Cambridge Commentaries on Writings of the Jewish and Christian World – serie

This book aims to introduce the work of Hellenistic Jewish writers of the period 200 BC to AD 200. Four in particular are studied. The authors of the Letter of Aristeas and the Sibylline Oracles came from second-century BC Egypt. Eupolemus wrote probably in Jerusalem at the same time. Josephus, a priest from Judaea, wrote in Rome in the late first century AD. Using Greek, not Hebrew or Aramaic, and conscious of the position of Jews in the Graeco-Roman world, they wished to demonstrate that their cultural and religious heritage stood comparison with the Graeco-Roman tradition and that Jews were neither so philosophically naive nor so politically troublesome as they were often supposed to be. An opening chapter describing the position of Jews in the Hellenistic world is followed by selected passages, all newly translated, with introductory essays and commentary. The collection makes available to students much material hitherto not easily accessible.

This book provides a new translation of substantial extracts from the Qumran writings, which comprise an important part of the Dead Sea scrolls. The writings reflect the beliefs and practices of a religious community which existed on the shores of the Dead Sea between the middle of the second century BC and AD 68. They shed considerable light on the Essenes, whose movement had an important focus at Qumran. In addition to selecting the most significant legislative, poetic and liturgical writings, Professor Knibb provides a commentary dealing with major interpretative problems raised by the extracts.

Rabbinic texts are often cited in New Testament and Old Testament studies, but hitherto there has been no easy way for a student to grasp the scope and variety of the relevant rabbinic writings. This book introduces the student to the full range of the early rabbinic writings, with a thorough introduction and notes, so that both a bird's eye view of the literature as well as close aquaintance with typical and important texts can be obtained. This will enable the reader to embark on further study with a clearer orientation. The book also aims to correct many mistaken views about rabbinic Judaism arising from outdated conceptions of the relation between Christianity and Judaism.

This volume gives extracts from and introductions to twelve writings dealing with prominent Old Testament figures. The writings tell what happened to them, what God revealed to them and try to bring home to their readers what can be learned from their example. They give many explicit exhortations; often there is an outlook on the future intended to comfort and to encourage the readers in difficult circumstances. These writings belong to the so-called 'Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament', a term used, rather loosely, to cover writings connected with biblical books, personalities or themes, which were not included in the Hebrew or Greek Old Testament canon. The various contributions to this volume, written by experts in the field, aim at introducing readers to this fascinating collection of documents and at showing them the ways to explore this area a little further.

The aim of this book is to give access to sources which illustrate Graeco-Roman views on Jews and Christians from 200 BC to AD 200. Passages range from longer extracts written by historians to short incidental references by disparate authors which throw light on attitudes towards beliefs and social customs. The pagan religious background, especially the Mystery religions, is also described and illustrated by selected passages, so that the reader may have some idea of the general religious climate during this period. Every quotation is prefixed by a brief biography of the author and all passages have been translated into English, with explanatory comment when necessary. Connecting essays act as summaries and focus the attention on essential issues. These, together with a chronological chart and maps should enable a student coming fresh to the subject, without previous specialized knowledge, to see the period in historical perspective.

The three general editors of the Cambridge Bible Commentary series have all, in their teaching, experienced a lack of readily usable texts of the literature which is often called psuedepigrapha but which is more accurately defined as extra-biblical or parabiblical literature. The aim of this series is to help fill this gap. The welcome accorded to the Cambridge Bible Commentary has encouraged the editors to follow the same pattern here, except that carefully chosen extracts from the texts, rather than complete books, have normally been provided for comment. The introductory material leads naturally into the text which itself leads into alternating sections of commentary. Within the severe limits imposed by the size and scope of the series each contributor will attempt to provide for the student and general reader the results of modern scholarship, but has been asked to assume no specialized theological or linguistic knowledge.