Judaic Religion In The Second Temple Period: Belief And Practice From The Exile To Yavneh

J U DA I C R E L I G I O N I N TH E S ECON D TE M P LE P E RIOD What was the Jewish religion like in the time of Jesus and the early church? The developments in Judaism which occurred during the Second Temple period (c.550 BC to 100 AD) were of great importance for the nature of Jewish religion in later centuries, yet few studies have examined the era in full. Now Lester L.Grabbe’s lucid and accessible volume provides a much-needed encyclopaedic study and holistic interpretation of the period. Topics examined include: • • • • • • • • views about God and the spirit world the temple and priesthood scripture and synagogue the main religious sects and revolutionary movements eschatology and messianism magic and predicting the future religion in the Jewish diaspora converts and “God-fearers” With an extensive, up-to-date bibliography, plus numerous helpful crossreferences, summaries and syntheses, this book is essential reading for scholars and students of the history of Jewish religion. It will also be of great value as a reference tool. Lester L.Grabbe is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism at the University of Hull. He has written extensively on the history, society and literature of ancient Israel and early Judaism. His previous publications include Judaism from Cyrus to Hadrian (1992) and Priests, Prophets, Diviners, Sages (1995). J U DAI C R E LI G I O N I N TH E S E C O N D TE M P LE P E R I O D Belief and practice from the Exile to Yavneh Lester L.Grabbe London and New York First published 2000 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003. © 2000 Lester L.Grabbe All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Grabbe, Lester L. Judaic religion in the Second Temple period: belief and practice from the Exile to Yavneh/Lester L.Grabbe. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Judaism—History—Post-exilic period, 586 B.C.–210 A.D. 2. Bible. O.T.—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title. BM176.G68 2000 296¢.09¢014–dc21 00–023228 ISBN 0-203-46101-0 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-76925-2 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-21250-2 (Print Edition) To Professor Jacob Neusner and Professor Philip Davies CONTE NTS xiii xvi Preface List of abbreviations 1 In