From the Maccabees to the Mishnah, Second Edition
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From the Maccabees to the Mishnah, Second Edition Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥ |
Limited but Brilliant
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If a history of the Jewish polity from about 167 BCE to 70 CE is part of what you are looking for here, you will need to look elsewhere. The text is comprised of an introduction and six stand alone essays. This material concerns the socio-religious development of the proto-Judaism of 539 BCE into the Rabbinic Judaism of 600 CE with a concentration on the period from 167 BCE to 200 CE, hence the title, "From the Maccabees to the Mishnah." In an era where government and religion were co-joined to each other, this omission of political history creates an unusual attenuation of the historical record. Of course in the period beyond 70 CE, there was no Jewish polity. However, the political developments that swirled around the diaspora and Bar Kokhba revolts are but minimally covered by the author. The presentation of the military history bearing on this period and locale is scant at best in these pages. And, war and violence were constant and significant factors in this era of Judean history. I would suggest that a prior substantial knowledge of these areas of missing history would greatly enhance any reader's appreciation of the materials presented in this work.
This book is aimed at a specialist audience in my opinion. But, any literate adult with a rudimentary knowledge of the history of the period in question will be rewarded by reading this book. Almost all readers should gain an enhanced knowledge of the evolution of the Jewish religion. It is a tribute to Cohen that he could leave so much out and yet accomplish so much. The author writes with clarity and develops his arguments meticulously. In his opening chapter on "Jews and Gentiles," Cohen finds a combination of accommodation and tension among the peoples as well as between Judea and the Hellenistic and Roman Empires. The development of Jewish religion is then considered. From being a local ethnically exclusive monotheism prior to the exile, Judaism was transitioning into being a monotheistic religion with a universal God. From a closed and relatively inaccessible Temple cult, Judaism was democratizing into a religion of all the people of Judea and the Jewish diaspora and even Gentile converts. From a religion of prophecy and sacrifice, it was becoming a religion of "the book," doing Torah, and prayer. Four more essays follow on the community and its institutions, normative Judaism and Jewish sectarian groups including the Christians, the canonization of the Old Testament, and lastly one on the development of Rabbinic Judaism.
Each essay is rich in information and incisive interpretation. The author is a penetrating thinker who is considered to be one of the greatest living scholars on the subjects covered. Few footnotes are provided. The author in drawing his conclusions rarely references other scholarship. Expect no alternative interpretations. However, the opinions and conclusions Cohen draws always seem mindful of all the extant evidence and current and historic scholarly thought. This is well substantiated by a remarkably useful and extensive chapter by chapter "suggested reading list" at the end of this volume. Whether you agree with the author in all instances or not, he presents his material persuasively. And, be forewarned, there is much in these pages that may strike some as quite controversial. For example, the author sees much of the Old Testament written and concretized in the Persian and Hellenistic period. This is a very stimulating book that will make you think and rethink your own positions. However, how much you get out of this book may well depend on the knowledge of the subject you bring to the task. |
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From the Maccabees to the Mishnah, Second Edition Books In Print, Audio Books.