Review of Fredriksen, When Christians Were Jews

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Book Note | When Christians Were Jews (Shayna Sheinfeld).

Paula Fredriksen. When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation. Yale University Press, 2018.

Paula Fredriksen’s newest book attempts a difficult feat: to understand the first generation of Jesus followers, despite having to do so with an eclectic smattering of passionately biased evidence that also happens to have been cherished as sacred text by almost two thousand years of interpreters. ...

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Barrera, Textual and Literary Criticism of the Books of Kings

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Textual and Literary Criticism of the Books of Kings

Collected Essays

Series: Vetus Testamentum, Supplements, Volume: 185

Editors: Andrés Piquer Otero and Pablo A. Torijano Morales
Author: Julio Trebolle Barrera

This volume contains a collection of the author’s life-long study (along with some new research written specifically for this book) of the text of 1-2 Kings, some of them translated into English for the first time. Julio Trebolle’s career has focused on the history of these biblical books from the triple angle of a combined textual, literary and source-compositional criticism. His usage of the Septuagint and its secondary versions like the Old Latin as a basis for the reconstruction of the history of the text is an invaluable contribution to the panorama of textual pluralism in the Bible during the Second Temple period which has emerged after the discoveries of the Dead Sea.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €115.00 / $138.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-42601-6
Publication Date: 08 Jun 2020

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-38831-4
Publication Date: 22 Jul 2020

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Independence Day 2020

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY to my American readers!

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Teaching Classical Languages (TCL)

THE AWOL BLOG: Open Access Journal: Teaching Classical Languages (TCL).

Teaching Classical Languages (ISSN 2160-2220) is the only peer-reviewed electronic journal dedicated to the teaching and learning of Latin and ancient Greek. ...

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Maier, Hebräisch-aramäisches Glossar zum jüdischen Recht in der Antike

NEW(ISH) BOOK FROM DE GRUYTER:

Johann Maier (†)
Hebräisch-aramäisches Glossar zum jüdischen Recht in der Antike
Hebrew-Aramaic Glossary of Ancient Jewish Law
Mit einer Einführung in das jüdische Recht der Antike und einem Quellenüberblick

De Gruyter | 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110650327

From £36.50
FORMATS
Paperback
ISBN: 978-3-11-064985-7
Published: 21 Oct 2019
PDF
ISBN: 978-3-11-065032-7
Published: 21 Oct 2019
EPUB
ISBN: 978-3-11-065010-5
Published: 21 Oct 2019

OVERVIEW
The Glossary presents documentation for the specialized Hebrew and Aramaic vocabulary of Biblical Jewish law, from Biblical sources through the completion of the Babylonian Talmud, thus furnishing new options for comparative ancient legal history. A detailed introduction into ancient Jewish law is included.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Asale, 1 Enoch as Christian Scripture

NEW BOOK FROM WIPF AND STOCK:

1 Enoch as Christian Scripture
A Study in the Reception and Appropriation of 1 Enoch in Jude and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahǝdo Canon
BY Bruk Ayele Asale
FOREWORD BY Loren T. Stuckenbruck

Imprint: Pickwick Publications
Category: Biblical Studies

PAPERBACK
ISBN: 9781532691157
Pages: 170
Publication Date: 6/5/2020
Retail Price: $22.00
Web Price: $17.60

eBOOK
ISBN: 9781532691157
Format: epub
Publication Date: 6/5/2020
Retail Price: $22.00
Web Price: $17.60
*All eBooks are non-returnable

About

Since its publication in English translation in 1821, the book of Enoch has enjoyed immense popularity in Western culture as a variety of religious groups, interested historians, and academics have sought to illuminate the Jewish context of Christian beginnings two thousand years ago. Taking the quotation of 1 Enoch in Jude 14 as its point of departure, the present study explores the significance of Enochic tradition within the context of Christian tradition in the Horn of Africa, where it continues to play a vital role in shaping the diverse yet interrelated self-understanding of Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches. As discussions on the importance of 1 Enoch from antiquity to the present take on new dimensions among increasingly global and diverse voices, 1 Enoch as Christian Scripture offers a rare orientation into a rich culture in which the reception of the book is “at home” as a living tradition more than anywhere else in the world today. The present work argues that serious attention to 1 Enoch holds forth an opportunity for church traditions in Ethiopia—and, indeed, around the world—to embrace some of their indigenous roots and has the capacity to breathe life into time-worn expressions of faith.

This is timely to mention alongside this week's Enoch Seminar 2020.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Enoch Seminar 2020 Day 4

ENOCH SEMINAR 2020 DAY 4 took place yesterday. James McGrath has posted another informative summary of the events: Enoch Seminar 2020 #OriginsOfEvil2020 Day 4.

