The return of the repressed : Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer and the Pseudepigrapha /
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This study analyzes mythic narratives, found in the 8th century midrashic text Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer (PRE), that were excluded, or 'repressed', from the rabbinic canon, while preserved in the Pseudepigrapha of the Second Temple period. Examples include the role of the Samael (i.e. Satan) in the Garden of Eden, the myth of the Fallen Angels, Elijah as zealot, and Jonah as a Messianic figure. The questions are why these exegetical traditions were excluded, in what context did they resurface, and how did the author have access to these apocryphal texts. The book addresses the assumptions that underlie classic rabbinic literature and later breaches of that exegetical tradition in PRE, while engaging in a study of the genre, dating, and status of PRE as apocalyptic eschatology.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004180611 :
1384-2161 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The Literature of the Sages : A Re-Visioning /
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This volume presents the major works of classical rabbinic Judaism as inter-related aggregates analyzed through three central themes. Part 1, "Intertextuality," investigates the multi-directional relationships among and between rabbinic texts and nonrabbinic Jewish sources. Part 2, "East and West" explores the impact on rabbinic texts of the cultures of the Hellenistic, Roman, and Christian West and the Sasanian East. Part 3, "Halakha and Aggada," interrogates the relationship of law and narrative in rabbinic sources. This bold volume uncovers alliances and ruptures -- textual, cultural, and generic -- obscured by document-based approaches to rabbinic literature.
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This volume abandons the document-based approach of standard introductions and investigates aggregates of classical rabbinic texts through three broad perspectives - intertextuality, east and west, halakhah and aggadah - generating fresh insights that will reset the scholarly agenda. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004515697
9789004515420
A Comparative Handbook to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke : Comparisons with Pseudepigrapha, the Qumran Scrolls, and Rabbinic Literature /
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This Handbook provides any commentator - whose purposes might include writing a consecutive treatment of a Gospel, or engaging with episodic themes or passages, or preparing a particular section of the Gospel for study, teaching, or preaching - with resources from the Gospels' Judaic environment that appear useful for understanding the texts themselves. Translation, presentation, comparison with Judaica, and occasional comments are all designed with that end in view. Materials are included from the Pseudepigrapha (together with Philo and Josephus), discoveries related to Qumran, and Rabbinic Literature (inclusive of the Targumim). As in a previous volume that dealt with Mark's Gospel, this Comparative Handbook targets the issue of comparison more than analysis or commentary.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004459878
9789004459885
Nazirites in late Second Temple Judaism : a survey of ancient Jewish writings, the New Testament, archaeological evidence, and other writings from late antiquity /
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Nazirites appear in a number of sources relevant to Judaism of the late Second Temple period. This book surveys the pertinent evidence and assesses what it reveals regarding the role of the Nazirite within Judaism of the late Second Temple and early Christian era. The survey is arranged according to three primary sections: "Direct Evidence for Nazirites"; "Possible and Tangential Evidence for Nazirites"; and a final section, "Making Sense of the Evidence." It concludes by arguing that the role of the Nazirite portrayed in sources was that of a religious devotee, and concomitant with biblical law, Nazirite devotion typically involved flexibility, personal freedom of expression, and adaptation to outside cultural norms. Those interested in the Nazirite vow as portrayed in the New Testament and other relevant sources will find this study useful, as will those interested in Bible translation and interpretation in late Second Temple and early rabbinic literature.
