Esther in Ancient Jewish Thought

The book of Esther was a conscious reaction to much of the conventional wisdom of its day, challenging beliefs regarding the Jerusalem Temple, the land of Israel, Jewish law, and even God. Aaron Koller identifies Esther as primarily a political work, and shows that early reactions ranged from ignoring the book to 'rewriting' Esther in order to correct its perceived flaws. But few biblical books have been read in such different ways, and the vast quantity of Esther-interpretation in rabbinic literature indicates a conscious effort by the Rabbis to present Esther as a story of faith and traditionalism, and bring it into the fold of the grand biblical narrative. Koller situates Esther, and its many interpretations, within the intellectual and political contexts of Ancient Judaism, and discusses its controversial themes. His innovative line of enquiry will be of great interest to students and scholars of Bible and Jewish studies.

Author: Aaron Koller
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 04/28/2016
Pages: 278
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.83lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.58d
ISBN: 9781107673885

About the Author
Koller, Aaron: - Aaron Koller is Associate Professor of Bible at Yeshiva University, New York and teaches talmud and biblical interpretation at the Drisha Institute. He studies the ancient world of the Bible and rabbinic literature, especially material culture, language, and intellectual history. He is the author of The Ancient Hebrew Semantic Field of Cutting Tools (2012).

This title is not returnable