Martin Goodman is professor of Jewish studies at the University of Oxford, where he is president of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies and a fellow of Wolfson College. His books include Rome and Jerusalem: TheClash of Ancient Civilizations and The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Studies.
A History of Judaism
Hardcover
$39.95
- ISBN-13: 9780691181271
- Publisher: Princeton University Press
- Publication date: 02/13/2018
- Pages: 656
- Product dimensions: 6.50(w) x 9.40(h) x 2.00(d)
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A sweeping history of Judaism over more than three millennia
Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world, and it has preserved its distinctive identity despite the extraordinarily diverse forms and beliefs it has embodied over the course of more than three millennia. A History of Judaism provides the first truly comprehensive look in one volume at how this great religion came to be, how it has evolved from one age to the next, and how its various strains, sects, and traditions have related to each other.
In this magisterial and elegantly written book, Martin Goodman takes readers from Judaism's origins in the polytheistic world of the second and first millennia BCE to the temple cult at the time of Jesus. He tells the stories of the rabbis, mystics, and messiahs of the medieval and early modern periods and guides us through the many varieties of Judaism today. Goodman's compelling narrative spans the globe, from the Middle East, Europe, and America to North Africa, China, and India. He explains the institutions and ideas on which all forms of Judaism are based, and masterfully weaves together the different threads of doctrinal and philosophical debate that run throughout its history.
A History of Judaism is a spellbinding chronicle of a vibrant and multifaceted religious tradition that has shaped the spiritual heritage of humankind like no other.
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From the Publisher
"A hugely welcome addition to the library of Jewish studies for the general reader and an absolute godsend for rabbis always perplexed by what book they should recommend to people about how Jewish beliefs and practices have evolved. . . . Goodman has done both Jews and non-Jews a great service with this book, encapsulating most of Jewish thought over four millennia in one extraordinarily readable volume."--Julia Neuberger, Literary Review
"An expansive and fascinating history. . . . Goodman . . . has crafted a worthy addition to the wide-ranging genre of Jewish studies, offering a hefty yet accessible historical overview of the Jewish religion. . . . Well-written and exhaustively researched, Goodman's work is a masterpiece of pedagogy crafted as a tool for teaching and learning about one of civilization's oldest religions."--Kirkus (Starred Review)
"Taking in three millennia of religious thought and practice, Goodman’s scholarship is formidable."--Daniel Beer, The Guardian
Library Journal
★ 02/01/2018Covering the period 2000 BCE to the present, this detailed, wide-ranging, and often surprising history of Judaism as a religion and identity demonstrates that Jews have always been pluralistic. Jews lived among multiple religions, spoke and prayed in various languages, and incorporated religious philosophy and customs from their surrounding cultures. They have been important to those cultures in ways in which modern understandings of simplistic Jewish identity may not encompass or know. Early Christians preserved Second Temple literature for their own aims, for example, but after that little exists beyond archaeological records for a thousand years of Greek-speaking Jewish culture. Another important and fascinating theme is the complex interaction of religious and philosophical practices between Islam and Judaism. Goodman's area of expertise is Second Temple and early rabbinic Judaism, but his masterly expansion beyond this period explores the origins of Judaism, shifting practices throughout Temple periods, and the cultures and practices of Jews up to the present, including mystical and messianic movements. VERDICT While dense and detailed, this volume is ideal for anyone looking for a comprehensive history of Judaism. Even experts will find something new to consider.—Margaret Heller, Loyola Univ. Chicago Libs.
Kirkus Review
★ 2017-12-24An expansive and fascinating history of Judaism.Goodman (Jewish Studies/Oxford Univ.; Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations, 2007, etc.) has crafted a worthy addition to the wide-ranging genre of Jewish studies, offering a hefty yet accessible historical overview of the Jewish religion. Acknowledging at the outset that his great challenge was to choose a starting point, the author wisely begins with the writings of Josephus (37-100 C.E.), who acted as a singular witness to a watershed change in Jewish history: the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Indeed, the author is so convinced of the importance of the first century of the Common Era that he does not move past it until a third of the way through the book. His decision to dig so deeply into this short window of time makes sense, however, and sets the stage for the rest of the story, as the loss of the Temple, the rise of the synagogue, the furtherance of the Diaspora, and the birth of Christianity would all color Jewish history for centuries to come. A number of themes unfold as readers journey through Goodman's work. Perhaps chief among these is that at almost every stage in its history, Judaism was shaped by other cultures, religions, and movements. Even at its most entrenched, Judaism was and is reacting to other pressures, such as modernity. The author skillfully points to the seemingly endless conflicts and connections Judaism has had with other forces through history, from Hellenism to Rome, Byzantium to the Enlightenment, anti-Semitism to Zionism. Goodman also parses out the many forms that Judaism has taken throughout the past 2,000 years, beginning with Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes in the first century and ending with Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox, and their many manifestations, in the 21st.Well-written and exhaustively researched, Goodman's work is a masterpiece of pedagogy crafted as a tool for teaching and learning about one of civilization's oldest religions.