How old is Zionism?

[Delbáeth]

So, I am having an interesting discussion with this Australian lad about how old Zionism is. I'm arguing that Zionism begins with the British Empire, and he is arguing that Zionism goes back thousands of years.

What are your opinions?

[Errigal]

Zionism is a late 19th Century Central European Jewish movement. One of the reasons for its development was the new flood of Jewish migrants from the Russian Empire into Central Europe and farther west.

Zionism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Routasydän]

This may be of interest:

Rome and Jerusalem; The last national question - Moses Hess (& biography) Source document texts -

[Breogan]

Zionism started when the Sephardic traders discover a Mongolian tribe in lower Russia known as the Khazars. Because of their remote location they had inbreed for years, and they were soulless creatures, with no conscious. The Sephardics had found their army...

more here:

Understanding The Zionist Network

[Señor Malo]

Zionism was officially founded by Theodore Herzl by 1897 though the basis and the doctrines were probably much older than that.

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by Truth-Finder

Zionism was officially founded by Theodore Herzl by 1897 though the basis and the doctrines were probably much older than that.

Yes, some ideas pointing towards desirability of founding of a Jewish state in Palestine can be found in works of the 12th-century Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, as well as among some of adherents of the 17th-century Jewish movement of Sabbateans. Or it is at least a biased a posteriori Zionist interpretation of those ideas that attempts to see in those scattered ideas a precedent of the modern Zionist conception of the State of Israel.

[Señor Malo]

Originally Posted by Marulus

Yes, some ideas pointing towards desirability of founding of a Jewish state in Palestine can be found in works of the 12th-century Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, as well as among some of adherents of the 17th-century Jewish movement of Sabbateans. Or it is at least a biased a posteriori Zionist interpretation of those ideas that attempts to see in those scattered ideas a precedent of the modern Zionist conception of the State of Israel.

Well, sometimes I wander if some roots of the zionism are not to be found in certain passages of the Old Testament, in some of the historical books like Joshua or Chronicles, when the children of Israel are instructed to "chase" (exterminate? Genocide?) all the Nations that preceded them in the Promised land (Amorites, Philistines, Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites;, and the Jebusites)