The text of 2 Maccabees (Makkabaion 2) offers a rich historical narrative that recounts the Maccabean revolt against Hellenistic rule in Judea, focusing particularly on the themes of faith, resistance, and divine intervention. Written in an engaging and lively style, the book employs a dramatic retelling, mixing both historical episodes and theological reflections that invite readers to consider the significance of Jewish identity and culture during a period of intense persecution. As one of the deuterocanonical books, it occupies a unique position in the corpus of biblical literature, showcasing the tension between Hellenism and the Jewish tradition, while also highlighting the urgency of maintaining religious fervor in the face of adversity. The identity of the author remains anonymous, yet the text reflects a deep concern for the preservation of Jewish heritage, likely influenced by the socio-political climate of the late second century BCE. It is believed that the author, drawing from a wealth of oral traditions and preceding texts, sought to inspire and unify the Jewish community, confronting the challenges posed by foreign domination and internal strife. This context not only sheds light on the motivational impetus for the work but also enriches the readers understanding of the struggles inherent in maintaining cultural identity. I highly recommend 2 Maccabees to anyone interested in the intersections of history, religion, and literature. Its compelling narrative, vibrant characters, and profound theological insights make it an essential read for scholars and lay readers alike. The work serves not only as a historical document but also as a timeless reflection on resilience and faith in the face of overwhelming odds.

Nas duas últimas décadas, a arqueologia e as pesquisas literárias da Bíblia têm mudado a compreensão da história de Israel. Tanto que, em nossos dias, não é mais apropriado pensar Israel e sua histór

Combinando texto com videoaulas de aprofundamento, A Cabala e o poder oculto da Bíblia, de Ian Mecler, apresenta e guia o leitor pelos cinco livros que compõem a Torah — a sabedoria essencial de Mois

The growth of the rabbinic canon may be best described as a hermeneutical endeavor. Michael Chernick demonstrates how hermeneutical methods helped the Rabbis confront the difficulties that arose when logical and interpretative problems appeared in scriptural and, later, rabbinic texts. Given the Rabbis theological, literary, and rhetorical attitudes, these reading strategies were adopted to obviate the problem the texts presented. After all, the Rabbis of different generations viewed these texts as revealed communications produced by a perfect Author. Chernick analyzes and illustrates six midrashic hermeneutics in great detail: outright midrashic resolutions of contradictions in Scripture, distinguishing between what constitutes true scriptural proof and what is merely a support text, a midrashic hermeneutic that transfers the rules of one rubric to another, two hermeneutics that limit interpretive extensions of halakhot, and the claim that two redundant pentateuchal rubrics are needed to ward off incorrect analogies. He highlights the significant changes that occurred in rabbinic legal hermeneutics from the tannaitic through post-amoraic strata of rabbinic literature-some 500 years at least-and shows how these changes attest to the persistence, continuity, and centrality of hermenutic method to the rabbinic interpretive process. Of particular significance is the connection Chernick makes between changes in hermeneutical practice and the changing revelatory status of the non-Pentateuchal parts of the Hebrew Bible and rabbinic legal discourse. His study draws its title from the traditional view of Sinaitic revelation, when God spoke to the assembled people with "a great voice that did not cease" (kol gadol velo yasaf, Deut 5:19). This view, Chernick believes, is at the core of rabbinic Judaism, the Judaism that claims to hear that great voice through the medium of interpretation.

Parte da ideia de que a literatura apocalíptica evoca um mundo imaginativo colocado em contraponto deliberado com o mundo empírico do presente, apontando que o apocalipticismo se desenvolve especialmente em tempos de crise e funciona por meio do oferecimento de uma soluço para a crise em questo, no em termos praticos, mas em termos de imaginaço e fe.

