day will to live together, and said griefs bind more than triumphs.
Shared sorrows create shared duties.
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Renan's insight matches the biblical project. Scribes wanted their readers to reflect on national trauma more than triumph, because they needed everyone to take part in rebuilding. They recast Judah's humble labors as a new chapter in an ancient story.
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 173–174
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