Jewish Studies
René Bloch
Jüdische Drehbühnen
Biblische Variationen im antiken Judentum
[Jewish Revolving Stages. Biblical Variations in Ancient Judaism.]
24,00 €
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sewn paper
ISBN 978-3-16-152264-2
available
Published in German.
Jewish authors in antiquity reinterpreted biblical texts, creating a revolving stage of characters and settings. The Torah was the model for diverse interpretations of the authors' worldviews. René Bloch discusses four examples of this creative rewriting: the Jewish-Hellenistic love story of Joseph and Aseneth, the biography of Moses written by Philo of Alexandria, the Book of Biblical Antiquities by Pseudo-Philo and, from a later period, the Josippon from 10th century Italy. All of these four texts deal with biblical figures, reinterpreting and continuing their narratives. And all four works reflect a complex relationship to the non-Jewish environment, representing an authentic and confident Judaism on the one hand and all of them trying hard to connect to mainstream society on the other.