Josephus Geographicus


Book Description

Why did ancient historians include geographical descriptions in their historical works? How does the spatial description fulfill its goal? In this book, Yuval Shahar discusses these two questions, showing that the answers depend on the particular historian and the genre in which he is writing. He analyzes and compares the presentation of geographical space in the writings of Herodotus, Thucydides, Polybius and Strabo, with selected illustrations from early Latin historiography. It is clear from this that Flavius Josephus consciously and definitively follows the generic approach of Polybius and Strabo. Moreover, Josephus' descriptions of parts of the Land of Israel are structured in the same way as the descriptions in Strabo's Geography, and reflect a hidden dialogue between Josephus and Strabo.Awareness of these generic characteristics enables a new reading of some of Josephus' most famous descriptions, such as Jotapata, Gamala and Masada, and establishes his credibility.




Mapping Galilee in Josephus, Luke, and John


Book Description

The study of 1st century CE Galilee has become an important subfield within the broader disciplines of Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity. In Mapping Galilee, John M. Vonder Bruegge examines how Galilee is portrayed, both in ancient writings and current scholarship, as a variously mapped space using insights from critical geography as an evaluative lens. Conventional approaches to Galilee treat it as a static backdrop for a deliberate and dynamic historical drama. By reasserting geography as a creative process rather than a passive description, Vonder Bruegge also reasserts ancient Galilee as an interpreted space—a series of conceptualized "maps"—laden with meaning, significance, and purpose for each individual author.




Jews and Christians in the First and Second Centuries: The Interbellum 70‒132 CE


Book Description

This volume discusses crucial aspects of the period between the two revolts against Rome in Judaea that saw the rise of rabbinic Judaism and of the separation between Judaism and Christianity. Most contributors no longer support the ‘maximalist’ claim that around 100 CE, a powerful rabbinic regime was already in place. Rather, the evidence points to the appearance of the rabbinic movement as a group with a regional power base and with limited influence. The period is best seen as one of transition from the multiform Judaism revolving around the Second Temple in Jerusalem to a Judaism that was organized around synagogue, Tora, and sages and that parted ways with Christianity.




The Birth of Christian History


Book Description

Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- 1. Transforming Memory into Literary Narratives about the Past -- 2. Shaping History in the 1st and 2nd Centuries CE in Its Literary Culture -- 3. Conceptualizing Time in Historiography -- Epilogue -- List of Abbreviations -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index of Ancient Sources -- Index of Subjects -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Z -- Index of Authors and People -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- V -- W -- X -- Z




A History of the Jewish War


Book Description

A conflict that erupted between Roman legions and some Judaeans in late AD 66 had an incalculable impact on Rome's physical appearance and imperial governance; on ancient Jews bereft of their mother-city and temple; and on early Christian fortunes. Historical scholarship and cinema alike tend to see the conflict as the culmination of long Jewish resistance to Roman oppression. In this volume, Steven Mason re-examines the war in all relevant contexts (such as the Parthian dimension, and Judaea's place in Roman Syria) and phases, from the Hasmoneans to the fall of Masada. Mason approaches each topic as a historical investigation, clarifying problems that need to be solved, understanding the available evidence, and considering scenarios that might explain the evidence. The simplest reconstructions make the conflict more humanly intelligible while casting doubt on received knowledge.




Biblical Heroes and Classical Culture in Christian Late Antiquity


Book Description

The first English-language monograph on a significant yet often-neglected Latin Christian history from late antiquity (4th century CE), this book introduces a little-known text and shows how Classical culture and Bible heroes helped Christians conceptualize Jewish history in late antiquity.




Constructions of Space V


Book Description

This fascinating collection investigates the inherent spatiality of human existence. The contributors discuss ancient Mediterranean texts and societies from a decidedly spatial perspective, debating over such issues as narratological space, critical spatiality, sociological theories on space, space and identity, space and body. The volume consists of three parts and commences with three studies focusing on theoretical approaches towards spatial analysis and application of the theory to specific Old and New Testament texts. The essays in the second part examine the sacred space and the formation of identity, with particular attention to Jerusalem and the temple seen as sacred space and the lived experience of authors describing this space in various ways. The third part discusses the spatial theory and its application to a variety of texts ranging from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the New Testament.




The Routledge Companion to Strabo


Book Description

The Routledge Companion to Strabo explores the works of Strabo of Amasia (c. 64 BCE – c. CE 24), a Greek author writing at the prime of Roman expansion and political empowerment. While his earlier historiographical composition is almost entirely lost, his major opus of the Geography includes an encyclopaedic look at the entire world known at the time: numerous ethnographic, topographic, historical, mythological, botanical, and zoological details, and much more. This volume offers various insights to the literary and historical context of the man and his world. The Companion, in twenty-eight chapters written by an international group of scholars, examines several aspects of Strabo’s personality, the political and scholarly environment in which he was active, his choices as an author, and his ideas of history and geography. This selection of ongoing Strabonian studies is an invaluable resource not just for students and scholars of Strabo himself, but also for anyone interested in ancient geography and in the world of the early Roman Empire.




The Orion Center Bibliography of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Associated Literature


Book Description

This book presents the authoritative print bibliography of current scholarship on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Qumran, and related fields (including New Testament studies); source, subject, and language indices facilitate its use by scholars and students within and outside the field.