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Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity
Hellenism in the Land of Israel

Hellenism in the Land of Israel

Edited by John J. Collins and Gregory E. Sterling

Series: Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity

354 pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in

Paperback

Published: June 2001

ISBN 9780268030520

$25.00

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Israeli Jews’ response to and appropriation of Greek culture is the subject of the essays in this rich volume. Contributors provide evidence of Greek cultural influence in Judea and Galilee, from before the Maccabean revolt into the rabbinic period. They also probe the limits of that influence, the persistence of Semitic languages and thought patterns, and the exclusiveness of Jewish religion. While Greek thought had a significant impact on Judaism, Jews remained distinct in the Greco-Roman world. Hellenistic Judaism’s relationship to Greek culture was never simply one of assimilation or repudiation. Similarly, the Hebrew and Aramaic-speaking Judaism of the homeland remained distinct from the Hellenistic Judaism of the Diaspora.

John J. Collins is Holmes Professor of the Hebrew Bible at Yale University. He is the author of Jewish Wisdom in Helleniatic and The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to the Jewish Matrix of Early Christianity.

Gregory E. Sterling is Professor of the New Testament and Christian Origins and Director of Graduate Studies in Theology at the University of Notre Dame.

“[A] formidable collection of the leading scholars in the field. Anyone interested in the intercultural interplay between Judaism and Hellenism in antiquity should own this fine collection of well-written and highly accessible essays.” —Choice

“. . . As a whole, the book has as its principal focus the issues of acculturation, assimilation, adaptation, inculturation and implicitly ethnic aspects, which are presented by the contributors in a highly professional way, advancing by a step some hitherto neglected or inadequately analysed details.” —Ancient West & East

“In reviewing the articles in the present volume, it would be impossible to do justice to each and every one. All are deserving of careful study, and each expands our horizons with respect to the topic in question. For furthering our awareness and understanding of this important phenomenon in ancient Judaism, we are profoundly indebted to the organizers of this conference, who also produced this most impressive volume of studies. This book is a must for anyone interested in investigating this most central topic in the study of ancient Jewish society.” —Journal of Biblical Literature

“This important collection continues the work of discussing how and to what degree the Jews were Hellenized and a part of the Hellenistic world.” —Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

“. . . Superb collection . . . Authors constitute a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of Hellenistic Jewish scholars. . . .[F]ully indexed and carefully crafted, this volume is essential reading for those with a serious interest in the Hellenistic world.” —Religious Studies Review