Q&A: Is the existence of the Jewish people supernatural?
Is the existence of the Jewish people supernatural?
Question
It is well known that a group of people is defined as a nation if it has four criteria (at least one of them): a shared territory, a shared culture, a shared history, and a shared language.
And apparently it seems that the people of Israel lack all of them. It was born in the desert (a sign that it has no territory, aside from the fact that it really had no territory throughout the exile, which is most of its history), it was born before the giving of the Torah (that is, before there was a culture), every single community has its own history and its own language (so the people of Israel have no shared history or shared language).
Can one infer from this that the existence of the people of Israel stems from a higher entity (God) that desires its existence?
Answer
Not necessarily. It just does not fit the accepted definitions of a nation. So what?
Discussion on Answer
EA, premise 1: justify it. Why is the naturalness of a nation limited to that definition? Good luck!
These are just definitions and word games.
You’re mixing up an ordinary nation with a natural nation.
Got it, thanks.
1. A natural nation is as we defined it
2. The people of Israel are a nation
3. The people of Israel do not fit the definition we gave
Therefore the people of Israel are supernatural (their existence exists by virtue of God, which is a sign that God exists).