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Definition: Jew from The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide

Follower of Judaism, the Jewish religion. The term is also used to refer to those who claim descent from the ancient Hebrews, a Semitic people of the Middle East. Today, some may recognize their ethnic heritage but not practise the religious or cultural traditions. The term came into use in medieval Europe, based on the Latin name for Judeans, the people of Judah. Prejudice against Jews is termed anti-Semitism.

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Jews

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
[from Judah ], traditionally, descendants of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, whose tribe, with that of his half-brother Benjamin, made up the kingdom of Judah; historically, members of the worldwide community of adherents to Judaism . The degree to which national and religious elements of Jewish culture interact has varied throughout history and has been a matter of considerable debate. There were approximately 17.8 million Jews in the world in 1990, with 8 million in the Americas (of which about 5.7 million were in the United States), 3.5 million in Israel, and 3.5 million in Europe. According to the biblical account, much of which is impossible to verify in the archaeological record until late in the monarchial period, Jewish history begins with the patriarchs Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob , who considered Canaan (an area comprising present-day Israel and the West Bank) their home. Their history continues in Goshen, NE Egypt, where they settled as agriculturists many centuries before…
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Full text Article JEWS

From Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850
Romanticism could not be nearly as useful and beneficial for the Jews as the Enlightenment had been. In fact, the Jews played only a marginal role in the Romantic movement, although European authors employed the jewish theme in works of literature. The lack of any direct Jewish involvement occurred…
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Full text Article Jews

From Philip's Encyclopedia
Traditionally, the descendants of Judah , fourth son of Jacob , who settled in ancient Palestine towards the end of the 2nd millennium bc ; historically, followers of the religion of Judaism . In c .1020 bc Saul founded the Hebrew state of Israel . David united the kingdoms of Judaea and Israel. His…
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Jews are followers of Judaism and descendants of the Biblical Israelites. Their long history of statelessness and persecution has resulted in the Jews being a widely dispersed people: though of Middle Eastern origin, the majority of the world's 14 million Jews now live in Europe and North America. …
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Full text Article Jews

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
[from Judah ], traditionally, descendants of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, whose tribe, with that of his half-brother Benjamin, made up the kingdom of Judah; historically, members of the worldwide community of adherents to Judaism . The degree to which national and religious elements of Jewish…
| 1,267 words
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Full text Article JEWS

From The Reader's Companion to American History
The 6 million Americans of Jewish origin, 2.5 percent of the population, are the descendants of immigrants who arrived in waves from different parts of Europe from colonial times to the present. Despite dissimilar cultural backgrounds and political experiences in their countries of origin, Jews…
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Full text Article JEW

From Dictionary of Race, Ethnicity & Culture
The word ‘Jew’ refers to members of the Semitic people who are notionally descended from the ancient Israelites and who, although they are spread throughout the world, have remained linked by cultural and/or religious ties. As Jewish descent is from the maternal line, a Jew is a person born to a…
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Full text Article Jew

From The Chambers Dictionary
a member of a Semitic people practising a monotheistic religion; an Israelite; a usurer, miser, someone who drives a hard bargain ( offensive ). adj ( derog or offensive ) Jewish. vt and vi ( old ; offensive ; also without cap ) to haggle (with) or get the better of in a bargain. [OFr Jueu , from L’ …
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Full text Article Jew

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
The term ‘Jew’, for a follower of Judaism (the Jewish religion), came into use in medieval Europe, based on the Latin name for Judeans, the people of Judah. In medieval times, Jewish people were amongst the minority who were literate – every Jewish community had a synagogue and a school. In England…
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Full text Article Jews.

From The Oxford Companion to British History
Though there must have been individual Jews in Anglo-Saxon England, there is no evidence of settled communities. But after the Norman Conquest, some hundreds of Jews entered the country, mainly from Normandy where there had been settlements. Since Christians were not allowed to practise usury, Jews…
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Full text Article Jews

From Encyclopedia of World Trade: From Ancient Times to the Present Full text Article A-Z Entries
Ancient religious and ethnic group that became important to trade and commerce in early medieval times for their role in facilitating trade relations between Christian and non-Christian lands. In antiquity, Jewish Palestine had a strategic location on the trade routes from Egypt and Arabia. The…
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