Jewish Hostility Toward Egypt, Babylon, and Palestine: Hypocrisy in Borrowing Myths
The hostility towards Egypt, Babylon, and Palestine in Jewish texts is striking, especially given how much their religious and cultural foundations were borrowed from these very civilizations. This antagonism likely stems from historical conflicts and the need to establish a distinct national identity.
1. The Exodus Story as Anti-Egyptian Propaganda
The story of Moses and the Exodus portrays the Egyptians as cruel oppressors.
Yet, much of Israelite religion, law, and priesthood mirrors Egyptian traditions (e.g., monotheism possibly influenced by Akhenaten’s reforms, priestly purification rites).
No archaeological evidence supports the Exodus narrative, suggesting it was a later invention to demonize Egypt while appropriating its religious motifs.
2. Babylon as the Villain, Despite Heavy Borrowing
The Israelites absorbed countless myths from Mesopotamia (Creation, Flood, Tower of Babel).
Yet, Babylon is vilified in Jewish tradition, especially in the Book of Daniel and the Prophets, portraying it as a symbol of corruption.
The Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE) intensified Jewish resentment, yet during this period, Jewish scriptures were edited and compiled, incorporating Babylonian influences.
3. Zionism and the Erasure of Origins
In modern times, Zionist ideology has continued this trend of claiming ancient legitimacy while rejecting historical roots.
The desire to establish a unique religious and national identity led to the distortion or erasure of their deep Mesopotamian and Egyptian influences.
4. Hostility Toward Palestine
Despite historical Jewish-Canaanite roots, modern Zionism has sought to erase and delegitimize Palestinian presence, despite clear historical evidence that Jewish ad Arab populations coexisted for centuries.
The biblical conquest narratives (Joshua, Judges) depict Israelites slaughtering Canaanites, reinforcing an ideology of divine entitlement that later fueled modern Zionist expansion.
The demonization of Palestine and its people reflects the same pattern seen in Jewish hostility toward Egypt and Babylon—dismissing historical interconnections while asserting exclusive divine rights.
The settler-colonial ideology in modern Israel echoes the biblical narrative of conquest, where indigenous populations are seen as obstacles to Jewish expansion.
How This Hypocrisy Shaped Religious Identity
• Demonizing the source civilizations helped justify the creation of a “chosen people” narrative.
• Borrowing without acknowledgment allowed the Israelites to claim divine originality.
• Vilification of Egypt, Babylon, and Palestine reinforced the Jewish exile-and-return cycle, a core theme in later theological justifications for suffering and survival.
• Modern Zionist expansion mirrors the biblical conquest myth, erasing indigenous histories to justify territorial claims.
This pattern of borrowing, erasing, and vilifying has shaped Jewish religious and nationalist identity, allowing myths to justify historical revisionism and territorial claims.