The religious world knows Dr. Kaufmann Kohler as the erudite author of the most comprehensive pioneer work on "Jewish Theology" (1918), of the volumes "Heaven and Hell in Comparative Religion" (1923) and of the hundreds of articles and essays in the Jewish Encyclopedia and various other learned publications. These writings show his marked critical judgment and scientific objectivity. This is but one profile of the great master. The other is disclosed in his homiletical expressions, which in part comes to light in his "Hebrew Union College and Other Addresses" (1916) and in his "Studies, Addresses and Personal Papers" (1931). The scientific theologian was also a preacher of exceptional powers, one of the greatest in the Reform Jewish pulpit in America. The present volume consists of sermons and addresses selected from the literary remains of Dr. Kohler. Most were delivered from his own pulpit at Temple Beth-El in New York City, and a number of them as guest preacher at Adat Israel of Louisville, Kentucky, Wise Temple of Cincinnati, Rodef Shalom of Pittsburgh, and others. The Hebrew Union College addresses were delivered by Dr. Kohler in his capacity as president of that institution during opening and ordination exercises. His personal sermons and addresses are richly autobiographical. The memorial addresses and tributes contain valuable material on the history of modern Judaism. At the same time they show the breadth of Dr. Kohlers sympathies. The uncompromising champion of Reform appears as a lover of genuine orthodoxy. A life long opponent of political Zionism, he applauds the return of Jews to agricultural pursuits in Palestine.

Em 1923, nos primeiros anos da República de Weimar, ocorreu em Berlim, no bairro de Scheunenviertel, um enorme ataque antissemita. No contexto da hiperinflação alemã, o nazismo dava seus primeiros si

Neste livro, a judeidade de Freud não é tratada como uma suposta essência imutável de uma etnia, mas sim como uma construção, um devir-judeu que pode ser depreendido ao se estudar a própria descobert

¿Alguna vez imaginaste lo que hubiera sido si no existiera Dios?Exactamente. ¡Nada!Intentar siquiera imaginarlo me deja la mente en blanco.Porque si el Todopoderoso no existiera, nada existiría. No hay cielos, ni Tierra, ni galaxias, ni constelaciones, ni criaturas, ni siquiera un cielo que esperar.Habria sido simplemente un vacio enorme y masivo. Y ni siquiera lo sabriamos porque no existirian humanos con cerebro para concebir la desolacion.Este Libro intenta comprender quien es este Ser Supremo, incluso desde nuestra sombria perspectiva.Sea bendecido mientras lee.

David Ellenson prefaces this fascinating collection of twenty-three essays with a remarkably candid account of his intellectual journey from boyhood in Virginia to the scholarly immersions in the history, thought, and literature of the Jewish people that have informed his research interests in a long and distinguished academic career. Ellenson, President of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, has been particularly intrigued by the attempts of religious leaders in all denominations of Judaism, from Liberal to Neo-Orthodox, to redefine and reconceptualize themselves and their traditions in the modern period as both the Jewish community and individual Jews entered radically new realms of possibility and change. The essays are grouped into five sections. In the first, Ellenson reflects upon the expression of Jewish values and Jewish identity in contemporary America, explains his debt to Jacob Katzs socio-religious approach to Jewish history, and shows how the works of non-Jewish social historian Max Weber highlight the tensions between the universalism of western thought and Jewish demands for a particularistic identity. In the second section, "The Challenge of Emanicpation," he indicates how Jewish religious leaders in nineteenth-century Europe labored to demonstrate that the Jewish religion and Jewish culture were worthy of respect by the larger gentile world. In a third section, "Denominational Responses," Ellenson shows how the leaders of Liberal and Orthodox branches of Judaism in Central Europe constructed novel parameters for their communities through prayer books, legal writings, sermons, and journal articles. The fourth section, "Modern Responsa," takes a close look at twentieth-century Jewish legal decisions on new issues such as the status of woemn, fertility treatments, and even the obligations of the Israeli government towards its minority populations. Finally, review essays in the last section analyze a few landmark contemporary works of legal and liturgical creativity: the new Israeli Masorti prayer book, David Hartmans works on covenantal theology, and Marcia Falks Book of Blessings. As Ellenson demonstrates, "The reality of Jewish cultural and social integration into the larger world after Emancipation did not signal the demise of Judaism. Instead, the modern setting has provided a challenging context where the ongoing creativity and adaptability of Jewish religious leaders of all stripes has been tested and displayed."

