{"product_id":"old-canaan-in-a-new-world-9781479820481","title":"Old Canaan in a New World","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWere indigenous Americans descendants of the lost tribes of Israel?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the moment Europeans realized Columbus had landed in a place unknown to them in 1492, they began speculating about how the Americas and their inhabitants fit into the Bible. For many, the most compelling explanation was the Hebraic Indian theory, which proposed that indigenous Americans were the descendants of the ten lost tribes of Israel. For its proponents, the theory neatly explained why this giant land and its inhabitants were not mentioned in the Biblical record. \u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eOld Canaan in a New World\u003c\/i\u003e, Elizabeth Fenton shows that though the Hebraic Indian theory may seem far-fetched today, it had a great deal of currency and significant influence over a very long period of American history. Indeed, at different times the idea that indigenous Americans were descended from the lost tribes of Israel was taken up to support political and religious positions on diverse issues including Christian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is an important study of the confluence of science, religion, and racial constructs in search of a sacred\u003cbr\u003e truth.\u003c\/p\u003e * Choice *\u003cbr\u003eThe appeal of Fenton’s book lies mostly in its materials, which are fascinating. * The Forward *\u003cbr\u003eA capacious and far-reaching history of the enduring national myth identifying American indigenous peoples as the Lost Tribes of Israel. In an account ranging from the seventeenth century to the current vogue for genealogical DNA testing, Elizabeth Fenton recovers an extraordinary archive of influential but often-overlooked materials— among them scripture, ethnography, and novels—to show the origins and uses of this national and religious fantasy. In lively, lucid prose, Fenton explains how this national myth has persisted despite the lack of any corroborating evidence, and this ambitious, deeply learned study offers an essential analysis of an oddity in erroneous American history. \u003ci\u003eOld Canaan in a New World\u003c\/i\u003e is extraordinary scholarship and an important contribution to the field. -- Claudia Stokes, Trinity University\u003cbr\u003eFrom ‘first encounter’ to contemporary science, \u003ci\u003eOld Canaan in a New World\u003c\/i\u003e breathes new scholarly life into the centuries-old theory concerning the Israelite origins of Native Americans. With a fresh view, new evidence, and great care for detail and nuance, Elizabeth Fenton turns the story from an early-modern European fantasy into a compelling modern American story. A must-read in the history of American religions. -- Zvi Ben-Dor Benite, author of The Ten Lost Tribes: A World History\u003cbr\u003eAdeptly jumping back and forth between literary analysis, intellectual history, and religious studies, \u003ci\u003eOld Canaan in a New World\u003c\/i\u003e is dizzyingly erudite. Luckily, this does not impair the book’s accessibility. In fact, it is an enjoyable read that will simultaneously appeal to readers interested in literature, American studies, and religion. * H-Net *\u003cbr\u003e[T]his is an excellent book that adds depth and complexity to our understanding of Hebraic Indian narratives. It would be valuable to anyone interested in the topic or in literary analysis of the Book of Mormon. -- Mormon Studies Review * Mormon Studies Review *\u003cbr\u003eThis is a readable, impeccably researched, and interesting book that makes a material contribution to the further study of what the author calls the Herbraic Indian theory... Dr. Fenton is to be congratulated for shedding new light on this weighty topic with her readable and enlightening study. * Indigenous Religious Traditions *","brand":"New York University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49409062699351,"sku":"9781479820481","price":22.79,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781479820481.jpg?v=1730505297","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/old-canaan-in-a-new-world-9781479820481","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}