Judaism in late antiquity. / 3, : Volume 4 : Where we stand : issues and debates in ancient Judaism. / / edited by Jacob Neusner.

• Superior document: Handbuch der Orientalistik. Erste Abteilung, der Nahe und Mittlere Osten, 55. Bd.
• TeilnehmendeR: Neusner, Jacob, 1932-; Avery-Peck, Alan J. 1953-; Chilton, Bruce.
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, New York : : E.J. Brill,, 2001.
• Year of Publication: 2001
• Language: English
• Series: Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1 The Near and Middle East 55.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (207 pages).
• Notes: Pt. 3, volume 4 edited by Alan J. Avery-Peck and Jacob Neusner.; Pt. 5, volume 1-2 edited by Alan J. Avery-Peck, Jacob Neusner and Bruce D. Chilton.

What, in Judaism - a religion so concerned with social norms and public policy - can we possibly mean by "law"? That is the thoroughly fresh perspective with which this work commences. It proceeds with two chapters on Second Temple Judaism, and two on the special subject of the Dead Sea library. Learning withers when criticism is substituted by political consensus, and when other than broadly accepted viewpoints find a hearing only with difficulty, if at all. The editors, therefore, invited colleagues from the USA, Europe, and Israel to systematically outline their views in one account and set it alongside contrary ones. The several participants explain how, in broad and sweeping terms, they see the state of learning in their areas of special interest. The volume provides first an overview, followed by a systematic, critical account of the fading consensus. In a number of accounts, the different perspectives are presented in scholarly debate. Because of the willingness of contending parties to meet one another in a single frame of discourse, the work is able to portray with considerable breadth the presently contending viewpoints concerning the use of Rabbinical literature for historical purposes. Besides this sustained and vigorous debate, precipitated by historical-critical reading of the rabbinical literature, other issues have attracted attention, such as, for example, feminist interests.

Table of Contents

Preliminary material / Alan J. Avery-Peck and Jacob Neusner -- THE QUESTION OF THE SYNAGOGUE: THE PROBLEM OF TYPOLOGY / Jodi Magness -- THE DATING OF THE GUSH HALAV SYNAGOGUE: A RESPONSE TO JODI MAGNESS / Eric M. Meyers -- SYNAGOGUE TYPOLOGY AND KHIRBET SHEMAʿ: A RESPONSE TO JODI MAGNESS / James F. Strange -- A RESPONSE TO ERIC M. MEYERS AND JAMES F. STRANGE / Jodi Magness -- THE SYNAGOGUE AS METAPHOR / James F. Strange -- PROLEGOMENON TO A THEORY OF EARLY SYNAGOGUE DEVELOPMENT / Paul Y.M. Flesher -- THE ANCIENT SYNAGOGUES AT BARʿAM / Mordechai Aviam -- AN ARAMAIC AMULET FROM BARʿAM / Joseph Naveh -- GENERAL INDEX / Alan J. Avery-Peck and Jacob Neusner -- HANDBUCH DER ORIENTALISTIK / Alan J. Avery-Peck and Jacob Neusner.