Abstract

Whereas belief in the salvation of the pious individual is found in different societies and cultures in Syria-Palestine from ancient times, the awareness of salvation for the Israelite people grew out of a socio-political situation in the 12th century BCE when Israel emerged as a separate entity. The idea that other people can share salvation did not start to develop until the 6th century BCE with the Babylonian exile, and is expressed in different ways, i.e., salvation through belonging to the Chosen People, salvation by extension, and universal salvation. The paper highlights key passages from the Hebrew Bible that show the above-mentioned variety and development.