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The First Christian Century in Judaism and Christianity: Certainties and Uncertainties (1969) is a book by Samuel Sandmel.

Abstract

A series of lectures given at Dubuque Theological Seminary in 1967, the book can be seen as much as a look at the diversity within the Judaisms (note the title of the second lecture) of the first century as a sort of autobiographical sketch of the author’s own evolution as a scholar. Sandmel admits to his initial motivation in studying the New Testament, to understand precisely how and when the parting of the ways took place between Judaism and Christianity, only to come to the conclusion that precise history is a delusion. Admirable for explicitly and openly discussing his many uncertainties as to the historical issues at hand, Sandmel consistently is seen critiquing the most eminent scholars of his day for going beyond what we can possibly know and for not being as critical with their own scholarship as they are with the issues they treat. In order for scholarship to be at its very best it must be honest about uncertainties and present guesses as guesses without trying to pass them off as reflections of unmistakable knowledge. – Jason Zurawski, University of Michigan

Editions

Published in New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1969.

Table of contents

• Preface and Apologia

• Introduction

• Lecture I The significance of the First Century

• Lecture II Palestinian Judaisms

• Lecture III Hellenistic Judaism

• Lecture IV Christianity

External links