As he relates in the history of Israel’s “first successful experiment with monotheism,” such an evolution might also come about as the result of a “profound disruption” to preexisting belief systems. The elements of such a disruption are on the verge of combustion in the Middle East now, where three nuclear states—the US, Russia, and Israel—warily maneuver around each other in Syria. Iran, now one year away from becoming a nuclear state, is preparing a military campaign to annihilate the country its leaders describe as “the Little Satan.” This conflict could have reverberating effects throughout the world, which remains precariously dependent on the energy resources of that region. Unfortunately the influence of religious nationalism within the US, Iran, and Israel is making the disruptive path the more likely one.