An Introduction to Early Judaism (2001 VanderKam), book

An Introduction to Early Judaism (2001) is a book by James C. VanderKam.

Editions and translations

Published in Grand Rapids, MI (Eerdmans, 2001). Translated into Polish.

Table of contents

• Preface
• The Time of The Second Temple
  • The Persian Period (538-332 BCE)
    • Beginnings. Events in Yehud (Judah). The Work of Ezra and Nehemiah. Jaddua and Alexander the Great. Events in Egypt. Events in Babylon and Persia
  • The Hellenistic Age (332-63 BCE)
    • Ptolemaic Control of Egypt and Judea (ca. 305-198 BCE). Ptolemy I and Judea. Ptolemy II and the Greek Translation of the Torah. The Tobiad Romance. Seleucid Control/Influence in Judea (198-63 BCE). Antiochus III (223-187 BCE). Antiochus IV, High Priests, and Hellenism. The Hasmonean State (ca. 140-63 BCE). Simon (142-134 BCE). John Hyrcanus (134-140 BCE). Aristobulus I (104-103 BCE) and Kingship. Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BCE). Salome Alexandra (76-67 BCE). Hyrcanus II and Aristobulus II (67-63 BCE).
  • The Roman Period (63 BCE and Beyond)

32 (17) The Early Years (63-37 BCE) 32 (4) Herod (37-4 BCE) and Archelaus (4 BCE-6 CE) 36 (3) Direct Roman Rule (6-66 CE) 39 (2) The First Jewish Revolt against Rome (66-73 CE) 41 (7) The Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-135 CE) 48 (1) Appendix on Egyptian Judaism 49 (4) Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period 53 (122) Second Temple Texts in the Hebrew Bible 53 (1) The Classification of Second Temple Literature 54 (5) Apocrypha 54 (1) The Catholic Deuterocanonial Books 55 (1) Works in Greek Bibles but Not in the Hebrew Bible 55 (1) Pseudepigrapha 56 (3) Jewish Writings of the Second Temple Period 59 (116) Narrative Works 59 (1) Histories 59 (1) 1 Esdras 59 (3) 1 Maccabees 62 (3) 2 Maccabees 65 (4) Tales 69 (1) Tobit 69 (3) Judith 72 (3) Susanna 75 (3) 3 Maccabees 78 (3) Letter of Aristeas 81 (4) The Greek Esther 85 (3) Rewritten Scripture 88 (1) 1 Enoch 88 (1) The Astronomical Book of Enoch (1 Enoch 72--82) 89 (2) The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1--36) 91 (3) Aramaic Levi 94 (3) The Book of Jubilees 97 (3) The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 100 (2) Apocalypses 102 (1) The Apocalypse of Weeks (1 Enoch 93:3-10; 91:11-17) 103 (2) The Book of Dreams (1 Enoch 83-90) 105 (2) Sibylline Oracles 107 (3) The Similitudes or Parables of Enoch (1 Enoch 37-71) 110 (3) The Testament of Moses 113 (2) Wisdom Literature 115 (1) The Wisdom of Ben Sira 115 (4) The Epistle of Enoch (1 Enoch 91-107 [108]) 119 (2) Baruch (or 1 Baruch) 121 (3) The Wisdom of Solomon 124 (4) Poetic Works 128 (1) The Psalms of Solomon 128 (4) The Prayer of Manasseh 132 (1) The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men 133 (2) Mockery of Idols 135 (1) The Letter of Jeremiah 135 (1) Bel and the Dragon 136 (2) Philo and Josephus 138 (1) Philo of Alexandria 138 (4) Josephus 142 (5) Great Archeological Discoveries 147 (1) The Elephantine Papyri 147 (3) The Dead Sea Scrolls 150 (1) The Manuscripts and Fragments 151 (7) Archeological Evidence 158 (2) The Qumran Community and Its History 160 (6) Masada 166 (1) The Story 166 (4) Archeological Evidence 170 (5) Synthesis: Leaders, Groups, and Institutions 175 (44) Rulers and Leaders 176 (10) The Priests 176 (1) High Priest 176 (5) Leading Priests 181 (1) Ordinary Priests 182 (1) Civil Rulers 183 (1) Sanhedrin/Council 184 (2) Groups 186 (7) Early Second Temple Period 186 (1) Late Hellenistic and Roman Times 187 (1) Pharisees 187 (2) Sadducees 189 (2) Essenes 191 (1) Others 192 (1) Worship 193 (20) The Temple 194 (1) The Temple Structure 194 (9) The Sacrificial System 203 (1) Festivals 204 (1) Passover 204 (1) The Festival of Unleavened Bread 204 (1) Second Passover 205 (1) The Festival of Weeks 205 (1) The First of the Seventh Month 206 (1) The Day of Atonement 206 (1) The Festival of Tabernacles (or Booths) 207 (1) Hanukkah 207 (1) Purim 208 (1) Other Forms of Worship 208 (1) Music 208 (2) Prayer 210 (1) The Synagogue 211 (2) Scriptures 213 (6) Groups of Authoritative Writings 213 (2) Versions 215 (1) Interpretation 216 (3) Bibliography 219 (6) Index