File:1941 * Oesterley.jpg

The Jews and Judaism During the Greek Period: The Background of Christianity (1941) is a book by William O.E. Oesterley.

Abstract

Written to demonstrate that Judaism, within the Greek Period, prepared the way for Christianity, Oesterley follows in the footsteps of several of his predecessors by using apocryphal and pseudepigraphic texts, in conjunction with historical references, to trace the development of several key religious ideas within this period. As the title suggests, Oesterley’s work diverges from his predecessors — particularly his Jewish predecessors — by framing his historical discussion within the Greek Period, beginning in 334 B.C. when Alexander began his eastward advance, as opposed to the Second Temple Period. The subsequent result is that Oesterly minimizes Jewish contributions while hinting towards Christian supersessionism. -- Deborah Forger, University of Michigan

Editions and translations

Published in London, England: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1941. First American ed. in New York: Macmillan, 1941. Reissued in Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, 1970.

Table of Contents

Part I: Historical Introduction

• Chapter I: General Historical Survey
• Chapter II: The History of the Jews During the Last Three Pre-Christian Centuries.

Part II: The Sources

• Chapter III: The Scriptures
• Chapter IV: The Law and the Oral Tradition
• Chapter V: The Apocalypists and Their Literature
• Chapter VI. The Influence of Persian Thought and Teaching

Part III: The Theology of Early Judaism

• Chapter VII: The Monotheistic Belief
• Chapter VIII: Universalism and Particularism
• Chapter IX: The Kingdom of Heaven
• Chapter X: The Messiah. The First Phase of Belief
• Chapter XI: The Messiah. The Development of Belief
• Chapter XII. The Doctrine of Sin and Retribution
• Chapter XIII. Belief in Immortality. The Old Testament
• Chapter XIV. Belief in Immortality. The Apocalyptic Literature

Part IV: Worship

• Chapter XV: The Temple
• Chapter XVI: The Synagogue
• Chapter XVII: Personal Religion

Part V: Teachers

• Chapter XVIII: The Scribes
• Chapter XIX: The Wisdom Teachers
• Chapter XXI: The Essenes. The Therapeutae

Part VI: Belief in Intermediate Supernatural Beings

• Chapter XXII. Angelology
• Chapter XXIII. Demonology
• Chapter XXIV. Retrospective Summary

• Bibliography
• Index

External Links

• Google Books