This accessibly written volume examines the major periods of Jewish history around the world, from the Jews' distant origins in antiquity through the beginnings of the modern period and the emergence of secular culture.

Although Jews are a small minority, they have settled in almost every part of the world, developing many different subcultures. They have had an outsized impact on global religion even as they have faced prejudice and persecution, and their history makes for a fascinating story of cultural change, adaptation, and survival that is continuing to unfold in the present. Now in a new edition as a split volume, this first volume of a comprehensive history of the Jews draws on up-to-date research to recount the story of the Jews from their beginnings in the ancient Near East through to the dawn of the modern period and the emergence of secular culture. Enhanced by images, limelight given to various historical mysteries, recommendations for how to learn more, as well as other features, the book moves chapter by chapter through the major periods of Jewish history, balancing introductions for those unfamiliar with that history with discussion of new approaches and recent discoveries that have reshaped understanding of the Jewish past.

The book is useful not just for those interested in the Jews themselves but also for readers open to learning about global history from the vantage point of a people whose experiences attest both to the resilience of human culture and to the impact of hate and violence.