Jews and Christians in the Holy Land: Palestine in the Fourth Century

(Hardback)

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Description

The fourth century is often referred to as the first Christian century, and for the Jews a period of decline and persecution. But was this change really so immediate and irreversible What was the real impact of the Christianisation of the Roman Empire on the Jews, especially in their own landStemberger draws on all available sources, literary and archaeological, Christian as well as pagan and Jewish, to reconstruct the history of the different religious communities of Palestine in the fourth century.This book demonstrates how lively, creative and resourceful the Jewish communities remained.

Reviews

'I do not know of any other book of comparable scope and usefulness.' William Horbury, University of Cambridge 'A particularly admirable feature of this book is its concise, systematic review of the primary sources for each topic, and their various current interpretations. Rabbinic, patristic and pagan literary evidence, and archaeological finds, are presented together, with a judgement as to whether or how far the sources illuminate one another. In this respect there is perhaps no other English-language equivalent of Stemberger's book.' Palestine Exploration Quarterly
"Stemberger crafts a credible history that takes into account the interaction of Jewish, Christian, Samaritan, and pagan elements in fourth-century Palestine. The updated English edition assures a broader readership for this excellent work. It belongs in all specialized and general libraries that collect in Jewish history, Christian history, and late antique civilization."--Religious Studies Review
"Pleasant to read....The updated English edition assures a broader readership for this excellent work. It belongs in all specialized and general libraries that collect in Jewish history, Christian history, and late antique civilization." - Religious Studies Review, April 2001
"brings together a wide variety of sources to describe the history of Jewish and Christian communities during a pivotal time in the development of Jewish-Christian tensions."--Interpretation, July 2001

Author Bio

Gunter Stemberger is Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Vienna.