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Revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--University of Oxford, 2002. :
1 online resource (x, 196 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789047407874 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Bridging between sister religions : studies of Jewish and Christian scriptures offered in honor of Prof. John T. Townsend /
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This volume is a collection of fresh essays in honor of Professor John T. Townsend. It focuses on the interpretation of the common Jewish and Christian Scripture (the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament) and on its two off-shoots (Rabbinic Judaism and the New Testament), as well as on Jewish-Christian relations. The contributors, who are prominent scholars in their fields, include James L. Crenshaw, Göran Eidevall, Anne E. Gardner, Lawrence M. Wills, Cecilia Wassen, Robert L. Brawley, Joseph B. Tyson, Eldon J. Epp, Yaakov Elman, Rivka Ulmer, Andreas Lehnardt, Reuven Kimelman, Bruce Chilton, and Michael W. Duggan.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004324541 :
1571-5000 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The Targums : a critical introduction /
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The value and significance of the targums -translations of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic, the language of Palestinian Jews for centuries following the Babylonian Exile-lie in their approach to translation: within a typically literal rendering of a text, they incorporate extensive exegetical material, additions, and paraphrases that reveal important information about Second Temple Judaism, its interpretation of its bible, and its beliefs. This remarkable survey introduces critical knowledge and insights that have emerged over the past forty years, including targum manuscripts discovered this century and targums known in Aramaic but only recently translated into English. Prolific scholars Flesher and Chilton guide readers in understanding the development of the targums; their relationship to the Hebrew Bible; their dates, language, and place in the history of Christianity and Judaism; and their theologies and methods of interpretation. "With clear presentation of current research and the issues involved, including the Targums and the New Testament, and a rich bibliography, this is the most complete-and up-to-date-introduction to the Targums. An outstanding, highly recommended achievement." Martin McNamara , Emeritus Professor of Scripture, Milltown Institute, Dublin, Ireland
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1 online resource (xvii, 557 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [511]-539), and index. :
9789004218178 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Abraham, the nations, and the Hagarite s Jewish, Christian, and Islamic perspectives on kinship with Abraham /
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Jews, Christians and Muslims describe their origins with close reference to the narrative of Abraham, including the complex story of Abraham's relation to Hagar. This volume sketches the history of interpretation of some of the key passages in this narrative, not least the verses which state that in Abraham all the nations of the earth will be blessed. This passage, which features prominently in Christian historiography, is largely disregarded in ancient Judaism, prompting the question how the relation between Abraham and the nations was perceived in Jewish sources. This focus is supplemented with the question how Islamic historiography relates to the Abraham narrative, and in particular to the descent of the Arabs from Abraham through Ishmael and Hagar. In studying the traditional readings of these narratives, the volume offers a detailed yet wide-ranging analysis of important aspects of the accounts of their origins which emerged within the three Abrahamic religions.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004216495 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Babel's Tower translated : Genesis 11 and ancient Jewish interpretation /
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In Babel's Tower Translated , Phillip Sherman explores the narrative of Genesis 11 and its reception and interpretation in several Second Temple and Early Rabbinic texts (e.g., Jubilees, Philo, Genesis Rabbah). The account of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) is famously ambiguous. The meaning of the narrative and the actions of both the human characters and the Israelite deity defy any easy explanation. This work explores how changing historical and hermeneutical realities altered and shifted the meaning of the text in Jewish antiquity.
