Judah Between East and West: The Transition from Persian to Greek Rule (ca. 400-200 BCE)

Description

This is a collection of essays by leading scholars examining the period of transition between Persian and Greek rule of Judah, ca. 400-200 BCE. Judah Between East and West is a collection of essays by leading scholars in the field, presenting the main findings of a recent conference of British and Israeli scholars at held at Tel Aviv University. The contributions focus on the period of transition between Persian and Greek rule of Judah, ca. 400-200 BCE, though some of the essays are extended outside these time limits. The volume aims to explore this period in all its complexity, as far as the limitations of a single publication allows! Subjects covered include the archaeology of Maresha/Marisa, Jewish identity, Hellenization/Hellenism, Ptolemaic administration in Judah, biblical and Jewish literature of the early Greek period, the size and status of Jerusalem, the Samaritans in the transition period, and Greek foundations in Palestine. The Library of Second Temple Studies is a premier book series that offers cutting-edge work for a readership of scholars, teachers, postgraduate students and advanced undergraduates in the field of Second Temple studies. All the many and diverse aspects of Second Temple study are represented and promoted, including innovative work from historical perspectives, studies using social-scientific and literary theory, and developing theological, cultural and contextual approaches.

Lester L. Grabbe is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism at the University of Hull.He is founder and convenor of the European Seminar in Historical Methodology. A recent book is Ancient Israel:What Do We Know and How Do We Know it? Oded Lipschits is Associate Professor of Jewish History at Tel Aviv University. Publications include The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem: The History of Judah under Babylonian Rule (2005) and (with D. Vanderhooft) Yehud Stamp Impressions: A Corpus of Inscribed Stamp Impressions from the Persian and Hellenistic Periods in Judah (forthcoming).

This volume certainly tackles an intractably difficult and important subject, and some of the chapters shed elements of helpful light. -- H.G.M. Williamson The Oriental Institute, Oxford * Strata *