Last evening, while boxing some books I am not interested in, I came across *The Romance of Palestine: A History for Young People* by Rev. James W. Lee (1897), and I was reminded of our earlier discussions in this newsgroup about claims of the Jews and Palestinians to what is variantly known as Israel and Palestine. I had remarked at one time that I had come across British maps of the 1890s naming the region "Palestine". So I browsed through this book, which combines a tour guide (with photographs!!) with religion lessons and some history. What surprised me was a short section about Napoleon in Palestine.
That caused me to do an internet search and I came up with some interesting information. It should be remembered that on September 27, 1791, the Convention granted Jews full citizenship in France. Napoleon apparently was shocked when on coming into Italy in 1797, he discovered that Jews were forced to live in Ghettos in the big cities. He abolished the ghettos - there and elsewhere. And he abolished the laws of the Inquisition which were constant threats to "new Christians". On Malta, he allowed the building of a Synagogue. And so, when he reached Palestine, he prepared a proclamation dated April 20, 1797, that would establish an independent Jewish state in Palestine. Only his defeat at Acre prevented it from being issued.
But that was not the end of it. On May 22, 1799, he announced a proclamation asking Jews to join with him to re-establish the ancient Jerusalem. He followed this up on August 16, 1800, with the statement that if should govern a nations of Jews, he would rebuild the Temple of Solomon.
From all this a few things are clear. First, the name Palestine for the region was well established (Napoleon also uses it in writing his own account of the Egyptian Campaign). Second, the idea of establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine precedes even the formation of a Zionist movement later in the 19th century. Third, perhaps Napoleon was the first Zionist.
-- Francis A. Miniter
Oscuramente libros, laminas, llaves siguen mi suerte.
Francis A. Miniter wrote: > Last evening, while boxing some books I am not interested in, I came > across *The Romance of Palestine: A History for Young People* by Rev. > James W. Lee (1897), and I was reminded of our earlier discussions in > this newsgroup about claims of the Jews and Palestinians to what is > variantly known as Israel and Palestine. I had remarked at one time > that I had come across British maps of the 1890s naming the region > "Palestine". So I browsed through this book, which combines a tour > guide (with photographs!!) with religion lessons and some history. What > surprised me was a short section about Napoleon in Palestine.
> That caused me to do an internet search and I came up with some > interesting information. It should be remembered that on September 27, > 1791, the Convention granted Jews full citizenship in France. Napoleon > apparently was shocked when on coming into Italy in 1797, he discovered > that Jews were forced to live in Ghettos in the big cities. He > abolished the ghettos - there and elsewhere. And he abolished the laws > of the Inquisition which were constant threats to "new Christians". On > Malta, he allowed the building of a Synagogue. And so, when he reached > Palestine, he prepared a proclamation dated April 20, 1797,
> that would > establish an independent Jewish state in Palestine. Only his defeat at > Acre prevented it from being issued.
> But that was not the end of it. On May 22, 1799, he announced a > proclamation asking Jews to join with him to re-establish the ancient > Jerusalem. He followed this up on August 16, 1800, with the statement > that if should govern a nations of Jews, he would rebuild the Temple of > Solomon.
> From all this a few things are clear. First, the name Palestine for > the region was well established (Napoleon also uses it in writing his > own account of the Egyptian Campaign). Second, the idea of > establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine precedes even the formation > of a Zionist movement later in the 19th century. Third, perhaps > Napoleon was the first Zionist.
-- Francis A. Miniter
Oscuramente libros, laminas, llaves siguen mi suerte.
> Last evening, while boxing some books I am not interested > in, I came across *The Romance of Palestine: A History for > Young People* by Rev. James W. Lee (1897), and I was > reminded of our earlier discussions in this newsgroup about > claims of the Jews and Palestinians to what is variantly > known as Israel and Palestine. I had remarked at one time > that I had come across British maps of the 1890s naming the > region "Palestine". So I browsed through this book, which > combines a tour guide (with photographs!!) with religion > lessons and some history. What surprised me was a short > section about Napoleon in Palestine.
> That caused me to do an internet search and I came up with > some interesting information. It should be remembered that > on September 27, 1791, the Convention granted Jews full > citizenship in France. Napoleon apparently was shocked when > on coming into Italy in 1797, he discovered that Jews were > forced to live in Ghettos in the big cities. He abolished > the ghettos - there and elsewhere. And he abolished the > laws of the Inquisition which were constant threats to "new > Christians". On Malta, he allowed the building of a > Synagogue. And so, when he reached Palestine, he prepared a > proclamation dated April 20, 1797, that would establish an > independent Jewish state in Palestine. Only his defeat at > Acre prevented it from being issued.
> But that was not the end of it. On May 22, 1799, he > announced a proclamation asking Jews to join with him to > re-establish the ancient Jerusalem. He followed this up on > August 16, 1800, with the statement that if should govern a > nations of Jews, he would rebuild the Temple of Solomon.
> From all this a few things are clear. First, the name > Palestine for the region was well established (Napoleon also > uses it in writing his own account of the Egyptian > Campaign). Second, the idea of establishment of a Jewish > state in Palestine precedes even the formation of a Zionist > movement later in the 19th century. Third, perhaps > Napoleon was the first Zionist.
> -- > Francis A. Miniter
> Oscuramente > libros, laminas, llaves > siguen mi suerte.
> Jorge Luis Borges, La Cifra Haiku, 6
Good thought that. But Moses was. Remember, they were returning from Egypt. It wasn't a new place for them. It was just that since there was more than had left, they had to divide the country according to Jacob's will. This time is no different. Then it was called Cana'an, the Land of Israel, Jacob's name after he wrestled with the angel. Thanks for sharing your discovery about Napoleon.
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