Early Judaism- A Comprehensive Overview

History An important component of the Hebrew Scriptures is the set of histories that trace the great events of Israel’s sacred a ...

parts of the post-Hebrew Bible period is sketchy because of inadequate source material, but he offers extensive accounts from th ...

the pentateuchal books found there. Examples are 4QMMT (see fig. 48), which lists more than twenty legal points on which the gro ...

Scriptural Interpretation Throughout early Judaism, interpretation of older scriptures was an im- portant exercise. This is evid ...

priesthood, and the recipient of revelations. The AramaicGenesis Apocry- phon(see fig. 42) offers stories from the early chapter ...

In some of the apocalypses a messianic leader plays a role in the final drama (e.g.,Animal Apocalypse, Similitudes of Enoch, 4 E ...

Monotheism There were some Jews who rejected this doctrine, but the data, both Jewish and foreign, indicate that belief in one G ...

and a new one began. Of necessity, the leadership of the nation changed, with no Jewish political leader and no class of priests ...

Rajak, Tessa. 2002.Josephus: The Historian and His Society.2d ed. London: Duckworth. Richardson, Peter. 1996.Herod: King of the ...

Judaism in the Diaspora Erich S. Gruen A Roman army destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in 70c.e.For the Jews of antiquity the los ...

“Return” from that displacement, the Diaspora was already a fact, not to be reversed. Jews dwelled in Egypt in the sixth century ...

some political refugees and forced settlements. Roman intervention in the Near East temporarily accelerated the process. Pompey’ ...

over many generations mired in misery and longing for the land of their forefathers? The scenario is preposterous. A sense of di ...

Synagogues in the Diaspora But common ground did exist. Substantial evidence attests to the near ubiquity of synagogues. The ter ...

Jews were to be found all over Asia Minor. The travels of Paul and his colleagues brought them regularly to Jewish synagogues of ...

leaders, and representatives; Gentiles frequently remarked about Sabbath services; inscriptions announced decisions of the membe ...

Egypt, were reckoned among the “Hellenes” — not singled out for prejudi- cial discrimination. The nature of Jewish civic status ...

writers of history like Demetrius and Eupolemus, philosophers like Aristobulus, composers of novellas and historical fiction lik ...

clear resonance to the contemporaries of Ezekiel. Moses’s role as executor of God’s will on earth, with absolute authority, refl ...

to praise every one of them for his sagacity. The translators then repaired to the island of Pharos, where they went to work, pe ...