ABSTRACT
Modern European civilization has its roots, through Christianity and Roman tradition, in ancient Judea and Hellas. Their history can be understood against the background of whole ancient world, of which those two small countries formed an indissoluble part. The national idea of the ancient Jews and Greeks was at the beginning based exclusively upon common descent. The concept of a chosen race the concept that the purity of blood ordained by God is of the greatest value for the individual, for the community, and for history inspired natural tribalism with religious fervor. Three essential traits of nationalism originated with the ancient Jews: the idea of the chosen people, the consciousness of national history, and national Messianism. The Jews developed two aspects of the Messianic doctrine. Often it was the expression of a narrow group mind and only aimed at a fundamental betterment of the national situation. In other cases it acquired a more universal aspect and a more spiritual meaning.
