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January 23, 2020

A Forgotten, and Eccentric, Christian Zionist Who Reached Out Directly to Jewish Activists

Laurence Oliphant.

Raised in a devout British evangelical family, Laurence Oliphant (1829–1888) had a successful career as a diplomat, intelligence agent, and foreign correspondent, despite his peculiar personal life and his involvement in various mystical religious movements. At one point he gave up a seat in parliament to join a cult-like sect in western New York with his family. Oliphant eventually embraced the idea of establishing a Jewish state in the Land of Israel. Unlike other early Christian Zionists, he cooperated extensively with the pre-Herzlian Zionist movement known as Ḥibat Tsiyon, traveling to Galicia and Romania to meet with Jewish leaders. Philip Earl Steele writes:

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January 23, 2020

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  3. A Forgotten, and Eccentric, Christian Zionist Who Reached Out Directly to Jewish Activists

    Laurence Oliphant.

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