The Chosen Few
Author | : Maristella Botticini |
Publisher | : Princeton University Press |
Total Pages | : 345 |
Release | : 2012-08-05 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781400842483 |
ISBN-13 | : 1400842484 |
Rating | : 4/5 (83 Downloads) |
Download or read book The Chosen Few written by Maristella Botticini and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2012-08-05 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How the Jewish people went from farmers to merchants In 70 CE, the Jews were an agrarian and illiterate people living mostly in the Land of Israel and Mesopotamia. By 1492 the Jewish people had become a small group of literate urbanites specializing in crafts, trade, moneylending, and medicine in hundreds of places across the Old World, from Seville to Mangalore. What caused this radical change? The Chosen Few presents a new answer to this question by applying the lens of economic analysis to the key facts of fifteen formative centuries of Jewish history. Maristella Botticini and Zvi Eckstein offer a powerful new explanation of one of the most significant transformations in Jewish history while also providing fresh insights into the growing debate about the social and economic impact of religion.