The final session, yesterday evening, was a recap of the conference. It was recorded and you can view it on Facebook here.

I responded briefly to James's paper (a version of which you can watch here) in the Zoom comments. I also sent him my comments in advance of the session. Here is what I posted on Zoom:

Thanks James!

I have a couple of thoughts I have already shared with James about his fascinating paper.

First, I think it is entirely plausible that the Mandaeans preserve some much older polytheistic material, especially names, in their literature. You provide good evidence for that. You mention the Elephantine Judean community. If you haven't yet, you should also look at the Demotic-Aramaic Papyrus Amherst 63, which also may be from Elephantine. Some of the Israelite/Canaanite material in it might arguably be transitional in the direction of the Mandaean material.

Second, I have not found any arguments for a pre- (or non-) Christian Jewish Gnosticism in antiquity persuasive. The development of Gnosticism seems much easier to me once you add Pauline theology (notably its demotion of Jewish law) into the mix of Judaism and Platonism. And, tellingly, as far as I have been able to find, none of the surviving Gnostic texts deal with the halakhic and national/ethnic issues that the demiurgic myth would inevitably have raised. (I have adapted this comment from the first blog post linked below. The other two links develop the argument in greater detail.)
https://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2015/02/anxious-gnosticism.html
http://paleojudaica.blogspot.co.uk/2003_07_20_archive.html#105889150630213378
http://paleojudaica.blogspot.co.uk/2011_09_04_archive.html#8673893715236393124
I am glad to have the chance to draw this point to the attention of specialists in Gnosticism. I don't think any argument for pre-/non-Christian Jewish Gnosticism can hold up without addressing it.

The mood of the room among the Gnosticism scholars seemed to be that, yes, demiurgic Gnosticism was a Christian innovation. That was reassuring.

For more on Papyrus Amherst 63, start here (cf. here) and follow the links.

This remarkable fully-online conference was a remarkable success. I am glad to have been able to participate. I look forward to more like it.

Past PaleoJudaic posts on Enoch Seminar 2020 are here and links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Archaeology and the Gospel of John

THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:

John: The Mundane Gospel and its Archaeology-Related Features

However, in addition to its theological features, the Fourth Gospel is also the most mundane of the gospels. John has more empirical (sensorily attributed) references, topographical details, and archaeologically attested features than all the other gospels combined—canonical and otherwise. This is an empirical fact, which creates upheaval among scholarly theories regarding John’s character, origin, and implications, as it must also be seen as the Mundane Gospel.

See Also: “On Biblical Forgeries and Imagined Communities—A Critical Analysis of Recent Criticism."

By Paul N. Anderson
Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies
George Fox University
July 2020

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

One like a son of man on a cloud

READING ACTS: Who is the Son of Man in Revelation 14:14? Phil Long continues his blog series on the Book of Revelation, concentrating on the seven sights of chapters 12-15. We have come to the sixth sight: one like a son of man and three more angels.

It looks clear to me that the "one like a son of man" is Jesus (cf. Rev 1:13). But I guess opinions differ.

I have noted earlier posts in Phil's Revelation series here and links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Enoch Seminar 2020 Day 3 (2 updates)

ENOCH SEMINAR 2020 DAY 3 took place yesterday. I will fill in information as it comes in, so keep returning to this post for updates. Today is the fourth and final day of the conference. For previous posts on it, see here and links.
__________

UPDATE: James McGrath has posted a very thorough summary of yesterday's events: Enoch Seminar 2020 #OriginsOfEvil2020 Day 3. He says good things about my presentation. I found his paper, which he has pre-posted in a video here, very interesting. I look forward to the discussion later today.

Day 4 will open (at 9:00 EDT) with a public video recap of Day 3. I will link to it around the time it starts.
SECOND UPDATE: The public video recap is live here on Facebook. It will remain as a recorded file.
__________

I was a respondent to Gabriele Boccaccini's paper in the second session. His paper has not been published, but you can infer the main points from his title and my brief opening comments. Most of my response goes on a tangent, but, I trust, a profitable one. I post my response here:

ENOCH SEMINAR 2020
Response to Gabriele Boccaccini, “Same Problems, Different Remedies: The Parables of Enoch and the Synoptics on Evil.”
Panel: How is the problem of evil and its origin addressed in the Parables of Enoch and the Synoptics?

Thank you, Professor Boccaccini, the organizers, and the presenters, for all your hard work preparing and carrying out this remarkable, fully-remote, Enoch Seminar. This is truly a ground-breaking event. I am very happy to be part of it.

