“An excellent, comprehensive, and accessible overview of the major trends, tensions, and transformations in Jewish history. This volume, consisting of 37 readable essays by different authors, places Jews and Judaism clearly in the context of the world around them. This is a great starting point for undergraduates and adult students of Jewish history.”
―David Ariel, President of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies
Edited by an international authority in modern Jewish history and thought, Alan Levenson has assembled a collection of essays on Jews and Judaism from Ancient Israel to 2010. He chose a wonderful combination of veteran and emerging scholars. Their essays are written with clarity, intelligence, and the most recent research. Essay after essay is accessible yet scholarly. A fascinating and comprehensive collection.
―Marc Lee Raphael, College of William and Mary
From the Inside Flap
The Wiley-Blackwell History of Jews and Judaism presents a panoramic and comprehensive overview of the major aspects of Jewish life and culture, from the biblical period through to contemporary times.
A collection of outstanding contributions from leading experts present the latest scholarship on a range of questions relating to Jews, Jewish history, Judaism, folk practices, politics, economic structure, the relationship of Judaism to Christianity, and the manifold participation of Jews in general culture through various times and geographical locales. In addition, the book also explores Jewish historiography and the lives of ordinary people, the achievements of Jewish women, and the sustained interaction of Jews within the environments they inhabited.
In exploring the major periods and themes of Jewish history and the history of Judaism, the volume features a wide range of contemporary approaches that demonstrate the maturation of Jewish studies. Special attention is accorded to under-represented eras, including the early modern and post-1945 periods of Jewish history in all its major dimensions. More contentious scholarly issues – such as the relationship of Ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible, or the nature of Zionism diaspora and its implications for contemporary Israel – feature multiple essays that reveal varied points of view. Lively and informative, this essential single-volume reference reflects our current state of knowledge on the evolution of Jewish life and culture, from its ancient origins to the modern age.
From the Back Cover
The Wiley-Blackwell History of Jews and Judaism presents a panoramic and comprehensive overview of the major aspects of Jewish life and culture, from the biblical period through to contemporary times.
A collection of outstanding contributions from leading experts presents the latest scholarship on a range of questions relating to Jews, Jewish history, Judaism, folk practices, politics, economic structure, the relationship of Judaism to Christianity, and the manifold participation of Jews in general culture through various times and geographical locales. In addition, the book explores Jewish historiography and the lives of ordinary people, the achievements of Jewish women, and the sustained interaction of Jews within the environments they inhabited.
In exploring the major periods and themes of Jewish history and the history of Judaism, the volume features a wide range of contemporary approaches that demonstrate the maturation of Jewish studies. Special attention is accorded to underrepresented eras, including the early modern and post-1945 periods of Jewish history in all their major dimensions. More contentious scholarly issues – such as the relationship of Ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible, or the nature of Zionism diaspora and its implications for contemporary Israel – feature multiple essays that reveal varied points of view. Lively and informative, this essential single-volume reference reflects our current state of knowledge on the evolution of Jewish life and culture, from its ancient origins to the modern age.
About the Author
Alan T. Levenson is the Schusterman/ Josey Professor of Jewish Religious and Intellectual History at the University of Oklahoma. His publications include Between Philosemitism and Antisemitism (2004); The Story of Joseph: A Journey of Jewish Interpretation (2004); An Introduction to Modern Jewish Thinkers (2nd ed., 2006); and The Making of the Modern Jewish Bible (2011).
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