Philo-Semitism from Christian Millenarianism to Contemporary Judaizing Movements

Abstract Non-Jews who support Jewish causes have become more noticeable over the past few decades. These philo-Semites have affected Jewish political, social, and religious realities, helping to create congenial environments in which Jews have been able to live their lives in diasporic settings. Philo-Semites have come up with or supported initiatives to help Jews settle in the Holy Land in preparation for the arrival of the Messiah. They have also created communities that combine elements of Jewish identity and culture with the Christian faith. While the term “philo-Semitism” appeared in Europe at the turn of the twentieth century, the phenomenon is older and more global than the modern Western Christian world. Philo-Semites have offered encouragement and validation to groups of Jews, who in turn have provided reassurances to philo-Semites that the manner in which they interpret sacred scriptures and the course of history is correct.