Gdy obcy stają się swoi, a swoi stają się obcymi. O zawodności identyfikacji etnicznej wspólnot w starożytnej Palestynie

Abstract

The article presents the phenomenon of affiliating the foraging groups (Danites, Idumaeans) to the virtual Israel, by the Jewish elites (Biblical authors, Josephus Flavius), as well as excluding others from it (in Ezra and Deut. 7:1-8). These processes are discussed in the light of pragmatic actions undertaken by the Judean elites. The conclusions drawn from the presentation point to the fact that religious aspects–present in the inclusion and exclusion accounts–are used merely superficially, because the real reasons based on political calculations. The article highlights also the hypothesis, according to which the discussed phenomenon of readiness to exclude and include certain groups from and in Israel proves to the lack of fixed, and unchangeable limits of such group as Israel. The very sense of Israel, and its limits, was treated dynamically, and was subject to changes, depending to the political circumstances.