Cover art: The painting, Third Allegory, is one of BEN SHAHN's most expressive religious
works. Having rejected religion in his early youth, he began to rediscover it in middle age, no
longer regarding it as "a trap" (his earlier designation), but as a fundamental human need. He
delighted in the Hebrew myths and lore that, despite his early skepticism, he knew so well.
He executed numerous works—books, paintings, prints and the like and many drawings—
all expressing his love and enjoyment of the beliefs, the stories, the rare ritual objects of his
hereditary faith. But, as an adult, he looked upon all religions in the same light: he was awed
by the Catholic mass; he cherished the Greek religious myths; he was acutely aware of the
broad dimension that religion, as such, has added to the human community—the music, the
art, the exquisite churches, temples and cathedrals and, above all, the principles of humanity,
tenderness and justice. Not infrequently, he commented upon the quiet presence of the Ten
Commandments in the American Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Consti-
tution itself. He executed many versions of the Ten Commandments—the Decalogue—
including the one just above the lamb in this painting. Third Allegory celebrates the Hebrew
Seder, the Feast of the Passover, which itself commemorates the release of the Children of
Israel from captivity in Egypt.

Third Allegory © 1994 Estate of Ben Shahn/Licensed by VAGA, New York

Excerpts from the TANAKH: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional
Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission.

The publisher and translator are grateful to Association Menorah, Paris, France, for permis-
sion to translate this text from Israël et l'Humanité.

Copyright © 1995 by Maxwell Luria

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informa-
tion storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Benamozegh, Elia, 1823-1900.
[Israël et l'humanité. English]
Israel and humanity / Elijah Benamozegh ; translated, edited, and
with an introduction by Maxwell Luria.
p. cm. — (Classics of Western Spirituality)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8091-3541-8 (pbk.)—ISBN 0-8091-0468-7 (cloth)
1. Judaism. 2. Judaism—Relations—Christianity. 3. Christianity
and other religions—Judaism. I. Luria, Maxwell, 1932-.
II. Title. III. Series.
BM560.B347313 1995
296.3—dc20

94-34906
CIP

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