Encyclopaedia of Judaism Second Edition: Volumes 1-4 » (ENL)

Nicklesburg, according to Neusner (religion and theology, Bard College) and Avery-Peck (Judaic studies, College of the Holy Cross), is one of the great scholars of Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity, contributing much to the field of Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphic studies. This two- volume work is not a festschrift, they argue, and can only be properly characterized with the borrowed German word Auseinandersetzungen, containing previously published articles by Nicklesburg, responses by other scholars, and Nicklesburg's reactions to the responses in 20 chapters. Major topics include Jewish Apocalyptic literature in its contexts, reviews of books on early Judaism, and early Christianity in its Jewish context. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

For this three-volume encyclopedia, an international set of noted religious studies scholars has produced 115 essays and articles on Judaism. Although the work is aimed at an academic audience and the double-columned layout may appear intimidating to the casual browser, lay readers (whether Jewish or not) will appreciate the depth of thought and research here. The articles, which run from a few pages to 15 pages, touch on many contemporary issues, e.g., the article on medical ethics discusses the controversy surrounding "test tube" babies. There is also in-depth discussion of concepts such as monotheism or creeds and modern Jewish movements such as Reform Judaism. Each article is signed and presents notes for further reading and research. Academic libraries and large public libraries serving a Jewish clientele should certainly consider this set, although they are not a substitute for the 16-volume Encyclopaedia Judaica (LJ 8/72; just released on CD-ROM). Most public libraries would do just as well with The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion (LJ 4/15/97) or The Jewish Religion: A Companion (Oxford Univ., 1995), both concise and insightful single-volume texts.--Paul M. Kaplan, Lake Villa Dist. Lib., IL Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.