Zionism and the State of Israel provides a topical and controversial analysis of the development of Zionism and the recent history and politics of Israel.
This thought-provoking study examines the ways in which the Bible has been used to legitimize the implementation of the ideological and political programme of Zionism, and the consequences this has had.

Middle Platonism explained how a transcendent principle could relate to the material world by positing an intermediary, modeled after the Stoic active cause, that mediated the supreme principle's influence to the world while preserving its transcendence. Having similar concerns as Middle Platonism, Hellenistic Jewish sapientialism, early Christianity, and Gnosticism appropriated this intermediary doctrine as a means for understanding their relationship to God and to the cosmos. However, these traditions vary in their adaptation of this teaching due to their distinctive understanding of creation and humanity's place therein. The Jewish writings of Philo of Alexandria and Wisdom of Solomon espouse a holistic ontology, combining a Platonic appreciation for noetic reality with an ultimately positive view of creation and its place in human fulfillment. The early Christians texts of 1 Cor 8:6, Col 1:15-20, Heb 1:2-3, and the prologue of John provide an eschatological twist to this ontology when the intermediary figure finds final expression in Jesus Christ. Contrarily, Poimandres (CH 1) and the Apocryphon of John, both associated with the traditional rubric "Gnosticism", draw from Platonism to describe how creation is antithetical to human nature and its transcendent source.

Praeger, in collaboration with the distinguished International Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization, Jerusalem, and in association with Israeli's Open University, has undertaken the publication of this multi-volume series. Binah brings together for the first time in English seminal articles in Jewish history, thought, and culture. This landmark series, edited by Joseph Dan and under the general supervision of Moshe Davis, will provide resource materials for students enrolled in courses in Jewish studies, religion, history, literature, sociology, cultural anthropology, and philosophy. Binah includes topics from the Biblical period through the 20th century. Each volume of articles is approximately 300 pages in length. An introduction explains the criteria for selecting the articles and indicates their contribution to Jewish history, thought, and culture. The articles, not previously translated, are adapted from their original Hebrew sources in order to make them more accessible to the undergraduate reader, but the editors have made every effort to remain faithful to the intent of the original authors. Each article is preceded by a statement that indicates the original source, a brief biographical sketch of the author placing the article within the framework of his life-work, and the name of the translator/adaptor. The series is bound in both a hardcover library version and in a loose-leaf fomat, allowing the instructor maximum flexibility in utilizing the materials. By special arrangement, purchasers acquire the right to make copies of the articles for student use. Thus, instructors can virtually build a package of readings for their students.

Series: Compendia Rerum Iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum Section 1 - The Jewish people in the first century Historial geography, political history, social, cultural and religious life and institutions Edited by S. Safrai and M. Stern in cooperation with D. Flusser and W.C. van Unnik Section 2 - The Literature of the Jewish People in the Period of the Second Temple and the Talmud Section 3 - Jewish Traditions in Early Christian Literature

Fragments of the Sixteenth-Century Nahuatl Census from the Jagiellonian Library: A Lost Manuscript provides a missing chunk of the sixteenth century Marquesado census-one of the earliest known texts in Nahuatl. In the critical edition of this manuscript, Julia Madajczak, Katarzyna Granicka, Szymon Gruda, Monika Jaglarz, and Jose Luis de Rojas reveal how it traveled across the Atlantic only to be lost during World War II and then rediscovered at the Jagiellonian Library, Poland. When connected to other surviving fragments of the Marquesado census, now held in Mexico and France, the Jagiellonian Library manuscript sheds new light on pre-contact and early colonial Nahua society. The authors use it to discuss the concept of calpolli, family life, and the production of administrative documentation in the early colonial Tepoztlan of today's Morelos.

