Resumo de The Gifts Of The Jews

Thomas Cahill in his book "The Gifts of The Jews" starts by describing the state of mind that the world had before the Jews came to be. The state of mind that describes everything as a big cycle of events that occurs continually, leaving no room for personal intervention. That is, they believed that destiny ruled your fate, there was no need to look for something different because everything had been done before and would eventually happen again. Cahill proceeds through some of the rituals that were performed in the ancient world and his interpretation of why and how they were enacted.
With that said Cahill then starts to show the reader how different the general mind set of today is, from that of yesteryear. For example, how we go through life looking for opportunity, knowing that our future is the direct result of the choices we make today. In contrast the civilizations before the Jews would have thout it laughable for you to think you controlled your own fate. To them there was no way you could change what would happen tomorrow, the gods had already determined that for you. What you were expected to do, was make the gods happy, because they alone had the ability to change your fate. From that point Cahill begins to explain the Jews, starting with Abram (Abraham) and how there mindset was so different from that of their contemporaries.
Mr.Cahill shows us how Abram gathered his family and all of his possessions together and left his home. How he went looking for something better, having complete faith in the Unseen God that spoke to his heart. Something that Abram's peers must have thought loony, not only did he think he could change the outcome that surely was to come to him, but he also listened to a god that nobody could see or touch. Yet, Abram left everything he had known, looking for something beyond the predertmined circle of life. Looking for a happier and better existence, not knowing what was before him, but knowing that in some mysterious way he had a choice.
Our author then takes us on, showing how even inprisoned in Egypt they kept their unique mindset, hoping and knowing that someday they would be free. Next, Cahill introduces us to Moshe (Moses) the toung tied prince who would lead his people through the desert to the shore of their new home. He describes how in the midst of temptation and trials the people (later called the Jews) would often become distraught and hopeless looking back to the old ways of the world. Their unseen God, though, proves himself to be a force to be reckoned with. Many times as this tribe of wanderers turn back to the ways of the world (against God's will), they find their number considerably less. They eventually make it to their new home (Canaan) , but only after all the unfaithful who lived in Egypt are dead. The new generation, the stronger generation, who were born and raised wanderers are the ones who inherit the land. They with this always present blessing that has come about after the desert excursion, never forget the mindset that distinguishes them from the rest of the world.
Cahill shows the reader how they maintain their unique frame of mind eventually spreading it to the western world. In this way positively swaying todays mindset to the dominant "processive worldview" as opposed to the older "cyclical worldview". Some words that Cahill points out in his book that we have because of this mindset, are: new, adventure, unique, individual, vocation, progress, hope and justice. Mr. Cahill has again wrote an excellent book, this one describing how we acquired the mindset that we have today and how we not only owe it to the Jews, but more directly to there partriarch Abraham who dared to defy what was considered reality and invented the way we think today.

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