Judaea In Hellenistic And Roman Times

An impressive array of international scholars here provides fresh insights into themes related to Jewish civilization in the late Second Temple period and considers the role that should be assigned to the Qumran scrolls. Part I focuses on the history, society and literature of the Judaism of this period. Part II considers the light shed by the Qumran scrolls on this so-called dark age in the history of Judaism. A progress report on the scrolls is followed by chapters on their various implications.

A bold and original examination of the relationships between ethnicity and political power in the ancient world.

This collection includes a selection of research articles dealing with the interplay between Judaism and Hellenism in Eretz Israel (The Land of Israel), resulting in lasting effects left by Greece and Rome upon the society, creative spirit, and material culture of the land. Among the topics dealt with are: the interrelationships of Jews and Gentiles; the roots and forms taken by anti-Semitism in the Hellenistic and Roman world; military and political events, issues in ancient historiography, economics, administration, and jurisprudence; ancient construction projects in light of recent archaeological discoveries, and more. The authors are leading scholars in the field, from Israel and abroad, who originally prepared these essays as lectures delivered at an international academic conference held in Israel.

Samuel Rocca, born in 1968, earned his PhD in 2006. Since 2000, he worked as a college and high school teacher at The Neri Bloomfield College of Design & Teacher Training, Haifa; at the Talpiot College, Tel Aviv since 2005, and at the Faculty of Architecture at the Judaea and Samaria College, Ariel since 2006.

This multidisciplinary study takes a fresh look at Judean history and biblical literature in the late fourth and third centuries BCE. In a major reappraisal of this era, the contributions to this volume depict it as one in which critical changes took place. Until recently, the period from Alexander’s conquest in 332 BCE to the early years of Seleucid domination following Antiochus III’s conquest in 198 BCE was reputed to be poorly documented in material evidence and textual production, buttressing the view that the era from late Persian to Hasmonean times was one of seamless continuity. Biblical scholars believed that no literary activity belonged to the Hellenistic age, and archaeologists were unable to refine their understanding because of a lack of secure chronological markers. However, recent studies are revealing this period as one of major social changes and intense literary activity. Historians have shed new light on the nature of the Hellenistic empires and the relationship between the central power and local entities in ancient imperial settings, and the redating of several biblical texts to the third century BCE challenges the traditional periodization of Judean history. Bringing together Hellenistic history, the archaeology of Judea, and biblical studies, this volume appraises the early Hellenistic period anew as a time of great transition and change and situates Judea within its broader regional and transregional imperial contexts.

Author looks at who owned land, and how they came to posses it. Also examines the various ramifications of landownership in ancient society to ascertain its effects on livelihoods, government policies and revenues.