Papers collected in this volume try to illuminate various aspects of philosophical theology dealt with by different Jewish and early Christian authors and texts (e.g. the Acts of the Apostles, Philo, Origen, Gregory of Nazianzus), rooted in and influenced by the Hellenistic religious, cultural, and philosophical context, and they also focus on the literary and cultural traditions of Hellenized Judaism and its reception (e.g. Sibylline Oracles, Prayer of Manasseh), including material culture ("Elephant Mosaic Panel" from Huqoq synagogue). By studying the Hellenistic influences on early Christianity, both in response to and in reaction against early Hellenized Judaism, the volume intends not only to better understand Christianity, as a religious and historical phenomenon with a profound impact on the development of European civilization, but also to better comprehend Hellenism and its consequences which have often been relegated to the realm of political history.

In The Religious Cultures of Dutch Jewry an international group of scholars examines aspects of religious belief and practice of pre-emancipation Sephardim and Ashkenazim in Amsterdam, Curacao and Surinam, ceremonial dimensions, artistic representations of religious life, and religious life after the Shoa. The origins of Dutch Jewry trace back to diverse locations and ancestries: Marranos from Spain and Portugal and Ashkenazi refugees from Germany, Poland and Lithuania. In the new setting and with the passing of time and developments in Dutch society at large, the religious life of Dutch Jews took on new forms. Dutch Jewish society was thus a microcosm of essential changes in Jewish history.

Critical presentation of the whole evidence concerning Jewish history, institutions, and literature from 175 BC to AD 135; with updated bibliographies.

Since its first publication in 1970, A Survey of Israel s History has established itself as a popular and useful text in Bible colleges and seminaries. This revision by David O Brien, which brings A Survey of Israel s History up to date, is certain to add to its value and continue its popularity. A chapter on the Intertestamental Period has been added. Numerous line-maps, charts, and diagrams help to clarity details. An extensive chronological chart provides an overall summary of names and dates. Authoritative, thoroughly biblical, factually sound, and movingly human -- A Survey of Israel s History will prove enormously helpful to the student of the Bible, and to anyone in search of a definitive history of the chosen people."

The twelve studies here are arranged in three distinct groups - Arabic and Judaeo-Arabic philosophy, Jewish mysticism, and modern philosophy. One theme that appears in various forms and from different angles in the first two sections is that of 'Images of the Divine'. It figures not only in the account of mystical imagery but also in the discussion of the 'Know thyself' motif, and is closely allied to the subject-matter of the studies dealing with man's ascent to the vision of God and his ultimate felicity. In the third section three thinkers are discussed: the English Deist, William Wollaston, who is shown to be steeped in the medieval Jewish traditions of philosophy and mysticism; Moses Mendelssohn, the philosopher of eighteenth-century Enlightenment, whose thesis asserting Spinoza's influence on Leibniz's doctrine of the pre-established Harmony is investigated critically; and Franz Rosenzweig, the most brilliant religious philosopher in twentieth-century Jewry, whose notion of History is analysed. Originally published in 1969, this is an important work of Jewish philosophy.

Find Inspiration and Spiritual Understanding in Judaism's Ancient
Traditions of Dream Interpretation

This engaging, entertaining, and informative bedside companion will help you open up your dreams and discover the meanings they may hold for you.

"The Jewish Dream Book "invites you to integrate the spiritual wisdom of Judaism s past into your life today by honoring your dreams and striving to uncover their hidden messages. Exploring the Bible, Talmud, and other ancient sources, it will introduce you to inspiring, easy-to-use rituals and practices.

Included are diverse topics covering everything you ve ever wondered about dreams and dreaming: Uniquely Jewish ways to bless and honor your dreams Transforming a bad dream into a good one How and why to keep a dream journal How to encourage enlightening, productive, and healing dreams Guidelines for being a dream interpreter Historical dream interpretations Dream symbols and their meanings How to link your dreams to Torah

Jews and Judaism played a significant role in the history of the expansion of Europe to the west as well as in the history of the economic, social, and religious development of the New World. They played an important role in the discovery, colonization, and eventually exploitation of the resources of the New World. Alone among the European peoples who came to the Americas in the colonial period, Jews were dispersed throughout the hemisphere; indeed, they were the only cohesive European ethnic or religious group that lived under both Catholic and Protestant regimes, which makes their study particularly fruitful from a comparative perspective. As distinguished from other religious or ethnic minorities, the Jewish struggle was not only against an overpowering and fierce nature but also against the political regimes that ruled over the various colonies of the Americas and often looked unfavorably upon the establishment and tleration of Jewish communities in their own territory. Jews managed to survive and occasionally to flourish against all odds, and their history in the Americas is one of the more fascinating chapters in the early modern history of European expansion.

