| The Bible never approaches the subject of Jewish | | | | "You are a people holy to God." |
| identity quite as directly as the Mishnah and only | | | | In rabbinic literature, it is not a rational choice since |
| addresses it circuitously. The patriarch of | | | | it is based on God's love and is not based on |
| Abraham for example, the founder of Biblical faith, | | | | conditions or on merit. Nothing that the children of |
| does not appear until the end of chapter eleven in | | | | Israel does can abrogate the covenant. This view |
| the book of Genesis, yet others with a | | | | suggests that this relationship cannot legally end in |
| relationship with God are mentioned before his | | | | divorce. This idea is predicated on the idea that |
| appearance. | | | | Israel's entry into the covenant at Sinai was not |
| The Bible does not discuss Jewish identity quite as | | | | voluntary. |
| directly as the Mishnah and only addresses it | | | | Perhaps a better analogy is that God and Israel |
| circuitously. The patriarch Abraham for example, | | | | reflect the relationship of a father and a firstborn |
| the founder of Jewish faith, does not appear until | | | | son. Regardless of behavior the love for the child |
| chapter eleven in the book of Genesis, yet others | | | | remains. The purpose of Israel is the divine |
| with a relationship with God are mentioned before | | | | mission which helps in the process of God's |
| his appearance. | | | | economy for the world. |
| The first eleven chapters of Genesis view the | | | | In later Biblical passages, the descendants of |
| people groups introduced as aboriginal peoples | | | | Jacob are known as the "Bnai Israel" (i.e. the |
| defined by their location in a specific land. | | | | children of Israel) and so the Bible remains |
| Egyptians are those in lived in Egypt, Chaldeans, | | | | cognizant of both a theological as well as "genetic" |
| those who lived in Babylon, etc. | | | | kinship between its members. They are members |
| Abraham breaks the classic model and journeys | | | | of the group of Israel which indicates class |
| to a land where he is not an aboriginal. Abraham | | | | membership -a same class membership reflected |
| and his descendants are the first non-aboriginal | | | | in the Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony of today. |
| peoples and are defined by different set of | | | | The dual nature of Israelite identity reflected in |
| criteria. | | | | the Bible can also be found in the case of Jonah. |
| In contrast to other groups, they are instead a | | | | Jonah is asked who he is and he responds that he |
| people brought into being by the establishment of | | | | is a Hebrew as well as a God fearing man. His |
| a covenant. In the biblical view, the parameters of | | | | definition is national and religious in nature and not |
| the covenant establish the definition of who is a | | | | simply a legal one. Throughout history these two |
| Jew; hence the definition is a theological one. Jews | | | | ideas have existed - A national group with an |
| are Bnai Brit, the sons of the covenant and are a | | | | extended identity of a religious nature. |
| chosen group. | | | | Shaye Cohen views Jews (Judaeans) of antiquity |
| From a theological perspective, the concept of | | | | as an ethnos that is an ethnic group. Jews were a |
| the "chosen people of God" as the basis for | | | | specified group and were recognized as directly or |
| Jewish identity is also an extension of the idea of | | | | indirectly connected attached to a specific |
| a covenant people and arguably implies that this is | | | | territory. Jews shared a sense of a unique history |
| the product of an exclusionary choice. | | | | and possessed one or more characteristics. |
| The term used in the Bible is the word bachar. | | | | An ethnic community shares a sense of common |
| Biblical scholars have review bachar as implying an | | | | origins, claims a common and distinctive history, |
| exclusive choice as in the case of marriage. | | | | possesses one or more distinctive characteristics, |
| Chosen means exclusive "chosenness and holiness | | | | and feels a sense of collective uniqueness and |
| of a differentiating sort. Deuteronomy 7:6 reads | | | | solidarity. |