From Qumran To The Ya Ad

The studies in this volume examine the intersection of the Dead Sea Scrolls with early rabbinic literature. Methodological attention is paid to questions of the nature of sectarian and rabbinic law and narrative, and how they may elucidate one another.

Since the discovery of the Cave 4 versions of "The Community Rule" (Serekh ha-Yaad or S), scholars have been perplexed about its complex textual history. This book offers a fresh, broader model for reading "S" that better accounts for the long and diverse history behind the text.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the last century. They have great historical, religious, and linguistic significance, not least in relation to the transmission of many of the books which came to be included in the Hebrew Bible. This companion comprises over 70 articles, exploring the entire body of the key texts and documents labelled as Dead Sea Scrolls. Beginning with a section on the complex methods used in discovering, archiving and analysing the Scrolls, the focus moves to consideration of the Scrolls in their various contexts: political, religious, cultural, economic and historical. The genres ascribed to groups of texts within the Scrolls- including exegesis and interpretation, poetry and hymns, and liturgical texts - are then examined, with due attention given to both past and present scholarship. The main body of the Companion concludes with crucial issues and topics discussed by leading scholars. Complemented by extensive appendices and indexes, this Companion provides the ideal resource for those seriously engaging with the Dead Sea Scrolls.

This selection of papers read at the 5th meeting of the IOQS offers the explorations of the forming and defining of the identities of the group or groups behind the Dead Sea Scrolls by the foremost specialists in the field.

This collection presents innovative research by scholars from across the globe in celebration of Gabriele Boccaccini’s sixtieth birthday and to honor his contribution to the study of early Judaism and Christianity. In harmony with Boccaccini’s determination to promote the study of Second Temple Judaism in its own right, this volume includes studies on various issues raised in early Jewish apocalyptic literature (e.g., 1 Enoch, 2 Baruch, 4 Ezra), the Dead Sea Scrolls, and other early Jewish texts, from Tobit to Ben Sira to Philo and beyond. The volume also provides several investigations on early Christianity in intimate conversation with its Jewish sources, consistent with Boccaccini’s efforts to transcend confessional and disciplinary divisions by situating the origins of Christianity firmly within Second Temple Judaism. Finally, the volume includes essays that look at Jewish-Christian relations in the centuries following the Second Temple period, a harvest of Boccaccini’s labor to rethink the relationship between Judaism and Christianity in light of their shared yet contested heritage.

The articles in this book tackle important linguistic, exegetical and historical questions concerning the Aramaic scrolls from Qumran, addressing for instance the issue of their relevance to the development of apocalypticism and messianism in the Jewish tradition.

Dongshin Don Chang examines 1 and 2 Maccabees, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Hebrews to see how the combined concepts of covenant and priesthood are defined and interlinked within various biblical and extra-biblical traditions. The three studies show the interesting and varying dynamics of the use of combined concepts of covenant and priesthood. The articulations of the two entities are shown to reflect, in part, the concern of the Second Temple Jewish authors; how significant the priestly institutions and priesthood were, not only in cultic matters, but also in relation to political and authoritative concerns. Chang's analysis makes clear that some of the Second Temple compositions have pursued ideas of the legitimacy of priestly identities by juxtaposing the concepts of covenant and priesthood from various traditions. Interpretation and representation of certain traditions becomes a way in which some Second Temple Jews, and some members of the early Jewish Christian communities, developed their priestly covenantal identities. It is with an understanding of this, Chang argues, that we can better understand these Second Temple texts.

In this three-volume set, international scholars from across a broad spectrum of scholarly fields examine the concept of evil throughout history and world cultures from religious, scientific, psychological, and political perspectives. The manifestation of evil has provided a convenient theme for popular culture entertainment, ranging from the classic film The Exorcist, to almost all of Stephen King's horror novels, to video games such as Resident Evil. Unfortunately, dealing with—and attempting to overcome—the forces of evil is a pervasive problem in the real world as well. Explaining Evil addresses incidents of evil from ancient times to modern day around the globe. Concepts of evil within the big three religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—are examined, as well as in Chinese philosophy and Native American beliefs. The political or national expressions of evil are explored, such as the "axis of evil" that culminated in World War II. These volumes identify the causes and effects of evil, and suggest possible remedies to humanity's inescapable flaw.