The studies that make up this book explore in what ways Israel's sacred tradition developed into canonical scripture and in what ways this sacred tradition was interpreted in early Judaism and Christianity. This collection will stimulate continuing investigation into the growth and interpretation of scripture in the context of the Jewish and Christian communities of faith, and will serve well as a reader for graduate courses with its focus on early exegesis and intertextuality.

Even though the earlier debates of the twentieth century have subsided, questions concerning the composition and genre of Daniel, the social setting of the work, its literary context, and its theology persist. Because of the Dead Sea Scrolls discoveries and advances in understanding the history of transmission, Daniel has found a new generation of scholars interested in its place in the Jewish and Christian scriptures. Collins and Flint have assembled a stellar international team to review the state of Danielic studies and the hot issues surrounding them. Of the thirty-two essays, only one has previously appeared. Articles on Second Temple Judaism, theology, apocalypticism, and the New Testament afford the foundational resources scholars require for doing their own detailed analysis.
"Book of Daniel, Composition and Reception Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 are also available as set (isbn 0 391 04137 1)
This publication has also been published in hardback, please click here for details.

Environmental concerns are at the top of the agenda around the world. Judaism, like the other world religions, only rarely raised issues concerning the environment in the past. This means that modern Judaism, the halakhic tradition no less than others, must build on a slim foundation in its efforts to give guidance. The essays in this volume mark the beginning of a new effort to face questions and formulate answers of vital importance.

In this volume twelve contributions discuss the relevance, accuracy, potential, and possible alternatives to a literary reading of ancient Jewish writings, especially the Hebrew Bible. Drawing on different academic fields (biblical studies, rabbinic studies, and literary studies) and on various methodologies (literary criticism, rhetorical criticism, cognitive linguistics, historical criticism, and reception history), the essays form a state-of-the-art overview of the current use of the literary approach toward ancient Jewish texts. The volume convincingly shows that the latest approaches to a literary reading can still enhance our understanding of these texts.

The book of Numbers in Hebrew, Bemidbar, In the Wilderness is a key text for our time. It is among the most searching, self-critical books in all of literature about what Nelson Mandela called the long walk to freedom. Its message is that there is no shortcut to liberty. Numbers is not an easy book to read, nor is it an optimistic one. It is a sober warning set in the midst of a text the Hebrew Bible that remains the West s master narrative of hope.

The Mosaic books, especially Exodus and Numbers, are about the journey from slavery to freedom and from oppression to law-governed liberty. On the map, the distance from Egypt to the Promised Land is not far. But the message of Numbers is that it always takes longer than you think. For the journey is not just physical, a walk across the desert. It is psychological, moral, and spiritual. It takes as long as the time needed for human beings to change....

You cannot arrive at freedom merely by escaping from slavery. It is won only when a nation takes upon itself the responsibilities of self-restraint, courage, and patience. Without that, a journey of a few hundred miles can take forty years. Even then, it has only just begun.

Mystical and practical wisdom for daily life.

The least known of the Hasidic masters teachings the "hanhagot, " or spiritual practices are at the heart of this book. These short lists of instructions were created for their followers, inspirational treasures intended to be carried with you at all times. They were to be read again and again providing spiritual guidance, centering, and aid in bringing joy and God s presence into daily life.

Practical, personal, and wise, these brief teachings range from straightforward instructions to visualization exercises, meditations, and mantras. Also included are the "hanhagot" of two neo-Hasidic thinkers: the modern journalist and mystic Hillel Zeitlin (1871 1942), and the contemporary theologian Arthur Green.

