Author: Stuart S. Miller
Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
ISBN: 3647564788
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 424
Book Description
Stuart Miller examines the hermeneutical challenges posed by the material and literary evidence pertaining to ritual purity practices in Graeco-Roman Palestine and, especially, the Galilee. He contends that "stepped pools," which we now know were in use well beyond the Destruction of the Temple, and, as indicated by the large collection on the western acropolis of Sepphoris and elsewhere, into the Middle and Late Roman/Byzantine eras,must be understood in light of biblical and popular perspectives on ritual purity. The interpretation of the finds is too frequently forced to conform to rabbinic prescriptions, which oftentimes were the result of the sages' unique and creative, nominalist approach to ritual purity. Special attention is given to the role ritual purity continued to play in the lives of ordinary Jews despite (or because of) the loss of the Temple. Miller argues against the prevailing tendency to type material finds—and Jewish society––according to known groups (pre-70 C.E.: Pharisaic, Sadducaic, Essenic; post 70 C.E.: rabbinic, priestly, etc.). He further counters the perception that ritual purity practices were largely the interest of priests and argues against the recent suggestion that the kohanim resurfaced as an influential group in Late Antiquity. Building upon his earlier work on "sages and commoners," Miller claims that the rabbis emerged out of a context in which a biblically derived "complex common Judaism" thrived. Stepped pools, stone vessels, and other material finds are realia belonging to this "complex common Judaism." A careful reading of the rabbis indicates that they were acutely aware of the extent to which ritual purity rites pertaining to home and family life had "spread," which undoubtedly contributed to their intense interest in regulating them.
At the Intersection of Texts and Material Finds
Author: Stuart S. Miller
Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
ISBN: 3647564788
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 424
Book Description
Stuart Miller examines the hermeneutical challenges posed by the material and literary evidence pertaining to ritual purity practices in Graeco-Roman Palestine and, especially, the Galilee. He contends that "stepped pools," which we now know were in use well beyond the Destruction of the Temple, and, as indicated by the large collection on the western acropolis of Sepphoris and elsewhere, into the Middle and Late Roman/Byzantine eras,must be understood in light of biblical and popular perspectives on ritual purity. The interpretation of the finds is too frequently forced to conform to rabbinic prescriptions, which oftentimes were the result of the sages' unique and creative, nominalist approach to ritual purity. Special attention is given to the role ritual purity continued to play in the lives of ordinary Jews despite (or because of) the loss of the Temple. Miller argues against the prevailing tendency to type material finds—and Jewish society––according to known groups (pre-70 C.E.: Pharisaic, Sadducaic, Essenic; post 70 C.E.: rabbinic, priestly, etc.). He further counters the perception that ritual purity practices were largely the interest of priests and argues against the recent suggestion that the kohanim resurfaced as an influential group in Late Antiquity. Building upon his earlier work on "sages and commoners," Miller claims that the rabbis emerged out of a context in which a biblically derived "complex common Judaism" thrived. Stepped pools, stone vessels, and other material finds are realia belonging to this "complex common Judaism." A careful reading of the rabbis indicates that they were acutely aware of the extent to which ritual purity rites pertaining to home and family life had "spread," which undoubtedly contributed to their intense interest in regulating them.
Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
ISBN: 3647564788
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 424
Book Description
Stuart Miller examines the hermeneutical challenges posed by the material and literary evidence pertaining to ritual purity practices in Graeco-Roman Palestine and, especially, the Galilee. He contends that "stepped pools," which we now know were in use well beyond the Destruction of the Temple, and, as indicated by the large collection on the western acropolis of Sepphoris and elsewhere, into the Middle and Late Roman/Byzantine eras,must be understood in light of biblical and popular perspectives on ritual purity. The interpretation of the finds is too frequently forced to conform to rabbinic prescriptions, which oftentimes were the result of the sages' unique and creative, nominalist approach to ritual purity. Special attention is given to the role ritual purity continued to play in the lives of ordinary Jews despite (or because of) the loss of the Temple. Miller argues against the prevailing tendency to type material finds—and Jewish society––according to known groups (pre-70 C.E.: Pharisaic, Sadducaic, Essenic; post 70 C.E.: rabbinic, priestly, etc.). He further counters the perception that ritual purity practices were largely the interest of priests and argues against the recent suggestion that the kohanim resurfaced as an influential group in Late Antiquity. Building upon his earlier work on "sages and commoners," Miller claims that the rabbis emerged out of a context in which a biblically derived "complex common Judaism" thrived. Stepped pools, stone vessels, and other material finds are realia belonging to this "complex common Judaism." A careful reading of the rabbis indicates that they were acutely aware of the extent to which ritual purity rites pertaining to home and family life had "spread," which undoubtedly contributed to their intense interest in regulating them.
