--- product_id: 8183216 title: "The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (The Hinges of History)" price: "$25.98" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/8183216-the-gifts-of-the-jews-how-a-tribe-of-desert store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # Revolutionary concept of time Bestselling historical narrative Foundational cultural insights The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (The Hinges of History) **Price:** $25.98 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > ⏳ Unlock the ancient secrets that rewrote history and your worldview! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (The Hinges of History) - **How much does it cost?** $25.98 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/8183216-the-gifts-of-the-jews-how-a-tribe-of-desert) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Time Reimagined:** Discover the groundbreaking idea of linear time that changed Western thought forever. - • **Cultural Foundations Unveiled:** Understand the ancient origins of individuality, progress, and hope. - • **Bestselling Historical Journey:** Dive into a #1 bestseller that reshaped how we see civilization’s roots. - • **Iconic Biblical Figures Explored:** Meet Abraham, Moses, and more through a fresh, compelling lens. - • **Thought-Provoking & Entertaining:** Engage with history that’s as insightful as it is captivating and witty. ## Overview The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill is a nationally bestselling historical exploration revealing how ancient Jewish ideas about time and individuality revolutionized Western civilization. Blending compelling storytelling with scholarly insight, this book challenges conventional views and highlights the enduring impact of biblical figures and their culture on modern thought. ## Description NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The author of the runaway bestseller How the Irish Saved Civilization takes us on another "captivating...persuasive as well as entertaining" journey into history ( The New York Times) , recreating a time when the actions of a small band of people had repercussions that are still felt today. The Gifts of the Jews reveals the critical change that made western civilization possible. Within the matrix of ancient religions and philosophies, life was seen as part of an endless cycle of birth and death; time was like a wheel, spinning ceaselessly. Yet somehow, the ancient Jews began to see time differently. For them, time had a beginning and an end; it was a narrative, whose triumphant conclusion would come in the future. From this insight came a new conception of men and women as individuals with unique destinies--a conception that would inform the Declaration of Independence--and our hopeful belief in progress and the sense that tomorrow can be better than today. As Thomas Cahill narrates this momentous shift, he also explains the real significance of such Biblical figures as Abraham and Sarah, Moses and the Pharaoh, Joshua, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Full of compelling stories, insights and humor, The Gifts of the Jews is an irresistible exploration of history as fascinating and fun as How the Irish Saved Civilization. Review: excellent book - Presented ideas, relationships, and interpretations of the Old Testament that I found compellingly. Provided a structure by which to keep track of characters and times. Review: I am officially a Thomas Cahill fan! - This is the second Cahill book I have read. He brilliantly executes the narrative by setting the stage for the ancient worldview of the Sumerians and their contemporaries, and then contrasts it with the rise of a people out of Ur (Sumerians) with a completely perspective on how to view deity, time, eternity, life, and more. He challenges the understanding that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses were Hebrew speakers even though there is no proof that this Semitic language existed prior to the 11th Century B.C., as these leaders were the products of Sumerian, Canaanite, and Egyptian civilizations. He also defends the integrity and the historicity of the oral culture of these people. This book will challenge what you think you know. Epic! ## Features - Great product! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #137,849 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #57 in History of Judaism #167 in History of Civilization & Culture #220 in Jewish History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 750 Reviews | ## Images ![The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (The Hinges of History) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71d4gAw1HCL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ excellent book *by B***E on April 26, 2023* Presented ideas, relationships, and interpretations of the Old Testament that I found compellingly. Provided a structure by which to keep track of characters and times. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I am officially a Thomas Cahill fan! *by H***R on August 14, 2023* This is the second Cahill book I have read. He brilliantly executes the narrative by setting the stage for the ancient worldview of the Sumerians and their contemporaries, and then contrasts it with the rise of a people out of Ur (Sumerians) with a completely perspective on how to view deity, time, eternity, life, and more. He challenges the understanding that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses were Hebrew speakers even though there is no proof that this Semitic language existed prior to the 11th Century B.C., as these leaders were the products of Sumerian, Canaanite, and Egyptian civilizations. He also defends the integrity and the historicity of the oral culture of these people. This book will challenge what you think you know. Epic! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Finger of God in Human Affairs *by A***Y on March 15, 2009* Following "How the Irish Saved Civilization", I read volume 2 of Thomas Cahill's Hinges of History series: The Gifts of the Jews. In this bestselling book, Cahill sets out to show that the world we live in and everything we do and think, is purportedly a result of the Jewish "revolution" in history. The concepts expounded in the Bible were a dramatic break from the ancient religions and philosophies, that viewed the world as an endless cycle of birth and death in which human beings had no control over their lives. The Jews broke this way of thinking by defining time as continuous, as moving towards a better future through the decisions of men and women living here and now, in the present. Were it not for the Jews, argues Cahill, the world as we know it would not have come to be; we would have been unable to grasp concepts such as history, future, freedom, faith, hope, individual, justice and pretty much everything else. What a wonderful theory and, as a Jew, I'm obviously all for it. But unfortunately Cahill devotes most of the book not to providing evidence to support this theory, but rather to a recounting of the major stories of the Bible from his perspective. The few profound points he makes about the contribution of the Jews to the world are lost in the endless quotes from the Bible and in Cahill's somewhat simplistic theories about what really happened. For example, do we really need to know that he believes the Red Sea was a marsh and not a sea, or that the Manna the Israelites ate in the desert was most likely some white plant secretion? Such details are numerous and do not contribute to the main idea offered by the author. Cahill does not come through as a particularly believing person and he certainly does not view the Bible as the word of God. Therefore, it is interesting that he uses the following definition for the existence of God: "...the Jews developed a whole new way of experiencing reality, the only alternative to all ancient worldviews and all ancient religions. If one is ever to find the finger of God in human affairs, one must find it here." (p. 246) I wonder if Cahill was aware that this very definition was given by Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of Britain. When asked by Queen Victoria if he can provide proof that God exists, Disraeli (born Jewish himself) thought for a moment and replied: "The Jews, your Majesty". As a believing Jew I particularly liked the way Cahill defines how each and every one of us hears the Voice of God: "Each reader must decide if the Voice that spoke to the patriarchs and prophets speaks to him, too. If it does, there is no question of needing proof, any more than we require proof of anyone we believe in... one does not believe that God exists, as one believes that Timbuktu or the constellation Andromeda exists. One believes in God, as one believes in a friend - or one believes nothing." (p.250) ## Frequently Bought Together - GIFTS OF THE JEWS - How The Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe - Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/8183216-the-gifts-of-the-jews-how-a-tribe-of-desert](https://www.desertcart.us/products/8183216-the-gifts-of-the-jews-how-a-tribe-of-desert) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-10-11*