Hellenism in Land of Israel

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.

Author: John J. Collins
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
Published: 06/01/2001
Pages: 354
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.06lbs
Size: 9.06h x 5.99w x 0.78d
ISBN: 9780268030520

Review Citation(s):
Choice 12/01/2001 pg. 700
Univ PR Books for Public Libry 01/01/2002 pg. 10 - Strongly Recommended

About the Author

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.

This title is not returnable