Emerging Sectarianism in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 900451712X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 482
Book Description
These essays reflect the lively debate about the sectarian movement of the Scrolls. They debate the degree to which the movement was separated from the rest of Judaism, and whether there was one or several watershed moments in the separation. Notable contributions include a cluster of essays on the Teacher of Righteousness and a thorough survey of the archaeology of Qumran. The texts are problematic in historical research because they rely on biblical stereotypes. Nonetheless, possible interpretations can be compared and degrees of probability debated. The debate is significant not only for the sect but for the nature of ancient Judaism.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 900451712X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 482
Book Description
These essays reflect the lively debate about the sectarian movement of the Scrolls. They debate the degree to which the movement was separated from the rest of Judaism, and whether there was one or several watershed moments in the separation. Notable contributions include a cluster of essays on the Teacher of Righteousness and a thorough survey of the archaeology of Qumran. The texts are problematic in historical research because they rely on biblical stereotypes. Nonetheless, possible interpretations can be compared and degrees of probability debated. The debate is significant not only for the sect but for the nature of ancient Judaism.
Understanding the Spiritual Meaning of Jerusalem in Three Abrahamic Religions
Author: Antti Laato
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004406859
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 283
Book Description
Understanding the Spiritual Meaning of Jerusalem in Three Abrahamic Religions analyzes the historical, social and theological factors which have resulted in Jerusalem being considered a holy place in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It also surveys the transmission of the religious traditions related to Jerusalem. This volume centralizes both the biblical background of Jerusalem’s pivotal role as holy place and its later development in religious writings; the biblical imagery has been adapted, rewritten and modified in Second Temple Jewish writings, the New Testament, patristic and Jewish literature, and Islamic traditions. Thus, all three monotheistic religions have influenced the multifaceted, interpretive traditions which help to understand the current religious and political position of Jerusalem in the three main Abrahamic faiths.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004406859
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 283
Book Description
Understanding the Spiritual Meaning of Jerusalem in Three Abrahamic Religions analyzes the historical, social and theological factors which have resulted in Jerusalem being considered a holy place in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It also surveys the transmission of the religious traditions related to Jerusalem. This volume centralizes both the biblical background of Jerusalem’s pivotal role as holy place and its later development in religious writings; the biblical imagery has been adapted, rewritten and modified in Second Temple Jewish writings, the New Testament, patristic and Jewish literature, and Islamic traditions. Thus, all three monotheistic religions have influenced the multifaceted, interpretive traditions which help to understand the current religious and political position of Jerusalem in the three main Abrahamic faiths.
Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet
Author: Cecilia Wassen
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567693805
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
In this new English language translation of Den okände Jesus (The Unknown Jesus), Cecilia Wassén and Tobias Hägerland consider Jesus as an apocalyptic prophetic figure within the context of first-century Judaism and reconstruct the life of Jesus from his birth to his death, with a focus on understanding him in the context of his own time and place. Engaging critically with the sources, they examine Jesus' life in order of events and draw together the threads of scholarly discussion on the history, archaeology and geography of first-century Galilee, forming a complete picture of Jesus' world suitable for non-specialists and university students. Wassén and Hägerland provide a strictly historical reconstruction, distinguishing between the rhetorical aims of the New Testament texts and the information about the past that these texts contain. They enhance the texts surrounding Jesus in the context of first-century Galilee with historical and archaeological reflections and discussion, including penetrating insights from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Illustrated throughout with photographs taken by the authors specifically to offer insights into the world of Jesus and the New Testament writings, Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet provides a deeply informed introduction to Jesus in his first-century context.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567693805
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
In this new English language translation of Den okände Jesus (The Unknown Jesus), Cecilia Wassén and Tobias Hägerland consider Jesus as an apocalyptic prophetic figure within the context of first-century Judaism and reconstruct the life of Jesus from his birth to his death, with a focus on understanding him in the context of his own time and place. Engaging critically with the sources, they examine Jesus' life in order of events and draw together the threads of scholarly discussion on the history, archaeology and geography of first-century Galilee, forming a complete picture of Jesus' world suitable for non-specialists and university students. Wassén and Hägerland provide a strictly historical reconstruction, distinguishing between the rhetorical aims of the New Testament texts and the information about the past that these texts contain. They enhance the texts surrounding Jesus in the context of first-century Galilee with historical and archaeological reflections and discussion, including penetrating insights from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Illustrated throughout with photographs taken by the authors specifically to offer insights into the world of Jesus and the New Testament writings, Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet provides a deeply informed introduction to Jesus in his first-century context.
