The historical dimension plays a major role in shaping human consciousness and formulating intellectual trends. Many have resorted to playing on its strings to instill certain ideas and principles. From this standpoint, Shahin Makarios, who was involved in the Masonic movement, wrote “The History of the Israelites,” in which he mixed what was historical with what was religious. He filled his book with many narratives that were only mentioned in Jewish religious texts. This mixing was a common feature of historical writing during the period in which Makarios published his book in the early twentieth century. The author tried to help shape Arab public opinion that would serve the Zionists who were seeking, through the usurpation of the land of Palestine, to create a homeland that would unite the Jews. He exploited the declared historical purpose to achieve a hidden purpose for which he recounted the tragedies of the Jews throughout their history, with the aim of gaining the sympathy of the Arabs.
