Der Segen Jacobs

work by Kohler

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July 13, 2026

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Der Segen Jacobs (Jacob's Blessing) was a doctoral dissertation by Kaufmann Kohler, a prominent theologian of Reform Judaism in the United States. Published in 1867, the work applied the higher criticism of the Bible to chapter 49 of the Book of Genesis, which recounts the story of Jacob's blessing to his sons. This analysis, which examined Scripture through the lens of modern knowledge, was considered radical at the time and prevented Kohler from serving in a German pulpit. Kohler later emigrated to the United States, where he became a leading figure in Reform Judaism, influencing its principles and theological discourse.12

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Kaufmann Kohler
…reflected in his doctoral dissertation, Der Segen Jacobs (1867; “Jacob’s Blessing”), on the story of Jacob found in chapter 49 of the Book of Genesis. The radicalism of this thesis, one of the earliest examples of the higher criticism of the Bible (analyzing Scripture in light of modern knowledge), excluded…
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…reflected in his doctoral dissertation, Der Segen Jacobs (1867; “Jacob’s Blessing”), on the story of Jacob found in chapter 49 of the Book of Genesis. The radicalism of this thesis, one of the earliest examples of the higher criticism of the Bible (analyzing Scripture in light of modern knowledge), excluded…
Read More