Early Judaism and Its Modern Interpreters
Author: Matthias Henze
Publisher: SBL Press
ISBN: 0884144828
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 671
Book Description
An essential resource for scholars and students Since the publication of the first edition of Early Judaism and Its Modern Interpreters in 1986, the field of early Judaism has exploded with new data, the publication of additional texts, and the adoption of new methods. This new edition of the classic resource honors the spirit of the earlier volume and focuses on the scholarly advances in the past four decades that have led to the study of early Judaism becoming an academic discipline in its own right. Essays written by leading scholars in the study of early Judaism fall into four sections: historical and social settings; methods, manuscripts, and materials; early Jewish literatures; and the afterlife of early Judaism.
Publisher: SBL Press
ISBN: 0884144828
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 671
Book Description
An essential resource for scholars and students Since the publication of the first edition of Early Judaism and Its Modern Interpreters in 1986, the field of early Judaism has exploded with new data, the publication of additional texts, and the adoption of new methods. This new edition of the classic resource honors the spirit of the earlier volume and focuses on the scholarly advances in the past four decades that have led to the study of early Judaism becoming an academic discipline in its own right. Essays written by leading scholars in the study of early Judaism fall into four sections: historical and social settings; methods, manuscripts, and materials; early Jewish literatures; and the afterlife of early Judaism.
The Literature of the Sages
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004515690
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 672
Book Description
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.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004515690
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 672
Book Description
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.
A Jew in the Roman Bathhouse
Author: Yaron Eliav
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691243433
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 392
Book Description
"This monograph argues that Roman bathhouses were laboratories in which Jews interacted with Graeco-Roman culture. It tells the story of the Jews who frequented them, documenting their pleasures, anxieties, and concerns, and reconstructing their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about the activities that took place there. The chapters of the book are arranged as an invitation to follow the ancient Jew as he or she engages the bath, and highlights details small and large about what Jews knew about the place, but even more so, about what they felt about it. Were they intimidated by the nudity that prevailed there or by the sculptures that adorned the place? How did Jewish law configure the bath? What were the Jewish social norms that developed there? Exploring these questions enhances and complicates our understanding of ancient Judaism and its encounter with the dominant way of life around it. Jewish engagement with and perceptions of the bathhouse are documented in numerous sources: inscriptions on stone, documents written on papyri, and most of all, in hundreds of references in the Jewish literature of the time. These stories, laws, and regulations, written in Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew, reflect every aspect of Jewish life in the ancient Mediterranean. In this monograph, Yaron Eliav brings all of these sources together for the first time"--
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691243433
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 392
Book Description
"This monograph argues that Roman bathhouses were laboratories in which Jews interacted with Graeco-Roman culture. It tells the story of the Jews who frequented them, documenting their pleasures, anxieties, and concerns, and reconstructing their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about the activities that took place there. The chapters of the book are arranged as an invitation to follow the ancient Jew as he or she engages the bath, and highlights details small and large about what Jews knew about the place, but even more so, about what they felt about it. Were they intimidated by the nudity that prevailed there or by the sculptures that adorned the place? How did Jewish law configure the bath? What were the Jewish social norms that developed there? Exploring these questions enhances and complicates our understanding of ancient Judaism and its encounter with the dominant way of life around it. Jewish engagement with and perceptions of the bathhouse are documented in numerous sources: inscriptions on stone, documents written on papyri, and most of all, in hundreds of references in the Jewish literature of the time. These stories, laws, and regulations, written in Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew, reflect every aspect of Jewish life in the ancient Mediterranean. In this monograph, Yaron Eliav brings all of these sources together for the first time"--
