Misconceptions About Ancient Judaism
Isaac Oliver on How People Misunderstand Judaism
Over at Talmud for Everyone, Dr. Isaac Oliver has a great piece on Five Misconceptions (There Are More!) about Ancient Judaism. It is very good!
Here are his top five misconceptions.
First Misconception: The “Intertestamental” Period Was the “Dark Ages” of Judaism
Second Misconception: Ancient Judaism Was Spiritually in Decline
Third Misconception: Ancient Judaism Was Legalistic
Fourth Misconception: The Rabbis Are the Spiritual Successors of the Pharisees
Fifth Misconception: Jewish Diversity Vanished after 70
I’d love to add a few more misconceptions about the Pharisees, Dead Sea Scrolls, Judea in the Roman Empire, the Zealots, Samaritans, Judean rebellion, Purity and Impurity, the Temple, “Works of the Law,” Jewish interaction with Gentiles, Sabbath-keeping, etc. But that’s a pretty good list to start with!
Some cool reading I recommend to cure you of any misconceptions:
Joseph Sievers and Amy-Jill Levine (Eds), The Pharisees
George Athas, Bridging The Testaments: The History And Theology Of God's People In The Second Temple Period
George Nickelsburg, Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins: Diversity, Continuity, and Transformation
Isaac Oliver, Torah Praxis after 70 CE: Reading Matthew and Luke-Acts as Jewish Texts
Daniel Gurtner, Introducing the Pseudepigrapha of Second Temple Judaism: Message, Context, and Significance
Daniel Gurtner, This World and the World to Come: Soteriology in Early Judaism
Jodi Magness, Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls