Early Judaism : : New Insights and Scholarship / / ed. by Frederick E. Greenspahn, Frederick E. Greenspahn.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter New York University Press Complete eBook-Package 2018
• MitwirkendeR: Fine, Steven,; Goldenberg, Robert,; Greenspahn, Frederick E.,; Gruen, Erich S.,; Hayes, Christine,; Himmelfarb, Martha,; Langer, Ruth,; Reinhartz, Adele,; Schwartz, Seth,; Shanks Alexander, Elizabeth,; VanderKam, James,
• HerausgeberIn: Greenspahn, Frederick E.,
• Place / Publishing House: New York, NY : : New York University Press, , [2018]; ©2018
• Year of Publication: 2018
• Language: English
• Series: Jewish Studies in the Twenty-First Century ; 1
• Physical Description: 1 online resource :; 1 black and white illustrations

An exploration of the emergence of Rabbinic Judaism drawing on primary sources and new methodsOver the past generation, several major findings and methodological innovations have led scholars to reevaluate the foundation of Judaism. The Dead Sea Scrolls were the most famous, but other materials have further altered our understanding of Judaism’s development after the Biblical era.This volume explores some of the latest clues into how early Judaism took shape, from the invention of rabbis to the parting of Judaism and Christianity, to whether ancient Jews considered themselves a nation. Rather than having simply evolved, “normative” Judaism is now understood to be the result of one approach having achieved prominence over many others, competing for acceptance in the wake of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in the year 70 CE. This new understanding has implications for how we think about Judaism today, as the collapse of rabbinic authority is leading to the return of the kind of diversity that prevailed during late antiquity. This volume puts familiar aspects of Judaism in a new light, exposing readers to the most current understanding of the origins of normative Judaism. This book is a must for anyone interested in the study of Judaism and its formation. It is the most current review of the scholarship surrounding this rich history and what is next for the field at large.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Introduction -- Part I. Early Diversity -- 1. The Dead Sea Scrolls -- 2. Second Temple Literature outside the Canon -- 3. Diaspora and the “Assimilated” Jew -- 4. Were the Ancient Jews a Nation? -- 5. How Christianity Parted from Judaism -- Part II. Emerging Normativity -- 6. The Emergence of the Synagogue -- 7. New Directions in Understanding Jewish Liturgy -- 8. Ancient Jewish Gender -- 9. Inventing Rabbis -- Conclusion -- About the Contributors -- Index