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Issues of Jewish History as Reflected in
Modern Egyptian HistoriographyRachel Maissy-NoySomeone once said that history is written by the victors. This study, how-
ever, deals with the opposite case, where the defeated wrote the history
of the victorious side. We examine Egyptian writings during the years
1967–2006 on the history of the Jews.
There are about sixty prominent Egyptian scholars who have been
writing about Jews and Judaism since the 1960s, not to mention those
who dealt with Zionism. These historians came from the fields of history,
religion, law, psychology, sociology, and political science. Some of them
know Hebrew very well and use the primary sources in this language.
More than one hundred of their historical writings were the source mate-
rial for this research. Among those researchers are Mustapha Kamal ̔Abd
al- ̔Alim and ̔Abd al-Muḥsin al-Khashab, who dealt with Jewish history
in ancient times. Among those dealing with the Jews in the Middle Ages
are Qasem ̔Abddu al-Qasem from Zaqaziq University, Faṭima al- ̔Aamer
and Huwayda ̔Abd al- ̔Aẓim Ramaḍan from ̔Ein Shams University,
and Zubayda Muḥammad ̔Aṭa from Ḥilwan University. Researchers of
Jewish life in modern times include Siham Naṣṣar from Ḥilwan Univer-
sity, ̔Ali Shalash, and ̔Abdu ̔Ali ̔Arafa. Other researchers are Aḥmad
̔Uthman and Ṣaber Ṭu ̔ayma, who devoted their research to refuting
the claim of the Jews about their bond with the Land of Israel, based on
the findings of archaeological and Bible criticism; Aḥmad Shalabi from
Cairo University, Ḥasan Ẓaẓ, Ḥasanen Fu ̓ad ̔Ali, and ̔Abd al-Ghani
̔Abbud from ̔Ein Shams University, who researched the development
of the Jewish faith. Reference is also made to the works of Ḥasan Khalifa