In "Against Apion," the ancient historian Flavius Josephus presents a vigorous defense of Judaism against the criticisms of the Greek historian Apion. Written in the context of first-century Roman society, Josephus employs a blend of rhetorical brilliance and historical detail to counter anti-Semitic narratives, asserting the antiquity and values of Jewish traditions. The text stands as a testament to Josephuss literary style, characterized by its erudition and polemic fervor, as he weaves together history, philosophy, and appeals to cultural pride, all while seeking to elevate the Jewish legacy in the face of Hellenistic skepticism. Flavius Josephus, born into a priestly family and well-versed in both Jewish and Greco-Roman culture, sought to bridge the divide between these worlds. His unique position as a Jewish general who later became a Roman citizen profoundly shaped his writings. Josephuss motivations in crafting "Against Apion" stem from his experiences of conflict, his pursuit of reconciliation, and his desire to preserve Jewish identity amidst increasing external pressures during and after the Jewish-Roman Wars. Readers seeking a nuanced understanding of the historical dialogue between Judaism and Hellenism will find "Against Apion" invaluable. This work not only serves as a crucial historical artifact but also as a rich source of insight into the Jewish experience in a period of turbulence, making it essential reading for scholars and enthusiasts of ancient history alike.In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience:- A succinct Introduction situates the works timeless appeal and themes.- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the eras events and influences that shaped the writing.- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the authors life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the works messages, connecting them to modern life.- Handpicked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

Many scholars have focused on contemporary sources pertaining to the Nazi persecution and mass murder of Jews between 1933 and 1945--citing dated documents, newspapers, diaries, and letters--but the sermons delivered by rabbis describing and protesting against the ever-growing oppression of European Jews have been largely neglected. Agony in the Pulpit is a response to this neglect, and to the accusations made by respected figures that Jewish leaders remained silent in the wake of catastrophe. The passages from sermons reproduced in this volume--delivered by 135 rabbis in fifteen countries, mainly from the United States and England--provide important evidence of how these rabbis communicated the ever-worsening news to their congregants, especially on important religious occasions when they had peak attendance and peak receptivity. A central theme is how the preachers related the contemporary horrors to ancient examples of persecution. Did they present what was occurring under Hitler as a reenactment of the murderous oppressions by Pharaoh, Amalek, Haman, Ahasuerus, the Crusaders, the Spanish Inquisition, the Russian Pogroms? When did they begin to recognize and articulate from their pulpits an awareness that current events were fundamentally unprecedented? Was the developing cataclysm consistent with traditional beliefs about Gods control of what happened on earth? No other book-length study has presented such abundant evidence of rabbis in all streams of Jewish religious life seeking to rouse and inspire their congregants to full awareness of the catastrophic realities that were taking shape in the world beyond their synagogues.

The Spanish and Portuguese Jews of seventeenth-century Amsterdam cultivated a remarkable culture centered on the Bible. School children studied the Bible systematically, while rabbinic literature was pushed to levels reached by few students; adults met in confraternities to study Scripture; and families listened to Scripture-based sermons in synagogue, and to help pass the long, cold winter nights of northwest Europe. The communitys rabbis produced creative, and often unprecedented scholarship on the Jewish Bible as well as the New Testament. Amsterdams People of the Book shows that this unique, Bible-centered culture resulted from the confluence of the Jewish communitys Catholic and converso past with the Protestant world in which they came to live. Studying Amsterdams Jews offers an early window into the prioritization of the Bible over rabbinic literature -- a trend that continues through modernity in western Europe. It allows us to see how Amsterdams rabbis experimented with new historical methods for understanding the Bible, and how they grappled with doubts about the authority and truth of the Bible that were growing in the world around them. Amsterdams People of the Book allows us to appreciate how Benedict Spinozas ideas were in fact shaped by the approaches to reading the Bible in the community where he was born, raised, and educated. After all, as Spinoza himself remarked, before becoming Amsterdams most famous heretic and one of Europes leading philosophers and biblical critics, he was "steeped in the common beliefs about the Bible from childhood on."

In John Ranicar Parks An Amicable Controversy with a Jewish Rabbi, on The Messiahs Coming, the reader is presented with a detailed and scholarly discourse on the topic of the Messiahs coming, as debated between the author and a Jewish Rabbi. The book delves into theological arguments, scriptural interpretations, and historical context, all presented in a clear and engaging literary style. Parks work provides a unique insight into the religious debates of his time and offers a valuable contribution to the study of eschatology and religious dialogue in the 19th century. The book is a fascinating exploration of differing religious perspectives and a thought-provoking read for those interested in religious theology and interfaith discussions. Through his articulate arguments and thoughtful engagement with his opponent, Park demonstrates a deep understanding of the subject matter and a commitment to respectful discourse. An Amicable Controversy with a Jewish Rabbi, on The Messiahs Coming is a must-read for anyone interested in religious studies and the history of religious thought.

