Judaic Religion in the Second Temple Period »

The developments in Judaism which occurred during the Second Temple period (c. 550 BC to 100 AD) were of great importance for the nature of Jewish religion in later centuries, yet few studies have examined the era in full. Now, Lester L. Grabbe's lucid and accessible volume provides a much-needed encyclopedic study and holistic interpretation of the period. Topics examined include: views about God and the spirit world; the temple and priesthood; Scripture and synagogue; the main religious sects and revolutionary movements; eschatology and messianism; magic and predicting the future; religion in the Jewish diaspora; and convents and "Godfearers." With an extensive, up-to-date bibliography, plus numerous helpful cross-references, summaries and syntheses, this volume is essential reading for scholars and students of the history of Jewish religion.

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Exploring the nature of the Jewish religion at the time of Jesus and the early Christian church, Grabbe (Hebrew Bible and early Judaism, U. of Hull) describes developments during the Second Temple period, about 550 BC to 100 AD, which had great importance for the Jewish religion in later centuries. He looks at such aspects as views about God and the spirit world, the temple and priesthood, scripture and synagogue, the main religious sects and revolutionary movements, eschatology and messianism, magic and predicting the future, religion in the Jewish diaspora, and converts and God-fearers. The extensive and specific bibliographic references and the cross-referencing facilitate the work's use as a reference. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents: Abbreviations; Preface; 1. Introduction; Part 1: Chronological Survey; 2. Persian Period (539-333 BCE); 3. Early Greek Period (333-200 BCE); 4. Later Greek Period and Hasmoneans (200-63 BCE); 5. Under Roman Rule (63 BCE-70 CE); 6. Transition to Rabbinic Judaism: Yavneh; Part II: Special Topics; 7. Temple and Priesthood; 8. Scripture, Prayer, and Synagogue; 9. Sects and Movements; 10. Concepts of the Deity and the Spirit World; 11. Prophecy, Apocalypticism, the Esoteric Arts, and Predicting the Future; 12. Eschatologies and Ideas of Salvation; 13. Messiahs; 14. Jews and Judaism in the Hellenistic World; Part III: Conclusion; 15. Judaism in the Second temple Period: A Holistic Perspective; Bibliography; Indexes