This volume consists of papers (or the offspring of papers) that were delivered by the Hellenistic Judaism section of the 1990 and 1991 annual meetings of the Society for Biblical Literature. In recognition of the fact that so little work had been down on the subject, presenters were not asked to focus on a single set of questions, a single body of evidence, or utilize a single methodology. Rat…
Robert Schine’s intellectual biography of Max Wiener profiles a liberal German-Jewish thinker who turned toward Zionism as the only natural future for Judaism. Schine puts Wiener’s thought into conversation with those of his German contemporaries (both Jewish and Christian) while also resuscitating Wiener’s thought as a resource for contemporary theologians.
This book contributes to the ongoing research into the emergence of rabbinic Judaism in the synagogue setting through a study of one constellation of rabbinic and synagogue literature, the sequence of prophetic lectionary texts designated for the Sabbaths surrounding Tisha b' Av, and the midrashirn, piyyutim and targumic texts that interpret them. An analysis of this literary constellation allo…
This volume examines the way thatMishnah-Tosefta attempted to construct an Israelite ethnic identity in order to differentiate the Israelites from the gentiles who also populated the Land of Israel. This became an especially pertinent project with the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the failure of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, the increased influx of gentiles into the Land of Israel. and the soci…
In Halakhah in a Theological Dimension, David Novak argues that Jewish law (halakhah) is grounded on a set of theological assumptions relating to the covenant between God and Israel. Novak’s study is fundamental for understanding both his later work on the Covenant and the continuing philosophical discussion of the relationship between religious law and theology.
Almost fifty years has passed since the publication of Marilyn J. Chiat’s Handbook of Synagogue Architecture (1982). Since then, there have been more finds and much more research on the issues that Chiat raises. Nevertheless, Chiat’s study still provides an important architectural guide to these synagogues.
This volume is an accessible commentary to the Torah, putting each of the books into its ancient Near Eastern context.
The Book of the Pomegranate is a Hebrew edition of an important work by the Spanish kabbalist Moses de Leon (ca. 1240-1305). Sefer Ha-Rimmon, which was written in 1287, is particularly significant for study of the Zohar and the development of a theory of the commandment (mitzvot) and why one should do them.
Claude Montefiore (1858-1938) was among the major founders of Anglo-Liberal Judaism and the World Union for Progressive Judaism, and was known for his radical ideas and deep sympathy for Christian ideas. This volume explores why and how Montefiore engaged Christianity, and the reaction to this engagement by many contemporary Jewish luminaries.
In this book Kadushin offers a running commentary on sections of Leviticus Rabbah. His goal is not only to explicate individual sections of this Late Antique midrashic work, but also to highlight the basic conceptual framework within which the rabbis worked. Kadushin's commentary highlights the indeterminacy of belief and the genuine emphatic trends that distinguish rabbinic Judaism while also …