At the risk of being anal about it wouldn't they count as near eastern not central?
But getting past that the fact is the jewish people have been all over the near and middle east in a relatively short period of time, they were dominated by more than one ruler more than one times and I think that a people who undergo constant subjugation like that end up gaining a very strong sense of self and a very strong sense of dignity. They were able to develop themselves as, We are this people, we went through this because of who we are, and w must never let go of that because if we lost it we would be no better than they. And so their culture developed like this to remember where you came from and to live up to its standards and surpass them to make the future better for a constantly dominated people.
I don't see any problems in a group of people who are devoted to their culture and to their identities and the parts they play in the future of that culture
It's human nature to find acceptance and belonging and when your constantly being shifted around like that strong religious and cultural bonds can't help but be formed. |