Jewish Studies

Casey D. Elledge

Life after Death in Early Judaism

The Evidence of Josephus

[Leben nach dem Tod im frühen Judentum. Die Darstellung bei Josephus.]

unrevised e-book edition 2019; Original edition 2006; 2006. XIV, 224 pages.

Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe 208

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Published in English.
Resurrection, immortality, and eternal life were among the most important contributions that Judaism would make to the history of religions in the Second Temple Period. C. D. Elledge provides a comprehensive analysis of what the ancient historian Flavius Josephus reports concerning beliefs about the afterlife in his portrayal of Abraham, the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Masada.
The historian Flavius Josephus remains crucial for understanding numerous problems central to the study of Judaism and Christian origins. C.D. Elledge's book provides a comprehensive analysis of what Josephus reveals about Jewish hope in life after death, including such crucial passages of Josephus' works as his portrayal of Abraham, the Essenes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Eleazar ben Jair. When cross-examined by other accounts of the afterlife in contemporary Judaism, Josephus' treatment of this important topic presents the conspicuous marks of interpretatio graeca – an apologetical translation of Jewish beliefs into Hellenistic conceptions that obscure their original forms. Instead of literally reporting the actual content of Palestinian Jewish beliefs in life after death, Josephus has instead brought together an eclectic blend of mythological, philosophical, and noble death traditions that acclaims Judaism in the eyes of Greek and Roman audiences. When viewed as a recurrent motif throughout his writings, Josephus uses life after death as a device that offers apologetical praise of Judaism to outsiders, addresses the problem of theodicy, and reinforces the moral ideals of his presentation of history.
Authors/Editors

Casey D. Elledge is Associate Professor of Religion at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota.

Reviews

The following reviews are known:

In: Tijdschrift voor Theologie — 46 (2006), S. 405–406 (Tobias Nicklas)
In: Shofar — 26 (2008), S. 173–175 (Randal A. Argall)
In: Scottish Journal of Theology — 63 (2010), S. 360–362 (Jeremy M. Hutton)
In: Religious Studies Review — 33 (2007), S. 142–143 (Alex P. Jassen)
In: New Testament Abstracts — 50 (2006), S. 623
In: Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift — 62 (2008), S. 73–74 (P.W. van der Horst)
In: Journal for the Study of the New Testament (JSNT) — 29.5 (2007), S. 126 (Paula Gooder)
In: International Review of Biblical Studies — 52 (2005/2006), S. 1817
In: Henoch — 29 (2007), S. 408 (Mika Ahuvia)
In: The Expository Times — 118 (2007), S. 304 (Stuart Chepey)
In: Journal for the Study of the Old Testament — 31.5 (2007), S. 234 (H. Patmore)
In: Studia Historiae Ecclessiasticae — 32 (2006), S. 417–419 (P.J. Dorey)
In: Hervormde Teologiese Studies — 63 (2007), S. 1332–1333 (Gerda de Villiers)
In: Actualidad Bibliografica — 86 (2006), S. 173–176 (Valenti Fabrega)
In: Orientalistische Literaturzeitung — 102 (2007), S. 61–64 (Peter Höffken)
In: Studia Biblica Athanasiana — 10 (2008), S. 104 (X.G.)