[Avodah] diaspora psychology?

[Joel Rich]

>From the Ami Museum (formerly beit hatfutzot)

The Jews of Babylonia did not regard themselves as exiles and made attempts
to locate sites of Jewish historical importance in their vicinity that
would actually testify to their local roots. That explains how they
“discovered” the furnace in which Abraham burned the idols, the gravesite
of Daniel the Prophet and other places. Babylonia received a renewed
geographical legal definition.

Against that backdrop various traditions also evolved in Babylonia such as
the claim that the synagogue in Nehardea was built out of stones taken from
the Temple in Jerusalem. There was even a widespread belief that in the
future after the coming of Messiach, all the Jews of the world would suffer
the birth pangs of the Messiah and only the Jews of Babylon would be exempt
from them.

(Me-Interesting assertion, I wonder the source. Any parallel with current
diaspora?)

KT
Joel Rich
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