Ben Sira lived in an era when Hellenistic influences continued to spread in Palestine. The supreme political power was in the hands of foreign rulers. Under these circumstances it is no wonder that Ben Sira discusses the position of foreign nations in several passages. The tone varies due to the given context. This study demonstrates that Ben Sira's relationship to foreign nations is best defined as "balanced," as his attitude is neither thoroughly hostile nor that of uncritically embracing Gentiles. On the basis of certain passages, one can get the impression that even the foreigners...

The impact of earlier works to the literature of early Judaism is an intensively researched topic in contemporary scholarship. This volume is based on an international conference held at the Sapientia College of Theology in Budapest, May 18---21, 2010. The contributors explore scriptural authority in early Jewish literature and the writings of nascent Christianity. They study the impact of earlier literature in the formulation of theological concepts and books of the Second Temple Period.

Die anthropologischen Konzeptionen im Judentum der hellenistisch-romischen Zeit bilden ein wichtiges Bindeglied zwischen den entsprechenden Traditionen der alteren Texte der Hebraischen Bibel und denjenigen des Neuen Testaments sowie der rabbinischen Uberlieferungen. Sie als einen konstitutiven Faktor religioser Identitat wahrzunehmen, ist fur die religionsgeschichtliche Erforschung des antiken Judentums wie auch fur eine an Traditionslinien orientierte Biblische Theologie unabdingbar. Trotz zahlreicher Forschungen zur Antropologie der biblischen Uberlieferungen im Alten und Neuen...

Der Band versammelt 17 Beitrage des bereits verstorbenen Judaisten Gunter Mayer (1936-2004) und des Tubinger Neutestamentlers Michael Tilly, seines langjahrigen Mitarbeiters. Das breite Spektrum an Themen aus dem Bereich des hellenistischen und rabbinischen Judentums umfasst u.a. Arbeiten zur Geschichte der Bibel, zur Sozialisation und Erziehung des Kindes, zum antiken Funeralwesen und zur Rezeptionsgeschichte biblischer Prophetentexte.

Given the recent interest in the emotions presupposed in early religious literature, it has been thought useful to examine in this volume how the Jews and early Christians expressed their feelings within the prayers recorded in some of their literature. Specialists in their fields from academic institutions around the world have analysed important texts relating to this overall theme and to what is revealed with regard to such diverse topics as relations with God, exegesis, education, prophecy, linguistic expression, feminism, happiness, grief, cult, suicide, non-Jews, Hellenism, Qumran...

The volume publishes papers read at the ninth International Conference on the Deuterocanonical Books, Budapest, 2012. The title of the conference and the issuing volume covers an, on the one hand, extremely important and, on the other hand, regrettably neglected aspect particularly of the ancient Jewish and Christian traditions. Traditional manifestations of both Judaism and Christianity are predominantly masculine theological constructions. Despite their harsh masculine orientation, however, neither Judaism nor Christianity lacks elaboration on the female principle. When an ancient author...

Die Erzahlung vom Auszug aus Agypten gehort zu den zentralen und fur die kollektive Identitat Israels grundlegenden Uberlieferungen, die sich im Buch Exodus verdichten, aber auch die gesamte alttestamentliche Literatur durchziehen. Bis heute sind die Uberlieferungen in Judentum und Christentum sowohl in der Theologie als auch in der Liturgie von entscheidender Bedeutung. In hellenistisch-romischer Zeit erlebt die Exodusuberlieferung eine Renaissance und pragt als Denkfigur die zeitgenossische Literatur in intensiver Weise. Ihre Rezeption erfolgt dabei in verschiedenen Gattungen, in ganz...

There has been widespread neglect by scholars of deuterocanonical books, especially those (e.g., Baruch) that are thought to lack originality. This book seeks to address this lacuna by investigating some of the major interpretive issues in Baruchan scholarship. The volume comprises a collection of essays from an international team of scholars who specialise in Second Temple Judaism and Old Testament pseudepigrapha. Topics covered include: historical issues (the person of Baruch), literary structure, intertextual relationships between Baruch and the OT (Jeremiah, Isaiah), reception history...

This collection of essays fills a gap in research on the recurring theme of the Wisdom of the deity, its decryption and reception. South African and international scholars have applied new critiques to the Old Testament and associated Apocryphal and Cognate literature, with a specific focus on Wisdom. The results will be of interest to scholars working with Septuagint and Cognate literature, especially those with a focus on Biblical hermeneutics.