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  3. The Cambridge History of Judaism

Three published volumes cover the history of Judaism from the Persian period up to the third century, and a fourth is in preparation on the late Roman-Rabbinic period. Taken together, The Cambridge History of Judaism provides the fullest and most authoritative account of its subject and will endure as an important scholarly resource.

  • General Editors: W. D. Davies, L. Finkelstein
  • Advisory Boards: Elias J. Bickerman, A. M. Momigliano, Matthew Black, Gershom Scholem, Gerson Cohen, Morton Smith, F. M. Cross, Ephraim E. Urbach

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8 results in The Cambridge History of Judaism

The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Volume 5, Jews in the Medieval Islamic World, The Islamic World
  • Edited by Phillip I. Lieberman
  • Published online:
    21 August 2021
    Print publication:
    02 September 2021
  • Volume 5 examines the history of Judaism in the Islamic World from the rise of Islam in the early sixth century to the expulsion of Jews from Spain at the end of the fifteenth. This period witnessed radical transformations both within the Jewish community itself and in the broader contexts in which the Jews found themselves. The rise of Islam had a decisive influence on Jews and Judaism as the conditions of daily life and elite culture shifted throughout the Islamicate world. Islamic conquest and expansion affected the shape of the Jewish community as the center of gravity shifted west to the North African communities, and long-distance trading opportunities led to the establishment of trading diasporas and flourishing communities as far east as India. By the end of our period, many of the communities on the 'other' side of the Mediterranean had come into their own—while many of the Jewish communities in the Islamicate world had retreated from their high-water mark.

The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Volume 6, The Middle Ages: The Christian World, The Christian World
  • Edited by Robert Chazan
  • Published online:
    01 October 2018
    Print publication:
    11 October 2018
  • Volume 6 examines the history of Judaism during the second half of the Middle Ages. Through the first half of the Middle Ages, the Jewish communities of western Christendom lagged well behind those of eastern Christendom and the even more impressive Jewries of the Islamic world. As Western Christendom began its remarkable surge forward in the eleventh century, this progress had an impact on the Jewish minority as well. The older Jewries of southern Europe grew and became more productive in every sense. Even more strikingly, a new set of Jewries were created across northern Europe, when this undeveloped area was strengthened demographically, economically, militarily, and culturally. From the smallest and weakest of the world's Jewish centers in the year 1000, the Jewish communities of western Christendom emerged - despite considerable obstacles - as the world's dominant Jewish center by the end of the Middle Ages. This demographic, economic, cultural, and spiritual dominance was maintained down into modernity.

The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Volume 7, The Early Modern World, 1500–1815
  • Edited by Jonathan Karp, Adam Sutcliffe
  • Published online:
    10 November 2017
    Print publication:
    16 November 2017
  • This seventh volume of The Cambridge History of Judaism provides an authoritative and detailed overview of early modern Jewish history, from 1500 to 1815. The essays, written by an international team of scholars, situate the Jewish experience in relation to the multiple political, intellectual and cultural currents of the period. They also explore and problematize the 'modernization' of world Jewry over this period from a global perspective, covering Jews in the Islamic world and in the Americas, as well as in Europe, with many chapters straddling the conventional lines of division between Sephardic, Ashkenazic, and Mizrahi history. The most up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative work in this field currently available, this volume will serve as an essential reference tool and ideal point of entry for advanced students and scholars of early modern Jewish history.

The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Volume 8, The Modern World, 1815–2000
  • Edited by Mitchell B. Hart, Tony Michels
  • Published online:
    21 September 2017
    Print publication:
    28 September 2017
  • The eighth and final volume of The Cambridge History of Judaism covers the period from roughly 1815–2000. Exploring the breadth and depth of Jewish societies and their manifold engagements with aspects of the modern world, it offers overviews of modern Jewish history, as well as more focused essays on political, social, economic, intellectual and cultural developments. The first part presents a series of interlocking surveys that address the history of diverse areas of Jewish settlement. The second part is organized around the emancipation. Here, chapter themes are grouped around the challenges posed by and to this elemental feature of Jewish life in the modern period. The third part adopts a thematic approach organized around the category 'culture', with the goal of casting a wide net in terms of perspectives, concepts and topics. The final part then focuses on the twentieth century, offering readers a sense of the dynamic nature of Judaism and Jewish identities and affiliations.

