Politics · 15 · Jeremiah and Baruch
The nation is greater than the state
Most of the Bible's narrative takes place before Israel has a king or army. Israel is a people long before it's a state.
A people can survive the fall of its state.
Dig deeper
The Torah ends before the conquest of the land, and the monarchy arrives late. This separated nationhood from statehood for the first time in history: the state serves the people and must not be worshipped. Israel could still be Israel, conquered and dispersed.
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 248–249
Reader thoughts
Loading comments…