Jews…Small Population Vast Variety

By Robert H. Schram

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669814221

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Copyright © 2022 by Robert Schram.

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Rev. date: 03/02/2022

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter I:      Ashkenazi And Sephardim

Chapter II:    Ethnic Subgroups And Mixed Groups Throughout The World

Chapter III:   The Karaites

Chapter IV:   The Samaritans

Chapter V:     Mixed Marriage

Chapter VI:   Summary

References

Introduction

The population of Jews in the world has always been quite small reaching a high of about 16.6 million in 1939 before the Holocaust and 13.5 million in 2010. The Timeline of Jewish History and Heritage indicates the population of Jews throughout the world during key times in Jewish history: God’s covenant with Abraham (population of 1 c 1731 BCE); Exodus from Egypt (population of about 2.5 million c 1313 BCE); Division of Kingdom to Israel and Judah (population about 5 million c 924 BCE); The First Temple built (population about 5 million c 957 BCE); Assyrian exile of the ten tribes (population about 1.5 million c 720 BCE); Destruction of the first Temple by Babylon (population about 1 million c 586 BCE); Persian failed plot to massacre the Jews celebrated as Purim (population about 0.5 million c 523 BCE); Maccabean revolt and rededication of the Temple celebrated as Chanukah (population about 1.5 million c 164 BCE); Destruction of the second Temple by the Romans (population about 4.4 million c 70 CE); Bar Kokhba rebellion (population about 1.7 million c 135 CE); Crusades conquer Israel and massacre Jews (population about 1.3 million c 1099 CE); Expulsions from England and France (1290 CE), and Spain (Inquisition 1492 CE) during which time the population remained about 1.3 million; Jewish enlightenment…Conservative and Reform Movements (population about 2.8 million 1800 CE); Dreyfus Affair in France (population about 13.5 million 1894 CE); First Zionist Congress (population about 14 million 1897 CE.

From the time of Abraham until the Exodus from Egypt all the world’s Jews lived in Asia, Africa, and Turkey. From the time of leaving Egyptian slavery until the Assyrian exile all the world’s Jews lived in Israel. From the time of the Assyrian exile until the destruction of the Second Temple by Rome the world’s Jews lived in Israel, Africa, Asia, and Turkey. From the Roman’s destruction of the Second Temple until the start of the Crusades most of the world’s Jews lived in Africa, Asia, and Turkey with smaller numbers in Israel and Europe. In 2010 most Jews were evenly divided between Israel and the United States with smaller numbers living in Europe, South Africa, and Australia.¹

Total Jewish Population from 1731 BCE to 2010 CE:

1731 BCE God’s covenant with Abraham (1 Jew)

1313 BCE Exodus from Egypt (2.5 million Jews)

957 BCE First Temple built (5 million Jews)

720 BCE exile by Assyria (1.3 million Jews)

586 BCE Babylonian exile (0.3 million Jews)

70 CE Destruction of Second Temple (4.4 million Jews)

135 CE Bar Kokhba revolt (1.5 million Jews)

1100 CE Crusaders (1 million Jews)

1348 CE Jews blamed for Black Plague (1 million Jews)

1492 CE Expulsion from Spain (1 million Jews)

1648 CE Ukrainian Massacre (1 million Jews)

1882 CE Pogroms (7.8 million Jews)

1939 CE Pre Holocaust (16.6 million Jews)

2010 CE (13.5 million Jews)

Control of the land of Israel from 2200 BCE to the present:

2200 to 1313 BCE Egypt and Canaanites

1273 – 924 BCE Israel

924 – 720 BCE Israel and Judah

720 – 597 BCE Judah and Assyria

597 – 538 BCE Babylon

538 – 332 BCE Persia

332 – 164 BCE Greece

164 – 63 BCE Hasmonaeans

63 BCE – 395 CE Romans

395 - 636 CE Byzantines

636 – 1099 CE Arabs

1099 – 1244 CE Crusaders

1244 – 1516 CE Mamluks

1516 – 1917 CE Ottoman Empire

1917 – 1948 CE Great Britain

1948 – the present CE Israel

Rabbinical Eras from 1765 BCE to the present:

1765 – 1273 BCE Patriarchs from Abraham to Moses

1273 – 1003 BCE Judges

1003 – 458 BCE Kings and Prophets King Saul to Ezra the Scribe

458 – 186 BCE Knesset HaGdolah Ezra to the first Zugot

186 BCE – 10 CE Zugot (couples that stood at the head of the Sanhedrin one as president and the other as father of the court) Hillel and Shammai were the last ones

10 – 210 CE Tannaim main work was the Mishna completed by the last Ta’na Rabbi Judah HaNasi who died in 210

210 – 500 CE Amoraim expounded the Mishna with the Gemara (the Talmud) in academies of Tiberias, Sepphoris, Caesarea, others in Palestine, Nehardea, Sura, Pumbedita, and Babylonia

500 – 656 CE Savoraim scholars edited and gave clear explanations of things unsettled by the hora’ah (the Talmud left by the Amoraim)

656 – 1038 CE Geonim Interpreted the Talmud as a subject of study and instruction. They gave religio-legal decisions in agreement with its teachings. The last Gaon was Hai Gaon who died in 1038

1038 – 1500 CE Rishonim prior to the Spanish Inquistion and compilation of the Shulchan Aruch…best known are Rashi, Rambam, Ramban

1500 – the present Acharonim compiled the Shulchan Aruch as the main source for learning Halachic Laws

Jewish Literature from 1313 BCE to 1876 CE:

1313 BCE The Torah given on Mount Sinai

586 BCE Eikhah five poems composed by Prophet Jeremiah about destruction of Jerusalem

250 BCE Septuagint 70 wise Jewish men were ordered to translate Torah into Greek by Hellenistic King in Egypt

139 BCE Maccabees First Book covers 40 years from accession of Antiochus (175 BCE) to the death of Simon the Maccabee (135 BCE)

70 CE Canonization of the Tanakh comprises 24 books: five from the Pentateuch; eight from the prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Minor Prophets); eleven Hagiographa (Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Chronicles)

132 CE Targum Onkelos Torah translated into Aramaic by Onkelos according to instructions of R. Eliezer and R. Joshua

170 CE The Zohar by tanna Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi) in Aramaic and Hebrew containing complete cabalistic theosophy

210 CE Mishna (to study and review) composed by Tannanim and redacted by Rabbi Yehudah Ha’Nasi as the first written redaction of the Jewish Oral Torah. The persecution of the Jews and passing of time raised the possibility that the details of the oral traditions would be forgotten.

390 CE Jerusalem Talmud by the Amoraim includes Mishna and Gemara

500 CE Talmud Bavli composed by Babylonian Amoraim compiled by Rav Ashi and Ravina

656 CE Siddur prayer book

910 CE Book of Beliefs and Opinions composed by Saadia Gaon as the first systematic presentation and philosophic foundation of Judaism

1050 CE Spanish Hebrew poetry prior to expulsion from Spain songs and poems were written by Jewish artists who lived in Muslim Spain for centuries

1080 CE Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart) composed by Bahya ben Joseph ibn Pakuda who writes to know God is a matter of the heart to own and love him. Contradicts Rambam’s view emphasizing intellectual knowledge to understand God

1140 CE Kuzari composed by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi as a dialogue between the king of the Khazars and a Jewish scholar describing the principles of Jewish faith and philosophy in comparison to other religions and common beliefs.

1191 Moreh Nevukhim by the Rambam The Guide for the Perplexed a book in the form of a letter to his student.

1340 CE Tosafot (additions) composed