Purity in Ancient Judaism

Texts, Contexts, and Concepts

Edited by Lutz Doering Edited by Jörg Frey Edited by Laura von Bartenwerffer

Extent: 435 pages

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Subjects: Ancient Near East, Biblical Studies, Classical Studies

Series: Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(February 2025)

ISBN: 9783161593291

6.46 x 9.33 inches

Price: $231.00

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Synopsis
Contents
Contributing Authors

The volume explores different texts and material evidence in relation to purity, impurity, and purification, from both the historic land of Israel and the Diaspora. It adduces comparative evidence from Greece, probes and refines concepts of moral and ritual (im)purity, and traces the relevance of purity debates into nascent Christianity.

Purity plays a central role in ancient Judaism. It is relevant in the encounter with the sacred, especially at the Jerusalem Temple, but also in the context of sacred communities, for example the Qumran yahad . Ancients Jews, however, also strove for purity far away from the Temple, both in the land of Israel remote from Jerusalem and in the Diaspora. Yet, means, procedures, and conceptualizations in relation to purity and purification varied. While purity therefore seems to be “everywhere” in ancient Judaism, it is not everywhere the same. The present volume explores different texts and material evidence in relation to purity, impurity, and purification, from both the historic land of Israel and the Diaspora. It adduces comparative evidence from Greece, probes and refines concepts of moral and ritual (im)purity, and traces the relevance of purity debates in nascent Christianity.

Laura von Bartenwerffer/Lutz Doering/Jörg Frey: Purity in Ancient Judaism. An Introduction - Christophe Nihan/Julia Rhyder: Purity and Pollution in the Hebrew Bible. The State of the Discussion and Future Perspectives - Yitzhaq Feder: Reconstructing the Holy Camp. Qumran and the Evolution of Purity in Ancient Judaism - Roland Deines: Archaeological Finds as Evidence for Everyday Purity Practice in the Hellenistic-Roman Period in Judea and Galilee - Joseph Scales: The Limits of Evidence. The Miqveh as an Indicator of Jewish Purity Practices in Second-Temple Period Galilee - Carsten Claußen: Purity Observance and Ancient Synagogues. Ancient Jewish Water Installations in the Diaspora - Andrej Petrovic: Inner Purity, Ritual Purity, Conscience. Perspective of the Greek Ritual Norms (on LSCG 139) - Thomas Kazen: Purity as Popular Practice. Erasing the Anachronistic Divide between
Household and Cult - Cecilia Wassén: Purity, Impurity, and In-Between - Michael DeVries: Purity and Cult in the Qumran War Texts. A Reconsideration - Ruben A. Bühner: Purity and Messianism. Some Observations and Surprises Based on the Contrast Between the Messianic Expectations in Pss. Sol. 17 and the Dead Sea Scrolls - Yair Furstenberg: Principles of Gradual Purification in Qumran Law - Laura von Bartenwerffer: First Day Ablutions in Qumran and Philo - Michael B. Cover: Symbolic Purity and the Temple of the Soul in Philo's Allegorical Commentary - Milena Hasselmann: "Be separate said the Lord and I will receive you". 2 Cor 6:14-7:1 as an Example of the Connection of Purity and Identity in the New Testament - Christina Eschner: Purity and Impurity of Food and People in Acts 10:1-11:18. Is the Abolition of Jewish Food Laws at the Center of the Cornelian Narrative?

Edited by Lutz Doering
Edited by Jörg Frey
Edited by Laura von Bartenwerffer

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