Anti-Semitism has a long and ugly history. When did it begin? Why did it begin? As it turns out by the time Rome destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and Christianity was beginning to develop as an independent religion, anti-Semitism already was centuries old. Its genesis can be traced to the land of the Exodus. Anti-Semitism originated in Egypt as Egypt sought to cope with the cosmic trauma of being occupied territory. Its response to the imperialism of Assyria and Persia introduced an element of religious hatred previously unknown in the ancient Near East. At the same time too, Jews were struggling to define themselves in the new world order these empires had created. The interaction between these two developments were catastrophic. They led to hatred and violence that continue to this very day.