First let me say that I agree overall with Gabriele’s conclusions. The Synoptic Gospels and the Parables of Enoch share a virtually identical doctrine of evil. Their interest is in the eschatology of evil rather than its protology. The solutions to the problem of evil are quite different. Both project the judgment of sinners to the eschaton, but only the Synoptics place repentance and redemption in the present.

I would nuance Gabriele’s discussion at a few points. The Parables are very interested in both good and evil angels, but only mention demons once in 69:12. The Synoptics show less interest in angels, and only mention evil angels once, in Matt 25:41. They are more interested in demons, specifically, the activity of demons during the time of Jesus. This focus is likely due to the tradition that exorcism of demons was a major feature of Jesus’ ministry.

The Synoptics show little interest in demonic origins. But one unique element of their demonology may involve primeval matters, if not exactly protology. This is worth exploring. The Synoptic passage about Jesus and Beelzebul (Mark 3:19b-30//Matt 12:22-37 (cf. 10:25)//Luke 11:14-23, 12:10) brings in a demonic figure who does not appear in the Parables. Beelzebul is a Greek transliteration of a Northwest Semitic phrase that means "Prince Baal." It appears as zbl bʻl in Ugaritic and is apparently behind the divine name baʻal-zebub, the god of Ekron, in the MT of 2 Kgs 1:2-3, 6, 16. The latter means "Lord of the flies," but this is probably a deliberate disrespectful corruption of Baal's title.

Evidently the name survived uncorrupted in some circles in Jesus' time. (Symmachus reads it correctly as baʻal-zebul in the Greek translation of 2 Kings 1.) The name had become applied to the chief evil spirit, the prince of demons or Satan. As far as I can ascertain, the use of the term as the title of an evil spirit is limited in antiquity to the Synoptic Gospels and literature dependent on them.

Where did the Beelzebul referred to by the scribes originate? A superficially plausible answer might be from the passage in 2 Kings. But the Beelzebub there is the local tutelary deity of the Philistine city Ekron. If he were demoted to demonic status in Jewish tradition, why would he be simultaneously promoted to “prince of the demons?” There is a better explanation.

We know that some of the Canaanite mythology found in the Ugaritic texts survived in the Hebrew literature of the Second Temple period. The premier example is Isaiah 27:1, which quotes nearly verbatim a line about the sea serpent Leviathan found in tablet 4 of the Baal cycle. In addition, Latin and Manichean traditions about the giants imply that the Enochic Book of Giants contained a now lost account of a battle between Leviathan, the archangel Raphael, and one of the giants. And it is likely that the vision in Daniel 7 draws on Baal mythology. If Beelzebul evolved out of Baal mythology, in which Baal functioned as ruler of the gods, his status of ruler of the demons makes sense. This is not a new point, but I wish to take it further here.

The Baal mythology also has intriguing connections with Jesus’ reply to the scribes. Jesus argues that Satan (Beelzebul) cannot survive opposed to himself. It is difficult to untangle mythology from metaphor here, but Jesus associates Beelzebul with both a kingdom and a house, which Jesus likens to a strong man’s house. Anyone who wishes to plunder that house must first bind the strong man. Elsewhere (Matt 10:25) Jesus also complains that some have “called the master of the house Beelzebul.”

The Ugaritic Baal cycle is set in the kingdom of the chief god El and involves territorial disputes between major gods in the pantheon. The Sea god fails in his attempt to subdue Baal and conquer the earth. After their conflict, a house is built for Baal, where he is enthroned and made king of the earth and ruler of the gods. Then Death does battle with Baal, but he too fails to subdue him. Baal retains his house and his rulership of the earth. Is it a coincidence that Jesus refers to Beelzebul’s kingdom, his house, and an effort to subdue him? Or is Jesus playing with surviving elements of Baal mythology? The parallels are at least suggestive.

In short, the Synoptics may preserve a fragment of another mythology of primeval evil, one in which the god Baal, who ruled the earth under the authority of El, was transformed in Jewish tradition into Beelzebul, prince of the demons. Jesus’ comments may imply that Beelzebul’s myth featured a demonic kingdom, his house, and conflict over control of his territory.

The Parables of Enoch show no awareness of the demonic figure Beelzebul and whatever mythology came with him, although the Enochic giants tradition may remember some Baal mythology involving Leviathan. In other words, the watchers myth and the Satan myth may not have been the only paradigms for primeval evil available to these authors.

If the Synoptics do allude to a late reflex of the Baal myth, we can only hope that new texts emerge which tell us more about the adaptation of Canaanite mythology in Second Temple Jewish tradition.

