Author(s): Thomas Cahill

Religion

In "The Gifts of the Jews", Thomas Cahill reveals the critical change that made Western civilisation possible. Within the matrix of ancient religions and philosophies, life was seen as an endless cycle of birth and death; time was like a wheel, spinning irrevocably until ancient Jews began to see time differently, as a narrative whose triumphant conclusion would come in the future. From this insight came a new concept of men and women as individuals with unique destinies, and our hopeful belief in progress and the sense that tomorrow can be better than today. Full of compelling stories, insights, and humour, this book is an irresistible exploration of the origins of some of our oldest and most closely held beliefs.