Nadene Goldfoot
Public voting in Ancient Greece by placing pebbles in urn,
funny cartoon vector illustration of democracy origins The year is 510 B.C. in Athens, a Greek city-state. There is conflict between the rich and the poor, and the tyrant Hippias has just been expelled from the city, ending fifty years of oppression that began with his father Pisistratus. Something must change about the way the city is governed, but what? Enter Cleisthenes, who earned the title “Father of Democracy” for his radical reforms to the Athenian government, which later Athenians saw as the beginning of their democracy. Building upon the earlier laws of Solon, Cleisthenes utterly transformed the political organization of Athens. Cleisthenes’ reorganization of the many villages of Athens into ten tribes was the basis for the democratic institutions which followed. From these tribes, citizens were chosen by lot to hold public office, serve on juries, set the agenda for the governing assembly, and more.
In Eretz Yisrael, Deborah, the judge, solving problems for people, would also lead the men into war when needed, a multi-tasked woman.
Democracy is a form of government in which political power resides in all who have civic rights. The ancient Hebrew polity, whether under priesthood, judges, or monarchy, cannot be called democratic.
Nevertheless, the Torah (5 Books of Moses, (Pentatateuch) laid down fundamental principles which had to be followed by the ruler in governing his "brethern" (Deut. 17:20), them being, therefore, important elements of limited or constitutional monarchy, that is, the ruler was subject to law.
According to one opinion, the Am ha-Aretz (People of the Land) , who had a strong political influence from time to time in the period of the First Temple, was the "Ancient Hebrew Parliament."
The Prophets, most of whom were derived from the masses, exercised continual pressure to modify legislation in favor of the common man.
1. Micah: family were peasants, latter 8th century BCE. He spoke for people against the oppression of the ruling-classes, threatens them with the destruction of the country and exile to Babylon, foresees a future monarch of the house of David that would bring peace to the world.
2. Haggai: 520 BCE, called for the rebuilding of the Temple, questions the priests regarding the laws of uncleanness, foretells the glory of the Temple and the greatness of Zerubbabel.
3. Malachi: 460-450 BCE, protested against transgressions in matters of sacrifices and tithes. The priest must turn the multitude from sin and himself maintain a high level of morality. He also complained of mixed and broken marriages.
4. Zechariah: first half of 6th century BCE, lived during the period of the return from the Babylonian Exile, a priest, made prophecies concerning with contemporary events and foretold material prosperity, the ingathering of the exiles, liberation from foreign yoke, and the expansion of Jerusalem. He had visions and were interpreted by an accompanying angel, encouraged people to finish the rebuilding of the Temple.
The exact nature of the Hever ha-Yehudin (Community of the Jews), referred to on Hasmonean coins is obscure, but it should be noted that of the 1st, Simon Thassi, brother of Judas Maccabeus ,Simon's rule was by popular consent. He died in 135 BCE. The Hasmonean dynasty was a ruling dynasty of Judea and surrounding regions during classical antiquity, from c. 140 BCE to 37 BCE
The later Hasmonean monarchy, however, was absolute, restricted only by the imprecise authority of the Sanhedrin a group of 71 Cohens (descended from Aaron), ordained scholars functioning as the Supreme Court and as the legislature.
In later generations, political democracy was out of the question for the Jewish people, living constantly under alien rule, of which was Rome for starters.
In the medieval communities, authority tended to be vested in the wealthy. Sometimes the poor had no controlling rights at all. Sometimes there was a tripartite division, each of the 3 economic ranges; wealthy, middle-class, poor, having an equal voice. It is questionable whether the paupers figured in this scheme. In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. On left are Jews in the 13th century forced to wear this type of clothing to be identified from others. Jews had no rights.
Nevertheless, the egalitarian tendencies of Jewish religion and life fostered democratic feelings at all times, and the rights of the poor were always respected.
In the 19th century, the Jews of Europe, long excluded from privilege and clearly forming no part of the aristocracy, threw their weight everywhere on the side of democracy. They were very active in improvements of this period, both "revolutionary" and constitutional, to secure the establishment of democratic government in all countries.
In After Anatevka, Alexandra Silber picks up where Fiddler left off. Second-eldest daughter Hodel takes center stage as she attempts to join her Socialist-leaning fiancé Perchik to the outer reaches of a Siberian work camp. But before Hodel and Perchik can finally be together, they both face extraordinary hurdles and adversaries―both personal and political―attempting to keep them apart at all costs. “ Silber’s admirable continuation imagines Hodel’s life in two post-Fiddler periods: Hodel’s courtship with and engagement to the scholarly Perchik, and her attempts years later to reunite with him after he is sent to a forced labor camp. Silber, an actress who played both Hodel and Tzeitzel in productions of the musical, imbues the book with an obvious fondness for and understanding of the characters...the moving story and attention to detail will make this an enjoyable trip for any fan of Fiddler on the Roof. ”
The recent experiences of the Jews under totalitarian regimes have reinforced this tendency. Throughout Eastern and Central Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, commencing with the Haskalah movement and strengthened by current socialist trends, a continuous struggle was waged by some intellectuals and working class "representatives" to destroy the alleged monopoly of wealth and Orthodoxy over Jewish public life.
Haskalah translated: : an intellectual movement among Jews of eastern Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries that attempted to acquaint the masses with European and Hebrew languages and with secular education and culture to supplement talmudic studies.
— see MASKILThe Haskalah pursued two complementary aims.
1. It sought to preserve the Jews as a separate, unique collective and worked for a cultural and moral renewal, especially a revival of Hebrew for secular purposes, pioneering the modern press and literature in the language.
2. Concurrently, it strove for an optimal integration of the Jews in surrounding societies, including the study of native vernacular and adoption of modern values, culture and appearance, all combined with economic productivization.
The Haskalah promoted rationalism, liberalism, freedom of thought and enquiry, and is largely perceived as the Jewish variant of the general Age of Enlightenment. The movement encompassed a wide spectrum ranging from moderates, who hoped for maximal compromise and conservatism, to radicals who sought sweeping changes.
So, a more democratic direction became established in Jewish community organization though, where contributions for communal purposes are voluntary, the wealthier elements invariably have disproportionate authority.
The influence of the Bible in establishing democratic tendencies in 17th century England and 18th century America was incalculable.
In modern Israel, the VAAD LEUMI and, after it, the KNESSET, were from the beginning, spontaneously organized on a fully democratic basis. Biblical Israel was not run by a democracy but by a monarchy; kings, first their own and then those chosen by foreign conquerors.
Finally, they have a President and a Prime Minister and all the trimmings that go with them, a democracy.
Reference:
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia-Democracy
https://watchjerusalem.co.il/578-the-biblical-prophets-archaeological-evidence
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmonean_dynasty
https://alexandrasilber.squarespace.com/after-anatevka
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmonean_dynasty
https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/video/antisemitism-enlightenment-world-war-i
No comments:
Post a Comment