Old Canaan in a New World

Elizabeth Fenton is professor of English at the University of Vermont. She is the author of Religious Liberties: Anti-Catholicism and Liberal Democracy in Nineteenth-Century US Literature and Culture and co-author, with Jared Hickman, of Americanist Approaches to The Book of Mormon.

"This is an important study of the confluence of science, religion, and racial constructs in search of a sacredtruth." (Choice) "The appeal of Fenton's book lies mostly in its materials, which are fascinating." (The Forward) "A capacious and far-reaching history of the enduring national myth identifying American indigenous peoples as the Lost Tribes of Israel. In an account ranging from the seventeenth century to the current vogue for genealogical DNA testing, Elizabeth Fenton recovers an extraordinary archive of influential but often-overlooked materials— among them scripture, ethnography, and novels—to show the origins and uses of this national and religious fantasy. In lively, lucid prose, Fenton explains how this national myth has persisted despite the lack of any corroborating evidence, and this ambitious, deeply learned study offers an essential analysis of an oddity in erroneous American history. Old Canaan in a New World is extraordinary scholarship and an important contribution to the field." - Claudia Stokes, Trinity University "From 'first encounter' to contemporary science, Old Canaan in a New World breathes new scholarly life into the centuries-old theory concerning the Israelite origins of Native Americans. With a fresh view, new evidence, and great care for detail and nuance, Elizabeth Fenton turns the story from an early-modern European fantasy into a compelling modern American story. A must-read in the history of American religions." - Zvi Ben-Dor Benite, author of The Ten Lost Tribes: A World History "Adeptly jumping back and forth between literary analysis, intellectual history, and religious studies, Old Canaan in a New World is dizzyingly erudite. Luckily, this does not impair the book's accessibility. In fact, it is an enjoyable read that will simultaneously appeal to readers interested in literature, American studies, and religion." (H-Net) "[T]his is an excellent book that adds depth and complexity to our understanding of Hebraic Indian narratives. It would be valuable to anyone interested in the topic or in literary analysis of the Book of Mormon." - Mormon Studies Review (Mormon Studies Review) "This is a readable, impeccably researched, and interesting book that makes a material contribution to the further study of what the author calls the Herbraic Indian theory... Dr. Fenton is to be congratulated for shedding new light on this weighty topic with her readable and enlightening study." (Indigenous Religious Traditions)