In the magnificent historical-cultural essay before you, which is the first part, Simon Shamma tells the story of the Jews. He traces their history over three millennia, from their being a small and ancient tribe to the opening of the New World, in 1492. This is a story like no other: an epic of standing firm in the face of destruction, of creativity under oppression, of joy in the heart of grief, of sticking to life against all odds. The story spans continents and thousands of years - from India to Andalusia and from the bazaars of Cairo to the streets of Oxford. He takes the reader to places he never imagined: to a Jewish kingdom in the mountains of South Arabia; to a Syrian synagogue whose walls all radiate with the light of colorful paintings; To the palm groves of the dead Jews in the catacombs in Rome. And his voices ring and echo, from the severity and visions of the authors of the Bible to the love songs of the wine drinkers in the gardens of Muslim Spain. Between these pages, the Talmud burns in the streets of Paris, hanging ropes dangle from gallows in the streets of medieval London, a painter in Mallorca redraws the world; candles are lit . to the Greeks, from the Arabs to the Christians. Therefore, the story of the Jews is actually also the story of all humans. This book was published alongside an important BBC television series, which was written and presented by Simon Shama. The second volume of this book, The Story of the Jews: When the words run out, 1492 - our day will see the light soon.
