The authors represent a re-evaluation of key topics in Jewish history in antiquity by specialists, many of them among the most prominent in their field. They deal with Jews in Judea and in the Diaspora, with the relationship between Jews and other religions and the transformation of Judaism in the first and second centuries of the Common Era.
The present volume brings together papers by internationally renowned specialists in Jewish history in the Roman period. Most of them were read at a conference at Tel Aviv University in 2009 in honour of Aharon Oppenheimer. The volume focuses on a number of well-defined key topics in the history of the Jews both in Judea and in the diaspora: first of all the image of Jews among non-Jews and of non-Jews among Jews; questions of social and intellectual history, mostly those dealing with the transformation that took place as a result of the failed Jewish revolts against Rome and urgent issues in modern scholarship.
Studies to be mentioned here are: the relationship and cultural differences between Palestinian and Babylonian Jews; the relationship between Jews and early Christians; the evolving image of first century Judaism as projected in the early Christian sources and modern scholarship; the role of the sages in this period, conversion to Judaism, and Jewish resistance and martyrdom under Roman rule.
Many of the papers provide a new assessment of the relevant subjects in the light of changing views of social and religious history. Central to many of the papers is a focus on attitudes toward others and collective image: the Jews as seen by others; Jews looking at others and at internal groups. Another category of articles are chapters in social and intellectual history with a sensitive and controversial ideology in the background, some of them providing provocative re-assessments.
Table of contents:
Benjamin Isaac / Yuval Shahar: Preface and Introduction
The Image of Jews among Non-Jews Albert I. Baumgarten: The »Outreach« Campaign of the Ancient Pharisees: There is no such thing as a Free Lunch -
Shaye J.D. Cohen: Dancing, Clapping, Meditating: Jewish and Christian Observance of the Sabbath in Pseudo-Ignatius
The Image of Non-Jews among Jews Joshua Schwartz: How Jewish to be Jewish? Self-Identity and Jewish Christians in First Century CE Palestine -
Günter Stemberger: The
birkat ha-minim and the separation of Christians and Jews -
Vered Noam: Another Look at the Rabbinic Conception of Gentiles from the Perspective of Impurity Laws -
Richard Kalmin: The Evil Eye in Rabbinic Literature of Late Antiquity -
Peter Schäfer: Jesus' Origin, Birth, and Childhood according to the Toledot Yeshu and the Talmud
Social History Tessa Rajak: Reflections on Jewish Resistance and the Discourse of Martyrdom in Josephus -
Martin Goodman: Titus, Berenice and Agrippa: the Last Days of the Temple in Jerusalem -
Yuval Shahar: Why a quarter? The
Siqariqon ruling and Roman Law -
Susan Weingarten: How do you say
haroset in Greek? -
Jonathan J. Price: The Necropolis at Jaffa and its Relation to Beth She'arim -
Youval Rotman: Captives and Redeeming Captives: the Law and the Community -
Werner Eck: The Jewish Community in Cologne from Roman Times to the Early Middle Age
Issues in Modern Scholarship David M. Goodblatt: The Jews in the Parthian Empire: What We Don't Know -
Yoram Tsafrir: The Finds in Cave 2001-2002 and Burial at Masada -
Isaiah Gafni: Will the 'Real' Rabbis Please Stand Up: On the Repackaging of the Rabbinic Model in Modern Times
Index Aharon Oppenheimer's Publications
