ABSTRACT
Judaism has known fundamentalist movements since biblical times. One of the best-known examples of that early fundamentalism is the revolt of the Maccabees in 165 BCE. They turned against the Jewish aristocracy who had come deeply under the influence of Hellenism and had incorporated all kinds of pagan rites into the Temple service—it is a revolt that continues to be commemorated every year in synagogues and Jewish homes during the winter Channukah festival. Gush Emunim, the expression of the activist variety of Jewish fundamentalism in Israel, was founded in 1974, shortly after the shock of the Yom Kippur war of 1973. Jewish fundamentalism has profound and ancient roots, and it cannot be left out of consideration when discussing contemporary Jewish religion and culture. The unique characteristic of fundamentalism in Israel is that it is centrally oriented to the Land—the promised land of the Bible.