The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Volume 2, The Hellenistic Age
  • Edited by W. D. Davies, Louis Finkelstein
  • Published online:
    28 March 2008
    Print publication:
    22 March 1990
  • This is the second of four volumes covering the history of Judaism from the Persian period, roughly 539–322 BCE, to the Tannaitic period, which culminated in the codification of the Mishnah around 250 CE. It deals with the encounter of Judaism with the Hellenistic culture spread throughout the Mediterranean world and beyond by Alexander the Great and his successors. The volume describes both the rejection and adoption of Hellenism by Judaism. Religiously the rejection provoked new developments and politically the Maccabaean Revolt, which resulted in the creation of the independent Hasmonean state, 142–63 BCE. Culturally, the adoption of Hellenistic forms by Judaism led to a significant Jewish-Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic literature. At the same time, the tensions in the religious, intellectual, social and political life of Jews spawned apocalyptic thought and literature. In the light of the interpenetration of Judaism and Hellenism in this period the volume questions some established dichotomies.

The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Volume 1, Introduction: The Persian Period
  • Edited by W. D. Davies, Louis Finkelstein
  • Published online:
    28 March 2008
    Print publication:
    16 February 1984
  • The first three volumes of The Cambridge History of Judaism cover the history of the Jews from the Exile in 587 BCE to the early Roman period extending into the third century CE. A comprehensive examination is made of all the relevant literary and archeological sources, and special attention is given to the interaction of Iranian, Semitic, Hellenistic and Roman cultures. The contributors include both Jewish and Gentile scholars from many countries, and this History thus helps to deliver the study of Jewish history and Christian origins from geographical and religious limitations, and contributes to a deeper understanding and a broader tolerance. This first volume opens with three introductory chapters to the work as a whole dealing with the geographical background, the chronology and the numismatic history of Judaism. The remainder of this volume concentrates on the Persian period, the two and a half centuries following the Babylonian Exile.

The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Volume 3, The Early Roman Period
  • Edited by William Horbury, W. D. Davies, John Sturdy
  • Published online:
    28 March 2008
    Print publication:
    09 December 1999
  • This volume covers the history of Judaism in the Roman period. Political history is treated from Pompey to Vespasian, but many chapters on Jewish life and thought go beyond the period of the Flavian emperors to present themes and evidence of importance for Judaism up to the 3rd century CE. The approach has concentrated on the study of institutions and schools of thought through consideration of archaeological finds and inscriptions. Jewish-Gentile relations, temple and synagogue, groups and schools of thought - Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Baptist sects, the 'fourth philosophy' and similar groups, Samaritans and the Christian movement - are examined. An unusual feature of the volume is its historical treatment of Christianity within the context of ancient Judaism. The Qumran texts, Philo and Josephus receive attention as does Jewish society in Judaea and Galilee.

The Cambridge History of Judaism
  • Volume 4, The Late Roman-Rabbinic Period
  • Edited by Steven T. Katz
  • Published online:
    28 March 2008
    Print publication:
    22 June 2006
  • This fourth volume of The Cambridge History of Judaism covers the period from 70 CE to 640 CE (the rise of Islam). It deals with the major historical, political and cultural developments in Jewish history and the history of Judaism in this crucial era during which Judaism took on its classical shape. It provides discussion and analysis of all the essential subjects pertinent to an understanding of this period, and is especially strong in its coverage of the growth and development of rabbinic Judaism and of the major classical rabbinic sources such as the Mishnah, Jerusalem Talmud, Babylonian Talmud and various Midrashic collections. In addition, it surveys the early encounter of Judaism and Christianity from both the Jewish and Christian sides and describes the rise of Jewish mystical literature, the liturgical literature of the developing synagogue, the nature of magical practices in classical Judaism and Jewish Folklore.