Friday, June 04, 2004

Some interesting new books forthcoming...

Skimming some catalogs and announcements, I find the following books to be interesting to philonics:
John Lierman, The New Testament Moses. Christian Perceptions of Moses and Israel in the Setting of Jewish Religion
2004. XIV, 368 Seiten ( Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2.Reihe 173) € 64.00.

Yuval Shahar, Josephus Geographicus. The Classical Context of Geography in Josephus
2004. IX, 305 Seiten ( Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism 98) Leinen € 84.00

John M.G. Barclay (ed.,) Negotiating Diaspora . Jewish Strategies in the Roman Empire. November, 2004 184 Pages £30.00

And Lester L. Grabbe seems to be publishing a multivolume history of Jews and Judaism. The first volume is announced for this year thus: Lester L. Grabbe, A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period, Volume 1 Yehud, the Persian Province of Judah May 1, 2004 hardcover 480pp, £55.00.
Description
"In the first of four volumes on A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period, Lester Grabbe presents a comprehensive history of Judah (Aramaic Yehud) during the Persian Period. Among the many crucial questions he addresses are: What are the sources for this period and how do we evaluate them? And how do we make them “speak” to us through the fog of centuries? Grabbe argues that there is a danger of seeing everything from a Judaeo-centric point of view, or using the biblical texts and out-of-date secondary material to provide the main perspective in understanding history, whereas any scholar writing about this period should be familiar with the classical historians and the Near Eastern sources as well. This study brings together and analyzes the original sources, sifts and evaluates the secondary sources, develops a substantial historical synthesis, and points to areas where further research is needed."

I hope to be able to have a closer look at at least some of these volumes in this year. What worries me about them, however, is not their length, but the prices. € 84.00 or £55.00 is simply too much for my resources. :-(

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