Studies in the cult of Yahweh. / Volume 1, : Studies in historical method, ancient Israel, ancient Judaism / / by Morton Smith ; edited by Shaye J.D. Cohen.

• Superior document: Religions in the Graeco-Roman world, v. 130/1
• Author: Smith, Morton, 1915-1991.
• TeilnehmendeR: Cohen, Shaye J. D.
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, New York : : E.J. Brill,, 1995.
• Year of Publication: 1995
• Language: English
• Series: Religions in the Graeco-Roman World 130/1.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (344 pages)
• Notes: Includes index.

These two volumes collect some of the most influential and important scholarly essays by the late Morton Smith (1915-1991), for many years Professor of Ancient History at Columbia University in New York City. Smith was admired and feared for his extraordinary ability to look at familiar texts in unfamiliar ways, to re-open old questions, to pose new questions, and to demolish received truths. He practiced the \'hermeneutics of suspicion\' to devastating effect. His answers are not always convincing but his questions cannot be ignored. The essays of Volume I center on the Hebrew Bible (\'Old Testament\'), Ancient Israel and Ancient Judaism, of Volume II on the Christian Bible (\'New Testament\'), Early Christianity and Ancient Magic. Volume II also contains an assessment of Smith's scholarly achievement and a complete list of his publications.

Table of Contents

Preliminary material -- HISTORICAL METHOD IN THE STUDY OF RELIGION -- THE COMMON THEOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST -- ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CULTURE OF ISRAEL AND THE MAJOR CULTURES OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST -- THE PRESENT STATE OF OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES -- PSEUDEPIGRAPHY IN THE ISRAELITE LITERARY TRADITION -- II ISAIAH AND THE PERSIANS -- EAST MEDITERRANEAN LAW CODES OF THE EARLY IRON AGE -- TERMINOLOGICAL BOOBYTRAPS AND REAL PROBLEMS IN SECOND-TEMPLE JUDAEO-CHRISTIAN STUDIES -- PALESTINIAN JUDAISM IN THE FIRST CENTURY -- THE IMAGE OF GOD: NOTES ON THE HELLENIZATION OF JUDAISM, WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO GOODENOUGH'S WORK ON JEWISH SYMBOLS -- ON THE SHAPE OF GOD AND THE HUMANITY OF GENTILES -- WHAT IS IMPLIED BY THE VARIETY OF MESSIANIC FIGURES? -- THE DEAD SEA SECT IN RELATION TO ANCIENT JUDAISM -- GOODENOUGH'S JEWISH SYMBOLS IN RETROSPECT -- THE WORK OF GEORGE FOOT MOORE -- ZEALOTS AND SICARII, THEIR ORIGINS AND RELATION -- ON THE WINE GOD IN PALESTINE (GEN 18, JOHN 2, AND ACHILLES TATIUS) -- HELIOS IN PALESTINE -- THE GENTILES IN JUDAISM 125 BCE-66 CE -- WERE THE MACCABEES PRIESTS? -- INDEX -- RELIGIONS IN THE GRAECO-ROMAN WORLD.