Neglected until the close of the 19th century because it was misidentified, Vatican 30 constitutes an 13th century manuscript of midrash Bereshit Rabbah. Used by Theodor and Albeck in their research on the manuscript tradition of Bereshit Rabbah and considered it the preferred manuscript, lacking additions and deletions. Lewis M. Barth offers a thorough treatment of this manuscript, which is important not only for the history of midrashic traditions but also linguistically, given its closeness to the Aramaic of the Talmud Yerushalmi. He describes the manuscript, discusses its scribes, its relationship to other early witnesses, and offers sample chapters illustrating the work of four scribes.

Este libro ofrece una introducción al antisemitismo en sus distintas formas históricas y las claves para identificar sus expresiones contemporáneas. Lejos de ser un esquema fijo de ideas, el antisemitismo es una fuerza versatil y creativa que podemos encontrar en epocas e ideologias diversas. Hay en el una complejidad y persistencia que no esta presente en otros tipos de actitudes negativas y prejuiciosas hacia grupos o minorias. El antisemita no atribuye solamente alteridad o inferioridad al judio, sino fundamentalmente malicia y poder. Percibidos como extraños, no-integrables, intrusos o nocivos para el cuerpo social, los judios fueron periodicamente excluidos de la comunidad humana. La consecuencia mas radical de esa percepcion fue la Shoa, el genocidio al que los nazis llamaron la solucion final de la cuestion judia. Actualmente, las formas mas explicitas de antisemitismo suelen ser identificadas y reprobadas como tales. Pero los judios siguen desempeñando un papel singular en los imaginarios politicos y culturales contemporaneos. Baer considera que especialmente en los debates sobre el Estado de Israel afloran antiguos habitos de pensamiento y resuenan los ecos de un prejuicio milenario. Alejandro Baer es sociologo, especialista en estudios de memoria, violencia y estudios judios contemporaneos. Ha sido director del Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies en la Universidad de Minnesota (2012-2022). En la actualidad es investigador en el CSIC.

Areopagitica John Milton - Areopagitica; A speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicencd Printing, to the Parlament of England is a 1644 prose polemic by the English poet, scholar, and polemical author John Milton opposing licensing and censorship. Areopagitica is among historys most influential and impassioned philosophical defences of the principle of a right to freedom of speech and expression. Many of its expressed principles have formed the basis for modern justifications.Conclusion:Milton recognises individual rights, but he is not completely libertarian in Areopagitica as he argues that the status quo ante worked best. According to the previous English law, all books had to have at least a printers name (and preferably an authors name) inscribed in them. Under that system, Milton argues, if any blasphemous or libellous material is published, those books can still be destroyed after the fact. "Those which otherwise come forth, if they be found mischievous and libellous, the fire and the executioner will be the timeliest and the most effectuall remedy, that mans prevention can use." Milton seeks a means by which to ensure that authors and publishers remain culpable for any "mischievous" or "libellous" work that they produce. Regardless, Milton certainly is not without remorse for the libellous author, nor does he promote unrestricted free speech. In addition, he admits that his tolerance is limited:I mean not tolerated Popery, and open superstition, which as it extirpats all religions and civill supremacies, so it self should be extirpate, provided first that all charitable and compassionate means be used to win and regain the weak and the misled.According to Nicholas McDowell, the second part of the forecited statement is usually left out by those quoting the first part to show that Milton was, at heart, a religious bigot, and that his ideas about free speech and intellectual liberty have little to teach us about liberalism today.