The Social Archaeology of Late Second Temple Judaea
Author: Eyal Regev
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 0429783817
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 287
Book Description
This book analyzes social ideology and social relationships in late Second Temple Judaea, studying a range of archaeological material and sites to better understand both communal and individual trends in Jerusalem and its environs. Using several different methodologies, the book brings to light new ideas about social trends such as individualism among Jews and Judeans during the late Second Temple period. It provides in-depth analysis of the social aspects of ritual baths, burial caves, ossuaries, and decorated oil lamps, as well as thorough examinations of the sites of Khirbet Qumran, Herod’s palaces, and Masada during the First Jewish Revolt against Rome. Social Archaeology of the Late Second Temple Judaea is suitable for students and scholars interested in the history, society, and archaeology of the Jews in the Second Temple period as well as the social background of early Christianity, early Rabbinic Judaism, and Levantine archaeology.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 0429783817
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 287
Book Description
This book analyzes social ideology and social relationships in late Second Temple Judaea, studying a range of archaeological material and sites to better understand both communal and individual trends in Jerusalem and its environs. Using several different methodologies, the book brings to light new ideas about social trends such as individualism among Jews and Judeans during the late Second Temple period. It provides in-depth analysis of the social aspects of ritual baths, burial caves, ossuaries, and decorated oil lamps, as well as thorough examinations of the sites of Khirbet Qumran, Herod’s palaces, and Masada during the First Jewish Revolt against Rome. Social Archaeology of the Late Second Temple Judaea is suitable for students and scholars interested in the history, society, and archaeology of the Jews in the Second Temple period as well as the social background of early Christianity, early Rabbinic Judaism, and Levantine archaeology.
Konstruktion sozialer Identität: Studien zum Reinheitsverständnis im antiken Judentum und im Neuen Testament
Author: Milena Hasselman
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004524657
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 430
Book Description
Questions of purity are dealt with in a variety of ways in ancient texts. A key to understanding lies in the significance purity has for the construction, description and maintenance of social identity and how this affects representations of purity. Reinheitsfragen werden in antiken Texten vielfältig verhandelt. Ein Schlüssel zum Verständnis liegt dabei in der Frage, welche Bedeutung Reinheit für die Konstruktion, Beschreibung und den Erhalt sozialer Identität hat und wie sich dies auf Reinheitsdarstellungen auswirkt.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004524657
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 430
Book Description
Questions of purity are dealt with in a variety of ways in ancient texts. A key to understanding lies in the significance purity has for the construction, description and maintenance of social identity and how this affects representations of purity. Reinheitsfragen werden in antiken Texten vielfältig verhandelt. Ein Schlüssel zum Verständnis liegt dabei in der Frage, welche Bedeutung Reinheit für die Konstruktion, Beschreibung und den Erhalt sozialer Identität hat und wie sich dies auf Reinheitsdarstellungen auswirkt.
Jesus and the Forces of Death
Author: Matthew Thiessen
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493423851
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 261
Book Description
Although most people acknowledge that Jesus was a first-century Jew, interpreters of the Gospels often present him as opposed to Jewish law and customs--especially when considering his numerous encounters with the ritually impure. Matthew Thiessen corrects this popular misconception by placing Jesus within the Judaism of his day. Thiessen demonstrates that the Gospel writers depict Jesus opposing ritual impurity itself, not the Jewish ritual purity system or the Jewish law. This fresh interpretation of significant passages from the Gospels shows that throughout his life, Jesus destroys forces of death and impurity while upholding the Jewish law.
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493423851
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 261
Book Description
Although most people acknowledge that Jesus was a first-century Jew, interpreters of the Gospels often present him as opposed to Jewish law and customs--especially when considering his numerous encounters with the ritually impure. Matthew Thiessen corrects this popular misconception by placing Jesus within the Judaism of his day. Thiessen demonstrates that the Gospel writers depict Jesus opposing ritual impurity itself, not the Jewish ritual purity system or the Jewish law. This fresh interpretation of significant passages from the Gospels shows that throughout his life, Jesus destroys forces of death and impurity while upholding the Jewish law.