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aront

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  • At NYU, devilish Shlomo Sand predicts the Jewish past and pastes the Zionists
    • aront December 1, 2009 at 2:04 pm

      Wondering Jew asked for scientific "evidence." Here is an article in a genetics journal which re-evaluates earlier studies and provides genetic evidence regarding the Khazar theory.

      In any case, let us remember, folks that science is about theories not "truth." Moreover biology is still far from physics and is not yet a predictive science. To say that geneticists have "proven" anything one way or another about ancient historical events is to misunderstand and misuse science. In particular, Jews should be very leary of bandying about science as "proof" of any racial theory.

      History is even less about truth. It is about narrative and stories people tell one another about events of long ago. These stories have limited possibility to be"true" in a factual sense , since only rarely, if we are lucky, do we have eye-witness accounts (and even then, we all know how reliable those are).

      Rather, histories may contain human truths, or perhaps more usefully, authentically resonate with their audiences and convey deeper meanings about the human condition that strike us as real and useful. I would hope that as a historian Sand isn't claiming he is providing scientific "truth." He is (hopefully) only claiming that there is an alternative narrative, an alternative story about the origins of the Jewish people which is just as legitimate and authentic as the Zionist narrative. This alternative story allows all Israelis to identify with and develop the unique culture of the country Israel, in a way which is more democratic and inclusive than the Zionist narrative of Jewish history and the current foundation myth of Israel.

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