Ken Spiro

 “I Will Bless Those Who Bless You” - The Rise and Fall of Nations and Empires Based on Their Treatment of the Jewish People

Ken Spiro

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…All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains.  What is the secret of his immortality?

-Mark Twain - Harpers Magazine, 1899

In the Book of Genesis, at the very beginning of Jewish history, God makes a timeless promise to Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3)

This single sentence established one of the most fundamental and remarkable rules that has echoed through history. Across millennia, a clear and striking pattern has emerged: empires and nations that honored and protected the Jewish people thrived; those who persecuted or sought to destroy them eventually fell.

Assyria:

The ancient Assyrian Empire was one of the first world powers to rise against Israel. In the 8th century BCE, Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom, exiling the Ten Lost Tribes in 722 BCE. Later, it invaded Judah and besieged Jerusalem.  The siege of Jerusalem failed, and within a century, Assyria was obliterated by the Babylonians and Medes, its capital Nineveh, reduced to ruins.

Babylon and Persia:

The Babylonians continued the pattern, destroying the First Temple and exiling the Jews to Babylon in 586 BCE. Yet their supremacy was short-lived. Not long after, the Persian Empire ruled by Cyrus the Great, conquered Babylon. Cyrus reversed Babylon’s policies and allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. But what started out as a good relationship with the Jews didn’t last.  In the Book of Esther, we read of Haman’s plot to annihilate the Jewish people. Though the plan was foiled, it was a turning point. Not long afterward, Alexander the Great swept through Persia, toppling the empire and bringing it to ruin.

Greece and Hanukkah:

Initially, the Greeks—especially under Alexander—were respectful toward the Jews. However, that changed under the Seleucid Greeks.  In the second century BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, banned Jewish practice, desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem, and sought to erase Jewish identity. This oppression led to the Maccabean Revolt and the rededication of the Temple, commemorated in the festival of Hanukkah. The Seleucid Empire, once powerful, soon faded and was absorbed by Rome. Yet again, the persecution of the Jews preceded imperial decline.

Rome:

Rome began as a relatively tolerant overlord in Judea in 63BCE. But that changed dramatically by the first century CE. Roman persecution led to a massive revolt in Judea in 66CE, which ended with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. This was followed by the brutal suppression of the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 135 CE, which led to massive destruction and loss of life in Judea.

Within a few centuries, the Western Roman Empire was shattered—its infrastructure decayed, its cities sacked, and its influence erased. The empire that had ruled the Mediterranean for half a millennium and had exiled the Jews was itself exiled from history.

Medieval Europe:

Medieval Christian Europe followed suit. England expelled its Jews in 1290, followed by France and then Spain in 1492. Though Spain’s imperial age seemed to begin with the Jewish expulsion, it quickly entered a period of decline, plagued by religious persecution, economic stagnation, and military overreach. The Habsburg Dynasty that ruled Spain defaulted on its debts four times in the 16^th century alone.

In every case, the removal of Jewish communities—often the most educated and economically vital segment of society—was followed by national decline.

 Russia:

Russia expanded westward in the 18^th century, absorbing millions of Jews in the process.  By the late 19^th century, an estimated forty percent of world Jewry lived within the Russian Empire. Successive Czars imposed an endless list of discriminatory taxes and restrictions on the Jews, making life there virtually impossible. This led to the mass exodus of an estimated two and a half million Jews by the early 20^th century, most of whom went to America.  By 1917, the Russian Empire was no more-toppled by the Bolshevik revolution.

Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union:

No modern example is more devastating than Nazi Germany. Hitler's regime pursued the industrial-scale extermination of the Jewish people. Six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. Yet Germany's defeat was swift and total. The Reich that was meant to last a thousand years collapsed in twelve.

The Soviet Union, too, became increasingly hostile to Jews—especially under Stalin—suppressing Jewish culture, religion, and Zionist activity. Though it never engaged in genocide, the regime’s antisemitism was systemic and unrelenting for most of the 20^th century. By 1991, the Soviet Union had disintegrated under the weight of its corruption and stagnation.

The United States and the Blessing of the Jews

In contrast, the United States has historically welcomed Jews and benefited immensely from their contributions. From science and medicine to culture, law, and business, Jews have played an outsized role in the success, prosperity, and growth of  America while experiencing  unparalleled freedom, opportunity, and success. America’s acceptance of millions of Jews and its alliance with Israel is a powerful demonstration of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3.

Israel: A Modern Miracle

After two thousand years of exile and persecution, the Jewish people returned to their ancestral homeland and established the State of Israel. Despite facing existential threats from its inception, Israel has become a thriving democracy and a center of innovation.

Nations that support Israel often experience strong alliances and mutual growth. Those that demonize or attack it—such as Iran or terror organizations—remain trapped in cycles of poverty, violence, and international isolation.

The biblical promise to Abraham was not a fleeting blessing. It appears to function as a moral and spiritual law of history. While many factors contribute to the rise or fall of nations, the treatment of the Jewish people emerges as a consistent and telling indicator, and the survival of the Jewish people, against all odds, is nothing short of supernatural.

“The preservation of the Jews is really one of the most signal and illustrious acts of Divine Providence… and what but a supernatural power could have preserved them in such a manner as none other nation upon earth hath been preserved. Nor is the providence of God less remarkable in the destruction of their enemies than in their preservation… We see that the great empires, which in their turn subdued and oppressed the people of God, are all come to ruin… And if such hath been the fatal end of the enemies and oppressors of the Jews, let it serve as a warning to all those who at any time or upon any occasion are for raising a clamor and persecution against them.”

-Thomas Newton, Bishop of Bristol, England (1704–1782)

# posted by The View from Jerusalem @ 7/18/2025