The description of the wilderness Tabernacle (melekhet ha-mishkan) in Exodus exerted a lasting impact on ancient Jewish culture, evidenced by other texts influenced by its description in Exodus: the description of Solomons temple (I Kings 6-7), the sanctuary described in the Temple Scroll (cols. 3-13), the Eupolemus fragments, and Josephus. Philo of Alexandria first interprets the Tabernacle account in the Greek tradition of allegory wherein the tabernacle represents an archetype of the universe, that physical entity most approximating the divine abode. Apocalyptic literature frequently presents a celestial sanctuary, but the Temple rather than the Tabernacle is often the paradigm. Origen represents a typical patristic view where the tabernacle description is read completely figuratively. Tannaitic, amoraic, and geonic literature, on the other hand, provides scattered remarks on and explanations of biblical passages but no sustained exegesis of the tabernacle description. Baraita de-Melekhet ha-Mishkan presents the only systematic rabbinic exegesis of the tabernacle account to come from late antiquity or the Middle Ages. In contrast to Philo, the Church fathers, and the aggadic midrashim, this baraita assumes that the tabernacle and its furnishings need explanation as historical objects. The technology of construction, the calculation of measurements, and the delineation of architectural forms concern the framers of this document. Kirschner provides 150 pages of introductory analysis on this documents genre, structure, language, origin, date, and textual criticism before providing a critical edition with apparatus. Following the critical edition can be found Kirschners English translation, Genizah transcriptions, plates, an appendix of biblical citations within the baraita and one for biblical and postbiblical sources in general, bibliography, and general index.

What will hold American Jewry and Israel together as the traditional "crisis glue" melts down and the familiar and practiced Israeli call for aid retreats to the remote background of each communitys existence? This is the question addressed by participants in a 1996 conference sponsored by the Center for North American Jewry of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Beyond Survival and Philanthropy is a collection of answers to this complex question offered by thirty-one leading Israeli and American scholars, educators, journalists, and communal leaders. They consider the cultural currents that have shifted American Jewish attitudes toward Israel from a mobilization model to a search-for-personal-meaning model and trace the historical roots of present tensions between religious and secular Jews in Israel. The views of Yehezkel Kaufmann, Ahad Ha-Am, and David Ben-Gurion are used to help differentiate between the state of exile, the sense of exile, and the recognition of exile. The place of Israel in American Jewish education and the treatment of American Jewry in Israeli schools is considered, and the backstory of recent efforts to streamline the institutional complex that raises funds for Israel and local needs in American Jewish communities is explored. Speaker of the Knesset Avraham Berg presents his view of how the changing natures of both Zionism and Judaism will affect all Jews in the twenty-first century. Sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreeing, but always expanding upon these presentations, authors of the response essays in the volume reflect and underscore the values that precipitated this discussion: recognition of the unity of the Jewish people and of the continuing to share diverse views and opinions in order to formulate and address the crucial and sometimes radical choices that confront American Jewry and Israel.

Breve historia del pueblo judío es el título del libro escrito por el historiador Juan Pedro Cavero Coll y editado por Nowtilus. Un ejemplar que resume en ocho capítulos la trayectoria de un pueblo en el que han nacido Moises, Jesucristo y Carlos Marx entre otros y que reconoce como padre a Abraham. Un libro ameno, sencillo y muy riguroso que vale la pena leer y que nos enseña una historia rica en avatares y costumbres ancestrales. Ademas de su historia cronologica y objetiva podemos ver a un pueblo en sus elementos mas intimos y originales, que no dejara indiferente a nadie. La historia de un pueblo que a pesar de la segregacion, la diaspora y el holocaustoha sabido conservar su identidad y su union religiosa. Este libro nos descubre la historia de uno de los pueblos mas complejos en la historia universal. Perseguidos a lo largo de la historia en todos los paises en los que se asentaron, los judios han vivido siempre en minoria con respecto a las otras grandes religiones, y aun asi, han sabido conservar sus señas de identidad y mantener un poder estrategico en aquellos paises en los que han habitado. Conocer al pueblo judio es descubrir que tienen en comun personalidades tan influyentes y dispares como: Moises, David, Jesus de Nazaret, Maimonides, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Franz Kafka o Bob Dylan. Juan Pedro Cavero Coll trata en este libro la historia del pueblo judio de un modo riguroso pero sin renunciar a la intencion divulgativa. En los primeros capitulos analiza el nacimiento del pueblo judio desde el padre Abraham, su convivencia con Roma y la figura de Jesus de Nazaret, para pasar luego a la tensa convivencia de los judios con los cristianos y los musulmanes en la Edad Media y a la progresiva normalizacion de su situacion en la Ilustracion.