How much do you know about Mark Twain’s famous journey to Jerusalem? Well, you’re about to learn a lot more!
Mark Twain’s Interesting Life and Journey to Jerusalem
Most people have heard of Mark Twain’s famous book “The Innocents Abroad.” On his journey to Jerusalem, Twain wrote about how Israel was a wasteland. It was desolate. But we know that changed once the Jewish people began to return and cultivate their homeland. G-d gave the land of Israel to the people of Israel, and they are the ones who rebuilt their ancient land into a beautiful place.
People also have heard about Twain’s oft-quoted essay about Israel titled “Concerning the Jews.” In that essay, Twain writes:
If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvellous fight in the world, in all the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?
What a really powerful passage this is! And now after watching this video, you know much more about Mark Twain’s inner thoughts and beliefs. It changes the way you view him and what he wrote about the Jewish people and Israel. He might not be exactly how you viewed him if you have only read his works but not fully realized his true character and his nature. Mark Twain is definitely a fascinating character with a fascinating life. And his writings shed light on the time period in which he lived.