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The Temple Of HaShem
by Hyam Yona Becker
(Gefen Publishing House, $10.95 (UK price unknown) , 312 pages, 1998,
ISBN 9652291560.)
Review by Stuart Carter
Stepping off the conventional path we come across The Temple of
HaShem, described
by its publisher as 'A landmark in  Jewish
science fiction! Infused with religious fervor and a sublime sense of
humor' .
Now a Jewish sf novel is something that I, at least, certainly don't
see every day, but I was interested to learn what it might involve,
having read plenty of sf influenced (if not convinced) by various strands
of Christianity, for example James Blish's A Case Of Conscience,
Keith Roberts' Pavane and Walter M. Miller's A Canticle
For Leibowitz.
Becker's book follows Shlomo Tzadok, an archaeology professor at the
present day University of Tel Aviv who is about to quit a secular academic
life that he no longer finds satisfactory, to study the Torah full time.
I say 'about to' because he is already working out his notice when the
government calls upon him to join a small expedition to the sliver of
Antarctica that was designated to Israel when the Antarctic was divided
up between the countries of the world. Having spent a year living in
the Arctic, Tzadok is ideally qualified for the expedition to the Israeli
Antarctic region, a region unexplored, mysteriously warm and
obscured from satellite eyes. Because of his newfound religious enthusiasm,
Tzadok originally says 'Thanks, but no thanks' to the offer. However,
as is the way of governments, they twist his arm by offering to intervene
on behalf of an unlikely friend of his -- Enki the world's only Jewish
Eskimo, who is in big trouble with the Russians for defending his native
lands. Tzadok cannot resist helping his friend and so agrees to put
off his religious retreat until after paying a visit to the polar regions
of the south.
When they finally reach their destination the expedition finds, in
the very best 'Lost World' tradition, a race of hitherto unsuspected
primitive people living in a temperate valley and ruled by a rather
unpleasant queen. Oh, and some aliens, a spaceship and proof that Tzadok's
decision to go and study the Torah full-time was absolutely correct
(because the aliens are Jewish).
The Temple Of HaShem is not without a certain small amount of
crazed charm, which I would liken to watching a Russ Meyer film, in
that it's initially offbeat but once you get the idea it begins to pall.
Also like Meyer, the characterisation is very flat. Becker's writing
style is adequate, no more no less; it reads rather like a first novel
in that Becker has made the not uncommon mistake of obviously thinking
about his book's content but not about the style it's written in. It
won't scare you away, but sadly it won't fire you full of imagery and
the poetry of the frozen wastes either.
But to be honest, I don't think it's designed to. Becker lays his cards
on the table on page 107 when this little exchange takes place:
'"You don't believe in science?" Miller asked incredulously.
"Oh, it has its uses. But when it's based solely upon atheistic belief
it tends to be misleading," Tzadok said provocatively.
"Miller eyed him sharply and took up the challenge, "Like the theory
of evolution, I suppose?"
"Sure, the theory of evolution is a typical example of scientists
desperately scrambling to avoid admitting the existence of a Creator.
The theory itself can be disproved by logical deduction. Most scientists
realize that now, but society demands that it continue to be taught
in our schools. Too destabilizing to admit the truth."'
At which point I sat back from this book with mouth hanging rather
stupidly wide open. Suddenly it became obvious: The Temple of HaShem
wasn't, as previously imagined, going to be a relatively simplistic
rehash of the 'Lost World' idea from a Jewish perspective, it was instead
a strange kind of 'straw man' tale that would justify its conclusions
about the inherent rightness of the Jewish faith only through internal
logic and not by reference to the actually existing outside world. Therefore
evolution, science and most of our other theories were going to be shown
to be false or misguided, and religion -- specifically Judaism -- was
going to be proven correct. By super-intelligent kosher aliens.
And at this point I was rather saddened, because I hadn't been expecting
great world-shattering things from The Temple of HaShem; after
the first few pages (as usual) I had lowered my expectations to, say,
'quirky adventure story with unusual (for me) cultural background'.
But as a lifelong atheist, any book that sets out its stall this blatantly
may as well simply flick the switch in my brain labelled 'Not interested'.
Rochelle Caviness, in The Jewish Eye, apparently called The
Temple Of HaShem, 'Witty, imaginative, and enthralling ... a thrilling
science fiction adventure story. ...You don't have to be observant,
or even Jewish to fully appreciate and enjoy this masterful work of
science fiction'. It's true, you don't have to be observant or
Jewish but it will help a very very great deal if you are. It
will also not help if you know or have read almost any major
sf works of the past 75 years or so, because Becker's ideas have all
been used more effectively before. If you've been waiting for a Jewish
Chariots Of The Gods then your prayers have been answered and
your wait is over, but you'll have to carry on waiting for the great
Jewish science fiction novel, I'm afraid.
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