The Golden Age Path

This chapter explores Rabbi Meir Kahane’s ideological use of Jewish “golden ages” as normative blueprints for contemporary Israeli politics. It demonstrates how Kahane’s literal and fundamentalist reading of Jewish texts anchors his vision for restoring a purified Jewish state modeled explicitly after two historical periods: Ezra’s post-exilic reforms and the Hasmonean revolt. Kahane reframes these ancient events as authoritative precedents, legitimizing modern policies centered around segregation, demographic purity, and cultural supremacy. By identifying secular Israeli Jews as latter-day “Hellenists,” Kahane constructs an internal existential threat paralleling ancient conflicts, thus justifying coercive policies such as expulsion, religious uniformity, and militant cultural restoration. Ultimately, the chapter argues that Kahane’s selective idealization of Jewish antiquity not only underpins his ultranationalist project but also provides the moral authority and practical strategies necessary for translating sacred historical memories into concrete political actions.