The Cambridge Dictionary of Judaism and Jewish Culture is an authoritative and accessible reference work for a twenty-first-century audience. Its entries, written by eminent scholars, define the spiritual and intellectual concepts and religious movements that distinguish Judaism and the Jewish experience; they discuss central personalities and places, formative events and enduring literary and cultural contributions and they illuminate the lives of ordinary Jewish men and women. Essays explore Jewish history from ancient times to the present and consider all aspects of Judaism, including religious practices and rituals, legal teachings and legendary traditions and rationalism, mysticism and messianism. This reference work differs from many others in its broad exploration of the Jewish experience beyond Judaism. Entries discuss secular and political movements and achievements and delineate Jewish endeavors in literature, art, music, theater, dance, film, broadcasting, sports, science, m
A sweeping history of Judaism over more than three millenniaJudaism has preserved its distinctive identity despite the extraordinarily diverse forms and beliefs it has embodied through the centuries.
The most prolific 20th-century analyst of Rabbinical Judaism, Neusner (Bard College) has reproduced articles from publication over several decades into a three-volume set, covering in turn history, li
This volume is in honor of Revel-Neher (retired, art history, Hebrew U.) for her contributions to the field of medieval Jewish art with a special emphasis on the Byzantine period. Kogman- Appel (Ben-G
Abortion in Judaism presents a complete Jewish legal history of abortion from the earliest relevant biblical references through the end of the twentieth century. For the first time, almost every Jewish text relevant to the abortion issue is explored in detail. These texts are investigated in historical sequence, thereby elucidating the development inherent within the Jewish approach to abortion. Following the examination of the foundational sources, a range of contemporary responses from across the Jewish spectrum is also introduced in order to probe their place in this history, as well as to discern the directions in which they would have the law proceed. The impact of Jewish abortion law upon Israeli legislative enactments is evaluated, along with the social outcomes of such legislation. Finally, the work considers the insights that this thematic history provides into Jewish ethical principles, as well as into the role of halakhah within Judaism.
The image of the non-Jew has had a profound influence on how Jews have interacted with actual non-Jews they have encountered at various points in their history, says Novak (religion and philosophy, U.
A sweeping history of Judaism over more than three millenniaJudaism is one of the oldest religions in the world, and it has preserved its distinctive identity despite the extraordinarily diverse forms
Purity is a cultural construct that had a central role in the forming and the development of religious traditions in the ancient Mediterranean. This volume analyzes concepts, practices and images asso
The destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in 70 CE, which put an end to sacrificial worship in Israel, is usually assumed to constitute a major caesura in Jewish history. But how important was it? Wh
Heresy is a central concept in the formation of Orthodox Christianity. Where does this notion come from? This book traces the construction of the idea of ‘heresy’ in the rhetoric of ideological disagr
This clear and comprehensive study of the long history of the Jewish people covers all the key issues, from the experiences of exile to the challenge of feminism and the split between Orthodox and non
Volume 5 examines the history of Judaism in the Islamic World from the rise of Islam in the early sixth century to the expulsion of Jews from Spain at the end of the fifteenth. This period witnessed radical transformations both within the Jewish community itself and in the broader contexts in which the Jews found themselves. The rise of Islam had a decisive influence on Jews and Judaism as the conditions of daily life and elite culture shifted throughout the Islamicate world. Islamic conquest and expansion affected the shape of the Jewish community as the center of gravity shifted west to the North African communities, and long-distance trading opportunities led to the establishment of trading diasporas and flourishing communities as far east as India. By the end of our period, many of the communities on the 'other' side of the Mediterranean had come into their own―while many of the Jewish communities in the Islamicate world had retreated from their high-water mark.
In this admirable volume presenting the proceedings of a conference sponsored by the Institute of Jewish Studies at the editor's campus in 2008, Stern (rabbinic Judaism, U. College London) introduces
During the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods, the Galilee played an important role in the development of both Judaism and Christianity. In an attempt to draw a detailed picture of the nature an
