Jewish Martyrdom in Antiquity: From the Books of Maccabees to the Babylonian Talmud (Compendia Rerum Iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum, 17)($291.10Value)

Description

This volume offers a comprehensive discussion of all relevant sources concerning Jewish martyrdom in Antiquity. By viewing these narratives together, tracing their development and comparing them to other traditions, the authors seek to explore how Jewish is Jewish martyrdom? To this end, they analyse the impact of the changing social and religious-cultural circumstances and the interactions with Graeco-Roman and Christian traditions. This results in the identification of important continuities and discontinuities. Consequently, while political ideals that are prominent in 2 and 4 Maccabees are remarkably absent from rabbinic sources, the latter reveal a growing awareness of Christian motifs and discourse. Friedrich Avemarie , Ph.D. (1995) and Habilitation (2000), Tübingen University, Professor of New Testament and Ancient Judaism at the University of Marburg (2002-2012). He published several monographs on New Testament and rabbinic topics. His collected essays Neues Testament und frührabbinisches Judentum appeared posthumously (Mohr-Siebeck, 2013). Jan Willem van Henten , Ph.D. (1986), Leiden University, is Emeritus Professor of Religion at the University of Amsterdam and Extra-Ordinary Professor of Old and New Testament at Stellenbosch University (South-Africa). He published widely on Jewish and Christian martyrdom, the Maccabean Books and Flavius Josephus, including Judean Antiquities 15. Translation and Commentary (Brill, 2014). Yair Furstenberg , Ph.D. (2011), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is Associate Professor of Talmud and chair of the Department of Talmud and Halakha at the Hebrew University. His research focuses on the history of early rabbinic literature and law within its Graeco-Roman context. Among his publications is Purity and Identity in Ancient Judaism (Indiana University Press, forthcoming).