The impact of orientalism and anti-Semitism is not confined to Jewish scholars. The "culture war" also involved interdenominational conflicts among Christians. Oriental studies had a key role in these conflicts: indeed, Egyptology in Germany was compelled to avoid "biblical" themes to obtain private funding. Denominational differences directly influenced science policy in this discipline.

Thomas L. Gertzen, Moses-Mendelssohn Zentrum für europäisch-jüdische Studien, Potsdam.