History of the Israelites

The historical dimension plays a central role in shaping human consciousness and forming intellectual orientations, and many have sought to exploit it in order to implant specific ideas and principles. From this perspective, Shahin Makaryus, who was involved in the Masonic movement, authored The History of the Israelites. In this work, he interwove the historical with the religious, filling his book with numerous narratives found only in Jewish religious texts. This blending was a common feature of historical writing during the period in which Makaryus published his book in the early twentieth century. The author sought to contribute to the shaping of an Arab public opinion that would serve the Zionists, who were striving through the usurpation of Palestine to establish a homeland for the Jews. Thus, he used the declared historical purpose to advance a hidden agenda: recounting the tragedies of the Jews throughout their history in order to win the sympathy of the Arabs.