The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with
sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away…. The Jew saw
them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no
decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of
his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind….
Mark Twain, “Concerning the Jews”