This needs a more detailed exposition with footnotes, but it presents my basic argument. I posted some early thoughts on Beelzebul (Beelzeboul) here. For many other posts on the diabolical one in his various guises, see here and links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Under the Old City of Jerusalem

TIMES OF ISRAEL PODCAST: LISTEN: ToI takes you to a unique excavation deep under Jerusalem’s Old City. Join IAA archaeologist Barak Monnickendam-Givon on a jaw-dropping guided audio tour spanning two millennia some 7 meters under the Western Wall plaza (Amanda Borschel-Dan).

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

The Legacy of Soisalon-Soininen (ed. Kauhanen & Vanonen)

WILLIAM ROSS: SOISALON-SOININEN VOLUME PUBLISHED. Notice of a New Book from Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht:

The Legacy of Soisalon-Soininen
Towards a Syntax of Septuagint Greek

Tuukka Kauhanen (Hg.), Hanna Vanonen (Hg.)

De Septuaginta Investigationes (DSI) - Band 013

I noted the call for papers for the conference that produced this volume here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Biblical Studies Carnival 172

ZWINGLIUS REDIVIVUS: Its the ‘Pandemic / Societal Apocalypse / Is June Finally Over? / Ugh What a Miserable Month’ Edition of the Biblical Studies Carnival (Jim West).

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

McGrath on Enoch Seminar 2020, Days 1-2 (Updated!)

RELIGION PROF: Enoch Seminar 2020 Day 1: Is Evil the Grandmother of Theology? James McGrath has posted a thorough summary of the first full day of Enoch Seminar 2020.

Background here and links. [Link now corrected!]

UPDATE:

The video of the summary discussion of Day 1 (Monday), which happened on the morning of Day 2 (Tuesday, yesterday) is available on Facebook.

The Twitter hashtag for Enoch Seminar 2020 is #OriginsOfEvil2020.

Also, Professor McGrath has posted his very thorough summary of Day 2: Enoch Seminar 2020 #OriginsOfEvil2020 Day 2.

And the summary discussion of Day 2 is happening now. It can be viewed on a Facebook livestream, which will remain as a video recording.

Today is Day 3 of Enoch Seminar 2020.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

More on the new Jerusalem seal fragments

ICONOGRAPHY: 2,500-year-old seals may show Jews rebuilding Jerusalem after 1st Temple exile. Rare discoveries in City of David confirm that after Babylonian destruction of 586 BCE, city was slowly resettled in Persian era, with a revived bureaucracy, as told in the Bible (Amanda Borschel-Dan, Times of Israel).

I posted on the discovery of these two seal fragments here. This article explores their possible implications in greater depth.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

In search of King David

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE BIBLE: In Search of King David’s Lost Empire. The Biblical ruler’s story has been told for millennia. Archeologists are still fighting over whether it’s true (Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker).

This is a long and thorough article that covers a century of the archaeology of David's reign (whatever than may mean) up to the present.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Job in late-antique Western esotericism at UvA

THE NSEA BLOG: JOB POSTING: ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE HISTORY OF WESTERN ESOTERICISM IN LATE ANTIQUITY.

The job is at the Department of History, European Studies and Religious Studies of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam. The closing date for applications is 19 August 2020. Follow the link for a description and a link to the full advert.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Evidence that post-exilic Jerusalem was important?

ICONOGRAPHY: 2,500-year-old City of David seal shows Jerusalem status in Persian period. The seal impressions – known among experts with the Latin term bullae – were usually made of clay and used to sign documents or containers (Rossella Tercatin, Jerusalem Post). Be sure to watch the video.

The jar seal bears faux writing. (What was that about?) The seal impression depicts someone sitting on a chair (a Babylonian king on a throne?). Both impressions are damaged and incomplete.

The Givati (Giv'ati) Parking Lot Excavation is another of those archaeological gifts that keeps on giving. For past posts on it, see here and many links, here, and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

More on the supervision of those West Bank archaeological sites

ARCHAEOLOGY AND POLITICS: Israeli campaigners want Jewish ruins included in West Bank annexations (Rinat Harash, Reuters).

Background here and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

The third angel and God's full-strength wrath

READING ACTS: The Message of the Third Angel – Revelation 14:9-13. Phil Long continues his blog series on the Book of Revelation, concentrating on the seven sights of chapters 12-15. We are at the end of the fifth sight: the three angels and their messages.

I have noted earlier posts in Phil's Revelation series here and links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Samaritan Shavuot 2020

SAMARITAN WATCH: Samaritans Greet the Dawn Atop Their Holiest Mountain to Mark Shavuot Festival. The Samaritan community numbers around 820 people, many of whom live high above the Palestinian city of Nablus (Reuters, rpt. Haaretz).

