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The idea of heaven held a special place in the late antique imagination, which was marked by a poignant sense of the relevance of otherworldly realities for earthly life. Such concerns can be found not only in Judaism and Christianity but also in the Greco-Roman religious, philosophical, scientific, and 'magical' traditions. Transcending social, regional and creedal boundaries, the preocupation with heaven in Late Antiquity serves as a focus for an interdisciplinary approach to understanding this formative era in Western culture and history. Drawing upon the expertise of scholars of Classics, Ancient History, Jewish Studies and Patristics, this volume explores the different functions of heavenly imagery in different texts and traditions in order to map the patterns of unity and diversity within the religious landscape of Late Antiquity.
"Hekhalot literature, the earliest expression of Jewish mysticism, emerged in Palestine and Babylonia in late antiquity (ca. 500-900 C.E.). In the present volume, an international team of experts explores the literary formation, cultural meanings, religious functions, and textual transmission of this literature."--Back of dust jacket.
"This study provides a critical analysis of Nurcholish Madjid's attempt to interpret Islam within the framework of modern Indonesia. Special attention is paid to his ideas and activities during the years leading to the 1998 downfall of President Soeharto, and the development towards democracy that followed. Although many of these ideas have been embraced by significant sectors of official Indonesia, they have also received harsh criticism from the representatives of more conservative interpretations of Islam and, more recently, from secular Muslims as well."--BOOK JACKET.
Over the past several decades, the field of Jewish studies has expanded to encompass an unprecedented range of research topics, historical periods, geographic regions, and analytical approaches. Yet there have been few systematic efforts to trace these developments, to consider their implications, and to generate new concepts appropriate to a more inclusive view of Jewish culture and society. Jewish Studies at the Crossroads of Anthropology and History brings together scholars in anthropology, history, religious studies, comparative literature, and other fields to chart new directions in Jewish studies across the disciplines. This groundbreaking volume explores forms of Jewish experience tha...
This book considers the early history of Jewish-Christian relations focussing on the fallen angels.
First official publication of the Elephant mosaic panel excavated in the synagogue at Huqoq Israel in 2013-2015 by the specialists given responsiblity for publishing the mosaics by the project director Prof. Jodi Magness. Book includes a long editorial preface which raises a number of broader issues regarding the discovery of the mosaic and prior discussions of it. Four alternative interpretations of the mosaic are discussed by Britt and Boustan, with them coming down in favour of a Hasmonean interpretation. The project director favours the Alexander interpretation.
This volume analyzes the emergence of Jewish and Christian discourses of religious violence within their Roman imperial context with an emphasis on the shared textual practices through which authoritative scriptural traditions were redeployed to represent, legitimate, and indeed sacralize violence.
Leading scholars in early Christianity, Judaic studies, classics, history and archaeology explore the ways that memories were retrieved, reconstituted and put to use by Jews, Christians and their pagan neighbours in late antiquity, from the third century B.C.E. to the seventh century C.E.
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'The Origins of Jewish Mysticism' offers an in-depth look at the history of Jewish mysticism from the book of Ezekiel to the Merkavah mysticism of late antiquity. The author reveals what these writings seek to tell us about the age-old human desire to get close to and communicate with God.