Psychosocial Backgrounds of Transformation of Ethical Values in Israelites: A Qur'anic Perspective

Much of the Quranic stories are dedicated to the descendants of Israel (the prophet Jacob P.B.U.H.). The Qur’an has sometimes condemned the people of Israel and sometimes called them a superior nation. This dual status illustrates a change in the ethical values of this nation that made them worthy of reproach. Using an interpretative method this paper studies the psychosocial backgrounds of these changes from the perspective of the Qur’an. The findings show that, the intense pressure of the post-Joseph era on this people and a long waiting for the Savior of Israel prepared the conditions for the cultural transformation of Israelites as well as the sovereignty of pharaoh's political system over them. This phenomenon along with the two patterns of “Qarun” and “Samaritan”, promoted materialism among them and led them towards calf worshiping and disobeying the commandment of Moses (P.B.U.H.), and thus, it diminished their Divine moral values and led them towards the materialist values.