Past posts on the Samaritan celebration of Shavuot, which comes later in the year than the Jewish celebration, are here and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Enoch Seminar 2020

REMINDER: Enoch Seminar Online 2020: The Origin of Evil in Second Temple Judaism begins today in a couple of hours. It runs through Thursday. It is by invitation only, but I don't doubt there will be blog reports etc. I will keep my eye out for them. I may even come up with one or two myself.

I am a respondent on Wednesday, 1 July, in the session on "How is the problem of evil and its origin addressed in the Parables of Enoch and the Synoptics?"

There are about three hundred attenders total.

The format is mandated by current pandemic travel and assembly restrictions. But nonetheless, it is an exciting, groundbreaking experiment. These online conferences may change the way we do professional meetings.

Earlier PaleoJudaica posts on Enoch Seminar 2020 are here, here, and here. They link to posts by Professor James McGrath, including one with his conference presentation.

I have noted other pandemic-era online projects here, here, here, here, here (cf. here at the link), here, and here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Who can touch the Dead Sea Scrolls?

CONSERVATION: Meet the only person in the world who can touch the Dead Sea Scrolls. Hidden in the caves of the Judean Desert for over 2,000 years, the artifacts include some of the most ancient manuscripts of the Bible, as well as other religious texts (Rossella Tercatin, Jerusalem Post).

Her name is Tanya Bitler.

I was able to touch the Dead Sea Scrolls back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when I was writing my doctoral dissertation (on manuscripts of Genesis and Exodus from Cave 4) and revising it for publication. That was back in the transition from the "glass plate" era to the "cardboard plate" era.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Is Sukenik’s Isaiah Scroll really provenanced?

VARIANT READINGS: Qumran Cave 1 Questions, Part 4: Sukenik’s Isaiah Scroll. Brent Nongbri calls into question the physical evidence that 4QIsa^b came from Cave 1. That doesn't mean it didn't come from Cave 1. But it may mean that there is no controlled archaeological confirmation of its provenance.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

The DSS and new technologies

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: How New Technologies Are Unraveling the Dead Sea Scrolls’ Secrets (VIDEO). DNA analysis, artificial intelligence and particle accelerators shed light on ancient artifacts (Maya Margit, The Media Line).

For PaleoJudaica posts on the use of some new technologies on the Dead Sea Scrolls etc., see here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, and follow the links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

James (Jimmy) Dunn, 1939-2020

SAD NEWS FROM THE RELIGION PROF: RIP Jimmy Dunn (James D. G. Dunn). Many tributes are pouring in for renowned New Testament scholar James Dunn, who passed away on Friday at the age of 80. I link to a memorial by James McGrath, who got his PhD under Jimmy's supervision. Professor McGrath links to other tributes.

James Douglas Grant Dunn was for a long time Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at the University of Durham. His Wikipedia page is here.

Requiescat in pace.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Interview with Peter Gentry on Origen and the Hexapla

THE ETC BLOG: Origen and the Hexapla: the Text & Canon Institute Interviews Dr. Peter Gentry (John Meade). For another recent interview with Dr. Gentry on his new translation of the Septuagint of Ecclesiastes, see here.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Viswanath on Black People in Jewish Tradition

PROF. MEYLEKH (PV) VISWANATH: Black People in Jewish Tradition: Eliminating Racism Requires Honesty (TheTorah.com).

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Marx, Jalkut Schimoni zum Zwölfprophetenbuch

NEW BOOK FROM DE GRUYTER:

Jalkut Schimoni zum Zwölfprophetenbuch
Yalkut Shimoni on the Twelve Minor Prophets: Translation and Commentary
Übersetzung und Kommentar

in Jalkut Schimoni

Edited by: Farina Marx
De Gruyter | 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110675382

£109.00 Hardcover

FORMATS
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-11-067438-5
Published: 08 Jun 2020
PDF
ISBN: 978-3-11-067538-2
Published: 08 Jun 2020
EPUB
ISBN: 978-3-11-067540-5
Published: 08 Jun 2020

OVERVIEW
The Yalkut Shimoni is collection of rabbinical commentaries on the Hebrew bible. Research has not yet explained all of the criteria for selecting these commentaries or clarified whether the work was conceived as a comprehensive reference work for exegetic issues, to be combined with the biblical commentary in the Talmud and Midrash, or to reform rabbinical interpretative tradition. This translation is a first step toward resolving these issues.

The electronic version of this book is currently open access – available for free. I'm not sure, but that may only last until the end of this month. But for now, for you, special deal!

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.