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1 online resource (xii, 393 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004248618 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Mapping the New Testament : early Christian writings as a witness for Jewish biblical exegesis /
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This volume discusses links between the exegetical trends current in various Second Temple Jewish circles and patterns of New Testament conversation with Jewish Scripture. The standard focus on Jewish background of Christianity is complemented here by an alternative direction: the "mapping" of New Testament evidence as the early witness to more general trends attested in their fully developed form only later, in rabbinic literature. The question that dominates much of the discussion is: How can the New Testament be used for creating a fuller picture of Second Temple Jewish exegesis? The book deals with a representative variety of samples from different layers of the New Testament tradition: Synoptic Gospels, Pauline Epistles and Acts.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789047420958 :
1388-2074 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Jethro and the Jews : Jewish biblical interpretation and the question of identity /
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In Jethro and the Jews , Beatrice J. W. Lawrence examines rabbinic texts that address the biblical character of Jethro, a Midianite priest, Moses' advisor and father-in-law, and the creator of the system of Jewish jurisprudence. Lawrence explores biblical interpretations in Midrash, Targum and Talmud, revealing a spectrum of responses to the presence of a man who straddles the line between insider and outsider. Ranging from character assassination to valorization of Jethro as a convert, these interpretive strategies reveal him to be a locus of anxiety for the rabbis concerning conversion, community boundaries, intermarriage, and non-Jews.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004348929 :
1571-5000 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Sibyls, scriptures, and scrolls : John Collins at seventy /
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This volume, a tribute to John J. Collins by his friends, colleagues, and students, includes essays on the wide range of interests that have occupied John Collins's distinguished career. Topics range from the ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Second Temple Judaism and beyond into early Christianity and rabbinic Judaism. The contributions deal with issues of text and interpretation, history and historiography, philology and archaeology, and more. The breadth of the volume is matched only by the breadth of John Collins's own work.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004324749 :
1384-2161 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The significance of Sinai : traditions about Sinai and divine revelation in Judaism and Christianity /
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This volume of essays is concerned with ancient and modern Jewish and Christian views of the revelation at Sinai. The theme is highlighted in studies on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Paul, Josephus, rabbinic literature, art and philosophy. The contributions demonstrate that Sinai, as the location of the revelation, soon became less significant than the narratives that developed about what happened there. Those narratives were themselves transformed, not least to explain problems regarding the text's plain sense. Miraculous theophany, anthropomorphisms, the role of Moses, and the response of Israel were all handled with exegetical skills mustered by each new generation of readers. Furthermore, the content of the revelation, especially the covenant, was rethought in philosophical, political, and theological ways. This collection of studies is especially useful in showing something of the complexity of how scriptural traditions remain authoritative and lively for those who appeal to them from very different contexts.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789047443476 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Ancient worlds in digital culture /
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The volume presents a selection of research projects in Digital Humanities applied to the "Biblical Studies" in the widest sense and context, including Early Jewish and Christian studies, hence the title "Ancient Worlds". Taken as a whole, the volume explores the emergent Digital Culture at the beginning of the 21st century. It also offers many examples which attest to a change of paradigm in the textual scholarship of "Ancient Worlds": categories are reshaped; textuality is (re-) investigated according to its relationships with orality and visualization; methods, approaches and practices are no longer a fixed conglomeration but are mobilized according to their contexts and newly available digital tools.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004325234 :
2452-0586 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The New Testament and rabbinic literature /
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The present book brings together the contributions of the foremost specialists on the relationship of the New Testament and Rabbinic Literature. It contains the proceedings of a Symposium held at the K.U.Leuven in January 2006. The contributors, from different European countries as well as from Israel, present in detail the history of rabbinical scholarship by Christian scholars and deal with the main issues in the study of rabbinic materials. As could be expected, much attention is given to halakhic issues, but literary questions in Midrash, Targum and Mystical Literature are also dealt with. All contributions are in English, and the volume is completed with a very large "cumulative bibliography" which will enhance its usefulness.
