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Abstract

The Satan figure of the Old Testament is very vague, and merely allegoric. The Devil emerged into prominence only through the encounter between the Christian Church and paganism. Because of their expansionist aspirations, the Church found it expedient to denounce the gods worshipped in pagan religions as demons. In the process their attributes were transferred to the image of the Devil, which in this way was given flesh and blood. Henceforth he was designated the father of all demons. Gradually the image of the Devil merged also with the image of the Jew. The Jew then became Satan’s offspring, the destructive archenemy of all Christianity, almighty as the Devil himself. Even in our enlightened century – when the role of the Devils is thought to be done – the Jew remains as the destroyer of the world. In the image of the Jew – and the Zionist – all attributes and symbols of the Devil survive. Therefore, the same symbols often recur in the anti-Semitic propaganda of the Third Reich and the anti-Zionist propaganda of the Soviet Union and the Arab states. Likewise, both Jew and Zionist are in most cases assigned the role of the real destroyer of the world&&at least they are viewed as extremely dangerous.