The Territorial Dimension of Judaism

The Territorial Dimension of Judaism by W. D. Davies investigates one of the most enduring and contested questions in Jewish thought: whether the Land of Israel is incidental or essential to the Jewish faith. Davies frames the inquiry around the doctrine that posits a special relationship among God, the People of Israel, and the Land of Israel, asking whether Judaism without this territorial connection could remain true to itself. Through a critical analysis of biblical, rabbinic, and Hellenistic sources, as well as Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and the Qumran scrolls, he demonstrates that the theme of the Land is one of the most persistent and passionately defended aspects of Jewish tradition. At the same time, he shows how historical, theological, and cultural forces—particularly the dominance of Christianity in shaping interpretive categories—have obscured or marginalized the significance of the Land within both Jewish and Christian scholarship.

The book argues that Christian theology, long preoccupied with universal abstractions such as sin, revelation, and creation, often neglected Judaism’s geographical and particularistic commitments, leading Jewish scholars in turn to underplay the Land in defending their faith against Christian critiques. Davies traces how this marginalization persisted well into the twentieth century, as major biblical reference works offered scant treatment of the subject despite its prominence in the sources. Yet he insists that the territorial dimension is indispensable for a full understanding of Judaism and early Christianity alike, given that the Church had to grapple directly with Jewish territorial claims. By re-centering the doctrine of the Land, Davies not only clarifies its theological importance but also exposes how interpretive frameworks shaped by Christian dominance have long distorted the study of Judaism.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1982.