Opens up the traditional Jewish prayer book as a spiritual resource....This groundbreaking new series involves us in a personal dialogue with God, history and tradition, through the heritage of prayer. "The prayer book is our Jewish diary of the centuries, a collection of prayers composed by generations of those who came before us, as they endeavored to express the meaning of their lives and their relationship to God. The prayer book is the essence of the Jewish soul." Framed with beautifully designed Talmud-style pages, commentaries from many of today's most respected Jewish scholars from all movements of Judaism examine Shabbat at home from the perspectives of ancient Rabbis and modern theologians, as well as feminist, halakhic, Talmudic, linguistic, biblical, Chasidic, mystical, and historical perspectives. My People s Prayer Book is a momentous multi-volume series that opens up the traditional Jewish prayer book (the Siddur) as a spiritual resource. Commentaries by respected teachers from all perspectives of the Jewish world provide the spiritual messages that make up the Siddur. Sometimes awe-striking, sometimes surprising, but always deeply spiritual, My People s Prayer Book is a gateway to the riches that the heritage of prayer offers us in our worship, and in our lives. The seventh volume celebrates Shabbat as a central family ritual, tracing the development of this loosely structured liturgy from early prayer books that draw on the classical rabbinic era, through medieval Jewish practice and the influence of Lurianic mysticism. Pausing to explore the key moments that mark this sacred time Erev Shabbat with Kiddush, Kiddusha Rabbah, and Motsa ei Shabbat with Havdalah Shabbat at Home captures the joy of this holy day s prayers, blessings, and z mirot (table songs), emphasizing the renewal of home liturgy in Jewish life and reinforcing the importance of Shabbat in the Jewish conception of time. Vol. 7 Shabbat at Home features the traditional Hebrew text with a new translation that lets people know exactly what the prayers say. Introductions explain what to look for in the prayers, and how to truly use the commentaries to find meaning in the prayer book. Commentaries from eminent scholars and teachers from all movements of Judaism examine Shabbat at Home from the viewpoints of ancient Rabbis and modern theologians, as well as a myriad of other perspectives. Even those not yet familiar with the prayer book can appreciate the spiritual richness of Shabbat at Home. My People s Prayer Book enables all worshipers, of any denomination, to create their own connection to 3,000 years of Jewish experience with the world and with God. Each volume of My People s Prayer Book provides a new translation of the authentic Hebrew text, with diverse and exciting commentaries to the traditional liturgy, written by many of today s most respected scholars and teachers from all perspectives of the Jewish world. This stunning work, an empowering entryway to the spiritual revival of our times, enables all of us to claim our connection to the heritage of the traditional Jewish prayer book. It helps rejuvenate Jewish worship in today s world, and makes its power accessible to all."

The authors of "Searching for God: Study Partners Explore Contemporary Jewish Texts "introduce "self-directed hevruta," a novel twist on the traditional Jewish path of in-depth learning with a study partner. Together, they choose the most challenging topic of all, searching for God, and explore five contemporary Jewish texts that present several approaches: mysticism, rationalism, nontraditional Judaism, metaphors from science, and character development.

These spiritual seekers are lay-people. Joan Burstyn is an historian and poet; Gershon Vincow is a scientist and community leader. They study, discuss, teach each other, and draw conclusions. The result of this study partnership is a transformative learning experience about Judaism and the search for God.

"This touching and inspiring account of the commitment of two friends to study texts and share their insights with each other on behalf of their own, and each other's connection to holiness could well be titled Thinking as a Spiritual Path. Celebrating intellect as an instrument of prayer, this book will serve as a template for seekers across religious traditions who long for a spiritual practice that satisfies their minds as it gladdens their hearts."

-Sylvia Boorstein, author of "Happiness Is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life."

"This book successfully probes the most basic questions anyone should ask: What do I mean when I use the word 'God'? And how does the answer affect the way I live?"

-Edward D. Zinbarg, board member, Jewish Theological Seminary Rabbinical School; author of "Faith, Morals and Money: What the World's Religions Tell Us about Ethics in the Marketplace."