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"It contains the proceedings of a Symposium held at the K.U.Leuven on January 2006. The contributors, from different European countries as well as from Israel, present in detail the history of rabbinical scholarship by Christian scholars and deal with the main issues in the study of rabbinic materials"--ECIP data view. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [471]-508) and indexes. :
9789047429326 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
A concise lexicon of late biblical Hebrew : linguistic innovations in the writings of the Second Temple period /
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The Hebrew language may be divided into the Biblical, Mishnaic, Medieval, and Modern periods. Biblical Hebrew has its own distinct linguistic profile, exhibiting a diversity of styles and linguistic traditions extending over some one thousand years as well as tangible diachronic developments that may serve as chronological milestones in tracing the linguistic history of Biblical Hebrew. Unlike standard dictionaries, whose scope and extent are dictated by the contents of the Biblical concordance, this lexicon includes only 80 lexical entries, chosen specifically for a diachronic investigation of Late Biblical Hebrew. Selected primarily to illustrate the fifth-century 'watershed' separating Classical from post-Classical Biblical Hebrew, emphasis is placed on 'linguistic contrasts' illuminated by a rich collection of examples contrasting Classical Biblical Hebrew with Late Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew with Rabbinic Hebrew, and Hebrew with Aramaic.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004266438 :
0083-5889 ;
The true Israel : uses of the names Jew, Hebrew, and Israel in ancient Jewish and early Christian literature /
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Many studies have portrayed Judaism in Antiquity as sectarian, with a variety of groups all claiming to be The True Israel. Early Christianity is alleged to have begun in this context as one more Jewish sect claiming such authority. However, the second-century Christian Justin Martyr is the first person known to have used the phrase 'the True Israel'. This book examines the uses of the names 'Jew', 'Hebrew' and 'Israel' in the surviving literature - especially the Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, Josephus, New Testament and Mishnah - to determine whether this is an adequate or accurate picture. It discusses the associations of each word, as determined by their actual usage and collocations rather than their theoretical origins. It will be of value to scholars of ancient Judaism and early Christianity. This publication has also been published in paperback, please click here for details.
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1 online resource (xvii, 303 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 274-297) and index. :
9789004332515 :
0169-734X ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
What is good, and what God demands : normative structures in Tannaitic literature /
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The normative rhetoric of tannaitic literature (the earliest extant corpus of rabbinic Judaism) is predominantly deontological. Prior scholarship on rabbinic supererogation, and on points of contact with Greco-Roman virtue discourse, has identified non-deontological aspects of tannaitic normativity. However, these two frameworks overlook precisely the productive intersection of deontological with non-deontological, the first because supererogation defines itself against obligation, and the second because the Greco-Roman comparate discourages serious treatment of law-like elements. This book addresses ways in which alternative normative forms entwine with the core deontological rhetoric of tannaitic literature. This perspective exposes, inter alia, echoes of the post-biblical wisdom tradition in tannaitic law, the rich polyvalence of the category mitzvah, and telling differences between the schools of Akiva and Ishmael.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and an indexes. :
9789004188297 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The Dead Sea scrolls and contemporary culture : proceedings of the international conference held at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem (July 6-8, 2008) /
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This volume contains the proceedings of the international conference held at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem in July 2008 in honor of the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. As indicated by its title "The Dead Sea Scrolls and Contemporary Culture," the aim of the conference was to move beyond the strict confines of conventional scholarship and to explore new avenues of research, including the examination of the place of the findings from the Judean Desert in contemporary culture. The book is divided into five main sections: (1) the Identity and History of the Community; (2) the Qumran "Library": Origins, Use, and Nature (2a. Biblical Texts; 2b. Biblical Interpretation; 2c. Sectarian and Non-Sectarian Literature; 2d. Sectarian vis-à-vis Rabbinic Halakha); (3) Christianity in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls; (4) Gender at Qumran; and (5) New Perspectives (5a. Methodological Approaches; 5b. Educational Approaches).
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789004196148 :
0169-9962 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Targums and the transmission of scripture into Judaism and Christianity /
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This collection of seventeen previously published essays and two hitherto unpublished articles examines strategies adopted by ancient Aramaic translators of the Hebrew Bible in their attempts to transmit the meaning of Scripture to their own generations. The intricate interpretations of Targum Pseudo-Jonathan feature prominently: analysis of them suggests a date for the substance of this Targum rather earlier than is commonly assumed. The biblical exegesis of Jerome (ca. 342-420 CE) often reflects Targumic interpretation of Scripture: as well as helping to date items of Jewish interpretation, Jerome's writings also witness to continuing close contacts between Christians and Jews at a crucial stage in the history of both communities. The essays also demonstrate the relationship of the Targums both to other Rabbinic texts and to early translations of the Bible like Septuagint; the versions of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion; and the Peshitta.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and indexes. :
9789047443865 :
1570-1336 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.